The Underground Railroad

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

• a memoir about Northrop’s time as a slave. Born a free man and kidnapped into the plantations of the South, Solomon’s memoir is a portrait of the dichotomous experiences of free and enslaved Black people in the antebellum period and the institution of slavery.
• ties into themes of American White Supremacy, Slavery as an Economic and Political Institution, and The American Imperative
• Twelve Years a Slave on Super Summary

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass

• an autobiography that traces his journey from escaped slave to famed orator and abolitionist
• ties into themes of American White Supremacy, and The American Imperative
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass on Super Summary

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

• a novel about an enslaved man who flees his plantation and finds himself in the strange, magical, often painful world of the Underground Railroad
• ties into themes of American White Supremacy, Slavery as an Economic and Political Institution, and The American Imperative
• The Water Dancer on Super Summary 

Other Student Resources

I Am Not Your Negro by James Baldwin

• a transcript of the documentary of the same title, this text captures Baldwin’s analysis of the impact of American White Supremacy on Black life throughout American history
• The documentary is also suggested as a pairing with this text and with The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.

New York Times Magazine Interactive History

• an interactive article breaking down the history of slavery in America

Teacher Resources

"Here's What I Tell Teachers About How to Teach Young Students About Slavery" on The Conversation

• a blog post with poignant questions and advice about addressing slavery in the classroom

Colson Whitehead

• official author website with novels, awards, biography, and quotes