Emancipation in 18th century Massachusetts
Emancipation in Massachusetts
Inquiry Question: What tactics did enslaved people in Massachusetts in the 1700s use to free themselves?
Portraits of enslavement and freedom
Portraits of Enslavement and Freedom
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?
Additional Resources
Anthony Burns and the Fugitive Slave Act
Anthony Burns and the Fugitive Slave Act
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?