Download the Complete Curriculum Guide
Grades 7–12
The curriculum guide is divided into three modular units designed for students in grades 7–12 and of all ability levels. The guide begins with key information for educators and a warm-up activity to get students thinking about the central themes of the curriculum, followed by three units containing primary sources and model activities for guided discovery and discussion.
“It becomes us to make public our joy,” declared Black abolitionist George Lawrence in an 1813 speech celebrating the anniversary of the legal end of the transatlantic slave trade in the United States. Lawrence described the anniversary as marking “a partial restoration of one of those rights most congenial to the human heart.”
Throughout the 19th century, Black New Yorkers returned again and again to the question of how to “make public . . . [their] joy” in the face of a “partial restoration” of basic human rights. Celebrations of victories against slavery were complicated by the unfinished nature of freedom for Black Americans, which came incrementally.
This guide explores three particular moments in this complex history, highlighting the joyousness of these commemorations while exposing students to the perilous political contexts in which these moments were embedded.
Explore Multilingual Resources for the Curriculum
Access the translated primary source documents featured in this guide—available in Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic—to support and share with multilingual learners in your classroom.
Use the Library's Resources in Your Lessons
This curriculum guide draws from materials in our research collections, including primary source documents accessible on our online databases and within the NYPL Digital Collections. Please note: some of the resources below are only accessible with a New York Public Library card.
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NYPL Digital Collections
ExploreSearch the accompanying Image ID on the primary sources presented in this guide to access it online.
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America’s Historical Newspapers
ExploreSearchable full-text and page images of newspapers from across the country from the late 17th century through the late 20th century.
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NYS Historic Newspapers
ExploreSearchable full-text and page images of over 400 New York-based newspapers, dating from 1795 to 2014.
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ProQuest Historical African American Newspapers
ExploreAn extensive collection of African American historical newspapers throughout the United States.
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Scholastic Teachables
ExploreA broad range of resources for every subject, including lesson plans, mini-books, and activity sheets.
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Discover the Library's Treasures on a Field Trip
Learn MoreBook a free field trip to view the Polonsky Exhibition of the Library’s Treasures for a unique opportunity for students to engage with some of the most extraordinary items from our collections.
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Teach with NYPL's Primary Sources: All Curriculum Guides
Learn MoreDiscover curricular materials inspired by our archival collections that you can easily integrate into your teaching. Stay tuned for more curriculum guides that highlight the Library’s collections and their connections to the classroom.
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Read New Titles by Authors of Color
Learn MoreWe invite you to explore books through the 2023 edition of Vibrant Voices: New Titles by Authors of Color, an annual book list by NYPL's Center for Educators and Schools celebrating stories by and about Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color.
Explore the Center for Educators & Schools
The New York Public Library’s Center for Educators and Schools is devoted to making all of the Library’s resources accessible and useful for educators. You’ll find programs and services tailored for the educator community, such as book lists, credit-bearing workshops, special access to exhibitions, tips on teaching with primary source materials from our vast research collections, and much more.
This work is part of the Library’s overall commitment to our branch patrons and education programs, led by the Merryl H. and James S. Tisch Director of The New York Public Library. Major support for educational programming is provided by Merryl H. and James S. Tisch.
The Center for Educators and Schools is supported in part by a generous grant from the Hearst Foundations.