3 Black Women in Rebellion

Introduction: Teaching Through Rather Than About

When learning about history, it is important to be able to make connections to help you understand an event or historical figure you are learning about. As humans, we have a tendency to use our experiences as a baseline to find relevance, similarities, and differences. This can seriously limit what content we can connect with if the type of person or event is not familiar due to under representation. So to me, teaching through history is to allow the learner to experience the story in a way that encompasses their being and finds that relevance in a meaningful way. In choosing to write about a group of strong women that society might view as “unconventional”, my hope is that it will help some students to feel seen, while allowing others to find commonalities with figures they may not have an obvious connection to.

There are many stories out there that talk about abolition efforts and resistance to slavery, but the large majority of these tend to focus on men, while women are reduced to a side note or portrayed as a peaceful resistor. Through the stories of Queen Nzinga of Angola, Queen Nanny of Jamaica, and Harriet Tubman of the United States, I plan to challenge that narrative. These figures were chosen with the deliberate intention of showcasing a different perspective of Black history. Instead of being the side note, these incredible women will be front and center to teach students about the challenges faced by Africans across continents because of the transatlantic slave trade and European colonialism, while also flipping that narrative of female non-violence.

In the first section, we will be focusing on Queen Nzinga of Angola. Her story will be used as a foundation of resistance during the early days of the slave trade. Taking place in the early-17th century, Queen Nzinga openly challenged colonial powers, used her political skills to negotiate treaties that protected her people from enslavement, and fought well into her later years to retain power. Although she had to make many compromises and faced many setbacks, she is remembered today as the mother of Angola.

In section two, we move across the Atlantic to Jamaica where we meet the African-born, Queen Nanny of the Maroons. Most of what is known about Queen Nanny has been passed down through oral traditions, common among West African culture. Through this collection of narratives, taking place in the early-18th century, we have the story of a woman who resisted enslavement, engaged in effective military strategies, preserved cultural knowledge among her followers, and fought off one the greatest military powers in the world during that period. As an early pioneer for freedom in Jamaica, Queen Nanny remains a nationally recognized hero.

For the last section, we will be focusing on the lesser known exploits of Harriet Tubman. Celebrated for her work in the Underground Railroad, Tubman was also a celebrated war hero during the Civil War. Leading a campaign of soldiers in the Combahee River Raid in South Carolina, Tubman helped free over 700 people from bondage with zero Union casualties. This story really expands on what we know about Harriet Tubman and highlights how her unique set of skills were invaluable in pulling off this risky military operation.

Framework

The lesson in this chapter will be comparing and contrasting resistance efforts made by enslaved Africans in the Americas to those in the African continent. By focusing on active resistance and the role women played in these efforts, students will develop a deeper appreciation for a group of people that are often downplayed or ignored within the curriculum as well as address unique challenges faced by female resistance leaders. While men typically receive all of the credit, or blame, for violent uprisings and resistance, women have also engaged in these tactics across continents and with great success. Through the stories of Queen Nzinga, Queen Nanny, and Harriet Tubman, we will observe a different trend when discussing women’s role in the fight against oppression; one of determination, military prowess, and bravery. These women epitomize Black agency, resistance, and perseverance and will hopefully show students that women were not always helpless victims. They were strong and capable, even if they did not always get the credit they deserve.

Pedagogical Applications

For this chapter, students will be analyzing various primary and secondary sources, in multiple formats, to gain a better understanding of each figure being studied. Students will then be comparing and contrasting each story to highlight the unique challenges faced in each example. Through multiple individual and group activities, my hope is that students will be able to gain a better understanding of the ways in which resistance efforts were carried out across continents, what compromises had to be made by those in power, and how different cultural perspectives can lend themselves to the cause of freedom. In other words, this will enable students to learn about the complexity of resistance efforts through the lens of these three historical figures.

Connections to Oregon State Social Science Standards (2021):

Lesson Narrative

Overview and Description of the Essential Question

Essential Question: In what ways did black women participate in active resistance against slavery and oppression?

When reviewing the essential question, students will be introduced to the idea of women leaders and resistance fighters during the transatlantic slave trade and continuing through the American Civil War. It is intended to peak student interest in how these women participated in resistance efforts in addition to questioning the dominant narrative around who is typically portrayed in leadership roles and active resistance against slavery.

