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Freedom Voices: Abolition and Suffrage in the United States  
Introductory Activities Learning Activities Culminating Activity Cross-curricular Extensions Community Connections Introductory Activities 
LOG onto the Who
What When website to compile a timeline of historical people and events
that have lived in the time span of two generations—that of the students
and their parents. In the year field, align the digits to coordinate with
the birth year of a parent and click on "Go". A list of people
born in the same year will be generated. Click the 
icon adjacent to the name of a political leader born in the same year. A
list of political contemporaries will be generated. Use the drop down menu
at the top of the screen to change the parameters of the comparison. The
categories that can be queried are listed below.Timeline query categories
By changing the parameters of the "search", students will gain valuable insight concerning the world of our generation. Learning Activities
Identify the leaders of the movements. Provide students with a FOCUS FOR
MEDIA INTERACTION by asking students to record three facts about Susan B.
Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth. Log onto the American
Experience: The time of the Lincolns—A Woman's World site
to gather information. (Answers will vary. Anthony and Stanton formed
strong alliances to establish rights for women. Anthony and Truth were leaders
for the cause of abolition. Descriptions of the men of the movement (to
abolish slavery) are available at the Battle
for abolition link on the American Experience: The time of the Lincolns
site.)
"Connect the dots" between men and women, Blacks and Whites,
abolitionists and suffragists of the late 1800's and early 1900's.
Provide students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION by asking them to identify
who Lucretia Mott, the Grimkes and Maria Stewart were. PLAY the Quicktime/Real
video exposition of historian Margaret
Washington. Check for student understanding by asking students to identify
points in the transcript available on screen where the women are discussed.
(These women were staunch abolitionists whose major motivations were
steeped in religious conviction and traditions. While they were renowned
for their leadership as women, they likely did not consider themselves feminists
because of their religious practices.)  Provide
students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION by asking them to identify three
men, two African-Americans and at least one religious figure who was likely
to have crossed paths with any of the women discussed in the documentary
(Anthony, Stanton, Truth, Grimkes, Mott, Stewart ). LOG onto the Who
What When website and type at least two of the names listed in the “Name”
field. When the lists are generated, scroll over their life span bar to
access life span data and a description of their life work. Provide students
with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION by asking them to identify the interrelation
between science, policy and philosophy that likely developed during this
time frame. Record student responses on the large instructional writing
space for quick reference. (Charles
Darwin was a scientist who lived between 1809 and 1882. Social Darwinism
and Marxist communism were born at the same time. If Charles Darwin is used
to construct the timeline, links to several abolitionists and anti-slavery
politicians will be provided.) Provide students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION by asking them to record at least two reference websites where information can be retrieved about the contemporaries of these important leaders. (Clicking on the names of the people in the life span bar will automatically initiate a search on Google.com) Culminating Activity Provide students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION by asking them to explain the significance of the American Anti-Slavery Society. (The American Anti-Slavery Society brought all demographic groups together having Blacks in significant roles of leadership. Established in 1833, the AASS is associated with Frederick Douglass, Lucretia Mott and other prominent abolitionists.) Use the references gathered during this lesson to write a petition and proposal for a specific human rights issue that may have precipitated the larger suffragist and/or abolitionist movements. As part of the petition, generate a "mock" committee of at least ten contemporaries who likely supported the cause being addressed. As part of the proposal, provide at least one narrative statement of influence and one factual statement. The narrative may be expressed as an editorial to one of the periodicals of the time, a letter, a poem, a speech or a political cartoon. The factual statement must be a verified primary source document that chronicles the cause for which the petition is being drafted. 
Cross-Curricular Extensions Music Artists commonly document the social and political climate of their generation, providing an historical context for understanding artistic composition. Explore the history of African-Americans as composed by legendary musicians Duke Ellington ("Black Brown Beige") and Quincy Jones ("Overture: A Partial History of Black Music" from Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration). If CDs are not available, compare the two musical accounts of the history of Africans in America using music samples provided at the sites listed below. Black Brown Beige music samples; Soulful Celebration music samples English Study the language of Truth as expressed in "Ain't I A Woman". This speech-essay is now considered one of the banner thoughts of the feminist movement. Research other political speeches that have rallied the masses to embrace a movement. History Slavery was an economic enterprise disguised as religious mission for some. Professor Eric Foner exposes a "Harsher Reality of Plantation Values" in this audio slideshow with primary source material. Summarize the economic value system used to quantify each member of the "family". Explain the difference in value associated with gender, age and vocation. Film and History The Second Great Awakening occurred during a 50+ year span in the United States between the 1790s and the 1840s. This period saw the rise of evangelism in the U.S. View the 1998 film "The Apostle", starring Robert Duvall, to gain insight into the influence of evangelism in the South. Community Connections |