✍🏽 Lesson 3 – Writing from the 1838 Black Metropolis

This lesson centers the power of language, memory, and preservation in shaping how we understand Black life in Philadelphia. Students begin by examining primary sources from the 1838 census and community archives to unearth voices from the margins. They explore music as a form of resistance, investigate the workings of the Vigilant Committee, and analyze how people like Charles Blockson helped preserve Black history for future generations. The unit culminates with stories of Underground Railroad heroes, showing how freedom seekers and everyday citizens documented their lives, defended their dignity, and contributed to a collective historical record.

🎯 Lesson Objectives

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

• Analyze archival sources to surface overlooked stories from the 1838 census and community life.

• Interpret music, sermons, and public gatherings as historical texts expressing resistance and solidarity.

• Examine the structure and tactics of the Vigilant Committee and its support for freedom seekers.

• Understand the role of historians and archivists in preserving Black history, with a focus on Charles Blockson.

• Evaluate how stories of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia reveal local strategies of survival, care, and community building.