Slavery in America

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American Literature Booklist

English and Social Studies teachers around the country share their best literature selections dealing with slavery in America. This list will continue to grow as the site grows.

Contributing Teachers:

Ann Gann--Clinton High School, Tennessee
Donna Hendry--Connecticut
Marshall Surratt--Prestonwood Christian Academy, Texas
Cynthia Weeden--Dardeene Elementary, Missouri
Elizabeth Claytor--Pennsylvania

Books and Stories for Upper Elementary Students

Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad--Pamela Duncan Edwards
In the dark of the night a Barefoot, an escaped slave, flees for his life. With his pursuers close behind and the moon shrouded in clouds, Barefoot must rely on the wisdom of the wild animals of the forest and swamp to guide him to the safety of the Underground Railroad. Innovative perspective and use of light and a spare text result in an unforgettable portrayal of one slave's journey to freedom.

Big Jabe--Jerdine Nolen
Beautiful illustrations help bring inspiration to this 'tall tale'. Addy goes to catch fish for supper but also catches Jabe. Jabe goes to Addy's slave house and brings joy to such dismal conditions. Eventually slaves disappear and the owner can't believe his eyes.
Activity Suggestions: After studying the harsh conditions of slavery, have kids think of ways in which Jabe could ease the pain for the slaves. Have students illustrate this 'break' from chores to show this survival of the spirit among the slaves.

Follow the Drinking Gourd--Jeannette Winter (Illus)
"Winter's story begins with a peg-leg sailor who aids slaves on their escape on the Underground Railroad. While working for plantation owners, Peg Leg Joe teaches the slaves a song about the drinking gourd (the Big Dipper). A couple, their son, and two others make their escape by following the song's directions. Rich paintings interpret the strong story in a clean, primitive style enhanced by bold colors. The rhythmic compositions have an energetic presence that's compelling. A fine rendering of history in picture book format."--(starred) Booklist.

The Invisible Princess--Faith Renggold
Written as a fairy tale, this story reaches those who treat people unfairly. Two slaves fear the birth of a child into slavery. Nature takes over and protects the child. Only individuals who believe in freedom and non-violence can see this child. When the slave master's daughter turns up missing, he takes a vow to end slavery on his plantation. The illustrations capture the message in this fairy tale.
Activity Suggestion: Create a story map showing the slave master's opinion of slavery as the book reaches its conclusion.

The Land--Mildred D. Taylor
The story begins with Paul-Edward Logan, grandfather of Cassie Logan, the beloved protagonist of Newberry Medal-winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Born during the Civil War, Paul-Edward is the son of a white plantation owner and a former slave. Though not an unusual heritage, his upbringing is. Paul-Edward's white father sees to it that he and his sister have many of the privileges their white half-brothers enjoy. But at fourteen, Paul-Edward runs away to seek his fortune. His story is filled with exciting, sometimes heart-breaking adventures, and what is most amazing, his dream of land-ownership, almost impossible for a black person to accomplish in the post-Civil War South, becomes reality.

The Middle Passage--Tom Feelings
In his introduction, Feelings, known best for his children's book celebrating African creativity, Soul Looks Back in Wonder (1993), explains why he chose to create this picture book for adults about the Middle Passage, the horrific transatlantic journey that brought enslaved Africans to the land of their imprisonment. Racial violence in the U.S. during the 1960s had filled him with despair, prompting him to move to Ghana to nurture the joy he could still detect deep in his heart. Living in Africa was a soul-saving affirmation of self and creativity for Feelings, but it also forced him to confront the brutal reality of the slave trade. It took Feelings 20 years to complete this wrenching but forthright and, ultimately, cathartic work of art, testimony not only to our capacity for evil, but also to the triumph of the spirit and of beauty. Donna Seaman (From Booklist)

Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman--Alan Schroeder
This beautifully written book, illustrated by four-time Caldecott Honor recipient Jerry Pinkney, makes the story of Harriet Tubman's childhood accessible to very young readers. As a young slave, nicknamed "Minty," Harriet Tubman was a feisty and stubborn girl with a dream of escape, and whose rebellious spirit often got her into trouble. Pinkney's expressive illustrations bring every emotion to brilliant life-from troubled sorrow to spirited hope for freedom.

