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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. How did Solomon feel about his father?

2. What separated William Ford from other slave owners in Bayou Bœuf?

3. Aside from Bibles, what did William Ford provide his slaves that other slave owners seemed to overlook or not consider to provide them with at all?

4. Overall, how was Solomon likely to feel about John Tibeats?

5. What was an important factor to the slaves at the time that they were sold?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 6 of the book, how did slave dealer Theoplilus Freeman treat the slaves whom he owned?

2. In Chapter 7 of the book, how was Solomon rewarded after his lumber-transporting efforts prove to be successful in getting William Ford's lumber to its destination a lot faster?

3. How did Solomon prove to be a resourceful type of person for his master, William Ford in Chapter 7 of the book?

4. In Chapter 6 of the book, what type of slave did Freeman's customers want to buy?

5. How did Solomon feel that the exterior of Williams' Slave Pen in Washington could be viewed in Chapter 3 of the book?

6. In Chapter 7 of the book, what set William Ford apart from the way that other slave owners treated their slaves?

7. What lead Solomon to believe that he could consider Merrill Brown and Abram Hamilton to be friends of his in Chapter 2 of the book?

8. In Chapter 2 of the book, why did Solomon decide to leave Saratoga Springs and head for New York?

9. In Chapter 1 of his book, how was Author Solomon Northrup able to depict his early years in life as normal?

10. How was the slaves' departure from Washington City carried out in Chapter 4 of the book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Instead of treating them with the dignity and respect that human beings deserved, the slave dealers in the book treated the slaves whom they intended to sell at various slave pens, quite similar to the way that ordinary shopkeepers treated the merchandise that they intended to sell in their stores.

What were some of the similarities that the slave dealers shared with shopkeepers as they prepared to conduct their respective sales? Were there any similarities between the slave dealers and shopkeepers as they conducted their respective sales? If there were, please describe them. How did the slaves feel about themselves in relation to the sales-related actions that the slave dealers would take as they went about conducting their business?

Essay Topic 2

NOTE: This is a two-part essay question. All of the questions with the exception of the final question, require only a brief reply. The final question requires you to elaborate (explain your answer in detail).

While working for the tyrannical Tibeats, Solomon was hired out to help William Ford’s brother-in-law, Peter Tanner; and a neighboring planter, Mr. Eldret. Both times, Solomon performed his work well; and despite being temporarily owned by both men, he was not whipped or abused by either one of them.

Briefly discuss the following factors that may have kept either or both men from whipping or abusing Solomon, as follows:

Is it fair to say that the two men, Tanner and Eldret, were simply interested in having Solomon work for them, and that by nature were not abusive in any way? Why or why not?

Were the factors religious in nature? If yes, what were they? If not, why not?

Did their lack of familiarity with Solomon keep either or both men from whipping or abusing him? If yes, how can you tell?

Were the men simply not wanting to harm what they considered to be Tibeats’ property? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Did Tanner, Eldret or both men feel that by hiring Solomon from Tibeats, they were in essence simply buying a “service” from Tibeats and their business ethic kept them from whipping or abusing Solomon? If yes, how could you tell?

Were there any other factors not mentioned at play? If yes, what were they?

Which of the factors that you have discussed thus far seemed to be the most influential in keeping either Tanner, Eldret, or both of them from whipping or abusing Solomon?

Finally, elaborate (explain in detail) the reasons that supports the choice that you have made.

Essay Topic 3

Close to the end of Twelve Years a Slave, Solomon was upset about the role that Burch had played in casting him into the throes of slavery. In relation to Burch being acquitted of any wrongdoing in the matter, Solomon wrote:

“I took pains to seek him out, to confront him in a court of law, charging him with the crime of kidnapping; and the only motive that impelled me to this step, was a burning sense of the wrong he had inflicted upon me, and a desire to bring him to justice. He was acquitted, in the manner, and by such means as have been described. A human tribunal has permitted him to escape; but there is another and a higher tribunal, where false testimony will not prevail, and where I am willing, so far at least as these statements are concerned, to be judged at last.”

Define the terms, “human tribunal” and “higher tribunal” as Solomon used them in his writing. Explain what you understood the terms to mean, why they were likely to have special meaning for Solomon; whether and how either or both terms tied into a particular theme in the story — and how those connections if any, occurred.

(see the answer keys)

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