Question 1

Why is 1831 considered a turning point for slavery in the American South?

Accepted Answer

A)  The slave population outnumbered the white population for the first time. 
B)  Virginia became the first southern state to abolish slavery. 
C)  The U.S. Supreme Court decided in favor of the slaves aboard the Amistad. 
D)  William Lloyd Garrison's abolitionist journal, The Liberator, ceased publication. 
E)  The proslavery argument became more strident as forces seemed to be aligning against slavery. 
A)  The slave population outnumbered the white population for the first time. 
B)  Virginia became the first southern state to abolish slavery. 
C)  The U.S. Supreme Court decided in favor of the slaves aboard the Amistad. 
D)  William Lloyd Garrison's abolitionist journal, The Liberator, ceased publication. 
E)  The proslavery argument became more strident as forces seemed to be aligning against slavery.

Question 2

Why was slavery called a "peculiar institution" of the South?

Accepted Answer

A)  It was unlike anything else in the world's history 
B)  It had been opposed by a majority of the nation's presidents 
C)  Despite the rhetoric, it was an economic drain on southern society 
D)  It affected only a small portion of the southern population 
E)  It set the South apart from the North 
A)  It was unlike anything else in the world's history 
B)  It had been opposed by a majority of the nation's presidents 
C)  Despite the rhetoric, it was an economic drain on southern society 
D)  It affected only a small portion of the southern population 
E)  It set the South apart from the North

Question 3

On what grounds did the Supreme Court decide in favor of the slaves on the Amistad?

Accepted Answer

A)  They had reached British soil and were therefore emancipated. 
B)  They were free according to the provisions of New York State law. 
C)  They had been brought from Africa in violation of the international ban on the slave trade. 
D)  As they had not yet been purchased by any white owner, they were still free men. 
E)  They shared the same constitutional rights as any American. 
A)  They had reached British soil and were therefore emancipated. 
B)  They were free according to the provisions of New York State law. 
C)  They had been brought from Africa in violation of the international ban on the slave trade. 
D)  As they had not yet been purchased by any white owner, they were still free men. 
E)  They shared the same constitutional rights as any American.

Question 4

The slave rebellion aboard the Amistad

Accepted Answer

A)  nearly captured a fort in Charleston, South Carolina. 
B)  led to a Supreme Court decision freeing the slaves. 
C)  inspired the gag rule. 
D)  took place off the coast of Virginia. 
E)  helped establish the Republic of Haiti. 
A)  nearly captured a fort in Charleston, South Carolina. 
B)  led to a Supreme Court decision freeing the slaves. 
C)  inspired the gag rule. 
D)  took place off the coast of Virginia. 
E)  helped establish the Republic of Haiti.

Question 5

Slave families

Accepted Answer

A)  were rare because there were too few female slaves. 
B)  were more common in the West Indies, where living conditions favored their formation and survival. 
C)  were headed by women more frequently than were white families. 
D)  usually were able to stay together because most slaveowners were paternalistic. 
E)  avoided naming children for family members because children so often were sold, and it was better not to build strong kinship ties. 
A)  were rare because there were too few female slaves. 
B)  were more common in the West Indies, where living conditions favored their formation and survival. 
C)  were headed by women more frequently than were white families. 
D)  usually were able to stay together because most slaveowners were paternalistic. 
E)  avoided naming children for family members because children so often were sold, and it was better not to build strong kinship ties.

Question 6

Identify and give the historical significance of each of the following terms, events, and people in a paragraph or two.
-plain folk

Accepted Answer

The term "plain folk" refers to a politi

Question 7

Who did the Virginian writer George Fitzhugh describe as the "happiest" and "the freest people in the world"?

Accepted Answer

A)  southern planters 
B)  plantation mistresses 
C)  slaves in the American South 
D)  free blacks 
E)  southern yeoman farmers 
A)  southern planters 
B)  plantation mistresses 
C)  slaves in the American South 
D)  free blacks 
E)  southern yeoman farmers

Question 8

For the most part, white southerners defended the "peculiar institution" whether or not they had slaves, whether they were rich or poor, and whether they lived on large plantations or small farms. Why was this the case?

Accepted Answer

The defense of slavery by white southern

Question 9

A slave from which state had the best chance of escaping to freedom permanently?

Accepted Answer

A)  Alabama 
B)  Maryland 
C)  South Carolina 
D)  Florida 
E)  Mississippi 
A)  Alabama 
B)  Maryland 
C)  South Carolina 
D)  Florida 
E)  Mississippi

Question 10

Which of the following statements about slavery and the law is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Because slaves were property, a master could kill any of his slaves for any reason. 
B)  Slaves were legally permitted to possess guns if guns were necessary for their work (tasks such as scaring birds away from rice fields, for example). 
C)  Laws specifically provided for a slave to be taught to read and write if the master so chose. 
D)  A slave could, with permission from his or her master, testify against a white person in court. 
E)  Slaves accused of serious crimes were entitled to their day in court, although they faced all-white judges and juries. 
A)  Because slaves were property, a master could kill any of his slaves for any reason. 
B)  Slaves were legally permitted to possess guns if guns were necessary for their work (tasks such as scaring birds away from rice fields, for example). 
C)  Laws specifically provided for a slave to be taught to read and write if the master so chose. 
D)  A slave could, with permission from his or her master, testify against a white person in court. 
E)  Slaves accused of serious crimes were entitled to their day in court, although they faced all-white judges and juries.

