Lesson 2.4 Worksheet Packet (PDF) — EARLY RESISTANCE TO THE SLAVE TRADE

Explore the history of African resistance and the landmark Amistad case with this 8-page student worksheet packet for Unit 2 of the AP African American Studies course. Topic 2.4 examines how enslaved Africans resisted their commodification aboard slave ships, how activists and artists repurposed slave ship imagery to fuel the anti-slavery movement, and how the 1839 revolt aboard La Amistad became a landmark Supreme Court case that shaped the course of American abolitionism.

📝 What's Included:

• ✅ 8-page student worksheet packet (PDF + printable)
• 🖥️ Link to Editable version (Google Doc)
• 🚢 Source analysis of the British slave ship "Brookes" diagram and its role in early anti-slavery activism
• 🎨 Source analysis of Willie Cole's contemporary artwork "Stowage" (1997)
• 📖 Primary source excerpt from Lorenzo J. Greene's "Mutiny on the Slave Ships" (1944)
• ⚖️ Deep-Dive into the U.S. v. La Amistad Supreme Court case, including a documentary video analysis
• 📜 Analysis of the 1839 courtroom plea to the jurisdiction defending Sengbe Pieh (Joseph Cinque) and the Amistad captives
• 🖼️ Source analysis of courtroom sketches of the Amistad captive survivors (1839)
• 🧠 Comprehension questions, source analysis prompts, and a culminating exit ticket prompt

📚 Students Will Learn About:

• 🚢 How enslaved Africans resisted aboard slave ships — individually and collectively
• 🎨 How artists and activists have used imagery to confront and process this history
• ⚖️ A landmark legal case that tested the limits of freedom and property under U.S. law
• 🗣️ The people and voices at the center of that fight, and how their story shaped the anti-slavery movement
• 🖋️ How historical evidence and primary sources are used to build a persuasive, well-supported argument

🎯 Perfect For:

• ✔ AP African American Studies (Topic 2.4)
• ✔ 9th–12th Ethnic Studies, African American History, or U.S. History enrichment
• ✔ Black History Month or African American history lessons
• ✔ Primary source, visual art, and legal document analysis
• ✔ Lessons exploring African resistance and the early anti-slavery movement

📎 Formats:

✅ Ready-to-print PDF
✅ Class-ready in 15 minutes or less
✅ Download once. Use every year.

🖥️📝 LESSON 2.4 WORKSHEET PACKET PREVIEW:

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