The African American Search for Freedom in 1850's St. Louis Teacher Directions

The African American Search for Freedom in 1850's St. Louis

TEACHER DIRECTIONS

Overview
This lesson allows students to explore the opportunities and obstacles confronting African Americans in their search for freedom in antebellum America. Students will navigate the physical landscape of St. Louis in the Virtual City website as they simulate how African American slaves might search for ways to gain their freedom.

Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will:

Identify obstacles facing African Americans in their search for freedom
Identify opportunities African Americans had to gain their freedom
Devise a strategy an African American slave might use to obtain freedom in 1850's St. Louis
Evaluate the extent to which African Americans could gain freedom in 1850's St. Louis

Show Me Standards 1.2, 1.4, 2.4, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5, 3.7, 3.8

Process

Review the history of the African American struggle for freedom. The discussion might include an overview of the role of the abolitionist movement, the African American church, and the Underground Railroad. Explain that St. Louis' unique geography (a slave holding city bordered by a free state) and history (the presence of a large free black community) made it an important location in this struggle for freedom.
Introduce the St. Louis Virtual City website to the class. Show them how to navigate using Cortona. Familiarize them with the nodes on the left side of the screen and the data on the right side of the screen. Have students practice with the interface so that they gain expertise using the program.
Distribute the student instructions for the activity. Depending on computer access and the teacher's learning goals, students can complete this task individually, in small groups, or as one large group. Have students solve the problems presented in the student instructions. The activity may take several days to complete. You may choose to have students present their information in class.
Students should identify three possible ways to gain their freedom. First, they can purchase their freedom. Second, they could file a law suit to obtain their freedom. Third, they could try to escape.
Follow-up this activity by discussing African American resistance to slavery in antebellum America. Be sure to discuss opportunities, obstacles, and choices that African Americans had to make. You can link information from St. Louis history (such as the efforts of John Berry Meachum or Dred Scott) to the larger struggle for African American rights in the time period.

View and print student directions.