Welcome to the Stolen Relations Explore page!

Two quick words of caution:

  1. Archival documents often contain terms, phrases, and biases that reduce, minimize, or alter Native identities and views of the world.
  2. This project is not “complete” — numbers shown represent only what has been entered into this database, not the total number of Natives who were enslaved or unfree in any given area.

Overview of Curriculum

Overview of Curriculum

Overview of Curriculum

An Explanation of the Content

This curriculum is meant to supplement a U.S. history course, typically taught from from 1492 and the invasion of Christopher Columbus in the Americas to the late 1900s. Through individual lessons on topics related to what might usually be taught in a high school U.S. history class, students gain a deeper and more rigorous understanding of how Indigenous slavery was connected to settler colonialism in virtually every era of American history. These materials also greatly expand our understanding of the origins and nature of slavery in U.S. history.

Unit Overviews

The Stolen Relations curriculum will eventually feature five units that follow the progression of American history. The curriculum will guide students to examine the origins of slavery and how historical events played a role in Native enslavement through the nineteenth century. Currently we have Unit 2 ready to be used by educators. (Our decision to produce Unit 2 first is based on the fact that 2025 marks the 350th anniversary of the start of the War for New England/King Philip’s War.) Unit 1, which covers the details of the origins of American slavery, will soon be completed as well. The remaining units will cover topics including Freedom Suits, the Trail of Tears, the Southeast Indigenous Slave Trade, and Boarding Schools. Thank you for your patience as they are developed. We hope that these materials will be useful to you!

  • Unit 1: Origins of American Slavery

    Lesson 1: Discussion – Start of America

    Lesson 2: Lecture + Activity – Various Figures from the First Powhatan War (1609–1614) – Classroom Activity

    Lesson 3: Lecture – The Story of Squanto

    Lesson 4: Primary Source Analysis – Sources on Locations

    Lesson 5: Formative Assessment – Socratic Seminar: Re-examine the Beginnings of America

  • Unit 2: Tools of Removal: Enslavement During Warfare

    Lesson 1: Lecture – A War for New England: King Philip’s War (1675–1676)

    Lesson 2: Primary Source Analysis – Records of Native Enslavement in the 1670s

    Lesson 3: Reflection Activity – King Philip’s War Interviews

    Lesson 4: Lecture – Bacon’s Indian Warr (1675–1676)

    Lesson 5: Formative Assessment – Essay on the Connections Between the Two Wars