This episode explores Black freedom of speech through systems of empowerment and intergenerational resilience.

Mini Lesson Plan: Black Patriots in the American Revolution

Thesis: Glenn Beck and David Barton’s episode challenges mainstream history by spotlighting Black patriots whose contributions were erased post-Civil War, urging us to reclaim their legacy for civic unity and historical truth.

Objectives (with Examples + Citations)

• Recognize key Black patriots
  • Peter Salem killed British Major Pitcairn at the Battle of Bunker Hill (Boston, 1775)
  • James Armistead Lafayette served as a double agent at Yorktown (Virginia, 1781)
• Understand historical erasure
  • Southern Democrats removed Black figures from textbooks during Reconstruction (1870s–1890s)
  • William Cooper Nell’s 1855 book, The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution, documented erased stories like Crispus Attucks and Salem Poor
• Connect legacy to civic impact
  • Wentworth Cheswell, elected town constable in Newmarket, NH (1768), was the first Black man to hold public office in the U.S.
  • Prince Whipple, symbolically depicted in Emanuel Leutze’s 1851 painting Washington Crossing the Delaware, though likely not present at the actual crossing

Format (30 min)

1. Intro (5 min) Ask: “Who do you picture when you hear ‘Founding Fathers’?” Introduce Prince Whipple’s image in the Delaware crossing painting
2. Watch or summarize episode clips (10 min) Highlight Cheswell’s ride, Salem’s heroism, and Armistead’s espionage
3. Discussion (10 min) Ask: “Why were these stories erased?” Reference Nell’s book and Barton’s claim about textbook revision
4. Activity (5 min) Choose one:
   • Create a tribute poster for James Armistead Lafayette
   • Draft a podcast segment honoring Wentworth Cheswell

Episode Links

• Part 1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4E9mEbLSOQPart 2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4E9mEbLSOQAdd this to Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drpJlZIdqKU

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