Abolition as a Black-Led Movement: Curriculum Guide

Carte de visite are reproducible small studio photographs (about 2.5 by 4 inches) like this image, which were mounted onto card stock. They were one way that Black people in the 19th century shared an image of themselves and communicated with family and loved ones. It also served as a way for them to intentionally (or unintentionally) counter racist and distorted depictions of Black people that were part of the dominant visual narrative at the time. View this image in NYPL's Digital Collections.

In this document, Nancy, a free Black woman, is suing a man named Joseph Butler for assaulting and imprisoning her in Arkansas. After Nancy was captured, beaten, and enslaved by Joseph Butler, she fought not only to be physically freed but also for justice and accountability in the courts. The courts rule in favor of Nancy, stating that she should be awarded $2,000. View this image in NYPL's Digital Collections. 

The port in Savannah, Georgia, played a significant role during the late 18th century as a port for trade in humans in the Atlantic. At this City Hall meeting, white citizens in Savannah discuss the uprisings and resistance of enslaved Africans in colonized French islands. While this document is focused on a meeting between white people, Black people’s resistance to enslavement is the central concern of the participants and this source. Even in the absence of records written by Black people, we can see their leadership in the cause of abolition through sources like this one. View this image in NYPL's Digital Collections.

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