Enslaved People - Songs of Resistance

This lesson looks at how enslaved people used music to challenge the authority of their masters and send coded messages to others to help them to escape.

The students will learn some of the code words and what they represented.

It uses some of the most famous songs (such as ‘Swing low sweet chariot’ and ‘Amazing Grace’) and dissects the lyrics to understand the true meaning of the songs.

It helps the students to appreciate how difficult it was to be enslaved and how the seemingly small acts of resistance could make a huge difference.

An interesting and important lesson that deals with a sensitive topic carefully.

The lesson ends with the students having the opportunity to write their own song of resistance.