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Mr. Curran

United States History

A. Philip Randolph Campus High School

The Origins of Slavery in the American Colonies WebQuest

The Introduction

From the settlement of the first permanent English colony in 1607 (Jamestown) until the end of the 1600’s, the primary source of labor used by the American colonists was indentured servitude. And yet, by the eve of the American Revolution in the 1770’s, African slaves represented 20% of the entire population. What happened in those roughly 80 years that caused the colonists to turn away from European indentured servitude to African slavery?

The Task

The class will be divided into 5 groups and given a specific topic to research. Each group will complete a PowerPoint presentation which they will then be presented to the class in the form of an oral presentation. The PowerPoint will consist of at least five but no more than eight slides. The PowerPoint must include both text AND images (see Evaluation). This PowerPoint will be the focus of your presentation and your grade for the assignment.

The Process

The class will be divided into five groups and given one of the following topics to research:

The origins of the slave system in the New World

The spread of the slave system throughout the colonies

The evolution of slave laws and curtailment of African rights

The living conditions of the African slaves

Anti-slavery responses in England, the Colonies and by Africans

For your research, you will be using a Public Policy Analysis (PPA) approach. Public Policy Analysis consists of:

Identifying the Problem

Gathering the Evidence

Determining the causes

Evaluating the policy

Each link above provides you with a worksheet to help you focus your research. Each group is required to complete all of the worksheets. All completed worksheets must be approved by me before you can begin your PowerPoint.

For the purposes of this project, the problem will be given to you based on the topic your group is assigned.

Topic	Problem/Question
The origins of the slave system	How do you fill the need for cheap labor to maintain the Plantation system?
The spread of the slave system	What makes African Slavery so attractive to Colonists?
The evolution of slave laws	How do you keep control over a growing, permanent slave class in your society?
The living conditions	How do the conditions of Slavery influence daily life?
Anti-slavery responses	How can you oppose the growth of slavery in the colonies?

The Resources

You will find the following sites helpful to your groups as you complete the worksheets

Research Links

Digital History: Slavery in the New World

The Gilder Lehrman Institute

How did American Slavery Begin?

Africans in America: Colonial Law

Slavery in Colonial Times

Archiving Early America

Early American Digital Library

America’s Story: Colonial America

This Far by Faith: Africans in America 1526 -1775

The Evaluation

The following rubric will be used to determine each group grade.

Activity	25	20	15	10	POINTS
Research and Slide Construction	Slides indicate you accurately researched a variety of information sources, recorded and interpreted significant facts, meaningful graphics, and accurate sounds and evaluated alternative points of view.	Slides show you recorded relevant information from multiple sources of information, evaluated and synthesized relevant information	Slides show you misinterpreted statements, graphics and questions and failed to identify relevant arguments.	Slides show you recorded information from four or less resources, did not find graphics or sounds, and ignored alternative points of view.
Content	The content is written clearly and concisely with a logical progression of ideas and supporting information. The project gives the audience a clear sense of the main idea. Information is accurate and current	The content is written with a logical progression of ideas and supporting information. Includes persuasive information from reliable sources.	The content is vague in conveying a point of view and does not create a strong sense of purpose. Includes some persuasive information with few facts. Some of the information may not seem to fit.	The content lacks a clear point of view and logical sequence of information. Includes little persuasive information and only one or two facts about the topic.
Layout	The layout is visually pleasing and contributes to the overall message with appropriate use of headings, subheadings and white space.	The layout uses headings, subheadings horizontal and vertical white space appropriately.	The layout shows some structure, but appears cluttered and busy or distracting with large gaps of white space or uses a distracting background.	The layout is cluttered, confusing, and does not use spacing, headings and subheadings to enhance the readability.
Graphics, Sound and/or Animation	The graphics, sound and/or animation assist in presenting an overall theme and enhance understanding of concept, ideas and relationships	The graphics, sound/and or animation visually depict material and assist the audience in understanding the flow of information or content.	Some of the graphics, sounds, and/or animations seem unrelated to the topic/theme and do not enhance the overall concepts.	The graphics, sounds, and/or animations are unrelated to the content. Graphics do not enhance understanding of the content

The Conclusion

One of the many misconceptions about slavery in the American Colonies is that it arrived with the first settlers and flourished until the start of the Civil War. This project will give you a better understanding of how the institution of slavery slowly developed through various stages until it ultimately entrenched itself into American society

NY State Social Studies Standards

Standard 1

Students will: use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York