Materials

• Computer with Internet access

Instructional Activities

1. Briefly review the previous session’s activities, as needed.
   
   
2. Display the following prompt on the board or overhead:
   
   The climate of the southern coastal lowlands contributed to the development of an agrarian society in which large plantations flourished. The operation of the plantations required cheap labor. Initially, immigrants from England, Scotland, and Ireland came to the New World as indentured servants, agreeing to work for a period of time in exchange for their passage. Some indentured servants were forced to come: they were given the choice of going to the New World or going to prison.
   
   Point out England, Scotland, and Ireland on a map, and discuss why indentured servants from these countries would make the journey.
   
   
3. The number of indentured servants coming to the New World began to decline. The demand for labor on plantations was eventually filled by the capture and importation of Africans, who were sold into slavery. This journey is often referred to as the “Middle Passage.” Explain the Triangle Trade and the reasons that the Middle Passage was so named. Also point out the presence of slavery in the Caribbean and South America. Read some descriptions of the Middle Passage to the class. See <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p277.html> for information to guide student discussion.
   
   
4. The American Civil War was a conflict between the Northern and Southern states, caused in part by the development of slavery. Show a short video or provide a reading selection about the Middle Passage. The Web site <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p276.html> provides information on Olaudah Equiano and his journey during the Middle Passage.
   
   
5. Have the students write a letter or diary entry describing the slaves’ journey, including details of a typical day, information on their past, and knowledge about their future.