Nettie's Trip South--Ann Warner Turner
In a letter to her friend, Nettie remembers her trip to the pre-Civil War South. She remembers the sweet cedar smell in the air and the sun pressing on her head. But she also remembers Tabitha, the slave at the hotel who has only that one name, and she remembers the heaps of rags the slaves use for beds. Most of all, though, she remembers the slave auction where people were bought and sold like sacks of flour. Nettie can't forget these images, and she can't help but wonder what life would be like if she were a slave... Based on the diary of the author's great-grandmother, this is a poignant and compelling look at slavery through the eyes of a young girl. Once read, it is not soon forgotten.
Activity Suggestion: Use as a lead-in to discrimination. Read the story then discuss Martin Luther King, Jr.'s vision for equality among the races.

Nightjohn--Gary Paulsen
He had escaped north to freedom, but he came back--came back to teach reading. Knowing that the penalty for reading is dismemberment Nightjohn still retumed to slavery to teach others how to read. And twelve-year-old Sarny is willing to take the risk to learn. Set in the 1850s, Gary Paulsen's groundbreaking novel is unlike anything else the award-winning author has written. It is a meticulously researched, historically accurate, and artistically crafted portrayal of a grim time in our nation's past, brought to light through the personal history of two unforgettable characters. To see a unit of study using this work and another of Gary Paulsen's work, Sarny, click here. Gary Paulsen teacher-evaluated gateway links are available here.

The Strength of These Arms: Life in the Slave Quarters--Raymond Bial
Most slaves lived desperately hard lives, working from sunup to sundown, with few comforts. Yet despite their surroundings, they made homes of what they had. Holding fiercely to their African heritage while adapting to the customs of their strange new land, these first African-Americans handed down a legacy of perseverance and strength. The everyday life of plantation slaves is detailed in text and haunting photographs of recently excavated plantation sites, giving immediacy to the lives of enslaved Africans while paying tribute to the daily courage of a people who endured against all odds.

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt--Deborah Hopkinson
As a seamstress in the Big House, Clara dreams of a reunion with her Momma, who lives on another plantation--and even of running away to freedom. Then she overhears two slaves talking about the Underground Railroad. In a flash of inspiration, Clara sees how she can use the cloth in her scrap bag to make a map of the land--a freedom quilt--that no master will ever suspect. "A particularly effective way to introduce the subject to younger children, adding a trenchant immediacy to their understanding of a difficult but important chapter in the country's past."--(starred) Horn Book. To see a unit of study using this work, click here
Activity Suggestions: Discuss songs and codes used on the Underground Railroad. Distribute blank paper quilt squares and have students design a quilt with secret messages to navigate to a locale within their town or state.

Under the Quilt of Night--Deborah Hopkinson
When night falls, and all is quiet, a slave girl starts to run. She follows the moon into the woods, leading her loved ones away from their master. There's only one place where he might not find them, and it's under the quilt of night. Guided by the stars, they head north in the direction of freedom. At last, the girl sees a quilt--the quilt with a center square made from deep blue fabric--and knows it's a signal from friends on the Underground Railroad, welcoming her into their home. And so she steps forward. Deborah Hopkinson and James E. Ransome team up again, in this stunning companion to Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. Ransome's rich, powerful illustrations elicit all the emotion and suspense of Hopkinson's words, in a story that's sure to make your heart race and leave you breathless.

White Socks Only--Evelyn Coleman
Although this is a picture book, it serves as a read-aloud for teachers wanting to introduce students to the concept of segregation of the south. The narrator is a grandmother explaining her experiences with discrimination to her granddaughter.

