Web site Evaluators
Judy Harrelson - Richmond Senior High, North Carolina
Kathryn Sansbury - Wake Forest-Rolesville High
Lee Weber - Price Laboratory School, Iowa
Hallie Williamson - Acaciawood School, California

Web site Reviewer and Compiler
Barbara Bureker - Evergreen Internet Academy, Washington

Site Ratings

1 = Poor

2 = Fair

3 = Good

4 = Excellent

Listen to a narrative describing tools and materials made on the plantation.   Click to Start. Click Again to Stop. "All our spinning wheels and flax wheels and looms was handmade by a wheelwright who lived over yonder. Leather was tanned and shoes was made on the place. Course, the slaves mostly went barefoot in warm weather, white chillun too. We made our own candles from tallow and beeswax. We wove our own candlewicks too. I never saw a match till I was a grown woman. My name is Betty Coffer."

Listen to a narrative describing slave cabins.   Click to Start. Click Again to Stop. "Dere was no windah in de cabin, jus' a hole wid a swingin' dooah. Co'se, dat lets de flies in durin' de summah, an' de col' in durin' de wintah. Dey could shut de dooah of de windah, but dat shut out de light."

Archeology at the Atkinson Site: Other African-American Sites
http://www.history.org/History/argy/MHPage/OtherSites.htm
Archeology is the focus of this site, which is a part of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Links on this site lead to the detailed descriptions of archeological digs in five Williamsburg area colonial plantations. The articles are thorough and include many images of the digs and artifacts, but “the text uses vocabulary that most students would not know.” Additional links will take visitors to a “diverse collection of ideas, information and activities, both fun and scholarly.” From the main site, primary documents are available, as well as “audio downloads and printable materials,” as well as activities and lesson plans for teachers. This is a “valuable site for a good picture of colonial life based on actual study and research.”
Overall Rating: 4


Hampton National Historic Site: A Brief Look at Slavery at Hampton
http://www.nps.gov/hamp/pamphletpeopleofhampton.htm
This page of an enormous Historical Boys Clothing web site concentrates on slavery, particularly as it involved children. Many topics are discussed, including “white” slaves, racial makeup of slaves, the Civil War and key people, with pictures and links to further information throughout. One link leads to an inflation calculator so that the value of a slave can be computed in today’s market. “The volume of information and primary sources is a strong point to this site.” A weak point is the many errors in spelling and punctuation. This site would be “appropriate for U.S. History classes and related subjects in grades four through 12.”
Overall Rating: 4


Stratford Hall Plantation: Slavery
http://www.stratfordhall.org/africa.html
This page is part of a larger web site devoted to the Stratford Hall Plantation, the home of Robert E. Lee and other important Lees of Virginia. This page describes slavery on a colonial plantation. It is “all text, with no frills” but includes some interesting information and a list of recommended reading material, specifically books of African and African-American folktales. The entire Stratford Hall site is “a good one, with lots of color, activities, a guided tour through the plantation house and a great collection of images on primary documents.” Although the site is “specific to Stratford Hall,” it provides a great “opportunity for teachers to use the site for further study of colonial slave life.”
Overall Rating: 3