Using an inquiry based and collaborative learning approach, I would anticipate that this lesson will take five 50-minute periods to complete. Here is a sample outline of what this might look like:

• Day 1-3: Intro, read and discuss resources for each figure.
• Day 4: compare and contrast each figure in small groups.
• Day 5: reflection/whole class discussion.

Another option would be to create a jigsaw assignment in groups of 3, with each student focusing on one figure, rather than reviewing each individually.

Staging the Question

To start things off, students will be asked to imagine the following scenario, then answer the follow-up questions:

Student responses can be documented on the board for the class to review. Ask students to make connections between their responses. See if there are any trends or common themes. Do any of their responses tie into the content you are about to introduce? If so, what inspired those responses? If not, why might this gap exist in who we view as historical leaders or heroes?

Question 1, Formative Task 1, Featured Sources

Supporting Question: How was Queen Nzinga able to use her political and military skills to maintain power and protect her people from enslavement by European forces?

Building Background:

Before introducing the first historical figure, we need to ensure that students have context surrounding the geographical regions being discussed and a general knowledge about slavery as an institution, why Africans were enslaved for labor in the Americas, and what impact it had on the African continent. I would recommend the following resources:

• Map Review: Students will need to be familiar with Angola, Jamaica (via the Gold Coast, modern day Ghana), and the Southern United States.
  • Map of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
  • Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade – Database (interactive map w/statistical data)
• Video: The Atlantic slave trade: What too few textbooks told you – Anthony Hazard

Once you are ready to begin reviewing the lesson content, provide students with the following graphic organizer to take notes on each of the figures. The goal is to have them complete the reading, write a brief summary in their own words, highlight the strategies used in their resistance efforts, and then make any additional observations or connections they were able to make with the figure and the included primary sources.

• Women in Rebellion Graphic Organizer.docx

Reading: Queen Nzinga [Queen Nzinga.docx]

Primary Source: Queen Njinga with bow and arrow and battle ax (variation on name spelling)

 

Vocabulary Words:

• Mbundu: an ethnic group centered around the Kwanza river in the northern region of modern day Angola.
• Guerrilla Warfare: type of irregular combat centered on surprise attacks, raids, and sabotage.

Question 2, Formative Task 2, Featured Sources

Supporting Question: How did Queen Nanny use her cultural knowledge to empower her people and successfully wage war against the British?

Continuing with the graphic organizer, students will complete the readings and analysis for Queen Nanny. When beginning the second reading, the section related to Queen Nanny is located under the header: “The Maroon Wars,” but I recommend that students read it in its entirety, if time permits. This reading also includes details from the treaties offered by the British to the Maroons of Jamaica. Have students review the articles of “The Windward Treaty”. Encourage students to look for what is missing from this document, especially considering the role Nanny had in the Windward Maroon community and how she is remembered by the people of Jamaica.

For this figure, it is also important to note that many of the details known about Nanny’s life are based on oral history traditions. The optional audio source can be used to show students what that might sound like, especially since many stories are passed down through generations in the form of songs.

• Reading: Queen Nanny of the Maroons [Queen Nanny of the Maroons.docx]
• Reading w/Primary Source: The Jamaican Maroons [The Jamaican Moorns.docx]
• Optional Audio Source: Granny Nanny Come Oh *Example of oral history traditions in West African cultures. Audio in Kromanti, no lyrics available (see resource on Griots for more details on oral history traditions, which could be used as an extension activity).

Vocabulary Words:

• Obeah: West African belief system practiced in many Caribbean nations, often associated with shamanism, spirituality, and healing (similar to Voodoo).
• Kromanti: Jamaican creole language, also known as patois or patwa. It consists of English and the Akan language of West Africa, primarily in modern day Ghana.
• Maroons: fugitive slaves that created secret communities to escape chattel slavery.
• Taínos: indigenous peoples of the Caribbean islands.

Question 3, Formative Task 3, Featured Sources

Supporting Question: After learning about Harriet Tubman’s accomplishments in the Combahee River Raid, why do you think the government was apprehensive to recognize her accomplishments or provide her with proper compensation for her service?

For the final figure, have students complete the reading about Harriet Tubman, review the image from Harper’s Weekly documenting the raid, then review Tubman’s claim to the US government advocating for proper compensation for her military service during the war. As students review the documents, have them complete this section in the graphic organizer.

