Slavery in the United States

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/slavery-in-the-united-states

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How deep is Slavery in the United States?Cotton production fueled by enslaved labor
2. What is the time of legal slavery?From colonial settlement until 1865
3. What is the constitutional clause on representation?Three-Fifths Clause
4. What was chattel slavery in the United States?Chattel slavery was when people were treated as property that could be bought and sold. It was a major part of the economy, especially in the South, where farmers grew crops like cotton.
5. Why did cotton become so important to slavery?The cotton gin made cotton easier to produce, so it became very profitable. Because of this, more enslaved workers were needed, which increased slavery in the South.

Chattel Slavery: A system where enslaved individuals are legally considered personal property, subject to sale and ownership.
Three-Fifths Clause: A U.S. Constitutional provision counting enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation.
Emancipation Proclamation: An executive order issued by President Lincoln that declared enslaved people in Confederate states to be free.
Thirteenth Amendment: The constitutional amendment that officially abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States.