Interracial "harmony" and the Great Awakening

The students will be introduced to two episodes in 19th century American history, around the time of the Great Awakening, that show glimpses of some positive and negative consequences of interracial interaction in a religious context. The students will examine primary sources from the Documenting the American South collection to then be able to write a "sermon" from the perspective of a southern itinerant preacher during the Great Awakening arguing for or against religion as a cure for the social ill of racism and slavery.

A lesson plan for grades 11–12 Social Studies

By Jamie Lathan

Learn more

• Documenting the American South Antebellum North Carolina: A Social History by Guion Griffis Johnson

Related pages

• The African American Experience in NC after Reconstruction: The documents included in this lesson come from The North Carolina Experience collection of Documenting the American South and specifically focus on African Americans and race relations in the early 20th century. The lesson juxtaposes accounts that relate to both the positive improvements of black society and arguments against advancement. Combined, these primary sources and the accompanying lesson plan could be used as a Document Based Question (DBQ) in an advanced US history or African American history course.
• Levine Museum of the New South: This museum shows the diverse history of the South since the Civil War, with a focus on Charlotte and the surrounding Carolina Piedmont.
• An introduction to slave narratives: Harriet Jacobs's Life of a Slave Girl: This lesson is intended to enhance student knowledge about the life experiences of a slaves in America during the 1800s by using the story of a North Carolina slave woman who eventually escaped.

Related topics

• Learn more about African Americans, North Carolina, and social studies.

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Learning outcomes

Students will examine primary sources from the Documenting the American South collection.

Students will be able to identify some positives and negatives of the Great Awakening on race relations in America.

Students will write a “sermon” or persuasive essay for or against religion eliminating slavery and racism.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

90 minutes

Materials/resources

• Access to computers with internet connection
• Pencil/pen and paper

Technology resources

Access to computers with internet connection

Pre-activities

Students should be familiar with the first and second Great Awakenings. The teacher should assign reading and teach the students about such events as camp meetings and revivals, and such people as George Whitefield, Lyman Beecher, Charles Finney, Jonathan Edwards, among others.

Activities

1. Students should be taken to the Documenting the American South website.
2. Students should examine specific pages of the following primary source documents from the website:
   • William Henry Singleton. Recollections of My Slavery Days. Print out or read only pages 6 and 7 of the document.
   • A. W. Wayman, 1821-1895. My Recollections of African M. E. Ministers. Print out or read only pages 4–11, and 44 of the document.

   Have the students answer questions from the attached question sheet as they read the primary source documents.

3. After reading the required pages and answering the questions, the students should also take the time to review race relations during the 19th century and the Great Awakening. Considering the historical context of these documents as well as what the documents themselves reveal, the students should make a chart of the positive and negative aspects of religion and the Great Awakening on race relations between whites and blacks.
4. The students will then write a three paragraph, persuasive essay (sermon), taking the role of a southern itinerant preacher during the Great Awakening, arguing for or against religion as a cure for the social ill of slavery and racism. In the essay/sermon, the students will have to use evidence from both of the primary sources mentioned. The students will also have to make at least three arguments for or against religion as a cure for the social ill of slavery and racism.

Assessment

Qualities of essays earning an A: Thorough presentation of arguments using both of the primary sources from Documenting the American South. The sermon is in historical context. Includes at least three major arguments for or against religion as a cure for the social ills of slavery and racism.

Qualities of essays earning a B: Good presentation of arguments using one of the primary sources from Documenting the American South. Includes at least two major arguments for or against religion as a cure for the social ills of slavery and racism.

Qualities of essays earning a C: Adequate presentation of arguments using one of the primary sources from Documenting the American South. Includes only one major argument for or against religion as a cure for the social ills of slavery and racism.

Supplemental information

You may wish to have students answer these questions about each of the primary source documents either in class discussion or as a separate written assignment.

Comments

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.