🗺️ Lesson 1: Intro to the 1838 Black Metropolis

This lesson introduces students to the 1838 Black Metropolis of Philadelphia—a thriving, organized free Black community that emerged despite systemic racism, political disenfranchisement, and economic exclusion. Across five class sessions, students explore the geography, institutions, leaders, and civic structures of this community using primary sources including census data, timelines, maps, and archival documents. Activities are designed to sharpen historical thinking, connect past to present, and help students understand how place-based knowledge, data, and lived experience come together to shape historical narratives.

🎯 Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• analyze historical maps and census records to identify key characteristics of the 1838 Black Metropolis in Philadelphia.

• interpret demographic and social data from the 1838 census to understand how free Black residents organized their communities amid systemic racism.

• trace the development of Black civic institutions from 1770–1838, including churches, beneficial societies, and mutual aid networks.

• conduct place-based historical research using archival sources to map changes in neighborhoods over time.

• reflect on the relationship between freedom, citizenship, and community building by connecting the experiences of 19th-century Black Philadelphians to current civic issues.