AP African American Studies Resource Archive | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

A map of the coast of Liberia, with the Atlantic Ocean appearing diagonally in the middle of the map.

The First Age of Reform

by Ronald G. Walters

Learn more about the debates related to colonization in the context of other antebellum reform movements.

Essay

GLC09028.01

An African American protests the Fugitive Slave Law

1850

Explore a letter written by a free Black man in Boston.

Primary Source

Engraving showing a Black man in a coat, vest, white shirt, and bow tie and a Black woman wearing a patterned dress with a wide white collar, with earrings.

The Dred Scott Decision and Its Bitter Legacy

1800–1858

Dred Scott’s case before the US Supreme Court challenged the nation on slavery, citizenship, and state sovereignty.

Interactive

A black-and-white photograph of President Abraham Lincoln, seated, with his head resting on his upraised left hand

Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation

1809–1870

This timeline traces Abraham Lincoln’s evolution from antislavery advocate to emancipator in the context of international events.

Interactive

A multicolored, multi-panel print with various people and vignettes on the theme of celebrating the Fifteenth Amendment's ratification.

The Fifteenth Amendment Celebrated: An In-Depth Exploration

1870

Explore a lithograph commemorating the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment.

Interactive

A black-and-white photograph of Frederick Douglass, a Black man in his fifties with graying hair and a serious demeanor staring straight into the camera

Frederick Douglass from Slavery to Freedom: The Journey to New York City

1818–1845

Follow the story of Frederick Douglass and his journey from slavery to freedom in New York City.

Interactive

A printed broadside announcing a "$2,500 REWARD!" for freedom seekers. On each side of "$2,500" are hands with index fingers pointing toward the dollar value.

Runaway Slave Ad

1852

Explore an example of broadsides developed to find and capture self-emancipated people.

Primary Source

A handwritten letter in cursive on lined paper

“I love you but hate slavery”

ca. 1860

Read Frederick Douglass’s letter to his former owner, searching for information about his birth date.

Primary Source

A handwritten legal document for the posting of a bond for the manumission of the slave Ann.

A bond for the manumission of an enslaved woman

1757

View and develop an understanding of this manumission bond.

Primary Source

An open book with an engraved portrait of Olaudah Equiano, a Black man in distinguished eighteenth-century clothing and, on the right, the title page of his autobiography, "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano."

“The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”

1789

Learn from Olaudah Equiano about his experience being kidnapped at age eleven and surviving the Middle Passage.

Primary Source

A Black soldier in a blue Union Army uniform (jacket, coat, pants, and hat), holding a rifle on his right shoulder with a slight smile on his face.

Historical Context: Black Soldiers in the Civil War

by Steven Mintz

Get some key facts on Black service during the Civil War.

Teacher Resources

Scan of a book page with the text of a law passed in Virginia in 1662.

Study Aid: Slavery and the Law in Seventeenth-Century Virginia

1662–1691

Explore a timeline of laws pertaining to slavery in Virginia from 1662 to 1691.

Teacher Resources