Race, Slaves And Abolitionists: Black History Quiz!
How well do you know your history? This quiz is intended to gauge the subject's knowledge of specific areas of Black History relevant to the institution of Slavery and its abolition. You may find that history wasn't as Black and White as you thought. . . Good luck!
Questions and Answers
- 1.
What is the Party of Abraham Lincoln who signed the emancipation proclamation, the legislation that outlawed slavery within the United States?
- A.
Constitution Party
- B.
Republican Party
- C.
Green Party
- D.
Democratic Party
Correct Answer
B. Republican PartyExplanation
Prior to being elected President of the U.S. by a small margin, Lincoln was elected as a Whig aligned Congressman for the State of Illinois. It wasn't until later that the many former Whigs (including Lincoln), abolitionists, and Free-soilers reformed as the G.O.P (A.K.A Republicans).Rate this question:
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- 2.
The Republican Party reversed the original Civil Rights Acts, passed by the Democrats, in 1866 and 1875. It would take Democrats nearly a century to pass legislation guaranteeing the civil rights of minorities.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
If you thought this was true, the account of history was quite to the contrary. The original civil rights bills were passed by the Republicans in this same time frame, but due to intimidation through Lynchings, the Democratic Party regained control of the legislature and ultimately overturned these laws. It wouldn't be until nearly a hundred years later that Republicans would comprise the greatest majority in support of these bills.Rate this question:
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- 3.
The Republican Party has mainly formed in opposition to the _________________ act of 1854, which allowed for citizens of Nebraska and Kansas to vote whether Slavery would be allowed in those territorial states.
Correct Answer
Kansas-NebraskaExplanation
The Kansas-Nebraska Act overturned the Missouri Compromise, which prohibited the institution of Slavery in the Northern States. The motivation for this act was to provide an essentially free and forced Labor force for the expansion of the Transcontinental Railroad.Rate this question:
- 4.
Due to the ____________ rule, it was possible for Thomas Jefferson to hold legally "white" individuals as slaves.
Correct Answer
PartusExplanation
The Partus rule is normally used as shorthand for the Latin term "Partus sequitur ventrem" or "That which follows forth from the womb". This colonial mandate was passed by Virginia's House of Burgess in 1662 and ruled that the race/status of the mother was passed on to the child, regardless of the race or status of the father. Some historians believe this was done to supply a workforce to the colonies that encountered difficulties enticing indentured servitude.Rate this question:
- 5.
Prior to the Civil War, a significant percentage of the southern planters engaging in the slave trade happened to be of African Ancestry.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
A. TrueExplanation
These cases happened to be very well documented. The reasons behind this vary from recently manumitted "free persons of color" buying their relatives freedom to Black plantation owners supplying a workforce for agriculture.Rate this question:
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- 6.
Which of the following historic is famous for the following quote: "I am a Republican, a black, dyed in the wool Republican, and I never intend to belong to any other party than the party of freedom and progress."
- A.
Jefferson Davis
- B.
W.E.B DuBois
- C.
Abraham Lincoln
- D.
Fredrick Douglass
Correct Answer
D. Fredrick DouglassExplanation
Frederick Douglass is famous for the quote, "I am a Republican, a black, dyed in the wool Republican, and I never intend to belong to any other party than the party of freedom and progress." This quote reflects Douglass' political affiliation as a Republican and his commitment to the principles of freedom and progress. Douglass was a prominent African American abolitionist and social reformer, known for his powerful speeches and writings advocating for the rights of African Americans and women. He believed that the Republican Party, with its platform of anti-slavery and equality, aligned with his values and goals for social change.Rate this question:
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- 7.
Historically, the only people that English colonists enslaved were Africans.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
The above statement happens to be false, generally, Nationality and "race" were not the original litmus test for determining freemen. The English colonists of the United States identified above all else as Christians, so the original target for Slavery was Non-Christians. These Non-Christians could include Jewish slaves, Native American Slaves (i.e. Squanto), and Yoruba of African Origin. In the latter part of the 16th Century, it was possible for one to be freed from bondage by converting to Christianity.Rate this question:
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- 8.
In 1641, ____________ became the first American colony to legalize recognize the institution of Slavery.
