The Laws that Oppressed the African Americans in the 1800’s
The Laws That Oppressed the African Americans in the 1800’s
Part 1:
Narrative/ Abstract: This unit will help intermediate elementary students understand the
prejudice the African Americans faced in the 1800’s. It will also provide information about the
laws and how these laws were designed to oppress the African Americans. Finally, the students
will understand how the laws contributed to the onset of the Civil War.
In the second part of this unit, the students will learn about the Reconstruction Era. The
students will be introduced to some courageous African American who rose above the
oppression to become our nation’s leaders. The students will also learn about the Klu Klux Klan
and their role in our nation’s history.
Learning Outcomes:






Students will understand how laws prior to 1820 were designed to limit slavery.
Students will understand how laws passed after 1820 were designed to expand slavery.
Students will understand how slavery was used to oppress the African Americans.
Students will understand how the Emancipation Proclamation, 13th, 14th, and 15th
Amendments were designed to create a sense of equality for African Americans.
Students will understand how the Reconstruction Era created strife between the Southern
Democrats desire to oppress the African Americans and the ability of some African
Americans to rise to power.
The students will learn about the Klu Klux Klan and why this group was formed during
the Reconstruction Era.
Organizational Chart:
This unit has been organized according to the separate lessons.
Unit 1
Lesson 1: Vocabulary
Overview of relevant vocabulary
Lesson 2: Initial Laws related to Slavery
Laws passed designed to phase out slavery 1787 - 1820
Lesson 3: Subsequent Laws Related to Slavery
Laws passed that rolled back progress made towards abolishing
slavery. 1820 - 1860
Unit 2:
Lesson 1: Amendments to the Constitution
13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments guaranteeing rights to African
Americans
Lesson 2: Entrepreneurs
Social Entrepreneurs were people who paved the way for others.
Economic Entrepreneurs were people who invented items that helped
oppress African Americans or advanced their status.
Overview of the lessons in Part 1
Lesson 1: Vocabulary






Oppression
Segregation
Abolition
Liberty
Freedom
Enslaved
Teaching Strategies:




Look at the attributes of each word
Examples/ Non-examples
Word Maps
Visual Connections
Social Studies Strategy:

Concept: Development and Attainment
Language Arts Standards:


4.1.2 – synonyms and antonyms
4.1.3 – knowledge of root words to determine the meaning
Vocabulary Quiz
Length of time to teach: 1 day
Lesson 2: Building Background
Hook:
For this part of the unit, my hook will be a game.
Object of the game: The object of the game is to be the first group to reach the teacher. The game
is like Mother May I.
How to Play: Each participant chooses a red or blue unifix cube from a hat randomly.
Once the students have their color, they line up. I will pick one red player to choose a card from
the red pile and read it to the red group. The group will do what the card says. For example, a
card might say “Everyone with a red unifix cube take 2 steps forward. (The card will always
have the students with the red unifix cubes taking steps forward.)
Once the red group has taken their turn, it will be the blue groups turn. I will pick a blue player
to choose a card from the blue pile. The player will read the card aloud. The group will do what
the card says. For example, a card might say “Everyone with a blue unifix cube take 2 steps
backward.” (Almost every card will have the students taking steps backwards.)
Outcome: The red group will always win.
After we play this game, we will discuss the game and how the blue group felt. We will talk
about the fairness of the game. We will talk about what could have been done to make it fairer.
I will then tell the students we will be learning about two groups of people. One group was like
the red group (Southern White people) and one was like the blue group (African American
slaves).
Introduce: KWL Chart to introduce the Laws
These laws are included because they were designed to limit slavery.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787
LaFever, Carolyn. Wayne County Indiana: The Battles for the Courthouse.” Charleston,
South Carolina: The History Press, 2010. Secondary source –Local - Transportation
Cayton, Andrew R L. Frontier Indiana. Indiana University Press, 1996. Secondary
Source - State
Our Documents: Northwest Ordinance of 1787
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=8 *Primary Source -State
Primary Documents in American History: Northwest Ordinance of 1787
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/northwest.html * Primary Source -State

