1. Story Starter

The following passage is an excerpt from Christiana's memoirs. Use this paragraph as a story starter. What happens next?

The day before we left Caleb came to us with one of his sanctimonious faces that he could put on whenever he wanted to carry any point, and after a profound bow and a speech of negro blarney, made known his request that your father would give him something to show that he was a free man; that he wanted to live and die with us and the dear children; but life was onsartain, and we might not live to come back, and then he and Lucy would have to be sold like other [negroes].

(Excerpt from: Christiana Tillson, A Woman's Story of Pioneer Illinois, Chicago: The Lakeside Press,1953: p.136)

2. Writing A Memoir

Think about choices you've made in your lifetime. Were any of these choices limited by your environment? Write about one of these events as if you were writing your memoir.

• This story was based on Christiana's memoirs. Memoirs are personal accounts of the events shaping a person's life.

3. A Debate: Should the Tillsons have purchased Lucy and Caleb as slaves?

Divide the class in two and have them debate the Tillsons' decision to buy Lucy and Caleb as slaves. Have one side debate for this purchase and one side debate against this purchase.

• As part of their research, students can look at the Web site Slavery in America at:
  https://www.ils.unc.edu/ingham/page02.html. Under "People and Slavery" students will be able to access The Autobiography of Fredrick Douglas.
  

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© Illinois State Museum 31-Dec-96