The African American Experience in the Dutch Colonies

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Suggested Teaching Instructions

Students can complete the activity using Consider the source or with this worksheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dgVjQRmAA5f1hNkNhlFnpFdvO1X6ESCLRme1Yvkd7Gs/edit?usp=sharing

SS Standard: Students will examine the changing status and role of African Americans under the Dutch and English colonial systems. Make sure to pre-set the lesson on reading documents with potentially harmful language.

Historical Background: Crailo State Historic Site is the museum of the Colonial Dutch in the Hudson River Valley. Originally a part of the vast landholding called the Manor or Patroonship of Rensselaerswyck, the Crailo farm was named after Van Rensselaer's estate in the Netherlands. When established the area was controlled by the Dutch and referred to as New Netherlands. New Netherland was part of a larger system of enslavement that spanned the Western Dutch Empire into the North American mainland along the Delaware and Hudson River Valleys. Crailo today tells the story of the early Dutch inhabitants of the upper Hudson Valley through exhibits highlighting archeological finds from the Albany Fort Orange excavations, special programs, and guided tours of the museum.

Compelling Question: What was life like for enslaved people under the Dutch colonial system?

Staging the Question: Hook: Have students explore the Crailo website and see what they learned about the Dutch in New Netherlands. Once they are familiar with the settlement, introduce the idea that we will be studying what life was like for enslaved people under the Dutch colonial system. 

Standards/Skills: Students will examine the changing status and role of African Americans under the Dutch and English colonial systems

 

Method of Delivery: 

Direct Instruction:

1. Review the historical background with students 

   Present the historical background while viewing the Crailo website 

Guided Practice:

1. Divide students into groups 

2. Station documents should be posted around the classroom 

3. Students should spend 10 minutes at each station before moving on to the next document 

4. Model best practices for the activity by asking students general sourcing questions

   1. How can we find when the document was created? 

   2. How can we find the author? 

   3. What is important to keep in mind when looking at a primary source?

5. Students can start sourcing their first station document as this is modeled 

Independent Practice & Summative Performance Task:

Students will write a short response in which they respond to the following question:What was life like for enslaved people under the Dutch colonial system? They will need to use evidence from at least 3 stations to create an informative response.