Page 140 - 1619 Project Curriculum

• What are the ramifications of slavery in contemporary U.S. life?
• How does the story of the U.S. change if we mark the beginning of U.S. history in 1619
instead of 1776?
• What is national memory? How do we create it? How can we change it?

Connecting to Structure:

• Why do you think Nikole Hannah-Jones and other contributors to this issue chose to
publish this work in The New York Times Magazine, a national news publication?
• What is journalism’s role in shaping national memory?
• Skim over the issue's table of contents (full issue text available here). You will notice
that there are analytical essays, poems, fiction, art, photography, and more included in
the same issue. How can each of these forms contribute to the conversation on the
legacy of slavery in the U.S.? What is the effect of having all of these forms combined
in one magazine?

In-depth Reading and Discussion:

Read Nikole Hannah-Jones’ essay in full. While you read, consider this claim in her essay:
“[T]he year 1619 is as foundational to the American story as 1776...black Americans, as much
as those men cast in alabaster in the nation’s capital, are this nation’s true ‘founding fathers.’”

Use one of the following graphic organizers to guide your reading:

• Graphic organizer tracking evidence Hannah-Jones’ provides for her central thesis
• Graphic organizer tracking new information learned and personal responses to the essay

After you read, discuss the following questions as a class:

1. What examples of hypocrisy in the founding of the U.S. does Hannah-Jones supply?
What evidence can you see for how “some might argue that this nation was founded
not as a democracy but as a slavocracy”?
2. Why do you think Hannah-Jones consistently refers to what are commonly known as
“plantations,” such as Monticello, by the term “forced-labor camps” instead? Does any
other language she uses to describe places, people, or events surprise or stand out to
you?
3. What picture does Hannah-Jones paint of major figures in classical U.S. history, such
as Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln? Did you learn new information about them
from her essay? If so, why do you think this information wasn’t included in other
resources from which you have learned about U.S. history?
4. What are some examples of progress pushed forward by black Americans during
Reconstruction that Hannah-Jones discusses? How have these efforts benefited all
Americans?
5. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were all signed into law during Reconstruction.
What examples of persisting racial inequalities in the years following Reconstruction
does Hannah-Jones mention? What institutions and ideologies made this possible?
6. How does Hannah-Jones expand on this quote from sociologist Glenn Bracey: ‘‘Out of
the ashes of white denigration, we gave birth to ourselves”?
7. Consider the following quote from “The Idea of America”: