Course Content
Lesson Plans
Out of Many: A History of the American People ©2000
by Faragher, Buhle, Czitrom, and Armitage
Focus Lesson 2
Chapter 4: "Slavery and Empire, 1441–1770"
AP* Course Description
- Mercantilism; the Dominion of New England
- Origins of slavery
- Colonial society in the mid-eighteenth century
Key Components
- Instructor's Manual: pp. 16–21
- Study Guide, Vol. I to 1877: pp. 29–36
- Documents Set, Vol. I to 1877: pp. 39–51
- Test Item File: pp. 27–35
Key Web Sites
Given the changing nature of the Internet, you may wish to preview these sites. Always check PHSchool.com for updated links to U.S. history sites.
Key Words and Terms
- slavers
- Royal African Company
- Middle Passage
- acculturation
- mercantilism
- Anglo-Dutch wars
- Navigation Acts
- salutory neglect
- Molasses Act of 1733
Suggested Pacing
Chapter 4 provides a useful foundation for future reference and as such can be completed in three class sessions (or two sessions on a block schedule). If necessary, combine Chapter 4 with Chapter 5 to create a single unit of study on colonial British America.
Test Strategy
Reading tables is an important part of the AP* United States history exam. For practice, have students read the chart "The Colonial Wars, " on p. 95, and the "Chronology" on p. 100. (The latter table gives a history of African slavery among Europeans from 1441 to 1808.) Incorporate the information from these tables into class discussions and chapter review activities to reinforce students' analytical skills.
Key Concepts
- Mercantilism
Mercantilism is an important concept and one that high school U.S. history textbooks often glide over with just an explanation of balance of trade. As this text points out, mercantilism was more than trade. It involved the total political control of the economy by the state. - African Enslavement
While few questions on past tests have dealt with slavery and African Americans, students need to grasp the importance of the African slave trade to the development of European and, by extension, colonial economies in the 17th and 18th centuries. The section "Slavery and the Structure of the Empire" is an especially valuable discussion of this phenomenon.
Summing Up Student Understanding
The Study Guide, pp. 35–36, and the Test Item File, p. 34, have several suggestions for essays. For example:
Discuss the colonial economy and the building of an empire in which the institution of slavery is entrenched, as indicated in the chapter title "Slavery and Empire."
At this time, introduce students to the essay writing process and the time limits for writing the essays in Section II of the test. To simulate the test conditions, give students five minutes to list all the information they can think of that will help them write an essay based on the prompt you choose. Then have students spend five minutes writing only the thesis statement for an essay based on their list of information. After volunteers have shared their thesis statements, have the class as a group write the introductory paragraph, using information from various students' lists.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
You might also find these additional readings useful in developing students' background knowledge or for DBQ activities:
- American Issues: Vol. I to 1877, edited by Unger and Tomes—Chapters 1 and 2
- The Power of Words: Vol. I to 1877, edited by Breen—Chapter 4
- American Experiences: Volume I to 1877, edited by Roberts and Olson (secondary source readings)—Part Two