Students learn about the conflicts over slavery in the western territories during the 1800s and how these conflicts were temporarily resolved with the provisions outlined in the Compromise of 1850. Students also learn about the Free Soil Party and why it did not support slavery. Finally, students read about Anthony Burns, who was tried in Boston under the Fugitive Slave Act.
Students read background information about how slavery divided the United States before the Civil War and review the Missouri Compromise of 1820 while examining a map labeled “Map of the Missouri Compromise of 1820.” They post responses on a collaborative wall recalling what they know about the Missouri Compromise. Then they read that tensions over slavery increased again by the late 1840s and contribute to a class table by listing questions they have about the role of slavery in shaping U.S. history.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the experience focus and objectives. Facilitate discussion of student wall responses, using the map to review key provisions of the Missouri Compromise, including the balance of free and slave states and the 36° parallel line. Discuss students’ questions about slavery and use them as guiding questions for examining rising tensions leading to the Civil War.
Students read about how the Gold Rush, California’s petition for statehood, and disputes over slavery in new western territories increased national tensions. They examine the political cartoon titled “Forcing Slavery Down the Throat of a Freesoiler” and read about the emergence of the Free Soil Party, then use Free Soil Party to learn why the party opposed the expansion of slavery. Students post to a collaborative wall explaining why the Free Soil Party opposed slavery in the new western territories.
Teacher MovesDiscuss student explanations about the Free Soil Party’s opposition to slavery, emphasizing that party members feared they could not compete economically with slaveholders who relied on unpaid labor and believed limiting slavery in new territories would improve their chances for economic success.
Students view an image of Henry Clay and read an introduction to the Compromise of 1850. They use Compromise of 1850 and The Compromise of 1850 to learn about the provisions of the compromise, then complete a two-column table listing benefits of the Compromise of 1850 for the North and for the South. Next, they read about the Fugitive Slave Act as a controversial part of the compromise and use The Fugitive Slave Act and The Fugitive Slave Law to understand the Fugitive Slave Laws. They post to a collaborative wall explaining how the Fugitive Slave Laws were enforced.
Teacher MovesReview student entries in the benefits table, checking that they identify key advantages for each side, such as California entering as a free state, the end of the slave trade in Washington, D.C., southern gains like the Fugitive Slave Act, and financial compensation to Texas. Use student wall responses about enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Laws to highlight how the laws operated in practice and to underscore why they were so controversial.
Students read about Anthony Burns, a fugitive slave tried under the Fugitive Slave Act, using Anthony Burns captured and Fugitive Slave Anthony Burns Arrested to explore his capture, trial, and public reaction. They then write a newspaper-style article on a collaborative wall that reports on Anthony Burns’s case and the revolts and protests that arose in response to his trial.
Teacher MovesUse student newspaper articles to prompt discussion about how Anthony Burns’s case illustrates the human impact of the Fugitive Slave Act and how northern resistance to his capture and trial reflected growing sectional tensions.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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