Nov. 7, 1837: Elijah Parish Lovejoy Murdered
Minister, journalist, newspaper editor, and abolitionist Elijah Parish Lovejoy was murdered by a pro-slavery mob.
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Theme: Slavery and Resistance
Slavery
Nov. 7, 1841: The Creole Mutiny
Madison Washington and eighteen other enslaved people rebelled onboard the Creole, a ship involved in the U.S. slave trade.
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A People’s History of the United States: 1492 – Present
Book — Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. 2005, with a new introduction by Anthony Arnove in 2015. 784 pages.
Howard Zinn's groundbreaking work on U.S. history. This book details lives and facts rarely included in textbooks—an indispensable teacher and student resource.
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Howard Zinn's groundbreaking work on U.S. history. This book details lives and facts rarely included in textbooks—an indispensable teacher and student resource.
Feb. 28, 1803: First Anti-Immigration Law Targets Black People
“An Act to Prevent the Importation of Certain Persons into Certain States” was passed into law in 1803.
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Dec. 2, 1859: John Brown Executed
Abolitionist John Brown was executed by the state of Virginia for leading the infamous Harpers Ferry Raid.
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Nov. 28, 1898: First National Convention of the Ex-Slave Mutual Relief, Bounty, and Pension Association
The Ex-Slave Mutual Relief, Bounty, and Pension Association was founded with a dual mission to organize mutual aid for its members and to pass federal pension legislation that would compensate every formerly enslaved person.
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The Draft Riot Mystery
Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow. 9 pages.
Students are invited to solve a mystery, using historical clues, about the real story of the Draft Riots.
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Students are invited to solve a mystery, using historical clues, about the real story of the Draft Riots.
Dec. 15, 1791: Bill of Rights Ratified
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known as the United States Bill of Rights, were ratified.
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Jan. 13, 1777: Petition for Freedom in Massachusetts
A group of African Americans presented a petition for freedom to the Massachusetts Council and the House of Representatives.
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Feb. 14, 1783: Belinda Sutton Petitions for a Pension as Reparations
Belinda Sutton petitioned the Massachusetts legislature for a pension as reparations for the wealth she produced and was stolen from her while she was enslaved.
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Reconstructing the South: What Really Happened
Teaching Activity. By Mimi Eisen and Ursula Wolfe-Rocca. 47 pages.
A follow-up lesson to “Reconstructing the South,” using primary source documents to reveal key outcomes of the Reconstruction era.
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A follow-up lesson to “Reconstructing the South,” using primary source documents to reveal key outcomes of the Reconstruction era.
Three or More Is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here
Book — Non-fiction. By Jelani Cobb. 2025. 496 pages.
Collection of dispatches, mostly published in The New Yorker.
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Collection of dispatches, mostly published in The New Yorker.
The Most Absolute Abolition: Runaways, Vigilance Committees, and the Rise of Revolutionary Abolitionism, 1835–1861
Book — Non-fiction. By Jesse Olsavsky. 2022. 294 pages.
Tells the story of how vigilance committees organized the Underground Railroad and revolutionized the abolitionist movement.
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Tells the story of how vigilance committees organized the Underground Railroad and revolutionized the abolitionist movement.
Oct. 16, 1776: Petition for Religious Freedom
In Virginia, under threat of persecution, Baptists preached and petitioned for freedom of religion to be carved into law.
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June 2, 1863: Harriet Tubman Frees Nearly 800 People
Harriet Tubman planned and guided a significant armed raid (becoming the first woman to do so in the Civil War) against Confederate forces, supply depots, and plantations along the Combahee River in coastal South Carolina.
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June 29, 1820: The Antelope Ship Arrived in Savannah
Two hundred and eighty one Africans aboard The Antelope ship were brought to Savannah by the U.S. Treasury.
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Feb. 18, 1797: Hercules Escapes from Enslavement by George Washington
Hercules, the head cook at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate and slave labor camp, escaped to freedom in Pennsylvania.
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May 21, 1796: Ona Judge Escapes Enslavement by President George Washington
Ona Judge escaped enslavement by U.S. President George Washington.
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Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts
Book — Non-fiction. By Rebecca Hall. Illustrated by Hugo Martinez. 2021.
Rebecca Hall documents the process of her own research — and what she learned — about women who organized to challenge slavery. In graphic novel format.
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Rebecca Hall documents the process of her own research — and what she learned — about women who organized to challenge slavery. In graphic novel format.
We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance
Book — Non-fiction. By Kellie Carter Jackson. 2026. 304 pages.
A reframing of the past and present of Black resistance — both nonviolent and violent — to white supremacy.
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A reframing of the past and present of Black resistance — both nonviolent and violent — to white supremacy.
How the Word Is Passed (Adapted for Young Readers)
Book — Non-fiction. By Clint Smith and adapted by Sonja Cherry-Paul. 2025. 272 pages.
Takes readers to historical sites across America, exploring the legacy of slavery to help readers make sense of our nation's past and present, and be better stewards of their own future.
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Takes readers to historical sites across America, exploring the legacy of slavery to help readers make sense of our nation's past and present, and be better stewards of their own future.
We Refuse Discussion Questions
Questions to accompany Chapter One: Revolution of We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance by Kellie Carter Jackson.
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Aug. 21, 1860: Eliza Winston Wins Freedom via Courts
Enslaved African American Eliza Winston was freed from her Mississippi owner in a Minneapolis court.
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Aug. 17, 1774: Freedman Caesar Sarter Rebukes “Revolutionary” Enslavers
Just months after the Boston Tea Party, formerly enslaved African American Caesar Sarter made front-page news in Newburyport, Massachusetts when he wrote a an essay rebuking “revolutionary” enslavers.
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Feb. 11, 1774: Phillis Wheatley Pens Letter on Natural Rights of African Americans
In a letter to a friend, Phillis Wheatley wrote of the idea of natural rights for African Americans, challenging patriot enslavers years before the Declaration of Independence.
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