Maroons in North America
Unit Planner at a Glance
Aside from the first lesson that introduces students to the concept of marronage, the following lessons below explore an aspect of the practice in different southern landscapes. Click through the lessons to learn more.
Lesson 1
Risky Freedom: North American Maroons
Learning Objectives
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define maroon (scope, conditions, time, distance, rural, urban)
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identify and describe different options enslaved people utilized to escape
Lesson at a Glance
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After an anticipatory hook that has students brainstorming how they would skip a class, students will examine options enslaved people utilized to permanently escape in the Antebellum South. Students will read an article that introduces them to the concept of marronage and key terms and then discuss how maroons used their environment to hide from their enslaver.
Prerequisite Knowledge
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Students should know about:
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geographic, economic, and cultural characteristics of the Antebellum South
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origins and characteristics of slavery and its impact in the South
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the evolution of the abolitionist movement (Underground Railroad, newspaper publications, slave narratives)
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experiences of enslaved people in the Antebellum South
Materials Needed
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a map of your school
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Lesson 1 Map Analysis Questions
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Maroon Student Reading Guide
Lesson 2
"Paradise of Serpents and Poisonous Vegetation" : Freedom in the Great Dismal Swamp
Learning Objectives
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analyze and interpret primary sources to evaluate the conditions of escape in rural environments
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provide specific examples of how enslaved individuals exploited their surroundings and environment to permanently escape within the South
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provide specific examples of how historical actors facilitated escape for enslaved people in the South
Lesson at a Glance
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Students analyze runaway ads, a map of the Great Dismal Swamp, accounts of life in the swamp to determine the resources escaped slaves utilized to sustain escape.
Prerequisite Knowledge
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Students should know about:
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plantation geography
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reasons and process of slave hiring
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geography and economy of the Chesapeake
Materials Needed
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Three runaway ads mentioning the Great Dismal Swamp
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Lesson 2 Primary Source Documents about maroon activity in the Great Dismal Swamp
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Great Dismal Swamp web organizer
Lesson 3
"But the Women Don't Run Away So Much" : Women in the Borderlands
Learning Objectives
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analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources to evaluate the conditions of escape for enslaved women
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provide specific examples of how enslaved individuals exploited their surroundings and environment to permanently escape within the South
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provide specific examples of how historical actors facilitated escape for enslaved people in the South
Lesson at a Glance
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Students analyze chart comparing male and female runaways, a reading of Harriet Jacobs’ enslavement and escape, and a map of Edenton (the town where she was enslaved) to determine how the experiences of women who escaped were different from men.
Prerequisite Knowledge
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Students should know about:
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experiences of enslaved women
Materials Needed
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chart comparing numbers of men/women runaways
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Harriet Jacobs’ Reading
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Edenton Map of Jacobs’ Escape Worksheet
Lesson 4
Urban "Lurking" : City Maroons in Antebellum Baltimore
Learning Objectives
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analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources to evaluate the conditions of escape in urban environments
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provide specific examples of how enslaved individuals exploited their surroundings and environment to permanently escape within the South.
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provide specific examples of how historical actors facilitated escape for enslaved people in the South
Lesson at a Glance
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Students will analyze a city map, census data, and runaway ads of antebellum Baltimore to explain the numerous opportunities available for maroons to escape and live in the city. Students will then imagine a day-in-the-life of an urban maroon by creating an illustrated storyboard or brief written account.
Prerequisite Knowledge
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Students should know about:
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economy and labor in southern antebellum cities
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skilled labor
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hiring out
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free African American communities in cities
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experiences of enslaved people in southern cities
Materials Needed
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Fells Point Residence and Baltimore Census document.
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Urban Lurking: City Maroons in Antebellum Baltimore Reading
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Urban Lurking: Maroon Profiles and corresponding worksheet
Lesson 5
Shadows of Freedom: Performance Piece
Learning Objectives
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demonstrate knowledge of marronage by comparing different types of the practice within the South
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create an exhibit with written and physical artifacts that narrate a story of marronage
Lesson at a Glance
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Students will compare and contrast different types of marronage then create an exhibit with written and physical artifacts that showcases a particular type of marronage.
Prerequisite Knowledge
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Students should be able to:
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follow a writing process to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, style, and voice are appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience
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develop writing with narrative techniques
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incorporate critical pieces of relevant information from a variety of primary sources in their final product
Materials Needed
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Maroon Analysis Chart
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Lesson 5 Performance Piece