The citizens of Newton Massachusetts - responses to slavery and the Civil War.

Grade Level: 8th

Essential Questions:

How and why were Newton residents involved in the fight to end slavery in the United States?

How were the views of the residents influenced by the geographic location of Newton?

Enduring Understandings/Objectives:

Students will gain a better perspective (through the use of primary sources) of the reactions of different residents of Newton to the idea of slavery and the civil war. Ideally, this will help to better personalize and localize the issues.

· Newton had a large and active abolitionist organization that worked diligently to end slavery in the United States.

· The Underground Railroad was neither "underground" nor a "railroad," but was a loose network of aid and assistance to slaves fleeing their captors. It is estimated that as many as one hundred thousand slaves may have escaped in the years between the American Revolution and the Civil War. Because of the Newton’s geographic location it was an important stop for many slaves fleeing to Canada.

· Many residents of Newton served in the union army during the civil war. These soldiers were often motivated by patriotism but not necessarily by strong anti-slavery sentiment.

· Students will be able to read and interpret various primary sources form the Civil War era. They will learn how to gather information from different sources, analyze, and evaluate it in order to answer their own questions about Newton abolitionists, the Underground Railroad, and the Civil War.

Standards:

USI.30 Describe the formation of the abolitionist movement and the roles of various abolitionists.

USI.35 Summarize the critical developments leading to the Civil War.

General Standards

Chronology and cause (standard 1)

Historical understanding (standard 2)

Research, evidence and point of view (standard 3)

Society, diversity, commonality and the individual (standard 4)

Examples of Possible Assessments:

· Journal Writing.

Students will write and illustrate a detailed journal from the perspective of a slave traveling through Newton on the Underground Railroad. Students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of how the Underground Railroad worked (logistics, geography etc.) as well as the difficult conditions for many slaves. These journals will also convey the students understanding of the risks that many Newton residents took in hiding slaves and helping them escape to freedom.

· Writing from different perspectives.

Students will learn about the lives of Newton residents through letters, census information, maps, pictures, military reports, etc. Each student will be assigned a specific person/role to research throughout the unit. These roles/characters will be both historical and fictional. (Ex. Newton resident fighting in the Civil War, a Newton Abolitionist, etc.) The students will be put into pairs and will exchange letters with one another. Prompts will be given after specific lessons. Students will be encouraged to assume the role of the personality they have been assigned. This activity will help to further clarify the student’s understanding of different events from the perspective of various Newton residents and their responses to the Civil War and slavery.