Does Race Matter?

12th Grade elective

Homework assignments are in bold.

III. Slavery and Freedom

A. African American Slavery

IN CLASS: Slave Narratives.  Look at narratives on pp. 27-29. 30-31, 37-38.  What do the narratives tell you about how slavery affected slaves?  How did it affect whites?  What methods of control did whites use on slaves?  How did slaves seek to resist that control?

Assignment 1: (Due 2/13) Slavery and Control.  READ “R. Henry Gaston” in Red Photocopy, pp. 32-3.  ANSWER the following in your own words:

• What is Gaston’s concern about slaves?

• Why is he concerned about this?

• What is Gaston’s approach to discipline? Why?

IN CLASS: Plantation Management.  Read “Slaveowners on the Management of Blacks” in the Red Photocopy, pp. 33-36.  Consider the following:

• How do masters view their role?  Give examples.
• How do masters view their subordinates?  Give examples.
• How did slavery affect how southern whites saw themselves?

B. Asian Labor

Assignment 2: READ “Workers in the West” in Red Photocopy, pp. 41-2. ANSWER the following questions in your own words:

• How did racial diversity emerge in California?

• How did California regulate race?

• What similarities do you find between California and the American South?  What differences?

IN CLASS: Perceptions of Asians in America.  Read the attached primary source documents on Chinese laborers in the United States.  How were the Chinese viewed/described in the sources?  Compare and contrast the concerns regarding Chinese to those regarding African Americans.

C. Cherokee Removal

IN CLASS: Watch video clip on Cherokee removal and consider the following questions:

• How did the Cherokee respond to civilization policies?
• How did democracy and nationalism affect racial policies and ideas?
• What is the significance of Cherokee removal for American ideas about race and nationhood.

D. Whiteness

IN CLASS: Defining Whiteness.

Response Paper 2: (Due 2/22) Consider all of the readings, discussions, etc. up to this point in the class.  Write 1-2 pages on the following question: How did labor systems in the 19th century (slavery, coolie labor, wage labor) shape and reflect racial ideologies at the time?  In your response, consider whites, Native Americans, and Asians, as well as African Americans.