This is an image of a slave ship that was used to transfer the slaves to the colonies after being captured. Each slave was shackled and chained to a plank bed. They were given little to no room to move, and were never unshackled.
I chose this image because it depicts the slave's first moments in captivity. The image shows the horrific conditions they endured on the journey across the Atlantic.
This slave tag was used for slaves who were being rented out by their master. The slave owner was required to pay an annual tax if renting out their slaves, and this tag was proof of payment. The earliest tag is dated as of 1800.
I chose this image because it is an example of how slaves were not treated as people, but as property.
Abolitionist
This image represents the cause that abolitionists were working for. They wanted to remove the chains of slavery from the African Americans, and the African Americans welcomed the support of abolitionists.
I chose this because it demonstrates the positive relationship between abolitionists and slaves.
Map of Slave States and Free States
This map highlights which states were slave states and which states were free states in 1861. At this time, 14 states were still slave states, with 18 states being free, and 8 territories.
I chose this map because it helps the viewer see which states still had slavery, and that just under half of our states were still practicing slavery.
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is the executive order issued by President Lincoln that changed the legal status of slaves in the South to free. It immediately freed between 25,000 and 75,000 slaves.
I chose this document because it is a very important document that freed millions of slaves. It was the first step to freedom for all African Americans.
Reuniting Black Families
After being freed, many black families went to great lengths to reunite. The most common method of finding family members was to post in the newspaper. As this clipping shows, a mother is looking for her husband, who had been separated from her 34 years ago.
I chose this clipping because it demonstrates the method used for reuniting many black families. It also is an example of how they never gave up on finding their family members.
This certificate is a certificate of protection. It states that the man is a citizen of the United States, and describes him as a man with dark skin, dark eyes, and wooly hair. The date of the certficate is April 21, 1826.
I chose this certificate because it is an example of a colored man's citizenship documentation. Instead of having a true birth certificate, many colored people had gained citizenship once an adult.
W.E.B. Du Bois
Du Bois is a Harvard-trained scholar who believed that education went beyond mere acquisition of skills, but involved intellectual growth. He believed this would confront racial problems, and he was a major influential figure when it came to colored education.
I chose W.E.B. Du Bois because he was an influential educational figure that promoted education to create wise men, rather than only handymen that could never have a say in politics.
Church During Reconstruction
Church during reconstruction was one of the main ways that people found faith and courage to keep moving forward and never give up on gaining rights as an American citizen.
I chose this picture of African Americans in church because it demonstrates the way that most people found motivation and stayed grounded throughout the hard times.
Ku Klux Klan
This is an image of one member of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). He is holding a gun in his hand while a cross is burning behind him. This KKK member's goal is to harass, harm, and even kill any African Americans and any civil rights supporter.
I chose this image because it depicts the violence that African Americans had to face and fear. The era of reconstruction was filled with the Ku Klux Klan and its violent members.
