Remembering the Forgotten "Colony Builders"

Photos from African Burial Ground National Museum: (left) man known as Burial 323 found without a coffin--skull had been sawed off after death for an autopsy or medical training and can be seen resting in arms, (bottom right) images of excavations revealing graves, (top right) first published map that indicated "Negros Buriel Ground" in 1754

Development of the colonies largely depended upon slave labor, yet those "colony builders" go largely unnamed in history. While visiting the African Burial Ground National Monument and Museum, I connected to the importance and purpose of knowing how history relates to modern day. In middle school, it can be difficult to guide learners to see abstract connections between the past and present. The Burial Ground is such an eerie reminder of how history is connected to modern day in a very literal sense, that I believe would resonate well with middle school students. I get goosebumps thinking about how Lower Manhattan is built on a mass, unmarked grave of 15,000 free and enslaved African Americans and that daily routines (i.e. running errands, going to work, tour groups, etc.) go on in the area with no indication of such a tragedy until the construction of the monument.

Source: African Burial Ground Monument

I have found that learner engagement is very easy when it comes to the issue of slavery. Learners are very hungry for information on this topic. Therefore, I thought the African Burial Ground would be of good use at the beginning of the school year to get students engaged early on in the class to see how history can directly impact modern day and exercise their critical thinking skills. Brad Stamer and I discussed possible lesson plans as we looked at the monument. Imagining that the burial ground was just discovered, the class could debate several issues, from what to do with the remains that were dug up, to why it is important to remember this part of our history. We brainstormed an idea that I am particularly fond of, in which learners could work in big or small groups to develop a plan for a monument as if the burial ground had just been discovered. Learners would have to determine a "mission statement" of the memorial (why it is imperative that a monument be erected for the burial ground) and develop a sketch of the monument with an explanation of the symbolism involved. Depending on the ability level, I can showed what the actual monument looks like prior to giving the assignment, or after the assignment so learners can compared their ideas to the actual thing. This activity would be first-hand experience for learners to realize the importance of history, the importance of monuments, build teamwork, justify their decisions, and be creative.

A handful of the symbols used in the African Burial Ground Monument. Clockwise from top left: wisdom and prudence,  guardian of crossroads, endurance, and understanding.

Tenement Living

Today we visited the Lower East Side Museum where we saw an actual tenement home from the infamous immigrant slum founded in the 19th century, Five Points, and interacted with an actress portraying the life of a young girl from a Greek immigrant family, Victoria Confino. The tour began with a background briefing of the Confino family, looking at family photos and immigration documentation (available under the "Primary Source" section). Then the museum educator gave our group a role in preparation to meet Victoria Confino. The educator told us that we were an Italian family that recently got off the ferry from Ellis Island and were now wandering the streets of New York. It is very noisy and busy. We hear a lot of different languages being spoken. What do we do next?

Source: Depiction of the Five Points neighborhood to image the sights and sounds.

I think this would be a great exercise for learners to engage in. Previously, I have only briefly discussed the poverty and the living conditions of immigrant slums with my students. During discussion, we connect Five Points immigrants to immigrants new to the country today. Often times, they come from poor countries and have little to start with. It makes sense why the immigrants struggle during their initial years in the country. Traditional American values encourage them to build their own fortune over time through hard work.

However, I like the idea of having learners forget the present to really imagine the struggle and anxiety that the immigrants must have experienced. After visiting the tenement, I would like to take more time in the classroom to allow learners to speculate on how they would go about survival as newcomers in the 19th and 20th centuries. Learners would need background information about push factors that caused the immigrants to leave their homes and physical/health inspections at Ellis Island. I could do a similar set-up to what the museum educator did for us by examining the same primary sources we saw on our tour as a whole group. In small groups, learners can choose from the selections on the Interactive Journey with Victoria or set up their own backstory: what country they left, why they left, what they packed, and why they came to the United States. Then learners can see the state of the tenement through this Virtual Tour. Afterwards, students can develop questions that they would ask Victoria--things that they would naturally be curious about as newcomers to the United States. Ultimately this lesson would bring the immigrants' journey to life for learners, hopefully resulting in an unforgettable and humbling experience.