Home — Liberty of Conscience: The Founding of Maryland — Lesson Starters — Analyzing the Shift from Indentured Servitude to Race-Based Slavery

Analyzing the Shift from Indentured Servitude to Race-Based Slavery

Grade 7

Teacher’s Guide and Related Standards

In this lesson, students will learn how Maryland’s labor system shifted from indentured servitude to race‑based slavery, and how lawmakers used race to justify and enforce this change.


 

Procedure

INTRODUCTION (20 minutes)

  1. Have students discuss two warm-up questions:
    1. How do you think laws can change people’s opportunities or limit them?
    2. What does “fairness” mean when two groups of people have very different power?
  2. Review the vocabulary words with students.
  3. Watch the video clip. Have students respond to the Thinking Questions in Think-Pair-Share format.

EXTENSION (20-40 minutes)

Complete the supplemental extension activities with students, as you see fit.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT (30 minutes)

  • Have students apply their newfound knowledge by using the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) framework to analyze the lesson and support their responses using evidence from the videos and activity resources. CER Question: Why did Maryland’s colonial leaders transition from indentured servitude to a system of chattel slavery based on race? What were the impacts of that shift?
  • See the rubric below.

REFLECTION (10 minutes)

  1. Have students respond to the following prompts:?
    1. What surprised you most about the laws that created race‑based slavery? Why?
    2. How might Maryland have developed differently if labor had remained based on contracts instead of race?

Standards

C3 and Maryland Social Studies Standards

Maryland Social Studies Standards

MSDE 6/7.8.2

Students will analyze the regional and global consequences of the Transatlantic Slave Trade by:

  • Analyzing the rationale for the transition to chattel slavery and its relationship to the development of the theory of race.

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework

  • D2.His.1.6-8. Analyze connections among events and developments in broader historical contexts.


CER Rubric (Total: 9 Points)

Category 3 Points 2 Points 1 Point 0 Points
Claim I clearly answered why Maryland switched to slavery and what happened because of it. I answered part of the question, or my claim is somewhat unclear. My claim is unclear or doesn’t really answer the question. No claim.
Evidence I used specific facts from class (laws, labor needs, racial rules, population  I used some evidence, but it may be general or missing details. I gave little or weak evidence, or it doesn’t fit the topic. No evidence.
Reasoning I clearly explained how my evidence proves my claim. I explained my thinking, but the connection is not fully clear. My reasoning is missing or confusing. No reasoning.


Teacher Resources


References

PBS, Liberty of Conscience: The Founding of Maryland - A film clip from Liberty of Conscience: The Founding of Maryland was used in this lesson. Continue to watch the full documentary to learn more about the founding of colonial Maryland and the influence of the Calvert family.