Act of 1807: The Abolishment of Slave Trade -National
www.discoverychannel.com/schrockguide/history/hista.html Primary Source
The Act of 1807- U.S. Constitution and Acts- The Abolition of the Slave Trade
http://abolition.nypl.org/essays/us_constitution/5/ *Primary Source - National

Indiana’s original Constitution – State – Communication- Textbook * Secondary Source
IBH: Indiana’s Constitution of 1851http://www.in.gov/history/2466.htm
Teaching Strategies:



Primary Sources
Questioning
Timeline
Math – figure out the time period
Look at the African American population and create a bar graph
Springer, Katharine. African American Population of Richmond- Wayne County, Indiana.
*Primary Source – Local – Transportation
Comprehension Strategy:

Think Pair Share
Standards for Social Studies





4.1.4 – Key documents in Indiana’s development from a territory to a state.
4.1.11 – African Americans migrating from the South.
4.1.14 – Distinguish fact from opinion and fact from fiction using historical documents
and other informational resources.
4.1.15 – Using primary and secondary sources, generate a question, seek answers, and
write brief comments about historical events that occurred in Indiana.
4.1.13 – Organize and interpret timelines.
Writing Strategy: Write a letter to a friend explaining one of these laws.

Assessment – A 6 Traits rubric will be used to assess voice, ideas, and conventions.
Language Arts standards:

4.5.1 – Write a narrative that includes memories of an event.
Length of time: 1 to 2 days
Lesson 3: Laws designed to Oppress
After 1820, laws were passed that rolled back the progress made towards ending slavery. These
new laws were designed to oppress the slaves.

Fugitive Slave Law – State - Transportation
Fugitive Slave Law
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=328 *Primary
Source
Steven Pembrook *Primary Source – National - Communication
Fugitive Slave Case: A Slave Named Stephen Pembrook
http://www.archives.gov/northeast/nyc/exhibits/stephen-pembrook.html
John Freeman- Social Studies Textbook *Secondary Source – State - Communication

Levi Coffin/ The Underground Railroad – Local - Transportation
“Persons Who Helped Slaves Escape Had Reunion in 1874.” Palladium- Item. May 28,
1952. P.13 sec.2 col.7 *Primary Source
 Role Play: Attached to the back
Science – Look at how the fugitive slaves used nature to find their way north.
Ex. Constellations, moss on trees
Martin, Steve. Wayne County Bicentennial by the Numbers. Palladium- Item Secondary
Source – LocalThornbrough, Emma L., the Negro in Indiana: A Study of a Minority. Indiana Historical
Bureau, 1957. *Primary Source – Local - Transportation
Role Play: Attached to the back

Kansas- Nebraska Act - National
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=330 * Primary
Source
Kansas Nebraska Act http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Kansas-Nebraska+Bill
*Primary Source

Missouri Compromise - National
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/print_friendly.php?page=&doc=22&title=Missouri+Comp
romise+%281820%29 * Primary Source
Primary Documents in American History Missouri Compromise
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Missouri.html * Primary Source

Dred Scott Supreme Court Case -National
 Role Play: Attached to the back
People & Events Dred Scott’s Fight for Freedom
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2932.html * Primary source
Primary Documents in American History Dred Scott v. Sanford
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/DredScott.html *Primary Source
Revised Dred Scott Case Collectionhttp://digital.wustl.edu/d/dre/history.html
*Primary Source
Writing- R.A.F.T.S. –
Language Arts standards:


4.5.6 – Write for a different purpose and to a specific audience.
R.A.F. T. S.
A 6 Trait rubric will assess voice, idea, and conventions.
Quiz on this unit.

