Plantation life in the 1840s: A slave's description

This lesson introduces students to a description of life on the plantation and the cultivation of cotton from the perspective of a slave. It focuses on the use of slave narratives made available by the Documenting the American South collection.

A lesson plan for grades 11–12 Social Studies

By John Schaefer and Victoria Schaefer

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Related topics

• Learn more about African American history, African Americans, American history, plantations, slave narratives, slavery, and social studies.

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Learning outcomes

Students use a primary source to investigate plantation life from the slave perspective. In addition, this first-hand account of the slave experience should foster discussions about the slave trade within the United States in the 1800s, as well as spur discussion about the abolitionist movement.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

1 hour

Materials/resources

• Solomon Northrup Narrative via Documenting the American South
• guided reading (see attached)

Technology resources

computers with internet access for each student

Pre-activities

Students should have an understanding of slavery in the United States as well as knowledge of the abolitionist movement.

Activities

1. Provide an introduction to Solomon Northrup, explaining that he was a free black that was kidnapped and sold into slavery. His portrait is provided here.
2. Explain that after gaining his freedom twelve years later, he wrote his incredible story. They’re going to read parts of it for this lesson. They’ll learn from him what plantation life was really like.
3. Provide students with the URL to the Solomon Northrup Narrative. Give students a copy of the attached guided reading.
4. Students may work on the guided reading independently or in groups, subject to teacher’s discretion. (This may be a homework assignment if desired.)
5. Teacher should discuss the selected text with students, using the guided reading questions. Challenge students to engage in stimulating discussions, encouraging them to think about the implications of day after day after day…leading this life as a slave. Include discussions about the abolitionist movement and ask students how such a story may have helped the movement.
6. (optional) Ask students to pretend to be Solomon Northrup writing a letter to his wife in the mid 1840s trying to explain what has happened to him. What might he have felt like? What are the emotions he must have experienced and wanted to share with his family?

Assessment

Teachers may grade the guided reading and/or the creative writing assignment.

Supplemental information

If computer access is not available for the entire class, the teacher can provide a hard-copy of the narrative by printing out the story on the website.

The teacher may be interested to know that Solomon Northrup also described his work on the plantation growing sugar cane as well as his experiences at the annual holiday celebration. (See attached document) The teacher may choose to use this part of the narrative as a homework reading assignment for a followup class discussion and/or for a creative writing assignment.

This lesson plan was created at the 2004 Documenting the South Summer Writing Institute and made possible through funding provided by NC ECHO, Learn NC, the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Education, and the UNC-Chapel Hill library system.