Inquiry Question 1: In what ways have people of color been both present for and critical actors in turning points in American history?
Inquiry Question 2: How and why has public memory of the Boston Massacre changed over time? In what ways do available evidence and point of view impact interpretations of historical events?
Inquiry Question: What tactics did enslaved people in Massachusetts in the 1700s use to free themselves?
Inquiry Question 1: Prior to 1855, in what ways did segregated schools harm Black children in Boston?
Inquiry Question 2: What actions did Black families take to advocate for integration?
Inquiry Question: What can portraits tell us about the past?
Portraits are primary sources that tell us about the people who appeared in and painted them. In this set, you will look closely at three portraits to see what they show us about the lives of Black people in colonial and revolutionary Massachusetts. What can we learn about individuals? What information remains hidden?
Inquiry Question: What tactics did the authors of the Massachusetts recruitment posters use to persuade their audiences?
Inquiry Question 1: According to the Declaration of Independence, why did the colonies declare independence from Great Britain?
Inquiry Question 2: In what ways did individuals use the Declaration of Independence to argue for the end of slavery?
Students will trace Anthony Burns’ journey to freedom, and the growth of abolitionism in 1850s Boston, using broadsides, letters, and artifacts.
Inquiry Question 1: What was the impact of the Fugitive Slave Act on freedom seekers?
Inquiry Question 2: Who resisted the law, and how?