The Mid-to-Late 1800’s

Along time ago in Africa, the people could fly. They walked up into the air like they were climbin stairs. They could fly over the fields like blackbirds, their wings shiny and black. When they were captured and made slaves, they lost their wings. The slave ships were so crowded…

Enslaved people had almost no control over their own lives. They worked from sunup to sundown, often with little food or proper clothing. They were frequently beaten or mistreated, and their own families could be taken from them. Complaining about their situation could land them a whipping. Yet, they found…

Originally retold by Steve Sanfield in From Sea to Shining Sea, compiled by Amy L. Cohn. The slaves had little control over their own lives. They had no choice over where they lived, what they ate, what they wore, or even whether they got to stay with their own families.…

Nat Turner led one of the first and largest rebellions against slavery.   Fun Facts Nat was born in 1800 in Virginia. His mother was a slave and it is believed that his father had escaped to freedom. When his owner died, he became property of the owner’s son. Most…

The slaves had waited for their day of deliverance, but when it finally came, the rejoicing didn’t last long. They were ill prepared for life after slavery.   Fun Facts Much of the South was destroyed during the Civil War. Cities, such as Atlanta, were burned down. Both white and…

Tension between the North and the South grew over the issue of slavery until the South decided to break away from the country, or the Union as it was called. It wasn’t long before the two sides were at war. Enslaved people finally saw the chance to be free.  …

Fun Facts Frederick Douglass was born on a plantation in Maryland. The year of his birth is unknown. He was separated from his mother when he was just a baby and his grandmother and grandfather raised him. When he was six years old, Frederick was sent to work in another…

In every age, people have used their talents and abilities to make a difference. Some people are natural leaders; others have substantial money. Harriet Beecher Stowe was intelligent and literary. She used her writing ability to influence others.   Fun Facts Harriet Beecher Stowe was born in Litchfield, Connecticut in…

Sojourner Truth was born Isabella Baumfree. She later changed her name because she believed God had told her to travel, speaking the truth about slavery.   Fun Facts Sojourner was born in 1797, one of 10 or 12 children in the Baumfree family. Her parents were slaves and belonged to…

Harriet Tubman created the Underground Railroad, a network of safe homes and passages for runaway slaves. She knew firsthand what it felt like to be a slave and was willing to risk her freedom and even her life to help others.   Fun Facts Harriet Tubman was born in Maryland…