Program 1

Witnessing Slavery and Freedom in the West Division

How does learning about our town's history help to understand through-lines to racial issues today?

How does telling these stories humanize those enslaved here? And how does our study show the systemic dehumanization of people enslaved?

Your unit assignment: Students will produce a project to represent their learning about CT and West Hartford’s role in the institution of slavery.  Students may choose to write essays, create artwork, write poetry, or represent their learning in additional formats to help the community remember its shared past of slavery and freedom. 

Click to open Student Worksheet  

Lessons 

Whitman on Slavery Document.mp4

Listen to  - First Documents 

Use of terms in List of enslaved in Town's records - Google Slides.webm

Listen to -   Words We Use 

Stories 

Ned - Google Slides.webm

1. Ned

Bristow'sstory.webm

2. Bristow

Story of Simone.webm

3. Simone 

Jude's Story.webm

 4.   Jude

COMMUNITY 

1776 community map.mp4

5. Map of 1776 - UPDATE


Church Final.webm

6.Church - Slavery and Freedom 


Church and Meeting House.mp4

7. Church - Role in the community

ECONOMY  

Trade and Transportation

9. Trade in Colonial West Division  

Food, Clothing, Shelter

10. Daily Life in Colonial West Division 

The Benefits of Inheritance: The Lord Family.webm

The Lord Family  

Read - The Benefits of Inheritance:

Currency Converter  https://www.uwyo.edu/numimage/currency.htm

Pounds Sterling to Dollars: Historical Conversion of Currency

by Eric Nye, Department of English, University of Wyoming

 Click here to read an explanation of the calculations.

Enter source year:  (1264-1983)
Enter target year:  (1913-2020)
Enter old value in pounds: £
Convert Clear
Value at beginning of target year in dollars: $ 

GOVERNMENT / LAWS

Slave Laws Behavior.mp4

11.Laws on Slavery - Punishments  for Violating Laws

Slave Law Emancipation.mp4

12. Laws on Slavery- Ending the Trade and Gradual Emancipation 


13. Read this article about 1776 election of Black Governor in CT 

Freedom Seekers 

freedom seekers - Google Slides.webm

14.Explore Freedom Seekers and trafficking advertisements.