Deck 5: African Americans in the New Nation

Question 1

What was the significance of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 for African Americans?

A) It had almost no effect because huge numbers of slaves continued to live under slavery until the Civil War.
B) The ordinance set a legal and geographical precedent for limiting where slavery could and could not exist.
C) It demonstrated that the Articles of Confederation government had significant amounts of power in many areas.
D) It banned the slave trade, but not slavery, from the territory.

Answer 1

The ordinance set a legal and geographical precedent for limiting where slavery could and could not exist.

Question 2

Which of the following factors helped to continue the institution of slavery in the U.S?

A) the Constitution
B) the development of wheat as a cash crop
C) sexism
D) continuing excitement over the Revolution

Answer 2

the Constitution

Question 3

Why might a master free a slave?

A) The slave had plotted to kill the master.
B) Manumission was the only way to keep slaves from escaping.
C) The slave was an excellent cook and butler.
D) Most masters after the revolution tended to believe in the equality of all humans.

Answer 3

Most masters after the revolution tended to believe in the equality of all humans.

Question 4

From 1794 to 1832,how did antislavery societies function?

A) They were dominated by slaveholders.
B) They included the active participation of some African Americans.
C) They were more prevalent in the northern states.
D) They tended to focus on immediate emancipation plans.

Question 5

What compromise did the convention delegates create regarding the Atlantic slave trade in the Constitution?

A) The Atlantic slave trade was immediately abolished.
B) The Atlantic slave trade was gradually abolished over the next 20 years.
C) No compromise was made over the Atlantic slave trade.
D) The Constitution limited the Atlantic slave trade to a few ships per year.

Question 6

Examine the engraving of John Hancock participating in a black celebration.How would southern whites have reacted to a scene of whites and blacks dancing together?

A) They would have shown strong approval of whites and blacks comingling in public.
B) They would have ignored the issue because it had no bearing on slavery.
C) They would have been disgusted and alarmed at such a display of social equality.
D) They would have been angry to the point of starting a sectional war.

Question 7

What is one difference between earlier abolition attempts and the initiatives in Connecticut and Rhode Island?

A) Rhode Island and Connecticut abolished slavery immediately, rather than gradually.
B) Blacks took enormous risks to their lives by directly protesting slavery and calling for its end through newspapers and pamphlets.
C) State legislatures, rather than individual blacks, took the lead in abolishing slavery.
D) Connecticut and Rhode Island were very similar to all other New England states in their attempts to abolish slavery.

Question 8

What was the result of the Three-Fifths Clause in the Constitution?

A) It allowed three-fifths of free blacks to vote in urban areas.
B) It pushed for three-fifths of all American taxes to come from foreign sources.
C) It gave the South increased political power in the House of Representatives.
D) Three-fifths of the slaves in the North were freed by 1787.

Question 9

Which two states abolished slavery immediately during the 1770s and the 1780s?

A) Vermont and Connecticut
B) New York and New Jersey
C) Pennsylvania and Rhode Island
D) Vermont and Massachusetts

Question 10

Which population grew most rapidly in the New Orleans area after the Louisiana Purchase?

A) Free African Americans
B) slaves who came directly from Africa
C) Creoles
D) slaves imported from Brazil

Question 11

Examine the 1811 painting Pepper-Pot,A Scene in the Philadelphia Market.How does the painting illustrate that some blacks lived free lives during the era?

A) A group of whites stand near a black woman inside a building.
B) A dog sits on the floor at the feet of the black woman.
C) The black woman sells soup to white customers.
D) Two white women with a basket stand near the black woman.

Question 12

Examine Map 5-1.What relationship does it indicate between geographical factors and the continuation of slavery?

A) The presence of rivers led to the continuation of slavery.
B) The presence of mountains led to the continuation of slavery.
C) The presence of large amounts of land led to the continuation of slavery.
D) The presence of large stands of timber led to the continuation of slavery.

Question 13

Why did many antislavery societies focus on gradual emancipation rather than immediate emancipation?

A) Northern states had successfully passed plans for gradual emancipation.
B) Many thought that under immediate emancipation, whites would lose their place at the top of the racial hierarchy.
C) Some antislavery groups thought that immediate emancipation would ignore older slaves.
D) Antislavery societies actually focused on immediate emancipation from the very beginning.

Question 14

What right did Massachusetts,unique among the colonies,grant its black residents in 1783?

