300 words minimum

1) Read the three YAWP readings – links provided below. 

 Letter of Cato and Petition by “the negroes who obtained freedom by the late act,” in Postscript to the Freeman’s Journal, September 21, 1781 | The American Yawp Reader 

 Thomas Jefferson’s Racism, 1788 | The American Yawp Reader 

 Black scientist Benjamin Banneker demonstrates Black intelligence to Thomas Jefferson, 1791 | The American Yawp Reader 

2) Read Thomas Jefferson’s response letter to Benjamin Banneker, link provided.  Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Banneker – Thomas Jefferson | Exhibitions – Library of Congress (loc.gov) 

3) Read the “Meaning of Race” on pages 171 – 174 of the US History online text.

4) Within the Constitution, which can be found toward the back of your textbook, Read Article I, Section 2, Clause 3; Article I, Section 9, Clause 1; and Article IV, Section 2, Clause 3. 

Of the first 18 presidents of the U.S., 12 either owned slaves or came from slave owning families. Supreme Court Justices owned slaves. Congressmen, governors, and other local and military leaders owned slaves.

By 1787, the year the Constitution was written, the United States had been using slave labor to build the economy for 168 years. 

Using the instructions above, the provided learning materials, and your own research:

PART 1
Prepare an original discussion post that follows the "IDCQ + Curiosity" framework:
1. Important – What do you think is the most important thing to remember from the assigned sources? Why? What struck you about it? Be specific.
2. Disagree – With which ideas do you disagree? Why? What struck you about it? Be specific.
3. Connection – What connection did you make with your current or past experience or from events discussed in this class? Be specific.
4. Question – What questions arose while you were going through the assigned resources? Be specific.