Books and Stories for Middle School Students

Their Eyes Were Watching God--Zora Neale Hurston
Set in rural Florida during the 1930s, this is a "coming of age" novel that chronicles the life of Janie Crawford whose journey from adolescence to womanhood is punctuated by her three marriages. From each relationship, Janie achieves self-discovery, maturation, strength and freedom of expression. One thing that is remarkable about this character is that Janie's voice resonates with those of twenty-first century women.

Hurston studied with Franz Boas, considered the father of anthropology, and explored slave language and culture through research fellowships before writing Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston calls upon her skillful ear for language and knowledge of culture to recreate the dialect of the people of Florida, draw sharp character sketches and interweave traditional folktales like that of Matt Bonner's mule with the main plot line.

As the novel opens, Hurston's skillful use of natural spring and summer imagery and selection of detail introduce the reader to Janie as a young teen-ager discovering her sexuality. Janie's elderly grandmother, Nanny Crawford, born in slavery and abused by her master, is keenly aware that she may not live much longer. Nanny does not want to see Janie victimized by abusive men as she and Janie's mother, Leafy, had been. Thus, Nanny arranges a secure marriage to Logan Killicks, an elderly neighbor who represents safety: sixty acres of land and a horse and buggy. Shortly after the marriage, Nanny dies and Logan turns into an abusive monster. Janie tries to make the marriage work, but the relationship is a failure. One day, Janie meets Joe (Jody) Starks, a man closer to Janie's age, who has big ideas and appreciates her youth and beauty. Joe promises a bright future, and Janie, older and wiser, walks away from Logan and into Joe's world. Starks establishes himself as the mayor of an incorporated Black town, Eatonville, Florida. Unfortunately, Joe turns out to be a controlling husband who uses emotional abuse to keep Janie quiet and in her place as a trophy wife. Janie endures the marriage for many years. After a short illness, Joe dies leaving Janie free and financially independent for the first time in her life.

To the dismay of all of Eatonville, Janie takes up with Vergible Woods, Tea Cake, a man several years her junior with no visible means of support. Despite the negative community opinion and her own inner fears, Janie is drawn to Tea Cake because he respects her as a person, acknowledges that she has a mind, and most importantly, treats her as his equal. As a result of her relationship with Tea Cake, Janie finally blossoms into the full adult womanhood she was promised as a young girl at the beginning of the novel.

The Adventures of Pretty Pearl--Virginia Hamilton
Pretty Pearl, a spirited young African god-child eager to show off her powers, travels to the New World where, disguised as a human, she lives among a band of free blacks who have created their own separate world deep inside a vast forest.

Black Abolitionists and Freedom Fighters--Kimberly Hayes Taylor
Taylor introduces eight African Americans who were influential in helping slaves escape bondage or free blacks who improved their situations during the time of the American Revolution and continuing into the 19th century. Most of them are well known and are included in numerous books: Sojourner Truth, Nat Turner, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and Booker T. Washington. The others may be less familiar to students: Richard Allen, Henry Garnet, and Mary Terrell.--School Library Journal

"Desiree's Baby"--Kate Chopin
Desiree, an abandoned baby, is raised by a fine family. The son of a planter who lives nearby marries her. When their child's features hint of mixed blood, the central issue of race and comes to light. A powerfully woven short story, the surprise ending prompts much discussion among students. To read a lesson designed around this short story, click here.

From Slave Ship to Freedom Road--Julius Lester
With twenty-four magnificent paintings and a profoundly moving text, Rod Brown and Julius Lester depict the course of slavery, beginning with the ships sailing from Africa on the notorious Middle Passage and continuing through the Civil War. Julius Lester brilliantly interprets Rod Brown's powerful paintings, giving weight to both the historical facts and the emotions of the people. Invoking the memories of ancestors whose names they do not know, Mr. Lester and Mr. Brown show the kidnappings, auctions, and whippings. Equally important, they reveal the inner life of the slaves expressed in their secret worship meetings, their heroic escapes, and their joy--tinged with apprehension--about freedom. From Slave Ship to Freedom Road is a work of major importance.

