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Democrats: Blacks They Tried to Erase
Season 10
Episode 60
Published 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Description
This episode explores Black freedom of speech through systems of empowerment and intergenerational resilience.
Mini Lesson Plan: Black Patriots in the American Revolution
Thesis: Glenn Beck and David Barton’s episode challenges mainstream history by spotlighting Black patriots whose contributions were erased post-Civil War, urging us to reclaim their legacy for civic unity and historical truth.
Objectives (with Examples + Citations)
- Recognize key Black patriots
- Peter Salem killed British Major Pitcairn at the Battle of Bunker Hill (Boston, 1775)
- James Armistead Lafayette served as a double agent at Yorktown (Virginia, 1781)
- Understand historical erasure
- Southern Democrats removed Black figures from textbooks during Reconstruction (1870s–1890s)
- William Cooper Nell’s 1855 book, The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution, documented erased stories like Crispus Attucks and Salem Poor
- Connect legacy to civic impact
- Wentworth Cheswell, elected town constable in Newmarket, NH (1768), was the first Black man to hold public office in the U.S.
- Prince Whipple, symbolically depicted in Emanuel Leutze’s 1851 painting Washington Crossing the Delaware, though likely not present at the actual crossing
Format (30 min)
- Intro (5 min) Ask: “Who do you picture when you hear ‘Founding Fathers’?” Introduce Prince Whipple’s image in the Delaware crossing painting
- Watch or summarize episode clips (10 min) Highlight Cheswell’s ride, Salem’s heroism, and Armistead’s espionage
- Discussion (10 min) Ask: “Why were these stories erased?” Reference Nell’s book and Barton’s claim about textbook revision
- Activity (5 min) Choose one:
- Create a tribute poster for James Armistead Lafayette
- Draft a podcast segment honoring Wentworth Cheswell
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