The History of African American Business in Philadelphia, 1850 - 1920

The main purpose of this project is to use primary sources from the early twentieth century to connect students with the continuum of successful African-American businesses in the City of Philadelphia. This connection will be made as students map, analyze and manipulate primary historical documents detailing African American businesses from the early twentieth century. I am high school math teacher, not a history teacher or even teacher with an avid interest in history. I am using this unit as an opportunity to connect a historical reality with a current reality so that students have a sense of history and the experience using real world data. This experience will also increase their ability to successfully complete the research portion of their senior multidisciplinary project, a School District of Philadelphia requirement for graduation.