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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Douglass's concern in Chapter 1 symbolic for?

2. What is the "West Indies Experiment?"

3. What body of water does Phillips say Douglass has seen the ships sailing on in the second Preface?

4. Near what river was the main farm Douglass grew up on?

5. What extreme example does Douglass give in Chapter 4 of what slaveholders are able to get away with?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the situation surrounding Demby's death?

2. What was the punishment, if any, for killing a slave at this time in history?

3. In the Preface, how does Garrison describe Douglass?

4. What was Colonel Lloyd's garden like?

5. What is the importance of the songs of the slaves in Chapter 2?

6. Why is Douglass so concerned about his age in Chapter 1?

7. What does Philips say about Douglass and his life of slavery in the second Preface?

8. What is the irony regarding the slaves wanting to work at the main farm?

9. Who was Austin Gore? How is he described?

10. In the Preface, why does Mr. Garrison talk about a story that Daniel O'Connell has previously told?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the influences of Frederick Douglass today. What strides did Douglass make that have changed our world? How did Douglass shape the minds of abolitionists in the 1800s, and how did those impacts carry forward through time? Do you believe Douglass is adequately celebrated for his achievements? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Define what an abolitionist was to Douglass. Discuss the risks abolitionists faced and their possible reasons for doing so. Why did Douglass want to risk his new-found freedom to help with the anti-slavery movement? Why did others who contributed to the book? What is notable about their sacrifices?

Essay Topic 3

Write about the women in Douglass's life, both well known and not so well known. Choose three or more women that Douglass knew and discuss how these women taught Douglass, either through demonstration or first-hand experience. How did each woman stand out from the others? What was the significance of each woman's encounter with Douglass? What are his perceptions of these exchanges?

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