Freedom Calls: Journey of a Slave Girl--Kem Knapp Sawyer
Freedom Calls tells the story of Louisa's escape from slavery and of her friendship with Abby, the daughter of an abolitionist newspaper publisher. Both girls take enormous risks to do what they think is right-come what may. They learn that freedom can only be obtained at great expense. This is a historical novel based on a true incident from 1848-the escape of 76 slaves from Washington and their capture aboard the Pearl.

Many Thousand Gone: African Americans from Slavery to Freedom--Virginia Hamilton
Taking as her theme the ``joyous anthem of freedom,'' beginning with ``No more auction block for me,'' Hamilton samples documented African-American lives from 1619 through the Civil War. Grouping 34 accounts under three headings--``Slavery in America,'' ``Running-Aways,'' ``Exodus to Freedom''--she offers telling vignettes in roughly chronological order, deftly sketching indomitable people valiantly endeavoring to escape. Restricting herself to almost unembellished historical record, Hamilton presents what is known with a cool austerity that makes her subtext even more forceful: though the injustices are representative, these lives are exceptional in having left traces, however meager.--Kirkus Reviews

Slave Spirituals and the Jubilee Singers--Michael L. Cooper
Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson, commander of the first regiment of newly freed slaves to join the Union Army, became fascinated by the songs his men sang. He wrote down the words to these spirituals as well as the former slaves' explanations of the origins. Sprinkled with quotations from the material Higginson collected�the first half of this book traces the development of spirituals from African musical traditions and discusses the place of religion in the lives of the slaves. - School Library Journal

To Be A Slave--Julius Lester
To be owned by another person, as a car, house, or a table is owned. To live as a piece of property that could be sold...This book is about how it felt. The words of black men and women who had been slaves are documented here, accompanied by Julius Lester's historical commentary and Tom Feelings's powerful and muted paintings, To Be a Slave has been a touchstone in children's literature for over thirty years.

Trouble Don't Last--Shelley Pearsall
Eleven-year-old Samuel was born as Master Hackler's slave, and working the Kentucky farm is the only life he's ever known--until one dark night in 1859, that is. With no warning, cranky old Harrison, a fellow slave, pulls Samuel from his bed and, together, they run. The journey north seems much more frightening than Master Hackler ever was, and Samuel's not sure what freedom means aside from running, hiding, and starving. But as they move from one refuge to the next on the Underground Railroad, Samuel uncovers the secret of his own past--and future. And old Harrison begins to see past a whole lifetime of hurt to the promise of a new life--and a poignant reunion--in Canada. In a heartbreaking and hopeful first novel, Shelley Pearsall tells a suspenseful, emotionally charged story of freedom and family.

Books for High School Students

Celia: A Slave--Melton A McLaurin
The State of Missouri vs. Celia: A Slave officially began on June 25, 1855. Celia was charged with murdering her master and the father of her children; furthermore, she disposed of his body in her fireplace. In 1850, Robert Newsom, a widower, of Calloway County, Missouri, purchased Celia for the purpose of being his concubine. Newsom was 60 and Celia was 14. Five years and two children later, Celia wanted to end the relationship; of course, Newsom would not allow it. Therefore, Celia took matters into her own hands and struck Newsom over the head until he was dead. Despite the fact that she was pregnant again and ill, she dragged and shoved Newsom's body into the fireplace in her cottage and destroyed the evidence of her crime. However, another slave with whom Celia was involved led the investigators to Celia's door. Intense and lengthy interrogation followed, and Celia confessed to murdering Newsom. She was tried and sentenced to death by hanging. After exhausting the appeals process, she was executed in Calloway County, Missouri, at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, December 21, 1855. Celia was 19 years old. There are no records of where she was buried or what became of her children or other members of the Newsom family.

This tragic human story is set against the background of United States and Missouri history prior to the Civil War. The battle lines were being drawn for the war that began in 1861 as politicians, clergy, scholars, abolitionists, farmers and average citizens fought over the spread of slavery to new states as they entered the union; free vs. slave state issues were never far from anyone's mind. McLaurin's research is thorough and meticulous. For scholars, the thirty pages of notes and bibliography included with the text make this an invaluable resource.

