Slaves and the Courts, 1740-1860

Go directly to the collection, Slaves and the Court, 1740-1860, in American Memory, or view a Summary of Resources related to the collection. Critical thinking topics include:

Periodization | Case Study Method | Differentiating Between Facts and Interpretations | Identifying Missing Voices | Colonization in Liberia | Persisting Issues in History

Chronological Thinking: Periodization

As suggested in the U.S. history section of this Collection Connection, a timeline of events related to slavery in the United States would be a useful tool in setting the context for examining the Slaves and the Courts, 1740-1860 collection. Events could be added to the timeline as documents from the collection are analyzed. Such an activity supports the development of basic chronological thinking and could also serve as the basis for a more sophisticated exercise involving periodization.

Periodization in U.S. history is generally based on criteria related to the overall development of the nation. Yet alternative periodizations are certainly possible. Create periods in U.S. history for the years from 1492 to 1877, using developments in the history of slavery as the overall organizer. For example, one period might be "The End of Northern Slavery, 1777-1827." For each period created, prepare an explanation of what distinguishes that period from others.

Historical Comprehension: Case Study Method

The ability to use and understand legal documents as historical sources can be enhanced using the case study method employed in legal education. When approaching any case in the collection, consider the following questions:

• What are the facts of the case?
• What are the most important questions at issue in the case?
• What arguments were made to clarify the issue?
• What decision was reached in the case?
• Did the case have an impact beyond its immediate participants? If so, what was it?
• What additional information might be needed to understand the significance of this episode in U.S. history?

After using the questions to analyze a number of legal cases, reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of legal documents in providing historical insights. What topics can be understood by using legal documents? What topics are not well represented in legal documents?

Periodization | Case Study Method | Differentiating Between Facts and Interpretations | Identifying Missing Voices | Colonization in Liberia | Persisting Issues in History