- A.
Virginia
- B.
Georgia
- C.
South Carolina
- D.
Massachusetts
Correct Answer
D. MassachusettsExplanation
Despite the general association of Slavery with the Southern Colonies, Massachusetts was the first colony to recognize it as a means to support trade.Rate this question:
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- 9.
In 1705 the colony of ___________________ declared " All servants imported and brought in this County... who were not Christians in their Native Country... shall be slaves. A Negro, mulatto, and Indian slaves ... shall be held to be real estate."
Correct Answer
VirginiaExplanation
This law in conjunction with the rule of Partus, also passed by the Virginia House of Burgess, was the beginning of the caste structure we have come to know as Free and Slave. Throughout the years, we would find that people subjected to slavery in the Americas included people of Irish, African, Southeast Asian, and Native American ancestry.Rate this question:
- 10.
The British Empire abolished Slavery over fifty years prior to the Civil War of the United States.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
A. TrueExplanation
The British Empire formally abolished Slavery prior to 1807. The American Civil War didn't take place officially until 1861.Rate this question:
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- 11.
The court case: ___________________ was a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that people of African descent brought into the United States and held as slaves (or their descendants,[2] whether or not they were slaves) were not protected by the Constitution and could never be U.S. citizens.
- A.
Marbury v. Madison
- B.
Plessy v. Ferguson
- C.
Dred Scott v. Sandford
- D.
Brown v. Board of Education
Correct Answer
C. Dred Scott v. SandfordExplanation
If you answered D. it's very evident you didn't fair well in history class, the correct answer is C. Dred Scott. Despite spending a majority of his life in "Free States", he was unable to sue for his very Freedom. Scott did marry and have children, one on free soil, but he was never legally granted the same representation as Non-Slaves.Rate this question:
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- 12.
The "one drop rule" was the defining legal litmus test to determine if one were to born free or slave.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
As a matter of fact, the one drop rule was never established as law until the 1920s in Tennessee and Virginia. It's tempting to make a broad assumption that all blacks were slaves and whites were slave holders however this was not always the case. Eston Hemmings, Grand Son of Sally Hemmings and Thomas Jeffererson, was born into Slavery but under the law he was legally white. It is rumored that this legal distinction was seen as a threat for whites to be kidnapped and sold clandestinely into slavery. The one drop rule was adopted in many southern states as a part of widespread Eugenics movement.Rate this question:
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- 13.
Part of the conflicts between Native Americans and English Colonists were the Native's view of Slavery. Native Americans frowned greatly upon the act of forcibly taking another man into bondage and believed that a Man's body only belonged to the Earth. For this reason, many Native Americans harbored fugitive slaves from their captors.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
While this romantic notion sounds novel and idealistic of the Native American Religion, it couldn't be further from the truth. Slavery has been practiced on every continent on the planet, to include the Americas. Native Americans usually took slaves in Tribal warfare, prior to European arrival. The group that would be known as the five civilized tribes (i.e. Choctaw, Cherokee) would later engage in buying slaves directly from the traders. These slaves would be the one's carrying the belongings of the tribes on the trail of tears.Rate this question:
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- 14.
The __________________________________ was the first black American labor union. It was formed in New York City in 1850 as a collective for skilled free craftsmen, and sought to develop agricultural and industrial arts skills among its members, and to encourage African American business.
- A.
The American League of Colored Laborers
- B.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
- C.
The Congress of Racial Equality
- D.
Teamster Internationa
Correct Answer
A. The American League of Colored Laborers -
- 15.
The only surviving member of the abolitionist led Harper's Ferry Raid that escaped and lived to tell of it was:__________________
- A.
John Brown
- B.
Osborne Perry Anderson
- C.
John Anthony Copeland Jr
- D.
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
Correct Answer
B. Osborne Perry AndersonExplanation
He was the only Freeborn African American to escape capture. With assistance from Mary Ann Shadd, he published his inspiring account of his role in the raid and explained that many local slaves would have welcomed their liberation and some in fact had helped Brown and his men. Almost five years after the raid, he served as a recruitment officer for the Union Army in Indiana and Arkansas.Rate this question:
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