It was the business of slavery that allowed New England to become an economic powerhouse without ever producing a single staple or cash crop.

The irony of American history is that we are one of the few countries in the world that begin with a stated purpose.

We hold these truths that to be self-ident, that we're all created equal.

I begin my American history courses saying there were Africans in Virginia before there

were pilgrims in Massachusetts.

Understanding history and understanding why two black dudes can't sit in Starbucks, but a

white girl can carry an AR-15 on a college campus.

Why is that the way it is?

You don't know who you are as an American unless you know the story of slavery.

We aren't making students. We're making citizens because at the end of the day, that's what our kids

are going to be.

To fully understand the historic times that we are living in,

it is important to comprehend the central role of slavery in our nation's past.

I'm Hassan Kwame-Jephyries, and this is Teaching Hard History,

a podcast from Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

This episode is a special look back

at important ideas from our first season

and how they correspond to the 10 key concepts

in teaching tolerance's framework

for helping educators talk about and teach the history of American slavery.

Chronologically, these concepts began before there was a United States.

The first is that Europeans practiced slavery long before they invaded the Americas and established the 13 colonies.

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