National Humanities Center
Teaching with Primary Sources
Online Seminars and Lessons
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
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The country’s only independent institute for advanced study
in all branches of the humanities.
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Independent = Private, non-profit
Institute for Advanced Study = Fellowship program
Humanities = History, literature and languages,
philosophy, criticism of the arts, etc.
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Teaching with Primary Sources Seminars
2013
(Live, Online, Ninety-minutes, Leading Scholars)
The Struggle for Woman Suffrage
Economic Development of the West in the Late Nineteenth Century
The Causes and Consequences of Indian Removal
The Emergence of Jim Crow
African Americans and the American Revolution
(7:00 p.m., October 10, 2013)
Goals
To deepen teacher content knowledge
To provide fresh resources—primary documents—for use with students
To introduce teachers to Library of Congress resources
To contextualize and support the use of those resources
To promote close reading in support of the Common Core State Standards
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Fall 2013 Online Seminars
Real Pirates of the Caribbean
Puritans in the New World
Slavery in the Chesapeake
African Americans and the
American Revolution
Teaching the Constitution
Class in the Slave Narrative
The Creation of the Market
Economy
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Teaching Poe’s “The Cask of
Amontillado”
Teaching Emily Dickinson
Teaching Robert Frost
Teaching “What to the Slave Is the
Fourth of July?”
FSA Photography and the 1930s
Teaching Herman Melville’s “Billy
Budd”
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Common Core Goals
The Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and literacy
in history and social studies seek “To help ensure that all students are
college and career ready in literacy”
Promote close attentive reading
Foster deep and thoughtful engagement with high-quality literary and
informational texts
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From the Forum
 On
which side did most African Americans fight in the
Revolution?
 What roles did they play in the War?
 Were the enslaved forced to fight on the Patriot side?
 Did the British offer freedom as an inducement to fight?
 How did Patriot leaders feel about arming slaves?
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Contextualizing
Information
Presentation Structure
Focus Passage for
Analysis
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American Memory Timeline: Revolutionary War, The Home Front
President of Georgia Congress, April, 1776
To Archibald Bulloch, John Houstoun . . .
Gentlemen,
Our remote Situation from both the Seat of Power
and Arms, keep us so very ignorant of the Counsels
and ultimate designs of the Congress, and of the
Transactions in the Field, that we shall decline
giving you any particular instructions, other than
strongly to recommend it to you, that you never lose
sight of the peculiar situation in the Province you are
appointed to represent. The Indians both South and
North-westardly upon our backs, the fortified Town
of Saint Augustine made a continual Rendezvous for
Soldiers in our very Neighbourhood, together with
our blacks and tories within us. Let these weighty
truths be the powerful Arguments for support.
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Discussion Questions
What is the “peculiar situation”
the author describes?
With whom does the author
equate the “blacks”?
How does the author view the
“blacks”?
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American Memory Timeline: Revolutionary War, The Home Front
The Case for Arming Slaves
Henry Laurens to George Washington, March 16, 1779
Our affairs in the Southern department in more favorable light, than we had
viewed them in a few days ago; nevertheless, the Country is greatly distressed,
and will be more so, unless further reinforcements are sent to its relief. had we
Arms for 3000 such black Men, as I could select in Carolina I should have no
doubt of success in driving the British out of Georgia and subduing East Florida
before the end of July.
George Washington to Henry Laurens, March 20, 1779
The policy of our arming Slaves is, in my opinion, a moot point, unless the enemy
set the example; for should we begin to form Battalions of them, I have not the
smallest doubt (if the War is to be prosecuted) of their following us in it, and
justifying the measure upon our own ground; the upshot then must be, who can
arm fastest, and where are our Arms? besides, I am not clear that a discrimination
will not render Slavery more irksome to those who remain in it; most of the good
and evil things of this life are judged of by comparison; and I fear a comparison in
this case will be productive of much discontent in those who are held in servitude;
but as this is a subject that has never employed much of my thoughts, these are no
more than the first crude Ideas that have struck me upon the occasion.
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Discussion
Questions
On which side
does Washington
think slaves
would fight?
What worries
Washington about
the proposition of
arming slaves?