A) the right for free blacks to own property and be legally married
B) the right for black men, who paid taxes, to vote
C) the right for both black men and women to vote
D) the right to freedom of speech, even for slaves

Question 15

How did the slave trade change in the early 1800s?

A) The sale of children under the age of 15 was prohibited by many states.
B) The slave trade expanded dramatically to the West.
C) The slave trade increased between the U.S.and Canada.
D) All trading of slaves was completely abolished in 1808.

Question 16

Why was the collapse of slavery different in New England versus the Middle States?

A) African Americans in New England were under much tighter control and could not exercise any rights.
B) More white people owned slaves in New England because of all the industry there.
C) Religious and political beliefs influenced whites into accepting the demise of slavery in New England more quickly.
D) The Middle States had less of an economic interest in slavery than New England did.

Question 17

What was one change across a few southern states that did affect slaves' chances for freedom?

A) Whipping was outlawed after 1850.
B) Manumission laws were made more permissive.
C) Slaves were allowed education in basic literacy.
D) Slaves were allowed to move off their plantations if they wanted.

Question 18

How did Massachusetts abolish slavery?

A) Two slaves sued for freedom under a new state constitution.
B) The state added a new clause to its constitution, immediately abolishing slavery.
C) Slaves in Massachusetts began rioting in the streets, demanding changes.
D) Massachusetts never had slavery in the first place.

Question 19

What did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 do?

A) banned all slavery in territory west of the Appalachians after 1800
B) provided rules and regulations for the sale of land
C) supported private education
D) provided ways for the area to be absorbed by Great Britain

Question 20

What do the legal cases over slavery and black rights in Massachusetts in the 1780s tell you about that colony and its black residents?

A) Black residents rarely won legal cases, as racism was well entrenched in the law.
B) Black residents rarely attempted change, since they were often illiterate, uneducated and had no idea of freedom or the possibility of their rights.
C) The legal cases were almost always instigated by white lawyers or activists interested in abolishing slavery and had little to do with the blacks in the area.
D) In some cases, the courts seemed willing to follow the letter of the law and apply equality and rights across the races.

Question 21

What problems did early black schools encounter?

A) arson attacks against the schools
B) insufficient enrollment
C) African-American parents' belief that schools were pointless
D) attempts by the federal government to shut down the schools

Question 22

Why did freemasonry especially appeal to blacks?

A) Black freemasons were allowed to join the U.S.Army.
B) White freemasons traced their roots to Egypt, as did blacks.
C) Freemasonry offered low-cost loans to black women.
D) Freemasons afforded black men and women a chance to socialize.

Question 23

How did mutual aid societies evolve over time?

A) They were patterned after Native American institutions.
B) They were always blind to color difference, especially within black society.
C) They were similar to insurance companies in providing death and sick benefits.
D) They perpetuated racial discrimination in the insurance industry.

Question 24

Why did blacks form separate institutions after the American Revolution?

A) They wanted to create a social foundation that would eventually enable them to move back to Africa.
B) They wanted to separate from the United States and form another country.
C) There was a larger free black community in northern cities after the Revolution.
D) Many blacks wanted their children to grow up without seeing white people at all.

Question 25

Why are Richard Allen and Absalom Jones important in African-American history?

A) They were the first black men to speak for women's rights.
B) They led the formation of the first independent black church.
C) They were the first black men elected to the United States Senate.
D) They pressed for blacks to assimilate to white society and reject Africa.

Question 26

What foreign revolution influenced slave uprisings in the United States?

A) the Spanish Revolution
B) the revolution in Haiti
C) the massive Cuban Revolution of slaves in 1793
D) a slave uprising in Quebec, Canada

Question 27

Examine the image of black slaves working a machine that was published in Harpers Weekly in 1869.What development of the late-eighteenth century does the activity of the men in the image reflect?

A) The machine is the cotton gin, reflecting the expansion of cotton and slavery after 1793.
B) The machine is a shotgun, reflecting the practice of hunting by slaves on plantations.
C) The machine is an automobile, reflecting the use of cars on plantations.
D) The machine is a wheat grinder, reflecting the expansion of grain crops in the South.

Question 28

How did Prince Hall found a Masonic lodge for blacks in America?

A) He founded a Masonic lodge with the support of some white masons in America.
B) He did the application process under an assumed name and passed for white.
C) He went through the British membership application process.
D) He was unable to form a Masonic lodge because of the racism of whites.

