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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 said the following: "We never heard our names scarcely at all. First young man I went with wanted to know my initials! What did I know 'bout initials?"

2. The slave trading was much like today's ____________________.

3. Slaves knew they were enslaved because of what two reasons?

4. What was it about the African civilizations that made it easier for colonists to use the Africans more easily?

5. This former President furnished his slave homes in the more typical fashion:

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the brief story of the slave named Jake from Chapter 5 and what is its significance?

2. What was the overall reaction from the slave community once they were freed?

3. Why do you think Tom Robinson from Chapter 6 could not believe he was emancipated?

4. What did Ol' Gabe used to do?

5. What was the overall reaction from the slave owner community once slaves were freed?

6. What was Julius Lester's purpose for writing "To Be a Slave" and did he accomplish it?

7. Discuss the ideas of freedom and death to the slaves.

8. From Chapter 4, discuss how slave owners brainwashed slaves.

9. What does Chapter 5 say about slave insurrections?

10. According to Rhody Holsell in the Epilogue, what were Lincoln's plans for the blacks if he had lived and does Holsell agree with the idea?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The concept of family is something that is very important to most people. How did family play a role in the lives of slaves? Were they allowed to have one? Oftentimes slave owners separated families by selling them. Discuss the emotions felt by the slaves during these moments and how the slave owners and traders treated the slaves when separating them from their family members. How would the slave traders and owners feel if it were their children that were the ones being sold away? Many times the slave owners fathered children by their slave women. How did they treat their half-black children? Did they treat them as their son or daughter or as a slave? How did this treatment affect the children? Discuss the story of Powhatan Mitchell and what it signifies. How was Mitchell unique?

Essay Topic 2

Fear is universal. It was a feeling that ruled the slaves and the slave owners used to rule. What is fear? How was fear instilled within the slaves and why did it rule them? What did this fear prevent them from doing and how did it keep them this way? Slave owners themselves also held fears. What were they and how did they attempt to hide it from their slaves? Discuss also how fear and power go hand in hand.

Essay Topic 3

The process of slave trading was complicated and extremely cruel. Discuss the process of slave trading and what it entailed. How were the slave treated and why were they treated as such? Who was involved? How did the slave traders treat men? How did they treat women and children? What tricks did slave traders use and what forms of cruelty? Be sure to discuss not only how slaves were captured for trade in Africa but also the auction block and results of slave trading on the slave families and their emotions.

(see the answer keys)

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