In this unit students will be learn about the early moments of Abolition in the United States. Students will examine legal documents from the early to mid-19th Century, and the impact of these documents on the Abolition movement.

Students should have previous knowledge of the United States Constitution and practice of slavery in the American Colonies. Students also need to understand the growth of the Great Awakening in New England to frame the context of the Abolition movement. This unit is designed to be integrated with the traditional coverage of turn of the 19th Century Abolition movements in the United States, using this specific material presented here to fill in the gaps in textbook materials.

Included are a series of example lesson plans which combine primary documents and local history in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Including a field trip to Sheffield, Massachusetts, the Ashley House, Ashley Falls, and Stockbridge Cemetery.