Season 1: American Slavery
Season 1 offers an in-depth look at aspects of the history of American slavery and how to teach this hard history. Each episode explores a different topic and historical concepts, raises questions for discussion, suggests resources and offers practical teaching recommendations. (This season originally aired 2018-2019).
Please note that podcast episodes are currently being updated to highlight essential ideas from each episode along with teaching recommendations and additional resources. All podcast episodes and transcripts are still available.
Episode 1: Slavery and the Civil War, Part 1
What really caused the Civil War? In this episode, Salem State University Professor Bethany Jay examines the complex role that slavery played in causing the Civil War and outlines ways to teach this history and clarify our understanding of the Confederacy. (New resource page, June 2025.)
Episode 2: Slavery and the Civil War, Part 2
Dr. Bethany Jay is back to talk about teaching the end of the Civil War, and how enslaved people’s participation in the war helped subvert the institution of slavery. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 3: Slavery and the Northern Economy
Follow the money. Dr. Christy Clark-Pujara explains why American slavery couldn't have existed without a national commercial infrastructure that supported and benefited from the labor of enslaved people. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 4: Dealing With Things As They Are: Creating a Classroom Environment
In many ways, the U.S. has fallen short of its ideals. How can we explain this to students—particularly in the context of discussing slavery? Professor Steven Thurston Oliver has this advice for teachers: Face your fears. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 5: In the Footsteps of Others: Process Drama
Students learning about slavery often ask, “Why didn’t enslaved people just run away or revolt?” Lindsay Anne Randall offers a lesson in “Process Drama”—a method teachers can use to answer this question, build empathy and offer perspective. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 6: Resistance Means More Than Rebellion
To see a more complete picture of the experience of enslaved people, you have to redefine resistance. Dr. Kenneth S. Greenberg offers teachers a lens to help students see the ways in which enslaved people fought back against the brutality of slavery. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 7: Diverse Experience of the Enslaved
Most students leave school thinking enslaved people lived like characters in Gone With the Wind. Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens reveals the remarkable diversity of lived experiences within slavery and explains the gap between what scholars and students know. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 8: Film and the History of Slavery
Film has long shaped our nation's historical memory, for good and bad. Film historian Ron Briley offers ways to responsibly use films in the classroom to reframe the typical narrative of American slavery and Reconstruction. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 9: (Bonus) Ten More … Film and the History of Slavery
Film historian Ron Briley returns with more documentary, feature film and miniseries suggestions for history and English instructors. From Ken Burns to Black Panther, this episode offers background and strategies for incorporating pop culture into classroom lessons. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 10: Slavery in the Constitution
Constitutional historian Paul Finkelman explains the deeply racist bargains the founding fathers struck in order to unify the country under one document and discusses what students need to know about how slavery defined America after the Revolution. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 11: Slavery in the Supreme Court
In the United States, justice was never blind. Historian Paul Finkelman goes beyond legal jargon to illustrate how slavery was entangled with the opinions of the Court—and encoded into the Constitution itself. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 12: Confronting Hard History at Montpelier
At James Madison’s Montpelier, the legacy of enslaved people isn’t silenced—and their descendants have a voice. Christian Cotz, Price Thomas and Dr. Patrice Preston Grimes explain how that happened, and why it’s important. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 13: Drop Us A Line – Your Questions. Your Stories. Your Episode!
A listener’s question leads to a meaningful moment. And now we want more! Take a listen, then email us to tell us your story about teaching hard history for an upcoming, special episode. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 14: Slavery Today
Enslavement didn’t end with Emancipation. Historian James Brewer Stewart discusses modern-day slavery happening across the world — and right here in the U.S. — showing educators how to connect the past with the present. (Page update coming soon.)
Coming Soon: Stories From the Classroom (and More)
Over the next few episodes, we're bringing Season 1 to a close. Tune in for stories from the classroom, guidance for elementary teachers and language arts classes, and answers to questions from listeners like you. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 15: Classroom Experiences
How it’s done. Tamara Spears teaches middle school Social Studies in New York and Jordan Lanfair is a high school English Language Arts teacher in Chicago. Each has been developing additional lessons about slavery for years. They share their experiences. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 16: Sample Lessons
Using the present to explore the past. Tamara Spears and Jordan Lanfair suggest a Social Studies unit about Resistance and Kanye West, and a set of English Language Arts lessons examining holidays to understand the legacy of American slavery. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 17: Young Adult Trade Books
From elementary to high school, young adult literature can introduce fundamental themes and information about slavery, especially when paired with primary sources. John H. Bickford shows how to capitalize on the strengths and weaknesses of trade books about slavery. (Page update coming soon.)
Episode 18: Wrap up: Questions from the Classroom
Historian Bethany Jay returns – answering questions from educators across the country. Host Hasan Kwame Jeffries and the coeditor of Understanding and Teaching American Slavery confront teacher anxieties and counter misconceptions in our season finale. (Page update coming soon.)