Asserts that American revolutionaries so revered the rule of law that they relied on it to help rule their slaves. Maintains that Thomas Jefferson was no exception to this dilemma of justifying slavery while upholding liberty. Describes slavery at Jefferson's plantation, Monticello, within a legal and social structure. (CFR)

This paper articulates the concepts of political culture, schooling and slavery in order to comprehend the process of instituting modern schools in Brazil, during the period immediately after Independence in 1822. With a view to this, it takes as its starting point the strategies and proposals of different groups disputing the direction of the…

By focusing on the beginnings of slavery in America, this social studies unit raises the issue of whether prejudice against the American Negro is a result of economic and nonracial factors or whether it originated in basic instincts and cultural conditioning which preceded and aggravated his enslavement. To define both sides of the question, the…

Examines the impact of slavery and racism on the U.S. Constitution at its creation, at its centennial, and now. Explores the way Black U.S. citizens view the Constitution in relation to legitimized slavery. Provides a reading list in Black history and a glossary of civil rights terms. (GEA)

This article examines the historical relationship between political power and the pursuit of education and social equality from the Reconstruction era to the present. The chief argument is that education equality is historically linked to and even predicated on equal political power, specifically, equal access to the franchise and instruments of…

Demonstrates that in Brazil, common law was an important component for development of the political project, elaborated with the objective of organizing and disciplining the formation of a market of free workers. Considers that the history of work relations originated in the Portuguese discovery of Brazil in the 16th century. (BT)

A cultural history of Simmons University from 1879 to 1930 is presented, based primarily on original records, including slave narratives, school annuals, denominational minutes, and newspapers. The account is also a cultural study of black Baptists, especially in their Kentucky denominational institution. This black-owned and controlled school of…

Presents an excellent lesson plan discussing the repressive racial legislation that remained enforced in Illinois even after the repeal of slavery. Background material also covers the black communities' response to these racist laws. Includes teaching suggestions, handouts, and activities. (MJP)

Many white students are barely exposed to African-American history throughout their schooling. When students do examine the other side of American history, the one not generally found in their textbooks, they often wonder why they have not learned this before. An understanding of African-American history is central to any effort to eliminate…

This booklet is part of a series of units designed to help students take and defend a position on public issues. The unit presented here explores questions about when people should challenge authority through a study of the Civil War and slavery. The booklet is divided into six sections. The first and last are an introduction and review…

The Constitution is a living document whose meaning was not fixed forever at the Philadelphia Convention. Focuses on the slavery compromise and the Fourteenth Amendment to demonstrate defects of the document and its promising evolution through 200 years of American history. (PS)

Explores how the post-bellum U.S. code of contract denied married women the right to own their labor and their wages. Maps the legal symmetry between slavery and marriage, contradicting contemporary ideologies that placed the right to work for wages as a cardinal freedom. Discusses "earnings" laws passed by state legislatures that…

Suggesting racial discrimination hurts Whites and Blacks, Bell argues that the compromises on slavery in the U.S. Constitution set precedents for continual sacrifice of Black rights to White interests. Argues sense of racial superiority among poor Whites allows them to accept their lesser share in society. Highlights key civil rights cases,…

This unit for teaching U.S. history was designed to help students understand, appreciate, and analyze the magnitude of the Founders' creation. It permits them to understand issues confronting the Founders in 1787, to become involved in the process of resolving these issues, to comprehend the actual solutions developed by the Founders, and to…

This report surveys American and British experiences in applying law to problems of race relations, and assesses the achievements and setbacks in each nation. An overview of racial issues in the course of United States and British history, beginning with the slavery issue, provides a perspective on the common and different problems experienced by…