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American Memory Timeline: Revolutionary War, The Home Front
The Case for Arming Slaves
Continental Congress, March 29, 1779
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee on the
circumstances of the southern states, and the ways and means for their safety and
defence: wherein the committee report:
That the circumstances of the [Continental] army will not admit of the detaching
of any force for the defence of South Carolina and Georgia.
That the continental battalions of those two States are not adequate to their
defence.
Discussion
Questions
Describe the
military situation
in the Southern
states.
That the three battalions of North Carolina continental troops now on the southern
service are composed of draughts from the militia for nine months only, which
term with respect to a great part of them will expire before the end of the
campaign.
That all the other force now employed for the defence of the said States consists
of militia, who from the remoteness of their habitations and the difficulties
attending their service ought not to be relied on for continued exertions and a
protracted war.
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American Memory Timeline: Revolutionary War, The Home Front
The Case for Arming Slaves
Continental Congress, March 29, 1779
That the State of South Carolina as represented by the delegates of the said State
and by Mr. Huger, who has come hither at the request of the governor of the said
State, on purpose to explain the particular circumstances thereof, is unable to
make any effectual efforts with militia, by reason of the great proportion of
citizens necessary to remain at home to prevent insurrections among the negroes,
and to prevent the desertion of them to the enemy.
That the state of the country and the great numbers of those people among them
expose the inhabitants to great danger from the endeavours of the enemy to excite
them, either to revolt or to desert. That it is suggested by the delegates of the said
State, and by Mr. Huger, that a force might be raised in the said State from among
the negroes which would not only be formidable to the enemy from their numbers
and the discipline of which they would very readily admit, but would also lessen
the danger from revolts and desertions by detaching the most vigorous and
enterprizing from among the negroes. That as this measure may involve
inconveniences peculiarly affecting the states of South Carolina and Georgia, the
committee are of opinion that the same should be submitted to the governing
powers of the said states, and if the said powers shall judge it expedient to raise
such a force, that the United States ought to defray the expence thereof . . .
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Discussion
Questions
How are the
enslaved
influencing the
conduct of the
War in the South?
How does Mr.
Huger plan to
slove the problem
the slaves
present?
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American Memory Timeline: Revolutionary War, The Home Front
The Case for Arming Slaves
Continental Congress, March 29, 1779
Resolved, That it be recommended to the Governing Powers of the States
of South Carolina and Georgia, to consider of the Necessity, and Utility
of arming [if they shall with Congress think it expedient to take measures
for immediately] raising a force of able bodied Negroes, either for filling
up the continental Battalions of those States, or for forming separate
Corps, to be commanded by white Commissioned and
NonCommissioned Officers, the commissioned officers to be appointed
by the said governing Powers respectively, or for both purposes.
Resolved, That it be recommended to the states of South Carolina and
Georgia, if they shall think the same expedient, to take measures
immediately for raising three thousand able bodied negroes.
That the said negroes be formed into separate corps as battalions,
according to the arrangements adopted for the main army, to be
commanded by white commissioned and non commissioned officers. . . .
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Discussion
Questions
How are the
enslaved
influencing the
conduct of the
War in the South?
How does Mr.
Huger plan to
solve the problem
the slaves
present?
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American Memory Timeline: Revolutionary War, The Home Front
The Case for Arming Slaves
Continental Congress, March 29, 1779
Resolved, That congress will make provision for paying the
proprietors of such negroes as shall be inlisted for the service of
the United States during the war, a full compensation for the
property at a rate not exceeding one thousand dollars for each
active able bodied negro man of standard size, not exceeding
thirty five years of age, who shall be so inlisted and pass muster.
That no pay or bounty be allowed to the said negroes, but that
they be cloathed and subsisted at the expence of the United States.
That every negro who shall well and faithfully serve as a soldier
to the end of the present war, and shall then return his arms, be
emancipated and receive the sum of fifty dollars.
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Discussion
Questions
How are the
enslaved
influencing the
conduct of the
War in the South?
How does Mr.
Huger plan to
slove the problem
the slaves
present?
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America in Class Lessons
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America in Class Lessons
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America in Class Lessons
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America in Class Lessons
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America in Class Lessons
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America in Class Lessons
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National Humanities Center
Teaching with Primary Sources
Online Seminars