AP African American Studies Resource Archive | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

A portrait of a Black man with long black hair wearing a white turban, white robe, and necklace.

Ayuba bin Suleiman Diallo to His Father

ca. 1733

Read a translation of the letter that helped to secure Diallo’s freedom from enslavement.

Primary Source

Five portraits of men (abolitionists in Brazil), below a portrait of Princess Isabel (wearing a blue dress with a white frill) and four shirtless Black men dancing next to a pole as a Black woman wearing a pink dress looks on.

Slavery and Freedom in Brazil

by Keila Grinberg

Explore the pervasive impact of slavery in Brazil, and the long fight to abolish the system of enslavement.

Essay

Sepia photographic portraits of a man and a woman; the woman is wearing a white shirt with checked trim and an earring; the man is bare-chested, with well-defined musculature. Both have traditional scarification on their cheeks.

“Escrava Mina” and “Escravo Mina”

1864

View two photographs of enslaved people in Brazil.

Primary Source

A black-and-white photograph of Robert Smalls, a goateed Black man, seated, wearing a dark jacket, bow tie, and vest (with pocket watch chain), and a white shirt.

Beyond the Battlefield: African American Contributions to the Civil War

with Elizabeth R. Varon

Learn more about the men, women, and children who contributed to the war effort through various means.

Video

A Black man smiling while wearing a black suit, light blue shirt, and patterned red tie.

A Founder’s Journey from Slave Trader to Abolitionist

with Michael Thurmond

Learn how James Oglethorpe, founder of Georgia, helped to secure Ayuba bin Suleiman Diallo’s freedom.

Video

Henri Christophe, a Black man, in military uniform (blue double-breasted jacket with tails, white shirt, white pants, yellow boots), holding a sabre and dark hat in his right hand with his left in his jacket pocket.

The First and Last King of Haiti

with Marlene L. Daut

Explore the life, career, and brief reign of Henri Christophe.

Video

An engraving of a Black man with mutton-chops wearing a dark jacket, dark vest, and white shirt, looking toward the right

Garnet’s Address in Context

by Jake Alspaugh

Understand the origins of Garnet’s speech.

Essay

A green book cover with gold text reading "Harriet, the Moses of Her People"

Harriet, the Moses of Her People

1886

Read an authorized description of Tubman’s escape written by a White woman who had interviewed Tubman.

Primary Source

Title page of The Refugee: or the Narrative of Fugitive Slaves in Canada

Harriet Tubman’s reflection in The Refugee

1856

Read Tubman’s memories of enslavement and freedom in her own words.

Primary Source

Map of the East Coast and Midwest of the United States with the size of the free Black population in each state and territory in 1800 (in blue) and 1830 (in red), with a bar chart at left showing the change in free Black population from 1790 to 1860

Free African American Population, 19th Century

by Michael Siegel

Explore the change in free Black populations over time across the North, South, and Midwest.

Thematic Map

A metal bust of a man on a marble base, topped with two Black-eyed Susan flowers. The bust reads "Zumbi dos Palmares: O Líder Negro De Todas As Raças."

The Palmares Quilombo

by Ana Lucia Araujo

Learn more about the development and defense of this maroon community.

Essay

Map of North America with routes on the Underground Railroad; The legend says that free states and territories are in green and slave states and territories are in tan. Underground railroad routes are in red, with arrows pointing north, west, and (from Georgia), south. The data is from the Atlas of African-American History and Politics.

The Underground Railroad in the Eighteenth Century

by Michael Siegel

Visualize the Underground Railroad in its earliest days through this map.

Thematic Map