Beloved--Toni Morrison
Spanning the period between middle passage and the Jim Crow years, Morrison's novel addresses the lasting scars of slavery through the story of one woman, Sethe. The nucleus of the story is taken from the pages of history, the tragic story of Margaret Garner, escape slave. This novel not only deals with external, physical scars of slavery such as displacement of the African American, and the break up of family, but also the psychological scars. A powerful and, at times, brutally graphic story, this novel perfectly complements a U.S. history class's study of the time period. To read more about Morrison's novel and the author herself, go to the gateway. (link to Morrison's gateway)

The Best Short Stories by Black Writers: The classic anthology from 1899 to 1967--edited by Langston Hughes
"The short stories in this volume range from those of the first famous Negro writers in this genre, Charles W. Chesnutt and Paul Laurence Dunbar ... to the youngest contemporary writers of creative fiction, Ronald Milner, Robert Boles, and Alice Walker. Herein are all the noted names in American Negro writing, including Jean Toomer, Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, Willard Motley, John A. Williams, Frank Yerby and James Baldwin."--Langston Hughes

Black Thunder--Arna Bontemps
This novel was written during the Harlem Renaissance, so it could also be used in a unit on America in the early 20th Century or the 1920s specifically. The focus of the novel is on a slave revolt and the influences that spark the uprising. It is one of the few novels that actually explore the idea of revolt. Too often in teaching about slavery, revolts, uprisings, and the fear of them are glossed over or ignored. However such fictional pieces are an important way to spark discussion about the very real power imbalances of the era and to humanize our view of the slave in American history. Rather than being happy "darkies," slaves were full human beings who wanted to be free and were at times willing to take that freedom. As with many earlier novels, even those by African American authors, there are unflattering images of African Americans. Rather than avoiding these references, they can be used as a teaching moment about how time changes the way people are viewed and how class also affects such portrayals.

The Classic Slave Narratives--edited by Henry Louis Gates
One of several anthologies on slave narratives, this edition is available in paperback. Teachers can take excerpts from several narratives and share with the class. Reading the narratives along with a fictionalized story of the enslaved will help students with perspective. This is a rich primary source that is essential in the teaching of slavery in America.

The Color Purple--Alice Walker
"The storytelling style of The Color Purple makes it irresistible to read! By the end of the novel, we believe that this poor, nameless patch of land in the American South is really the world-and vice versa. Conversations between Celie and Shug have brought us theories of philosophy, ethics, and metaphysics.' The mature subject matter may be a challenge for teachers to broach in some school climates. For a teaching unit on this novel, click here.

Dessa Rose--Sherley Anne Williams
Sherley Anne Williams brings together two women who are imprisoned by the slavery-era South. This novel, which deals with slave rebellion and the lives of fugitives, also addresses how white women are affected by the patriarchal system. And Williams also dared to write about interracial couplings in slavery, but not that of white men and enslaved black women. She writes about the relationship between enslaved black men and white women as consensual rather than, as is usually assumed, as forced. This novel would have to be taught in a very progressive setting to deal with the modern and historical sexual politics that Williams addresses.

The Glory Fields--Walter Dean Myers
This family saga covers 250 years or five generations of the Lewis family. Divided in to five sections with each section focusing on a teenage character from successive generations of the Lewis family, the book provides a glimpse of this African-American family's struggles for freedom and dignity. The stories in this novel are centered on the family's precious possession of land--the Glory Field and demonstrate the prevailing spirit of this courageous family by examining issues of growing up and being part of a family.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl--Harriet Jacobs
Published in 1861, this was one of the first personal narratives by a slave and one of the few written by a woman. Jacobs (1813-97) was a slave in North Carolina and suffered, along with her family, at the hands of a ruthless owner. She made several failed attempts to escape before successfully making her way North, though it took years of hiding and slow progress.