Question 29

Examine the portrait of Absalom Jones painted by Raphaelle Peale in 1810 and the lithograph depicting New York African Free School,No.2.What do these images reveal about the free black community?

A) Free blacks were illiterate and confined to working class pursuits.
B) Free blacks had access to religious and educational institutions.
C) Free blacks served in political offices in large northern cities.
D) Free blacks served in the military at the state and federal level.

Question 30

What groups of blacks emerged as leaders after the American Revolution?

A) slaves who led violent rebellions
B) clergy and businessmen
C) illiterate slave drivers
D) the new class of black millionaires

Question 31

Who organized the Louisiana Rebellion?

A) Gabriel [Prosser]
B) [Charles] Deslondes
C) Nat Turner
D) John Brown

Question 32

What prominent Protestant denomination arose from black efforts to establish a separate church in Philadelphia?

A) African Methodist Episcopal
B) Baptist
C) Catholics
D) Nation of Islam

Question 33

Examine the late-eighteenth century portrait of Prince Hall.What type of man does he appear to be,and what would this appearance have meant to his contemporaries?

A) He appears to be a southern slave holder, revealing his agreement with and participation in slavery.
B) He appears to be a dutiful slave, revealing that slavery was a positive institution.
C) He appears to be a farmer, revealing the role of free blacks in agriculture.
D) He appears to be an educated gentleman, revealing his elevated stature among free blacks.

Question 34

What prompted black members of St.George's Methodist Church in Philadelphia to separate and form their own church?

A) White members advocated returning some of the black members to slavery.
B) Whites erupted in violence during service, beating several black clergy members.
C) White members tried to prevent a black member from praying in what trustees considered the white section of the church.
D) White members refused to support the Underground Railroad.

Question 35

What was the most common form of resistance against slavery among blacks?

A) physical violence against their white masters
B) poisoning of whites by slave cooks
C) day-to-day resistance and escape
D) preaching against the evils of slavery on urban street corners

Question 36

Why was cotton production an important development in the South in the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century?

A) Demand for cotton was skyrocketed, and slaves were needed to pick it.
B) The South became more industrialized and needed more slaves.
C) Cotton production generated income for the South at the expense of the North.
D) Cotton production helped attract European immigrants to the U.S.to process the crop.

Question 37

What were the earliest black community institutions?

A) churches
B) newspapers
C) civil rights organizations
D) mutual aid societies

Question 38

How did racism develop in the early 1800s?

A) Science became more objective and held that blacks and whites were equal.
B) Northern whites became more racist than southern whites.
C) Racists believed that black people were closer to apes than to whites.
D) Educated people were beginning to believe that blacks were superior to whites.

Question 39

What did men like Prince Hall and James Forten feel about what was best for African Americans?

A) Since they were racists, they thought that slavery was the best place for blacks.
B) They were against slavery but generally felt that God, not men, would end the injustice.
C) They thought that blacks should begin to file legal cases to end discrimination and abolish slavery.
D) They generally believed that if blacks kept working and protesting, the ideals of the American Revolution would be attained.

Question 40

Which of the following statements is true of the early separate black churches established around the Great Awakening?

A) They were never truly independent institutions.
B) They generally continued the African indigenous religion.
C) They were approved overwhelmingly by slave masters.
D) They had few members, although some of their leaders were very vocal.

Question 41

The concept of __________ expanded after the American Revolution to the benefit of African American slaves,particularly in the northern states.

Question 42

The forces for human bondage in the U.S.grew stronger over time,both legally and politically,in the early 1800s.

Question 43

How did southern whites react in general to slave violence?

A) They refused to enact laws and establish practices to make slavery harsher.
B) They generally reacted passively, as the uprisings were quickly put down.
C) They began to be much more suspicious of foreigners and outsiders.
D) They began to liberate more "troublesome" slaves and force them to the North.

Question 44

Migration out of the South was an idea that free blacks debated during the early 1800s.

Question 45

When the War of 1812 began,in what ways did blacks serve militarily?

A) They served only on the American side, with many incidents of bravery.
B) They refused to serve, thinking that they would not benefit a nation that kept some of their race in bondage.
C) None served because they were seen as an "internal foe" by white Americans.
D) Some served in the U.S.Marines.

Question 46

How did Gabriel's rebellion influence the South?

