Slavery And The Founding

The Bill of Rights Institute is excited to introduce our latest curriculum, Slavery and the Founding . This new resource offers lessons exploring the role of slavery in the founding of the United States. It uses a combination of primary source analysis, discussion prompts, and student reflections to consider the paradox of how slavery became entrenched in a country founded upon liberty and equality.

Students who use this resource will discuss topics like the resistance of slavery during the colonial era, the natural rights theory and how it influenced the foundation of the Declaration of Independence, how the country’s Founding principles relate to challenging slavery, the participation of Black Americans in the Revolutionary War and their natural rights, and much more.

BRI staff wrote this resource with input from master teachers nationwide. All materials were also reviewed by scholar experts with backgrounds in history and political science. The full resource will be available by the end the month, but we encourage you to explore the first two lessons now!

VIEW THE LESSONS HERE!

Don't Forget Our Primary Source Essentials!

Join BRI Senior Teaching Fellow Tony Williams for a brief overview of important topics like the Federalist 10 and Federalist 51, as well as Brutus 1, in BRI’s new Primary Source Essentials videos . Williams provides a quick summary of important topics in American history and how those contribute to government and civics. More videos will be added soon, so stay tuned!

Give Your Opinion On The New Think The Vote!

Tell your students to give their feedback on BRI’s latest Think The Vote question. The new artificial intelligence chat bot ChatGPT is being used more frequently around the world. But should ChatGPT be banned from use in classrooms? Click here to give your opinion and review previous Think The Vote questions.

Prepare For AP Exams With These Resources!

It’s almost time for your students to take their Advanced Placement (AP) exams, including in subjects like Government and U.S. History. The Bill of Rights Institute offers multiple resources to help students prepare, including our Supreme Court Document-Based Questions (DBQs) and recorded AP preparation webinars. These resources touch on several topics, including the U.S. Constitution, the Federalist Papers, colonial codes of law, the French and Indian War, the Civil War, and the New Deal.

VIEW THE WEBINARS HERE!

Educator Spotlight

Meet Meby Carr!

Meby Carr cites Queen Elizabeth I as her favorite historical because “she was strong, she persevered, and she ruled in a time of few strong female leaders.”

Meby also appreciates the academic strength and fellowship offered by the Bill of Rights Institute, and she previously attended a BRI seminar in Philadelphia, Pa....Read More

BOE: Bottom of Email

Dear John,

The deadline to apply for our MyImpact Challenge will be here before you know it! Our contest encourages high school students to develop constitutionally-principled civic engagement projects. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. PT on Monday, May 21.

Our 2022 MyImpact Challenge winner was Hamid Torabzadeh, a student from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in California who is finishing his first year at Brown University. Torabzadeh partnered with his local American Red Cross chapter to educate and train his classmates in disaster preparation, response, and recovery.

Students can receive up to $10,000 in prizes and total prizes of up to $40,000 are available to students and teachers. We are also expanding the MyImpact Challenge to students across the country, including in states like Utah.

So what are you waiting for? Make sure your students sign up now!

Warmly,

Laura Vlk
Director, Educator Engagement
Bill of Rights Institute

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