Kindred--Octavia Butler.
This novel explores American slavery from the perspective of a modern-day African-American woman who is transported back in time. Butler, known for her science fiction/fantasy work, tells a vivid story of life in slavery. The story is particularly interesting because it illustrates how different life was in that period and the brutality of slavery. With its time-transport element, it could lend itself very well to writing assignments and exercises about what the combination of a loss of liberty, modern technology, and science would mean to students.

"La Belle Zoriade"--Kate Chopin
Zora�de, a beautiful slave of mixed blood, is cherished by her mistress, who has picked out a husband for her. But Zora�de loves Mezor, a black slave. Refusing the proposed marriage, Mezor is sold out of state, and fights to keep her child, becoming known as "Zora�de, la folle."

The Leopard's Spots: A Romance of the White Man's Burden--Thomas Dixon
In the novel Dixon offers a very unreconstructed account of Reconstruction, in which the villains are Simon Legree, Northern liberals and emancipated slaves and "hero" is the Ku Klux Klan. As you can quickly see from the list of characters that Dixon supplied his readers, his novel includes versions of Stowe's own characters, but if her project (as she put it in her Preface) was to "awaken sympathy" for blacks, his is to depict the black as a savage beast, a threat to white women and American civilization. His "Tom" is a "poor white" Christian whose daughters both die because of blacks. The content of the novel would be a good comparative study coupled with Stowe's novel.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave--Frederick Douglass
Douglass attributes his road to freedom as beginning with his being sent from the Maryland plantation of his birth to live in Baltimore as a young boy. There, he learned to read and, more importantly, learned the power of literacy. In early adolescence, he was returned to farm work, suffered abuse at the hands of cruel overseers, and witnessed abuse visited on fellow slaves. He shared his knowledge of reading with a secret "Sunday school" of 40 fellow slaves during his last years of bondage. In his early 20s, he ran away to the North and found refuge among New England abolitionists.- School Library Journal

The Norton Anthology of African American Literature--edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay
This collection of African American works is a definitive and invaluable source. It is "A dazzling and rich overview of the African American literary tradition, with the work of 120 authors from 1746 to the present, writing in all genres--poetry, short fiction, novels, drama, autobiographical journals, and letters (including the complete texts of eleven major works) such as "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow: An Autobiographical Sketch," by Richard Wright.

Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral--Phillis Wheatley, 1753-1784.
Phillis Wheatley was almost eight years old when she was brought to America. John Wheatley purchased her in 1761 in Boston, and she became Mrs. Wheatley's servant. The young girl showed tremendous precocity and learned not only English but also Latin. This classical influence is seen in her works of eulogies and musings as she writes about her heritage, American patriotism, and spirituality. In 1773, her only book of poetry was published. Electronic text of her book can be found here. (http://www.pbs.org/ktca/litandlife/chapters/chapter1.html)

"The Quadroons"--Lydia Marie Child
A story about a Mulatto woman who falls in love with a white man. Their marriage is one in the eyes of God, not of state, so when her husband becomes power-hungry, he marries a white woman, leaving his love and their beautiful daughter to face what might happen.

Sally Hemings--Barbara Chase-Riboud
Written years before DNA testing, Chase-Riboud's novel drew attention to the rumors that Thomas Jefferson had fathered children with one of his slaves. The novel raises questions about whether the slave-master relationship can include love. Chase-Riboud's historical novel will spark discussion about notions of race and race-mixing and whether race as a category has any meaning other than as a means to oppress people. Because this has been in the news in recent years, especially after DNA testing linked Hemings' descendants to Jefferson's nephew, and since her family is still shunned at Monticello reunions, it is an excellent way to get students to talk about race, fear, bigotry and our blind eye regarding miscegenation.

Uncle Tom's Cabin--Harriet Beecher Stowe
Uncle Tom, Topsy, Sambo, Simon Legree, little Eva: their names are American bywords, and all of them are characters in Harriet Beecher Stowe's remarkable novel of the pre-Civil War South. Uncle Tom's Cabin was revolutionary in 1852 for its passionate indictment of slavery and for its presentation of Tom, "a man of humanity," as the first black hero in American fiction.