Unit Central Questions:
What do primary and secondary sources teach us about the characteristics of “everyday life” of individuals living in Deerfield at the four turns of the centuries? What do these characteristics reveal about changes in the town since its beginning as an English settlement?
Key Content Ideas Taught in this Lesson and Teacher Background
In Massachusetts slavery was never officially abolished. It died out slowly so that by 1820, most, if not all, enslaved people in the state had gained their freedom. However, many continued to lead marginalized lives.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, as their homelands were taken over by English settlers, many Indigenous people such as the Pocumtucks moved away to be further from White settlements. Others chose to remain but usually lived on the outskirts. One hundred years later, Indigenous people who had moved away continued to travel through their ancient homelands, connected through ties of kinship, culture, and tradition. Some made baskets and brooms to sell during their travels and others offered to recane chair seats. Those who remained in the area did the same and might also work in White households or on farms if they did not have their own. Few in number and often among the economically deprived, they, like African American residents, lived what seemed to their White neighbors to be marginal existences.
For more information, read: Native Americans and African Americans: 1780-1820
Intended Learning Outcomes
Understandings:
Students will understand that:
- It is hard to find evidence of African Americans and Indigenous people in the records and primary and secondary sources. Often, not much information can be found, but by examining a variety of sources, a little more can be learned about the lives of these people.
Skills:
Students will be able to:
- Read and interpret a 1790 census record.