How do people make change?
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The Production of “Illegal Alien”
This module covers the history of Chinese exclusion in the United States. In chapter one, students learn a brief history of migrant labor from China (focusing on the railroad), and the concept of racial capitalism. In chapter two, students study two key Acts of Chinese Exclusion through the lens of…
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Abolition and the Amistad Case
A pivotal yet often overlooked moment in U.S. history is the case of the United States v. The Amistad. Although a landmark case involving questions of slavery, international law, and human rights, the Amistad rebellion is frequently underrepresented in standard history curriculum. Why is the Amistad not as widely taught…
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Visual Depictions of Slavery
This learning module explores how visual media—especially charts and diagrams—can shape public understanding, emotion, and political action. Focusing on the iconic 1788 diagram of the Brookes slave ship diagram, students will examine how a single image helped transform abstract knowledge about slavery into a powerful, widely shared critique of its brutality.…
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Comparing Methods of Making Freedom
In this module, Comparing Methods of Making Freedom, students compare two distinct approaches—the legal challenge embodied in the Dred Scott decision and the direct action of the Underground Railroad. Students will examine how freedom has been fought for in different ways. Dred Scott sought freedom through the court system, whereas…