Slave Journal/Scrapbook

Work individually to create a journal and scrapbook describing your life as a slave.

Required Elements

I. Biography (2 pages)You may take the perspective of a man, woman or

child born into slavery in Americaor coming from Africa.

Required Information:

Your name and describe yourself.

When /where you were born

Where youcurrently live

How you were enslaved i.e. born into slavery or captured.

Describe your family.

II. Scapbook (3-4 pages)

Include important mementos of your life i.e. pictures, drawings, and artifacts

commemorating important life milestones such as the birth of a child,

marriage, death of loved one, or the granting of freedom.

III. Journal/Diary (1 page per entry)

Include at least 5 entries that reflect the most important events in your life i.e.

winning freedom, birth of a child, marriage, death of a loved one.

Due Date ______

SLAVERY AND THE ANTEBELLUM SOUTH SCRAPBOOK PROJECT

In this project, you will create an annotated scrapbook for a fictitious southern plantation family (slave owners or slaves) from the early to mid-19th century south with mementos that will demonstrate how slavery impacted various parts of their lives including the political, social, religious, economic and cultural lifestyle of the southern society from their character/family's point of view. On each page of your scrapbook, you will integrate a memento—an object that serves as a reminder of an important event—with writing that identifies and explains the topics with historical accuracy. Your scrapbook should be written in first person and should demonstrate a clear understanding of how the unit’s key historical issues/events affected people’s lives. Each person in the group will be responsible for one part of the project, but you will all work on the project together.

You will also keep a journal for one of the characters in their particular southern family. In this journal you will explore the different feelings that a plantation owner or slave family would have about the various issues during that time.

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Requirements

1.Your scrapbook must be designed to support your answer to the question: How did slavery in the United States affect the lives of people in the Antebellum south (political, social, religious, economic and cultural aspects)

2.Your scrapbook must be written in first person from the point of view of one of these families:

A plantation owner family

A slave family

3. Your scrapbook must use historical information in its content and reveal slavery’s effect on these aspects of Southern society during this time period:

  • Political
  • Social
  • Religious
  • Economic
  • Cultural

4. Your scrapbook will contain at least six mementos (2 per topic, 2 extra mementos will be added per each additional group member) which are significant to the family and required topics. Each memento will be accompanied by a short explanation of its meaning and significance.

Example: A scrapbook representing the economy and the experience of a slave family in the antebellum south might include a handbill advertising “Choice Slaves for Sale” to explain the family’s attitude toward slavery. The supporting annotation for this memento might read: After seeing this handbill advertising slaves for sale, Dad got really angry. ‘Why do they think they can just sell people? Are we animals? Don’t we have souls? We should be free.’ Dad really gets angry about being a slave, but Massa Smith said that we should just be grateful that we have a nice place to live. I’m confused, but I decided to save that scrap of paper to remind me of what Dad said. What is freedom, must be something special for Dad to get so angry.

5. Your scrapbook may be stapled or bound and should have a visually appealing cover that represents the family whose scrapbook you are illustrating. The scrapbook must contain these elements:

  1. Appropriate title
  2. One-page introduction that includes a picture and description of each character in the family. Description should include: age, gender, appearance, personality, skills, job/responsibilities.
  3. At least eight mementos
  4. Final written entry that summarizes your characters’ thoughts about slavery and the antebellum south.
  5. Each group member’s personal journal

6.You will use your textbook, class readings, class discussions, videos, the virtual museum and other sources to provide information and ideas for your project.

SLAVE JOURNAL TOPICS

These are the journal topics for your slave journal. You will write your journal entries in the point of view of your particular character in your southern family. In this journal you will explore the different feelings that a plantation owner or slave family would have about the various issues during that time. Everyone’s journals will also be included when you turn in your scrapbook.

SJ#

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DATE

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TOPIC

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TOPIC

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POINTS

Back- ground

/ a) Describe yourself (physical appearance, family, attitudes about slavery, etc.
b) Describe master/slaves, your feelings about him/them
1 /

Social

/ a) Describe life on the plantation- living conditions, shelter, daily chores, responsibilities
b) What are your feelings about your life? Content? Dissatisfied? Explain.
2 / Economic / Slave auction
a) What happens at the slave auction. What happens to you?
b) Describe your feelings about the slave auction.
c) Slaves: Why are you important to the planters?
Does he value you, why or why not?
Planters: Why are your slaves important to you, which do you value more? Explain why.
3 / Political / a) Explain some of the laws which slaves must abide by. Do you think these laws are fair? What is your opinion of these laws?
b) Are you a law-abiding citizen/slave, explain why or why not?
4 / Religious / a) What is your religion, how do you participate in it?
b) Why is your religion important to you?
5 / Cultural / Christmas:
a) Describe what you are doing this evening.
b) Why is this an important holiday to you?

TOTAL