GUTS, GUMPTION
AND GO-AHEAD
#3474
OPEN-CAPTIONED
MEDIA PROJECTS, INC.
1992
Grade Levels: 7-12
24 minutes
DESCRIPTION
Annie Mae Hunt, granddaughter of a slave, relates her personal story of self-determination, an indomitable spirit,
and a belief in her own abilities. Even though she was born poor and experienced racism throughout her life,
Annie Mae achieved her dreams of independence, often recalling her grandmother's words of confidence and
encouragement. Historic images enhance the portrait of this unique Texas African-American woman.
ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Subject Area: United States History
• Standard: Understands how the values and institutions of European economic life took root in the
colonies and how slavery reshaped European and African Life in the Americas
§
Benchmark: Understands the contributions of African slaves to economic development in the
Americas (E.G., contributions of rice cultivation and cattle raising in South Carolina) and the
transmission of African cultural heritage (E.G., through religious practices, dances, and work songs)
(See Instructional Goal #1)
INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS
1. To depict life for African Americans during and after slavery.
2. To illustrate how determination and hard work can provide for a better life.
3. To illustrate the changes in social attitudes after the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement.
VOCABULARY
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gumption
midwife
mistress
illegitimate
plantation
prejudice
poll tax
BEFORE SHOWING
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Preview the video for unfamiliar vocabulary and language concepts.
Obtain a copy of I Am Annie Mae by Ruthe Winegarten and read excerpts.
Discuss slavery and the Civil War.
Discuss the phrase “guts, gumption and go-ahead.”
DURING SHOWING
Discussion Items and Questions
1. View the video more than once, with one showing uninterrupted.
2. Pause the video after the segment of Tildy describing her experiences as a midwife. Discuss:
a. What happened to Tildy’s mother?
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b. What did the young master do to Tildy and why could she not tell anyone about this?
c. Why did the master and mistress give Tildy land after slavery was ended?
d. What is the irony in what happened to Tildy’s mother and how Tildy was treated as the mother of an
illegitimate son of the young master?
e. What was Tildy’s business?
f. What does to “catch a baby” mean?
3. Pause the video after the song “Swing Low Sweet Chariot.” Discuss:
a. Why was the plantation near Navasota like slavery times?
b. What happened when Annie Mae’s father sassed Ol’ Man Marshall?
(1) What did Annie Mae’s father do?
(2) What did Marshall do to Annie Mae, her mother, and her sister?
c. What is the significance of the film footage of the KKK?
Applications and Activities
1. Create Annie Mae’s family tree:
a. Include known names.
b. Include relationships when names are unknown.
2. Determine the year Tildy was born if she was 60 years old when Annie Mae was born in 1909.
3. Locate and map Annie Mae’s birthplace and the different locations in which she lived or the significant
places she traveled.
AFTER SHOWING
Discussion Items and Questions
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Why does Annie Mae say she is prejudiced against men?
Why did Annie Mae give up cleaning houses and go into business for herself?
What prompted Annie Mae to become involved in politics?
What is a poll tax?
What does the phrase “we shall overcome” mean?
Why did Annie say she did a lot of things she did not want to do?
What was the significance of the rocking chair?
Why was music such an important part of life for the slaves?
Why was it important for Annie Mae to tell her story?
What freedoms are Americans guaranteed by the Constitution? Which of these were withheld from the
African Americans? Why?
11. Discuss ownership of tangible and intangible property. Compare this to slavery.
12. Compare the lives of African Americans in Tildy’s time to those of today.
13. Discuss the meaning of Annie Mae’s closing statement, “Life is not about gettin’ old, it’s about learning
to enjoy things that you never thought possible.”
Applications and Activities
1. Develop a timeline. Include:
a. Annie Mae’s and Tildy’s life events.
b. significant historical events.
2. Create a map of the United States showing the division of the North and the South at the time of the Civil
War.
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3. Keep a journal of writings and newspaper clippings that show examples of people who have guts,
gumption and go-ahead.
4. Visit local historical associations and museums to study what life would have been like for Tildy and
Annie Mae.
5. Gather and record oral history from older family or community members.
6. Create a family tree or compile a written family history. Include:
a. full names of ancestors.
b. dates and place of birth, deaths, and marriages.
7. Locate other media sources that depict the life of African Americans.
a. Books
(1) Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
(2) Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
(3) Roots by Alex Haley
(4) Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington
b. Films
(1) “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman”
(2) “Places in the Heart”
(3) “Mississippi Burning”
(4) “To Kill a Mockingbird”
8. Research and compare life events of prominent African American women. Include:
a. Sojourner Truth
b. Rosa Parks
c. Harriet Tubman
9. Listen to and/or read lyrics of historically significant music related to slavery, including work songs,
gospels, and spirituals. Discuss:
a. What importance did music play in the lives of slaves?
b. How are the times reflected in their music?
c. How is the human spirit reflected in these forms of music?
d. Why were these forms of music important to the slaves?
RELATED RESOURCES
Captioned Media Program
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Roots: Freedom I and Freedom II #5838
Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I A Woman? #2525
We Shall Overcome: A History of the Civil Rights Movement #2695
Who Owns the Sun? #2588
World Wide Web
The following Web sites complement the contents of this guide; professionals who have experience in teaching
deaf and hard of hearing students selected them. Every effort was made to select accurate, educationally
relevant, and “kid-safe” sites. However, teachers should preview them before use. The U.S. Department of
Education, the National Association of the Deaf, and the Captioned Media Program do not endorse the sites and
are not responsible for their content.
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UP FROM SLAVERY: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY BOOKER TALIAFERRO WASHINGTON
http://www.alcyone.com/max/lit/slavery/index.html
Written in 1900 and 1901, this is the story of the life of Booker T. Washington, a slave.
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SLAVERY AND ABOLITIONISM http://history.hanover.edu/19th/slavery.htm
A list of links to text and archives related to slavery.
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ALABAMA ARCHIVES http://www.asc.edu/archives/teacher/slavery.html
Lesson plans that include original documents from the Slave Codes of 1833, interviews with former
slaves, and statements from former slaveholders
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THE HISTORY CHANNEL http://www.historychannel.com/cgi-bin/framed.cgi
The History Channel’s search on slavery provides articles, related films, timelines, interviews, and much
more.
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