Social Studies Standards:

4.1.7 – Explain the role of various individual, groups, and movements in the social
conflicts leading to the Civil War.
Teaching Strategies:




Case Study
Graphic Organizer
Mock Trial
Historical Characters
Comprehension Strategy:

Cause and Effect
Length of time: 3 days
Overview of lessons in Part 2
Part 2:
Overview: Hook: I will ask some questions to get the students thinking.



When was the first African American elected to Congress?
When do you think the first African American was appointed to present cases before the
Supreme Court?
What happened to African Americans after the Civil War?
Time length for the project: 2 to 3 weeks
Lesson 1: Amendments to the Constitution
This lesson will begin with the Emancipation Proclamation as a way of showing how African
Americans began to gain freedom. The next part of the lesson will focus on the Amendments to
the Constitution that were passed in order to guarantee these rights. This lesson will also
emphasize why these amendments were needed.

13th - National
13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865)
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=40 * Primary Source Primary Documents in American History: 13th Amendments to the Constitution
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/13thamendment.html *Primary Source -

14th -National
14th Amendments to the US Constitution: Civil Rights (1868)
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=43 *Primary Source -National
Primary Documents in American History: 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/14thamendment.html *Primary Source

15th -National
“Negro- Phobia.” Evening Item. July 14, 1877. * Primary Source- Local
15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Voting Rights (1870)
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=44 * Primary Source
Primary Documents in American History: 15th Amendment to the Constitution
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/15thamendment.html *Primary Source

Emancipation Proclamation
Hummingbird. February 26, 1870. p. 3 col.6 *Secondary Source -Local
“Colored Schools.” Richmond Telegram. June 26, 1879. p. 3 col.2
*Primary Source - Local
“Colored Children Hereafter to go to the White Schools if They Like.” Evening
Item. July 13, 1882. * Primary Source -Local
“The First School for Colored Children.” National Road Traveler. September
18,1936. p. 16 col.2 *Primary Source -Local
Emancipation Proclamation
http://www.archives.gov/index.html *Primary Source
Emancipation Proclamation
http://historywired.si.edu *Secondary Source
Primary Documents in American History Emancipation Proclamation
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/EmanProc.html *Primary Source
Slavery and Emancipation: Federal Document Sources from Atlanta, Boston, New York
and Philadelphia http://www.archives.gov/midatlantic/education/slavery/slave-trade.html
*Secondary Source - National
Teaching Strategy:

Graphic Organizer
Comprehension Strategy:

Double Journal Entry
Language Arts standards:

4.2.2 – Use appropriate strategies when reading for different purposes.
Social Studies standards:

4.2.3 – The major responsibilities of the three branches of government.
Quiz
Length of time: 3 days
Lesson 2: Entrepreneurs
Social Entrepreneurs
The social entrepreneurs are the African Americans became national leaders. They paved the
way for other African Americans to become leaders also.

Hiram Rhodes Revels – National/ Local
Black Americans in Congress Black Americans in Congress
http://baic.house.gov/member-profiles/profile.html?intID=7 *Primary Source

Fredrick Douglass Paper at the Library of Congress http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/ampage?collId=mfd&fileName=30/30001/30001page.db&recNum=1 * Primary
Source - National

John Rock
John Rock http://www.answers.com/topic/john-rock-1 *Primary Source - National

KKK
I included the Klu Klux Klan because they had a huge impact on the African American
society. This group was established after the Civil War to make sure the African
Americans did not vote for Republicans. They also tried to intimidate the African
Americans as a way of oppressing them further.
“Negroes Come to Richmond For Safety.” Evening Item. March 9, 1904.*Primary Source
– Local
The Klu Klux Klan- Digital History -* Primary Source
www.digitalhistory.uh.edu
Resurgence of the Klu Klux Klan * Primary Source
www.u-s-history.com
Economic Entrepreneurs
The economic entrepreneurs were African Americans who invented a product or started a
business which impacted their society. All of these economic entrepreneurs created jobs. I also
included Eli Whitney because his invention, the cotton gin, had a huge impact on the
advancement of slavery.