While they review the claim Harriet Tubman submitted, ask them to clarify what her argument is in seeking additional compensation since it notes that she had already received some funds from the government. Why was this significant at the time?

• Reading: Harriet Tubman, soldier and spy for Union Army during Civil War (requires a free account to read)*
• Primary Source: Harper’s Weekly – Combahee River Raid
• Primary Source: Claim of Harriet Tubman

*Vocabulary and additional context information is available in the reading through Newsela.

Summative Performance Task

Once all readings and analyses have been completed, students will be tasked with comparing and contrasting each story, followed by a class discussion. Students can use their graphic organizers as a reference for this activity.

After reviewing their graphic organizer, students will look for trends, similarities, and unique observations to share in the class discussion. The instructor can highlight some of the overarching themes and important elements of the lesson on the board. One suggestion for the compare and contrast activity would be to create an area in the classroom with a poster for each category (i.e. similarities/differences/connections), then have students write their comments on a post-it and place it on the corresponding section. Once completed, have students review their peers’ contributions in a gallery walk and discuss their observations.

For the final portion of the activity, students will complete a reflection paragraph and use what they learned to answer the essential question: In what ways did women participate in active resistance against slavery and oppression? Based on the research completed, there are many possible answers to this question. Included is an optional proficiency based rubric for this activity: Perfect Paragraph Rubric (docx), which can be easily modified to fit alternate grading formats.

Potential Civic Engagement

One option for civic engagement would be to locate and identify local figures that helped advocate for Black Americans in Oregon. Student research projects can be used to supplement school curriculum and raise awareness within your school community.

Resources:

• Oregon Humanities: A Hidden History
• Oregon Black Pioneers
• Oregon Historical Society

Conclusion

By engaging and connecting with the resources in this lesson, students will be able to better understand the complexities of Black resistance. There is no single narrative that encompasses all women in the fight against oppression and it is important to highlight that Black women were not only active in these efforts, but were capable leaders as well. It is astonishing to me that throughout the centuries, and across continents, Black women have stayed true to their identity by embracing their strength of spirit, culture, and ancestral ties to make a real difference for those around them. I believe there is something that we can all connect with in each of these figures to find relevance and meaning. To see history through their stories and to gain a better appreciation of their unique experiences.

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Image Attributions

Antonio Cavazzi da Montecuccolo, G. (1668). [Watercolor painting showing Queen Njinga with bow and arrow and battle axe]. Missione Evangelica al Regno del Congo (the Araldi manuscript), vol. C. Gallerie Estensi, Biblioteca Estense Universitaria. https://mavcor.yale.edu/material-objects/giovanni-antonio-cavazzi-missione-evangelica-al-regno-del-congo-araldi-manuscript. All rights reserved.

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References

Abdul-Fattah, H. (April 20, 2020). How Griots tell legendary epics through stories and songs in West Africa. The Met. https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/articles/2020/4/sahel-sunjata-stories-songs

Bernard, I. (March 1, 2001). Queen Nanny of the Maroons (? – 1733). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/queen-nanny-maroons-1733/

Conrad, E. (n.d.) General Tubman. HarrietTubman.com. http://www.harriettubman.com/tubman2.html

Heywood, L. M. (2017). Njinga of Angola: Africa’s Warrior Queen. Cambridge, Harvard University Press.

Jamaica Information Service (n.d.). Nanny of the Maroons. https://jis.gov.jm/information/heroes/nanny-of-the-maroons/

Mcpherson & Oliver, photographer. (1863). 2nd South Carolina Infantry Regiment raid on rice plantation, Combahee, South Carolina, and escaped slave named Gordon. Louisiana Baton Rouge United States, 1863. New York: Harper’s Weekly, July 4. [Photograph]. Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2014645368/

Snethen, J. (June 16, 2009). Queen Nzinga (1583-1663). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/queen-nzinga-1583-1663/

The Granny Nanny Cultural Group (January 6, 2017). Granny Nanny Come Oh (Live) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3RDBAmwQRQ.

The National Library of Jamaica (n.d.). The Jamaican Maroons. https://nlj.gov.jm/history-notes/The%20Maroons%20edited%20final.htm

U.S. National Archive and Records Administration (2024). Claim of Harriet Tubman. https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/claim-of-harriet-tubman