What freed enslaved people? The answer, it turns out, is complicated. Using a set of online documents and writing prompts, young historians examine a series of primary sources, including a letter from a woman asking if she was freed and the Emancipation Proclamation. After examining the evidence, scholars decide for themselves what actually freed enslaved people. 

Concepts

the emancipation proclamation, abraham lincoln, the united states civil war, civil war, slavery, primary source analysis, primary source images, primary sources, the thirteenth amendment

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

social studies

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Use the resource to introduce emancipation 
• Incorporate the writing prompts into other primary source lessons

Classroom Considerations

• Learners need Internet access to complete the activities

Pros

• Queries stimulate and engage class members to support their arguments using primary sources
• Images of documents are intriguing 

Cons

• Submission buttons don't make clear to where answers are submitted

Common Core

RH.6-8.1 RH.6-8.2 RH.6-8.3 RH.6-8.6 RH.6-8.8 RH.6-8.9 RH.6-8.10