Question 11

In the South, the paternalist ethos

Accepted Answer

A)  reflected the hierarchical society in which the planter took responsibility for the lives of those around him. 
B)  declined after the War of 1812 as southern society became more centered on market relations rather than on personal relations. 
C)  suffered because southern slaveholders lived among their slaves, so that the groups' constant exposure to each other made southern slavery more openly violent than elsewhere. 
D)  brought southern society closer to northern ideals. 
E)  encouraged southern women to become more active and better educated so that they could help their husbands in their paternal roles. 
A)  reflected the hierarchical society in which the planter took responsibility for the lives of those around him. 
B)  declined after the War of 1812 as southern society became more centered on market relations rather than on personal relations. 
C)  suffered because southern slaveholders lived among their slaves, so that the groups' constant exposure to each other made southern slavery more openly violent than elsewhere. 
D)  brought southern society closer to northern ideals. 
E)  encouraged southern women to become more active and better educated so that they could help their husbands in their paternal roles.

Question 12

Which belief would be typical of a paternalistic slave owner in the nineteenth century?

Accepted Answer

A)  Slaves should be formally married in a church. 
B)  Slaves would be lost without the care and guidance of their owners. 
C)  Slave women should be excused from work while they were pregnant or had small children. 
D)  Slaves should be taught to read the Bible. 
E)  Slave children should attend planation schools until the age of ten. 
A)  Slaves should be formally married in a church. 
B)  Slaves would be lost without the care and guidance of their owners. 
C)  Slave women should be excused from work while they were pregnant or had small children. 
D)  Slaves should be taught to read the Bible. 
E)  Slave children should attend planation schools until the age of ten.

Question 13

What was the biggest fear of a slave of any age?

Accepted Answer

A)  being whipped 
B)  not being taught to read 
C)  not being fed 
D)  having to work in a cotton field 
E)  a family member being sold 
A)  being whipped 
B)  not being taught to read 
C)  not being fed 
D)  having to work in a cotton field 
E)  a family member being sold

Question 14

How did slave holders use the Bible to justify slavery?

Accepted Answer

A)  The responsibility of a slave to obey his or her master is implied by the commandment to "Obey your mother and father." 
B)  Slavery is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, and expressly condemned in neither location. 
C)  According to a "lost book" of the New Testament, Jesus himself owned slaves. 
D)  Slave-owning tribes mentioned in the Bible, such as that of Abraham, were far more holy than those that did not own slaves. 
E)  It was not man's place to free someone that God had willed should be born into slavery. 
A)  The responsibility of a slave to obey his or her master is implied by the commandment to "Obey your mother and father." 
B)  Slavery is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, and expressly condemned in neither location. 
C)  According to a "lost book" of the New Testament, Jesus himself owned slaves. 
D)  Slave-owning tribes mentioned in the Bible, such as that of Abraham, were far more holy than those that did not own slaves. 
E)  It was not man's place to free someone that God had willed should be born into slavery.

Question 15

Which statement is true about slave trading within the United States between 1820 and 1860?

Accepted Answer

A)  More than 2 million enslaved people were sold during this time. 
B)  The states of the Upper South were known as "importing" states, because of the vast number of slaves they purchased from the Lower South. 
C)  Slave trading was illegal and took place in secret. 
D)  Cotton Kingdom states refused to take part in slave trading. 
E)  Southern states and municipalities did not tax the sale of slaves, because slave trades were performed off the books. 
A)  More than 2 million enslaved people were sold during this time. 
B)  The states of the Upper South were known as "importing" states, because of the vast number of slaves they purchased from the Lower South. 
C)  Slave trading was illegal and took place in secret. 
D)  Cotton Kingdom states refused to take part in slave trading. 
E)  Southern states and municipalities did not tax the sale of slaves, because slave trades were performed off the books.

Question 16

Which is true of the Underground Railroad?

Accepted Answer

A)  It was created by Harriet Tubman following her escape from slavery. 
B)  Three of its "conductors" were jailed for treason and held until the beginning of the Civil War. 
C)  It began in New Orleans and reached south to Mexico City. 
D)  It focused on helping escaped slaves reach either free states or Canada. 
E)  By the time of the Civil War, it is believed to have helped 100,000 slaves to reach freedom. 
A)  It was created by Harriet Tubman following her escape from slavery. 
B)  Three of its "conductors" were jailed for treason and held until the beginning of the Civil War. 
C)  It began in New Orleans and reached south to Mexico City. 
D)  It focused on helping escaped slaves reach either free states or Canada. 
E)  By the time of the Civil War, it is believed to have helped 100,000 slaves to reach freedom.