Elijah McCoy
African American Inventor who had over 57 patents in the 1800’s. Elijah McCoy
invented a oil lubricating cup that automatically lubricated the axels and bearings. He
opened the Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company in 1920. He had a patent for a lawn
sprinkler and a portable ironing board. He was an economic success story.
www.answers.com
Lewis Latimer
Lewis Latimer was an African American who developed an improved process for
manufacturing of the carbon filament for the light bulb. He also developed a water closet
(toilet) for a railroad car. Latimer worked in many electric companies. He spent most of
his creativity and talent to improving the lamp.
http://www.answers.com/topic/lewis-h-latimer

Jan Ernst Matzeliger
Jan Ernst Matzeliger was an African American who invented a machine that could attach
the top part of the shoe to the sole. This machine could produce between 150 to 700 shoes
in a day. Because of this machine, the price of shoes dropped by 50%.
www.answers.com

George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver was a botanist and an inventor. His attempts at finding an
alternative to cotton led him to discover 325 products made from peanuts. His products
changed the farming industry in the South. It also created a demand for peanut products.
http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/bhm/bio/carver_g.htm

Madame C J Walker
Madame C J Walker was an African American woman that created hair products for
African American woman. These products were manufactured and promoted by agents
within her company. Madame C J Walker became a very wealthy woman.
http://inventors.about.com/od/wstartinventors/a/MadameWalker.htm

Booker T Washington
Booker T Washington was known as one of the top African American educational
leaders. He believed the best way for Blacks to succeed was through education and skill
training. This would allow African Americans to become self reliant. He opened the
Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama.
http://www.biography.com/articles/Booker-T.-Washington-9524663

Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney is the man known for inventing the cotton gin. This machine is believed to
have caused a higher demand for slave labor in the South.
http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/cotton_gin.htm

Arthur B. Wimberly
“Colored Man Has Asked Admission.” Palladium. April 2, 1907 *Primary Sources Local
African American Perspective a Special Presentation of the Daniel A.P. Murray Pamphlet
Collection http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aap/aapexhp.html *Primary Source - National

Teaching Strategies:


Primary Sources
Historical Characters
Comprehension Strategy:


Highlighting
Sequencing
Social Studies standards:


4.4.1 – Give examples of different goods and services produced in Indiana at different
time periods.
4.4.7 – Identify entrepreneurs who have influenced Indiana and the local community.
Writing strategy:
PowerPoint - Students will produce a PowerPoint to introduce a historical African American
from this time period.
OR
Obituary: Students will write an obituary for an African American from this time period.
Assessment: A PowerPoint or an Obituary.

A 6 Trait rubric will be used to assess voice, ideas, and conventions.
Length of time: 3 days
Role Play: Stephen Pembrook
Introduction: Building Background Knowledge
I will have the students read the hand out of Steven Pembrook with a partner.
We will discuss the information.
Role playing:
Jacob Groves: Slave Owner
Stephen Pembook: Fugitive Slave
Robert Pembrook: Stephen’s son
Jacob Pembrook: Stephen’s son
David Smith: Robert and Jacob Pembrook’s owner
Judge
Role Play: Dred Scott Supreme Court Case
Introduction: Building Background Knowledge
I will have the students read a hand out about Dred Scott and the court case with a partner.
We will discuss the information.
Role Playing:
Dred Scott: Slave
Harriet Scott: Dred Scott’s wife and a slave
Peter Blow: Dred Scott’s first owner
Dr. Emerson: Dred and Harriet’s 2nd owner
Mrs. Emerson: Dr. Emerson’s wife and Dred and Harriet’s owner
John Anderson: The Scott’s attorney
John F. Sanford: Mrs. Emerson’s brother who assumed the responsibility for the estate.
Judge in 1st trial:
Judge in 2nd trail:
Missouri Appellate Judge:
Supreme Court Justice: