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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. How many slaves were hung along with Denmark Vesey for plotting the insurrection, according to the author in Chapter 2: “The First Years”?

2. 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”?

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

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

5. What did the overseer throw at the runaway slave but instead hit Harriet with it in Chapter 7: “Shuck this Corn”?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Harriet become injured in Chapter 7: “Shuck this Corn”? How badly was she injured?

2. Where did Harriet go when she ran away in Chapter 5: “Flight”? How long was she gone and why did she return?

3. What important skills did Old Ben teach Harriet in Chapter 8: “Minta Becomes Harriet”?

4. How did Harriet respond to the death of Edward Brodas in Chapter 8: “Minta Becomes Harriet”? Why did she respond in this way?

5. Why was Harriet sewing a patchwork quilt in Chapter 9: “The Patchwork Quilt”? What year did she begin her quilt?

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

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

8. What ailment did Harriet contract while she was hired out to the Cooks? How did Old Rit respond to Harriet’s condition when she returned to the plantation?

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

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

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

Discuss Harriet’s impressions of the runaway slave in Part 7: “Shuck this Corn.” What made this man stand out to Harriet prior to his actual escape? How did the event shape Harriet’s thoughts on the possibility of fleeing slavery?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Harriet’s “sleeping seizures” and their impact on her actions and objectives following her recovery. How did her condition affect her ability to work on the plantation? How did the overseers treat Harriet? How did these seizures impact the other slaves?

(see the answer keys)

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