{The Death of General Wolfe (1770) by Benjamin West / Public Domain}
This week we’ll look a bit more at Colonial life, and slavery in the American colonies. Plus we’ll learn about the French and Indian War, or Seven Years’ War, as it’s also called. Here are a few links you can use to explore these topics further, but we don’t recommend letting kids search the Internet about slavery without parental supervision. We also haven’t included too much on slavery, since it can be difficult to find content online that is appropriate. But we do hope you continue to have conversations in your home about this sorrowful aspect of our nation’s history.
VIDEOS:
Colonial Life: 1700-1750 – This 24-minute documentary gives an overview of Colonial life, and includes a mild look at slavery:
French and Indian War – A 29-minute documentary:
Scene from The Last of the Mohicans – This movie is set during the French and Indian War. Here’s a 3-minute battle scene, which may not be appropriate for young children (parents, check it out first):
French and Indian War Changes Fate of America – Here’s a 19-minute documentary about the effects of this war, and how it led to the American Revolution:
French and Indian War Songs – Okay, this is silly, but the kids might like it:
WEBSITES:
US History Colonial Challenge game
The Atlantic Slave Trade in Two Minutes – Highly recommended! We posted this last school year, but I found myself wanting to show it to my kids again so here it is again for you too. This eye-opening animation maps the journeys of 15,790 slave ships, over 315 years, in two minutes. This will give you and your kids a sobering sense of the vastness of the transatlantic slave trade and is worth watching.
Slavery Timeline – From BBC
Enslaved African-Americans – Here are a few illustrations for kids with descriptions of what life was like for slaves in Colonial America.
Slavery and the Making of America – From PBS, this website has a wealth of information for older kids and adults. There’s a lot of interesting info here, including a slave family tree that shows changes over time, personal narratives that give first-hand accounts of life as a slave, and original documents, such as newspaper articles, correspondence, journal entries, and memoirs.
Maps of the French and Indian War
French and Indian War Interactive Timeline
French and Indian War Scavenger Hunt
The Revolutionary War Animated presents The French and Indian War
French and Indian War Hidden Pictures activity
French and Indian War Jeopardy!
