The framework will help teachers construct a coherent narrative about how slavery and white supremacy are inescapably and intricately woven into the American story. By focusing on the key concepts that span our nation’s history, A Framework for Teaching American Slavery demonstrates that slavery should not just appear as a single topic in a unit on the Civil War. Instead, it should permeate our understanding of how the country was formed and how the original sin of American slavery echoes today.