This is an education guide to:
American Journeys: Inspired by Lafayette
By DN Bashir
This short video performance, with this teaching guide, helps students see the journey of an early 19th century free Black couple on two levels. The first involves their walking to see the Revolutionary War French hero, Major General Lafayette, during his 1824 visit to Poughkeepsie. The second journey considered is a larger journey to freedom and equality over generations. This is the journey that involved the abolition of slavery through the tireless efforts of national and local leaders, and everyday people like the couple portrayed here. Often iconic national leaders can seem remote. Here we come to understand the very personal and intimate effect such leaders can provide as hope and inspiration.
Part of Dutchess County Historical Society’s larger campaign:
American Journeys Since 1776
Through a series of articles, programs and exhibitions published by the Dutchess County Historical Society, we recognize the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, and the many, varied paths to freedom and equality that are the American Dream.
American Journeys: Educator’s Guide
American Journeys: Inspired by Lafayette, by DN Bashir | 2025
Introduction
Journeys tells the story of Thomas and Jane Williams, a free Black couple in early 19thcentury Dutchess County, New York, as they travel to witness the celebrated Revolutionary War Major General, the Marquis de Lafayette, during his 1824 visit to Poughkeepsie. Lafayette was on a national tour. Their story illuminates the promise of liberty from the American Revolution while confronting the stark realities of freedom in a nation still grappling with slavery. This guide supports educators in exploring themes of courage, hope, and resilience through historical inquiry, primary sources, and creative activities. It is designed for Grades 4, 7, and 11, connecting directly to New York State Social Studies standards. “The journey toward freedom is never easy, but hope lights the path.”
Historical Context
The Idea of Sanctuary in the North. Although slavery was gradually abolished in New York, free Black residents still faced significant danger. Thomas and Jane’s journey demonstrates the risk of kidnapping and illegal sale into slavery, even in communities that were technically “free.”
Code-Switching: Survival and Strategy. Both the script and history show how free Black people adapted their behavior to navigate daily life safely—adjusting language, demeanor, and interactions to protect themselves. This is a form of resilience still relevant for students today.
Lafayette and the Promise of Liberty. The Marquis de Lafayette symbolized hope and the ideals of the American Revolution. His efforts as an abolitionist and advocate for equality for all peoples serve as inspiration for Thomas and Jane, and for students studying the tension between freedom and oppression.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Analyze the contradictions between freedom and slavery in early America.
- Recognize the risks faced by free Black citizens in the North before 1827.
- Identify moments of hope, courage, and anxiety in Thomas and Jane’s story.
- Connect historical events to contemporary concepts of justice and equality.
- Conduct research and express understanding through creative and analytical projects.
Lesson Plan: One-Day Program (60–75 minutes)
Segment Time Activity Resources
Opening Discussion 10 min
Film Viewing / Script Reading 15–20 min
Guided Analysis 20 min
“What does freedom mean to you?” Introduce context of Journeys.
Watch film or read selected scenes aloud.
Identify moments of fear, hope, and codeswitching. Discuss symbolism of Lafayette.
Whiteboard, discussion prompts
Film link / printed script
Handout / discussion questions
Primary Source Exploration 10 min
Reflection / Exit Ticket 5 min
Optional Extensions:
Examine census data, newspaper accounts, and manumission records.
“What does hope look like in times of injustice?”
Census tables / archival sources
Paper / digital padlet
Creative Writing: Compose a letter from Jane to Lafayette. Mapping: Trace Thomas and Jane’s journey to Poughkeepsie. Comparative Analysis: Compare the Underground Railroad with the Reverse Underground Railroad.
Standards Alignment (NYS Social Studies Framework)
Grade 4 – In Search of Freedom and a Call for Change
4.5: Different groups did not have equal rights. People worked to bring about change.
4.5a: Examine life as a slave in NY; study abolitionists like Frederick Douglass, Samuel Cornish, Harriet Tubman.
Grade 7 – Reform Movement
7.7b: Examine how enslaved African Americans resisted slavery and abolitionist efforts in NY. Study figures like Garrison, Douglass, and Tubman.
Grade 11 – Expansion, Nationalism, and Sectionalism (1800–1865)
11.3a: Explore economic growth, transportation, labor, and social change. –
11.3b: Investigate sectional tensions, abolitionist movements, Nat Turner, Sojourner Truth, and the impact of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Discussion Questions - Questions can easily be amended to fit grades other than those listed.
Grade 4
1. Lafayette quotes the Declaration of Independence, saying “All Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness…” Does everyone have the same rights? (p.9)
2. Jane worries about Archer Jones. What fear is Jane expressing here? (p.3)
3. The title of the play is “Journeys”. What journey(s) is the title referring to? Is there an event in your life that has set you on a journey?
Grade 7
1. Why do you think it’s important that Jane and Tom are carrying their manumission papers?
2. Thomas and Jane hide their grief: “No more smiling and laughing / While chokin’ down grief and rage.” How were their lives different from white citizens? Can you relate to “grin and bear it”? (p.6)
3. The Narrator describes Lafayette’s 1824 visit as the “first-ever rock-star tour of all the United States”. Why do you think that Americans might react this way? (p.6)
4: What do Tom and Jane think about Lafayette? Point to evidence in the text that makes you think this way.
Grade 11
1. Lafayette: “I knew that the fight for freedom was not merely a struggle against a foreign oppressor but also against the injustices we impose upon ourselves. I am in such admiration of the order and civility of your country. A bit of envy courses through me. Even with my envy there is concern. There is still a contradiction that leaves me agitated.” Describe the contradiction that Lafayette is referring to here.
2. Our narrator states, “At the end of America’s deadliest war - the premise that all are created equal became a legal promise that all must be treated equal through three US Constitutional Amendments: the 13th, 14th, 15th.” In what ways has the United States lived up to that promise? Are there any ways it has not? (p.14)
Projects & Research Ideas
Census & Data Project: Track NY enslaved populations; analyze change over time.
Historical Fiction / Narrative: Research kidnapping of free Black residents; write a short story or diary entry.
Mapping & Comparison: Map Underground Railroad routes and Reverse Underground Railroad operations.
Timeline: Create a timeline of slavery and emancipation in NY (1625–1827).
Vocabulary Project: Explore both literary and content-specific vocabulary (see Appendix).
Primary Sources & Readings –
NYS Slavery Commons: https://nyslavery.commons.gc.cuny.edu/dating-the-start-andend-of-slavery-in-new-york/
Blog: Kidnapping of Free People of Color: https://education.blogs.archives.gov/ 2013/11/12/kidnapping-of-free-people-of-color/
James by Percival Everett (extension reading)
Timeline of Key Events
1625/26 Dutch West India Company introduces slavery to the territory
1799 Gradual Emancipation Law enacted in NY
1817 Law enacted to emancipate enslaved people born prior to 1799
July 4, 1827 Slavery officially abolished in New York
By the Numbers
Number of Enslaving Families in NYS (1790)
NYS Enslaved Population
Enslaving Families
Key Vocabulary
Monarchy
Manumission
Abolitionist
Feudal System
Emancipate
Unalienable Rights
Consent of the Governed
Amendment
Contextualizing Historical Figures
Marquis de Lafayette
Lafayette Williams
Winfield Williams
King Louis XVI
George Washington
Ben Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
John Adams
Historical Sources:
US Federal census records allow us to establish the names, ages, race, relationships, hometown and general occupation of Thomas, Jane, Lafayette and Winfield Williams.
US military service records inform us of Lafayette and Winfield Williams military service and causes of death.
All are available online, but behind a paywall.
