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Teacher's Guide for COBBLESTONE ® The Underground Railroad

February 2003

Teacher Guide prepared by: Leslie Anderson Morales.

Objectives
  • To examine the cultural context of historical events
  • To understand the complex relationship between economics, law, and morality
  • To encourage students' creativity and critical thinking skills
Some of the key words for the Underground Railroad are "conductor" and "Promised Land." More words appear on page 6. The terms came from a hot, new transportation technology that was sweeping the country - the railroad. How would you describe these key words using computer (or electronic) technology?

It wasn't until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment at the end of the Civil War in 1865 that the federal government protected the rights of African Americans. The United States Congress passed its first Fugitive Slave Law in 1793. It passed a new Fugitive Slave Act in 1850.
  1. What are the similarities and differences between the two legislative acts?
  2. Describe how Americans reacted to both laws. What actions did they take? How had the social and political climate of the country changed in approximately 60 years?
Imagine that you are a member of an anti-slavery society that emphasizes "political change to ensure the end of black bondage." Pick at least one of the following:
  • Design a pamphlet to be distributed in a community where about one-third of the people support slavery, one-third of the people support abolition, and the rest could go either way.
  • Write an editorial for the Society's newspaper.
  • Draft a lecture that you are going to deliver in a town that you have not visited before.
  • Draw an editorial cartoon.
  • Describe the business you operate that allows you to offer financial support to the Society.
Blacks and whites from Oberlin, Ohio stormed the Wadsworth Hotel to rescue John Price. Thirty-seven participants were arrested; twenty participants are pictured on page 21. What do you think happened to the other 17 people?
Pick two or three people from the photograph and create a brief biography for each. Create a biography for one (or more) of the people not in the photograph.
Vermont was a safe haven for runaway slaves. Compare and contrast the Green Mountain State to Ohio (or another state of your choice).

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is scheduled to open in mid-2004 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the result of many years of planning and the efforts of many people. Imagine that you are developing a history museum on the subject of your choice.
  • What is the museum about? Where is it located? What would it look like? What would you call it?
  • What is the website address? What's on the web page?
  • What is in the museum? What kinds of activities does the museum offer? Describe a painting, sculpture, or exhibit in your museum.
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