A) Fearing for their lives, more whites began to kill their slaves.
B) Gabriel's networks continued to exist and be influential after his death.
C) His message of liberation spread to eastern Africa.
D) Divisions within the slave community disappeared.

Question 47

The formation of the American Colonization Society in 1816 reveals the efforts of free blacks to escape white American racism during the early 1800s.

Question 48

Examine the image depicting Toussaint Louverture on page 124 of the textbook.What aspect of the image indicates how African Americans of the era viewed Louverture?

A) He is shackled to a tree, indicating that blacks pitied him.
B) He is whipping a slave, indicating that blacks reviled him.
C) He is making an agreement, indicating that blacks admired him.
D) He is killing a woman, indicating that blacks feared him.

Question 49

What event heightened sectional tensions between the North and the South,leading to increased militancy on both sides?

A) the Missouri Compromise
B) Gabriel's Conspiracy
C) the War of 1812
D) the Declaration of Independence

Question 50

American Revolutionary ideology,the Haitian slave revolt,and a U.S.naval conflict with France produced Gabriel's rebellion in 1800.

Question 51

As the U.S.emerged from the War of 1812,sectional tensions decreased throughout the nation.

Question 52

Why did black men take part in the War of 1812? What does the image show about black involvement in the War of 1812?

A) They were promised safe passage to California as slaves.
B) They were promised a monetary reward by their owners.
C) They were promised freedom for enslaved black women.
D) They were promised freedom for themselves.

Question 53

How did many Americans view the War of 1812?

A) as a war to end slavery
B) as a terrible war thrust upon them by the U.S.government
C) as an attempt to gain large amounts of territory from France
D) as a second part of the struggle for independence

Question 54

The Missouri Compromise was embraced by southern whites and northern whites as a perfect solution to the slavery question.

Question 55

The __________ was signed by Congress in 1787 and banned slavery from the region north of the Ohio River.

Question 56

The Battle of New Orleans occurred one month after a peace treaty was negotiated with Great Britain.

Question 57

By the 1790s an educated black elite existed in the Chesapeake and the Northern Colonies.

Question 58

Northern states mobilized thousands of black troops in 1812 and 1813 for the war effort against Great Britain.

Question 59

Regarding black military service during the War of 1812,what had white Americans practically forgotten?

A) Haiti's revolution
B) blacks' heroism and service during the American Revolution
C) the violence of Gabriel's conspiracy and the Louisiana Revolution
D) the origins and development of slavery and blacks' desire for freedom

Question 60

The U.S.successfully conquered Canada during the War of 1812.

Question 61

The westward expansion of cotton encouraged the development of a domestic __________ trade.

Question 62

Why was the process of gaining emancipation different in New England and the Middle States?

Question 63

Congress's inability to tax prevented it from maintaining an __________ and a __________,examples of the limitations of the Articles of Confederation.

Question 64

What conclusions can be reached about African-American institutions from the story of James Forten?

Question 65

The Missouri Compromise was produced by __________ __________.

Question 66

The fear of __________ __________ motivated the formation of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia,which produced the modern U.S.Constitution.

Question 67

Analyze the mileage key of Map 5-3.How large,comparatively,was the Unorganized Territory relative to the size of the South? Why is this significant for the Missouri Compromise of 1820?

Question 68

The nation's first political parties were the Federalist party and the __________ party.

Question 69

The __________ of 1793 allowed masters to regain legal custody of slaves who escaped across state lines.

Question 70

Under the auspices of the American Colonization Society,a party of 86 African Americans migrated to the new colony of __________ on the West African coast in 1820.

Question 71

Analyze Map 5-3.How is the Missouri Compromise an example of favorable legislation for the North? Why did the terms of the compromise trouble the South?

Question 72

Why was slavery extended below the Missouri Compromise Line and not above it (with the exception of Missouri)?

Question 73

Examine Map 5-2.Why does it illustrate only battles east of the Mississippi River? What does the map indicate in general about the geographical nature of the War of 1812?

Question 74

What black institution became the core of free black communities in the North beginning in the 1790s? How and why did this institution become the central focus?

Question 75

Analyze Map 5-2.What does it demonstrate about black participation in the War of 1812?

Question 76

In comparison,what do the results of Gabriel's and Deslondes' rebellions tell us about black violence?

Question 77

The Constitution strengthened the power of slaveholders through the __________ clause.

Question 78

What conclusions can be discerned about African Americans from the petition by Absalom Jones?