In which John Green teaches you about America’s “peculiar institution,” slavery. I wouldn’t really call it peculiar. I’d lean more toward a horrifying and depressing institution, but nobody asked me. John will talk about what life was like for an enslaved person in the 19th century United States, and how enslaved people resisted oppression, to the degree that was possible. We’ll hear about cotton plantations, the violent punishment of enslaved people, the day-to-day lives of enslaved people, and slave rebellions. Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, and Whipped Peter all make an appearance. Slavery as an institution is arguably the darkest part of America’s history, and we’re still dealing with its aftermath 150 years after it ended.
Hey teachers and students – Check out CommonLit’s free collection of reading passages and curriculum resources to learn more about the events of this episode.
Memoirs from former slaves like abolitionist Frederick Douglass provide insightful context on the harsh realities of slavery: https://www.commonlit.org/texts/the-narrative-of-the-life-of-frederick-douglass-excerpt-from-chapter-1
Others resisted the violence of slavery through open rebellion, like Nat Turner: https://www.commonlit.org/texts/nat-turner-s-slave-revolt
Abolitionists and free slaves alike had to fight against unfair laws such as the Fugitive Slave Act: https://www.commonlit.org/texts/fugitive-slave-act-of-1793
Want to learn more about the history and experiences of enslaved people in the United States? Check out these videos from Crash Course Black American History:
The Transatlantic Slave Trade (#1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S72vvfBTQws
Slavery in the American Colonies (#2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4syEkyOzmY
Slave Codes (#4): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu9RIGGXeNo
The Germantown Petition Against Slavery (#5): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT8q6cYsVpc
The US Constitution, 3/5, and the Slave Trade Clause (#9): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57xUbch1viI
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 (#10): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcdOWKiKgWU
Women’s Experience Under Slavery (#11): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAe7ETfQ_aA
The Underground Railroad (#15): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byh-HityBIM
Chapters:
Introduction: Slavery in Early America 00:00
North & South economic ties 0:50
Slave-based agriculture in the South 1:49
Popular attitudes concerning slavery 2:28
Lives & experiences of enslaved people 5:53
Family, love, & religion of enslaved people 8:00
Mystery Document 9:18
How people resisted & escaped slavery 10:37
Slave rebellions 11:37
Nat Turner’s Rebellion 12:09
How enslaved people resisted their oppression & why it matters 12:48
Credits 13:48
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