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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why did Lawson take off in such high speed to find William Ford upon Chapin's request?
(a) He really wanted to get Solomon some help.
(b) He wanted to show just how fast he could make his mule run.
(c) He wanted to impress Mr. Chapin.
(d) He wanted to beat the last speed record he set while running his mule into town.

2. What did Solomon find to be unusual during his stay at the hospital for the treatment of small pox?
(a) That there were no doctors in the building.
(b) That coffins were being built behind the hospital.
(c) That the same nurse tended to him during his entire stay.
(d) That he was never given any medicine.

3. What type of impression did Eliza give Solomon when she arrived in Williams' Slave Pen?
(a) The impression that she was familiar with Williams' Slave Pen.
(b) The impression that she had lived above the level of a slave.
(c) The impression that she had been a slave all of her life.
(d) The impression that she fetl out of place.

4. What circumstances allowed Solomon Northrup to be born a free man?
(a) Solomon had been born in Canada, and his family had migrated to the United States.
(b) Solomon's father was a free man.
(c) Solomon was born after the United States Civil War.
(d) Solomon's mother was a free woman.

5. If William Ford was a wealthy plantation owner, how did he manage to get into financial trouble?
(a) The debt was not his--it was actually his sister's.
(b) The debt was not his--it was actually his brother's.
(c) The bank that he used has closed.
(d) Mrs. Ford liked living extravagantly.

6. How did Radburn treat Solomon following the beating by Burch?
(a) With understanding.
(b) With mixed feelings.
(c) With cruelty.
(d) With a bad attitude.

7. Why did William Ford feel obligated to settle his brother's debt?
(a) Because his brother could not take care of his debts.
(b) Because he had previously involved himself in it.
(c) Because his brother had approached him for help.
(d) Because he had promised his father that he would always take care of his brother.

8. From what Solomon could tell, what was the exterior design of Williams' Slave Pen in Washington City supposed to accomplish?
(a) Impress the neighbors.
(b) Attract attention.
(c) Provide shelter from rain.
(d) Conceal the slaves.

9. In general, how did Mrs. Berry and her daughter feel about Eliza?
(a) Mrs. Berry and her daughter did not like Eliza.
(b) Mrs. Berry and her daughter felt sorry for Eliza.
(c) Mrs. Berry and her daughter were very fond of Eliza.
(d) Mrs. Berry and her daughter had a lot of respect Eliza.

10. What did the fact that William Ford was willing to buy Eliza's child, Emily, from slave dealer Theophilus Freeman say about Ford?
(a) That he believed in keeping slave family members together.
(b) That he had another child slave at his plantation who could play with Emily.
(c) That he could get a good price for Emily.
(d) That he knew that he could keep her around for many years to come.

11. Why did Solomon trust Merrill Brown and Abram Hamilton when he first met them?
(a) They recognized his violin-playing potential.
(b) They were violin music composers.
(c) They offered him an opportunity to earn high wages.
(d) They gave him the impression that they had his best interest in mind.

12. What did Freeman's customers tend to keep in mind as they shopped around his pen?
(a) That regardless of the animal that they chose, they would get a good price from Freeman.
(b) That they were there to buy a clean and hardworking animal in tip-top condition.
(c) That Freeman was known to charge more than what his animals were really worth.
(d) That although Freeman had the highest prices in town, he did offer the best animals on the market.

13. How did Burch react when Solomon first met him and told him that he was feeling sick?
(a) He was sympathetic and offered Solomon his help.
(b) He suggested that Solomon stay in bed until he felt better.
(c) He did not react. He continued to go about his business.
(d) He sent for a doctor immediately.

14. Which of the entertainment-type acts that Merrill Brown and Abram Hamilton specialized in could account for their ability to persuade Solomon to travel with them based on a promise of high wages that unexpectedly took a turn and thrust him into the clutches of slavery instead?
(a) Ventriloquism.
(b) Legerdemain.
(c) Frying pancakes in a hat.
(d) Causing invisible pigs to squeal.

15. If Solomon should have been paying attention to anything that was happening while he traveled with Brown and Hamilton that may have been a clear indicator that things may not really be the way that they appeared to be, what should it have been?
(a) That there was a lot of whispering going on between Brown and Hamilton.
(b) That they were not getting to the circus despite the duo's claim that they should get there quickly.
(c) That the men did not seem to mind spending extra time in Washington City despite their rush to get to the circus.
(d) That the duo gave Solomon a series of drinks that he did not expect.

Short Answer Questions

1. Based on the description that Solomon wrote, what did his room at Williams' Pen Slave Pen resemble?

2. How did Ford's other slaves--Sally, Rose, Walton, and John come across to Solomon when he met them?

3. How can the manner in which Solomon, Eliza, and the other slaves were led from Williams' Slave Pen and onto the Orleans best be described?

4. How did Arthur's life change when the Orleans reached the dock in New Orleans?

5. Who suffered the worst loss of all during the slave sale at Freeman's?

(see the answer keys)

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