Activity 1: Timeline of Developments in the African and Inter-State Slave Trade
Create a timeline marking important dates in the development of the African slave trade into the colonies, and later the inter-state slave trade within the United States, starting with the settlement of Jamestown in 1607 on through the Emancipation Proclamation. Discuss with students what trends and factors occurring during that time period precipitated the use of African labor in the colonies. Have the students conduct research on the other types of laborers used to work the fields and as house servants. Have the students investigate the reasons why Africans became the preferred choice as laborers. Finally, have the students develop a short synopsis of other trends in American history that directly contributed to the development of the international, and later, the domestic slave trade.

Activity 2: My Community’s Labor History
Have the class research the history of their community’s local industries and those local historic sites in particular that reflect that part of the community’s history. It is preferred that the students focus on slave-based labor, but if slave labor was not a large part of the community’s workforce historically, then focus on those laborers that do historically represent the local workforce. Write an account of those businesses/enterprises that historically fueled the local economy. What was the composition of the local workforce? Was it slave based? If not, which groups formed the basis of the local workforce? Were they brought in from elsewhere in the United States or abroad? Were these workers from specific immigrant groups? What were working conditions like for them?

Once the general history of the community’s free or enslaved labor history has been gathered by the class, assign each student a specific historic building/site that reflects the community’s labor history. The student should visit their local library, historical society or the site itself, and collect one visual and one primary source document that they will use in providing the class with a short presentation on that site’s history. The teacher should explain to the students the difference between a primary and a secondary source document for this project. In their presentation, students should address how their site fits overall into the community’s labor history.

Activity 3: Slavery through the Eyes of the Enslaved
Teachers should provide students with a working definition of an oral history and a personal narrative. Then have students conduct an internet search to access an oral history of a former enslaved person or a slave narrative, or through their local library. Whether choosing one of the internet sites from the list provided below, or one of their own choosing, have them pick one former enslaved person’s oral history or slave narrative. Once they have read and studied that person’s story, have each student create a short script from the interview or narrative. Once this is done, the students should get into character and perform, by memory, the enslaved person’s story they have chosen. Once all the students in the class have completed this activity, the teacher should lead a discussion regarding the differences and similarities between all the oral histories/narratives presented.