Primary Sources, Student Activities, Teacher Reference Materials

Who were the enslaved people in Salem?

Salem Maritime National Historic Site, Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

Grade Level:: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
Subject:: Social Studies
Common Core Standards:: 9-10.RH.1, 9-10.RH.2, 9-10.RH.7, 9-10.RH.9, 9-10.RH.10, 11-12.RH.1, 11-12.RH.2, 11-12.RH.5, 11-12.RH.7, 11-12.RH.9, 11-12.RH.10, 9-10.WHST.1, 9-10.WHST.1.a, 9-10.WHST.1.b
State Standards:: Teaching Hard History Frameworks
Key Concept 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10

Students use two 18th century primary source documents to explore the lives, labor, and significance of enslaved people in Salem and Essex County.

This activity may be used alone or as part of a three-part activity series examining Salem merchant Richard Derby's connections to slavery and the slave economy.

1. How did slavery connect Salem to a global economy?
2. Who were the enslaved people in Salem?
3. How did the slavery economy contribute to the American Revolution?

Procedure

1. Students answer "Opening Question" (found in Student Materials) before being introduced to the primary source documents or background information.
2. Students use background information (see Materials below) and primary source documents to complete the graphic organizer.
Optional
3. Introduce supplemental primary source documents (below) to give students further context.
4. Expand activity by taking the NPS App audio tour, "The Business of Slavery," and exploring places at Salem Maritime.

A Note on Language

Over the course of American history, the language used to describe Black people has changed and most likely will continue to change. Be sure to discuss with students that some of the primary sources use outdated terms as well as racist and offensive language to describe Black people. We recommend developing a plan or guidelines to ensure a respectful, reflective classroom discussion.

A Note on Transcriptions

The primary source transcriptions included in "Student Materials" are heavily modified for length and clarity. We have worked to keep the documents representative of their original versions. You can find original transcriptions in "Teacher Materials."