African-American history sources?

[LeslieV]

Before I ask, let me preface this with : This is my first time teaching Y2, and I have not read all the readings. There may be something I have not yet read already assigned. If so, could someone tell me so that I make sure not to trim that resource!

I have quite a few miscellaneous Am. History books for children that I've collected over the years (don't we all?). I have plenty of resources for discussing slavery in the late 1700's and early 1800's, including slave narratives, but none for the colonial time period. I have a book that is called, "If You Lived During Colonial Times..." that talks about children's lives during those years. I looked at it and thought, well, if MY kids lived during colonial times, that would not be how their lives would be. I certainly want my kids to know how others lived during those times, but I wonder if there is something that would discuss how their own descendants lived. There are brief references in most books about slavery vs. indentured servanthood, the conditions on slave boats, the auction block, etc. but does anyone know of a resource that talks about the everyday life of Africans/African-Americans in a more extensive manner? I know there's Amos Fortune Free Man. What time period is that, does anyone know?

Thank you in advance, and I apologize if this question has already been addressed...

[CovenantMom]

Amos Fortune Free Man is set in the colonial era. You could check with the children's librarian at your local public library and see if they have a biography of Phillis Wheatley. Also, BJU Press has a book called Free Indeed: Heroes of Black Christian History, I am not sure if any of them are from the colonial period or not.

[Pat]

A great nonbook resource is a two part Adventures in Odyssey episode with an African American boy wondering why he should bother studying the American Revolution. He is taken back in time to live through some key battles that African Americans fought in.

Here's a link: http://www.whitsend.org/vault/A000000541.cfm

Besides the episode, they provide a bibliography at the bottom of the page that may contain resources you could use (they maybe adult books, I can't tell).

[LeslieV]

Amos Fortune Free Man starts in 1725, it turns out, and the Odyssey recommendations are about African-American participation in the Revolutionary War. I was looking more for 17th c., descriptions of early slavery. Many books say that slavery became more and more brutal over time, but I can't seem to find any resource with anything specific on what it was originally. Phillis Wheatley, if I remember correctly, lived at the same time as George Washington. And the BJU starts with mid-1700s as well. Thanks for the input! ToGers are great!

Ah,

[DanaCinTN]

Hi,
Another book that TOG assigns in Year 2 that focus on a specific African-American is Dear Benjamin Banneker. Of course many of the general history books, as you've said, mention slavery and such too.

And, just so you'll know, there is more in Years 3 and 4 in this regard. If you'd like to take a look, use the search engine at Bookshelf Central for these Year-Plans and see what comes up. I imagine you'll recognize significant names and places.

Hope this helps!

[Susan in La]

Dear Leslie,

Making Thirteen Colonies by Joy Hakim (UG) includes some discussion of slavery in the chapters describing the settling of the southern colonies. The Colonial Period: 1607-1750 ed. by Brenda Stalcup (R) contains three chapters which discuss slavery. When we studied the southern colonies three years ago using Classic, we also read The Strength of These Arms by Raymond Bial (LG/UG) and To Be a Slave by Julius Lester (D). All of these books include additional reading suggestions and a bibliography at the end.

Blessings,

[LeslieV]

Thanks!!