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American Centuries > Lessons > History Lessons By Teachers > Formation of Anti-Slavery Societies

Formation of Anti-Slavery Societies

Details

Author
Amber Della Giustina
Topic/Subject Area
African American, Black Life; Slavery, Indenture
Historical Era
National Expansion and Reform, 1816–1860, Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–1877
Grade Level
High School (9–12)
Creation Date
Last Revision Date
2024

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About This Lesson

Summary and Objective

Students will understand that anti-slavery feelings were strong in Massachusetts and that people became involved in the abolitionist movement by forming anti-slavery societies. Students will investigate primary sources and create and implement a plan to form their own anti-slavery society.

Materials & Resources

Collection Items

Teaching Plan

  1. Brainstorm how people in the North felt about slavery and how they expressed their feelings.
  2. Pairs will investigate primary sources attached to this lesson. Some primary sources will have questions that are teacher generated and specific to the primary source while others may be used as research or interpretation. Each pair will report to the class their findings.
  3. Anti-Slavery Societies Primary Source Questions
    1. Primary Document Pages from the diary of Martha Cochran: 1. How does Martha describe the anti-slavery meeting? 2. Who attended this meeting? 3. Who is Mrs. Stowe? 4. Who is Mr. Garrison?
    2. Primary Document “Letter from Mrs. L. M. Child” to Friend Garrison published in the National Anti-Slavery Standard newspaper: 1. Who is Friend Garrison? 2. What is the Liberator? 3. How does she describe slave holders? 4. Why does she see the need for “Protector Societies”?
    3. Primary Document “Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society” article in Gazette and Courier newspaper: 1. List the expenses of the anti-slavery society. 2. What do you believe the expenses were for and what purpose did it serve?
    4. Primary Source “Anti-Slavery Meeting” article from Greenfield Gazette and Franklin Herald newspaper: 1. Describe the resolutions listed in this account. 2. What is the purpose of a constitution for this society?
    5. Primary Document “County Anti-Slavery Meeting” article from Gazette and Mercury newspaper: 1. Interpret this notice for the annual meeting of the Franklin County (Massachusetts) Anti-Slavery Society.
  4. Students will be divided into groups of 4-5. Each group will create a plan to form their own anti-slavery society. Their plan should include the following:
    1. Society Name
    2. Mission Statement (purpose and goal of the society)
    3. Officers (title and job description)
    4. By-laws (rules for the group)
    5. Activities (address publications, fund raising, membership, activities, meetings, and procedures — these may be addressed in the by-laws as well)
  5. Each student society will conduct an anti-slavery meeting addressing their feelings about slavery and what they will do to end it.
  6. Each society will self-evaluate the effectiveness of their society and predict the impact it will have in the future. They will share the evaluation and prediction with the class. The class will judge each group’s self-evaluation and prediction as accurate or inaccurate.
  7. Assessment:
    1. Formative — sharing ideas, teacher circulation during planning process and society meeting, class evaluation.
    2. Summative — student society plans and self-evaluation of their meeting.