Freedom Box: The Underground Railroad Through Objects and Performance
Generously supported through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural (URR) Program, the Freedom Box contains objects, photographs, original theatrical scripts, books, movies and lesson plans for classroom use.
During the 1800s, estimates suggest that more than 100,000 enslaved people sought freedom through the Underground Railroad. It wasn't a real railroad with tracks and trains. The Underground Railroad was a term used to describe the secret routes enslaved men, women and children took to gain their freedom. Those who escaped often obtained help and protection from free Blacks, Whites, Native Americans -- and other slaves -- who acted as conductors and provided food and shelter along the way. This 19th century freedom movement challenged the way Americans viewed slavery and freedom. Our hope is that this Freedom Box will convey the lessons of courage, cooperation and perseverance that continue to resonate today.
For your convenience, museum educators at the Freedom Center designed lesson plans and activities that can be used either as a complete unit plan or as individual activities to enhance your classroom curriculum. The enclosed materials were created using the Backward Design method, keeping in mind essential questions, understandings and goals of the skills and knowledge essential to comprehending the Underground Railroad. The Performance Task that accompanies the Freedom Box can be implemented in a variety of ways and includes opportunities for differentiated instruction. Please remember to share with us your thoughts/questions/concerns regarding this Freedom Box on our enclosed Educator Evaluation. Also, feel free to keep the sheet titled, "Further Educator Resources" for future reference.
To learn more about educational programming at the Freedom Center, please call 513. 333.7500.
Freedom Suitcase: Civil Rights Through Primary Sources and Performance
Generously supported through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural (URR) Program, the Freedom Suitcase contains primary sources, photographs, original theatrical scripts, costumes, books, movies and lesson plans for classroom use.
African Americans have fought for basic human and civil rights in this country since the first slave ships arrived in the American Colonies. In defiance of laws established to define African Americans as property for ownership, many slaves set out to seek their freedom. Estimates suggest that more than 100,000 enslaved people sought freedom through the Underground Railroad, a 19th Century secret network of brave men and women - of many races and religions - who helped freedom seekers find their way north.
While slavery was ultimately abolished, the struggle for true freedom continued. Without equal access to public education and employment opportunities, without even the ability to share a lunch counter or sit where one pleased on a bus, a new movement began, but this one was neither secret nor underground. From 1955–1968, those who were oppressed and those who sought to help them once again worked in the spirit of courage, cooperation and perseverance to outlaw racial discrimination in the United States.
To help you share the stories of these freedom heroes with our students, museum educators at the Freedom Center have designed lesson plans and activities that can be used either as a complete unit plan or as individual activities to enhance your classroom curriculum related to the theme of Civil Rights Over Time. The Performance Task that accompanies the Freedom Suitcase can be implemented in a variety of ways, and includes opportunities for differentiated instruction.
Please remember to share with us your experience in using these materials. To help capture your feedback, inside the Freedom Suitcase you'll find our Educator Evaluation. Also, feel free to keep the sheet titled "Further Educator Resources" for future reference.
To learn more about educational programming at the Freedom Center, please call 513. 333.7500.
Freedom Box Policies and Procedures
- The Freedom Box is loaned on a ONE or TWO WEEK basis by reservation only. Because the box is in its prototype phase, and we have only two, it is important to return the box on time.
- The box is shipped by U.S. Mail - Library Rate. Shipping costs vary according to your location. If you live within easy driving distance, the box can be picked up from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. To arrange pick-up, email or call Kieli Ferguson, kferguson@nurfc.org or 513-333-7570.
- The borrower is responsible for paying the shipping costs to receive the trunk and returning it to the Freedom Center.
Online Reservation Procedure -Credit Card Required
- Go to your local post office and provide them with the address of the Freedom Center (50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202) along with the weight and dimensions (45 lbs, 28" x 20" x 17") of the trunk and ask what the shipping rate is via U.S. Mail - Library Rate.
- Complete the online reservation from, entering in the cost of shipping when requested.
Email/Phone Reservation Procedures
- Email or call Kieli Ferguson at 513-333-7570. We will need your mailing address at time of reservation.
- Go to your local post office and provide them with the address and zip code of the Freedom Center (50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202) along with the weight and dimensions of the trunk.
- Obtain a POSTAL MONEY ORDER ONLY at your local post office for the shipping cost from us to you. Make money order payable to POSTMASTER, Cincinnati, OH.
- Mail the money order to National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 E. Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202. When the Freedom Center receives the money order, the trunk will be shipped to you by U.S. Mail - Library Rate. IF THE FREEDOM CENTER DOES NOT RECEIVE YOUR MONEY ORDER 2 1/2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE DATE YOU HAVE THE TRUNK RESERVED, YOUR RESERVATION WILL BE CANCELLED.
Return Procedure
- Complete the Freedom Box Inventory List to ensure that all resources are included.
- Pull out the label that was addressed to you on the outside of the box and reverse it so that the Freedom Center address is showing.
- Ship by U.S. Mail - Library Rate.
