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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. The cotton picking season began when?

2. Most of the time when a slave was going to be __________, he/she _____________ know about it in advance.

3. When the slaves went down for bed, what did they fear?

4. What exactly happened at the occasion of a young slave woman named Eliza?

5. In Chapter 2, who was free man who was captured and put into slavery?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe a typical day for a slave working on a plantation.

3. Even though Lincoln's original goal was not to free the slaves through the Civil War, why did so many slaves join the Union army?

4. What was one of the big problems that arose after slaves were emancipated?

5. What were some of the reasons that slave owners would sell their slaves?

6. How does Ball describe his first encounter with white people in the Prologue?

7. Discuss the role of establishing house-servants and what they did.

8. Was the government to blame for the confusion of the freed slaves? Why or why not?

9. How were the slaves usually clothed for working out in the fields?

10. In the Prologue, what does Ball say happened to the African women and children?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the Southern states, slaves experienced many forms of cruelty. First, decide what elements label an action as cruel and what elements label and action as not cruel? The slave traders and owners used certain methods as disciplinary action. Were these truly disciplinary actions? What makes something a disciplinary action? How do you distinguish a disciplinary action from a cruel action? What specifically did the slave traders and owners do which could be labeled as either cruel or disciplinary? Were they necessary? If not, what other methods could the traders and owners use? What were the results upon the slaves?

Essay Topic 2

There is a very long narrative about a slave named Paul in the novel. Give a brief summary about the story. Why is it included in the novel? Discuss what Paul symbolizes. What happens to Paul in the end? Discuss the reason for Paul's decision for his own life and how the narrator of Paul's story feels about it. Do you agree with Paul's decision? Why or why not? The narrator notes the iron collar around Paul's neck. What does it symbolize? The narrator also notes the three bells. What do they symbolize?

Essay Topic 3

The Civil War did not originally start to end slavery. What was the original purpose for the Civil War's start and how did it end up including the freedom of slaves? Why did Lincoln not make the freedom of slaves one of the original reasons? How did slaves react to the rumors of freedom and how was the role of blacks in the Civil War? Discuss the views of the North versus the South about the Civil War, especially in regards to slavery.

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