Question 17

In 1860, what percentage of southern white families were in the slave-owning class?

Accepted Answer

A)  10 percent 
B)  25 percent 
C)  40 percent 
D)  55 percent 
E)  75 percent 
A)  10 percent 
B)  25 percent 
C)  40 percent 
D)  55 percent 
E)  75 percent

Question 18

Identify and give the historical significance of each of the following terms, events, and people in a paragraph or two.
-the slave family

Accepted Answer

The slave family refers to the family st

Question 19

The Brer Rabbit stories of slave folklore

Accepted Answer

A)  celebrated how the weak could outsmart the more powerful. 
B)  borrowed heavily from English folktales but added some African elements. 
C)  formed the basis of Uncle Tom's Cabin. 
D)  introduced the character Paul Bunyan to American culture. 
E)  were largely unknown until the making of a series of animated films in the twentieth century. 
A)  celebrated how the weak could outsmart the more powerful. 
B)  borrowed heavily from English folktales but added some African elements. 
C)  formed the basis of Uncle Tom's Cabin. 
D)  introduced the character Paul Bunyan to American culture. 
E)  were largely unknown until the making of a series of animated films in the twentieth century.

Question 20

Which statement is true about the attitudes of most poor southern white farmers toward the southern elite planter class?

Accepted Answer

A)  Most poor southern whites identified with planters based on their shared whiteness and rights to political participation. 
B)  Most poor southern whites resented planters because the planters alone could vote. 
C)  Most poor southern whites identified with the planter class because most southern whites owned slaves. 
D)  Most poor southern whites agreed with northern criticisms of slavery. 
E)  Most poor southern whites agreed with Andrew Johnson's criticism of the planter "slavocracy." 
A)  Most poor southern whites identified with planters based on their shared whiteness and rights to political participation. 
B)  Most poor southern whites resented planters because the planters alone could vote. 
C)  Most poor southern whites identified with the planter class because most southern whites owned slaves. 
D)  Most poor southern whites agreed with northern criticisms of slavery. 
E)  Most poor southern whites agreed with Andrew Johnson's criticism of the planter "slavocracy."

Exam 11: The Peculiar Institution

Why is 1831 considered a turning point for slavery in the American South?

Why was slavery called a "peculiar institution" of the South?

On what grounds did the Supreme Court decide in favor of the slaves on the Amistad?

The slave rebellion aboard the Amistad

Slave families

Identify and give the historical significance of each of the following terms, events, and people in a paragraph or two. -plain folk

Who did the Virginian writer George Fitzhugh describe as the "happiest" and "the freest people in the world"?

For the most part, white southerners defended the "peculiar institution" whether or not they had slaves, whether they were rich or poor, and whether they lived on large plantations or small farms. Why was this the case?

A slave from which state had the best chance of escaping to freedom permanently?

Which of the following statements about slavery and the law is true?

In the South, the paternalist ethos

Which belief would be typical of a paternalistic slave owner in the nineteenth century?

What was the biggest fear of a slave of any age?

How did slave holders use the Bible to justify slavery?

Which statement is true about slave trading within the United States between 1820 and 1860?

Which is true of the Underground Railroad?

In 1860, what percentage of southern white families were in the slave-owning class?

Identify and give the historical significance of each of the following terms, events, and people in a paragraph or two. -the slave family

The Brer Rabbit stories of slave folklore

Which statement is true about the attitudes of most poor southern white farmers toward the southern elite planter class?

A New World

Beginnings of English America, 1607-1660

Creating Anglo-America, 1660-1750

Slavery, Freedom, and the Struggle for Empire to 1763

The American Revolution, 1763-1783

The Revolution Within

Founding a Nation, 1783-1791

Securing the Republic, 1790-1815

The Market Revolution, 1800-1840

Democracy in America, 1815-1840

An Age of Reform, 1820-1840

A House Divided, 1840-1861

A New Birth of Freedom: the Civil War, 1861-1865

What Is Freedom: Reconstruction, 1865-1877

Americas Gilded Age, 1870-1890

Freedoms Boundaries, at Home and Abroad, 1890-1900

The Progressive Era, 1900-1916

Safe for Democracy: the United States and World War I, 1916-1920

From Business Culture to Great Depression: The Twenties, 1920-1932

The New Deal, 1932-1940

Fighting for the Four Freedoms: World War II, 1941-1945

The United States and the Cold War, 1945-1953

An Affluent Society, 1953-1960

The Sixties, 1960-1968

The Conservative Turn, 1969-1988

From Triumph to Tragedy, 1989-2004

A Divided Nation

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