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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. Who told Harriet that Edward Brodas had died in Chapter 7: “Shuck this Corn”?

2. What year was it that Harriet started wearing a bandana, according to the author in Chapter 6: “The Underground Road”?

3. What were the names of the two men who helped Denmark Vesey in the resurrection by building homemade pikes?

4. How much did Dr. Thompson say cotton brought per pound in 1837?

5. What is described in Chapter 3: “Six Years Old” as “the star that stayed constant, not rising in the east and setting in the west as other stars appeared to do”?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were the lasting effects of Harriet’s injury in Chapter 7: “Shuck this Corn”?

2. What concerns led Harriet to plan an escape in Chapter 10: “A Glory Over Everything”? Who did she bring with her and why?

3. Where did Harriet Tubman work in Pennsylvania after her escape from slavery in Chapter 11: “Stranger in a Strange Land”? Who did she meet there?

4. What does “manumission” refer to? How did manumission give hope to the slaves on the plantations during Harriet’s childhood?

5. What did Harriet discover when she paid a lawyer to look into the details of Old Rit’s former masters in Chapter 9: “The Patchwork Quilt”?

6. What events does the author describe in the historical notes at the end of Chapter 1: “The Quarter”?

7. How does the author describe the Christmas season in Chapter 3: “Six Years Old”? What were Harriet’s thoughts on this holiday?

8. What does the author’s historical note at the end of Chapter 9: “The Patchwork Quilt” describe?

9. By what name was Harriet Tubman called as a child? Who cared for Harriet in her first years, as described by the author in Chapter 2: “The First Years”?

10. What stories of runaway slaves did Harriet hear while working at the plantation in Chapter 6: “The Underground Road”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the history of slavery in the United States. When did the slave trade begin in the Americas? Where were slaves brought from in Africa? When did the concept of abolition arise and who were the main forefathers of this cause? What states had abolished slavery by the time Harriet Ross was born in 1820? Which states had not?

Essay Topic 2

Narrative Structure

a. Discuss the narrative structure of Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad. Is the narrative told in first, second, or third person? In present or past tense? Why do you think the author chose this narrative style?

b. How authentic do you think Petry’s biography is to the truth of Harriet Tubman’s actions, objectives, and character? Upon what information and facts did Ann Petry base her story? How much conjecture do you think is included in the book?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the system of slavery in Maryland in 1820. What was “manumission” and why did this concept give hope to the slaves on the Brodas plantation? How did manumission apply to Harriet Ross’s parents, Old Rit and Ben? How did it apply to John Tubman?

(see the answer keys)

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