Resisting Enslavement – Graphic Organizer

Guiding Question

• How did enslaved people and free Blacks shape the cultural, social, and political landscape of the colonies?

Objectives

• I can explain how enslaved people and free Blacks resisted the institution of slavery and summarize the main idea of primary source texts.

Directions: Fill in the graphic organizer as you read each primary source. For the far right column, use question stems “Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How” to help you think of questions you may have about the primary sources. You may not have a question for each stem. However, the goal is to think of additional information you would like to have about the person(s) described in the source. The first source is completed as an example.

 

Source	Shrink the Text: What does this source tell us about enslavement in colonial Virginia?	How do these actions show resistance to enslavement?	What questions do I still have about this source?
Virginia Governor’s Council reply to the petition of Matthew Ashby, November 27,1769	Enslavement was passed down through the mother, meaning if a mother was enslaved, her children would be too. Manumission, or the act of being freed, required permission, even though the person had already paid for their freedom. To be freed, enslaved people had to prove they deserved it by making a petition to the council.	Enslaved people challenged the system by petitioning for their freedom, setting an example for others to buy their own or someone else’s freedom. They also demonstrated their humanity by forming families and getting married, showing that they were more than just property.	What jobs did Matthew Ashby have as a freeman? When and where did Matthew Ashby get to see his family when they were enslaved? How was Matthew Ashby treated as a free man?
Runaway ad for Jude, October 28,1768
Runaway ad for Frank, August 27,1771
Runaway ad for Walton, 1774