Slave Narratives
Lesson plans and teaching resources

American Slave Narratives: An Online Anthology
Click on "Reading the Narratives" for helpful background information; then on "Index of Narratives" for the interviews.

Comparing and Contrasting the Individual Experiences of African Americans in the 19th Century
Students work together in three groups to develop profiles of African American life during three time periods in the 19th century. Individuals in each group investigate a different aspect of African American life during one of the time periods and then share his/her findings with the other members of the group. When students in all three groups have had a chance to meet together to create a "typical" profile for the time period assigned, they will discuss as a class the ways in which life changed for African Americans during the mid to latter half of the 19th century.

Frederick Douglass
Lesson plans for Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, other works.

Forest Joe Lesson Plan: Outlaw or Hero?
Fugitive slave Forest Joe was the leader of a group of similar fugitives who lived in the wild forests of the South. This description sounds similar to the legend of Robin Hood. The legend of Robin Hood, however, has gained much more fame and notoriety than the legend of Forest Joe. Students will research Forest Joe and compare the spread of his legend to that of similar legends from different ethnic groups.

Fugitive Slave Narratives
Students will read 2 fugitive slave narratives and then compare and contrast their journeys.

Interview with Fountain Hughes
Students listen to an oral history interview with Fountain Hughes, who tells what life was like when he was enslaved. A transcript is also available. This 4-page document includes learning activities and printable handouts.

Harriet Jacobs
Lesson plans for Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.

Perspective on the Slave Narrative
Students read and explore The Narrative of William W. Brown, An American Slave. They write an essay explaining how Brown's narrative challenged the prejudices of readers in his own time and how it challenges prejudices today. Lesson includes a link to the text, 4 learning activities, assessment, and links to related websites.

Reliving History Through Slave Narratives
After reading narratives from former slaves that were recorded in the 1930's as part of the Federal Writers' Project, students conduct research on slavery and tell a story based on their findings. The lesson incorporates an exploration of storytelling techniques. Designed for grades 5-8.

Runaway Journeys
Background information, text integrated with graphics and related sites.

"To My Old Master"
A letter from freedman Jourdon Anderson to his former master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, in response to a job offer. The letter details conditions of the time.

Up from Slavery
Text of the Booker T. Washington autobiography in HTML or XML format.