Chapter 13: People and Communities in a Slave Society: The South, 1830-1860





The following activities accompany the Legacy for a People and a Nation on "The Black Family" in Chapter 13. Refer to page 357 of Norton, A People and a Nation, Sixth Edition for the complete text of this Legacy. There are three parts to this web page: Questions to Consider, Investigation, and Further Exploration.




Questions to Consider
1. Does a modern West African saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” seem a more, or less appropriate description of modern day African American or white American families?

2. Can we make comparisons between the family structure of free blacks and black slaves? Think of the various obstacles that frequently worked against a black family unit under slavery.

3. How different were the patriarchal and matriarchal roles in family life in Europe and Africa? Did these traditions persist in America? Why?

4. With blacks living in many white family units under slavery and having significant responsibilities for rearing children, was there a sharing or mixing of family values in America?




Investigation
In the United States, do we generally agree upon what constitutes the family unit? Interview several individuals of different ages, gender, ethnicities, and religions to build an answer to this question. How would these ideas seem to compare to earlier ideas and images of family?




Further Exploration
1. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation describes and analyzes black family life in eastern Virginia.

2. The New York Public Library's Digital Library Collection contains the Digital Schomburg Images of 19th Century African Americans. Choose the Family category to view numerous images. Not recommended if you are using a modem.

3. Public Broadcasting System produced a series on African American Family Life.

4. The U.S. Census Bureau is a wealth of information.