Francisco Menéndez: An Unsung Hero

Which of the following describes the central idea of the text?

• Menéndez gained his freedom in Spanish Florida and rose to a position of power.

• Menéndez convinced the king of Spain that slavery was an immoral practice.

• Menéndez rejected both the English and Spanish because they kept African slaves.

• Menéndez was a clear leader but was forced to be a slave because of his skin color.

Which detail from the text best supports the central idea of the text?

• “Spanish colonists held slaves, just as the English colonists to the north did” (Paragraph 3)

• “King Philip II issued a decree ‘giving liberty to all... the men as well as the women’” (Paragraph 3)

• “Florida’s governor freed Menéndez and authorized him to establish a town named Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose.” (Paragraph 4)

• “On one voyage, Englishmen captured him and sold him into slavery in the Bahamas.” (Paragraph 5)

How did the Spanish treat enslaved people differently from how the English treated enslaved people?

• The Spanish gave enslaved people land for their services.

• The Spanish treated enslaved people as if they were citizens.

• The Spanish did not force enslaved people to do physical labor.

• The Spanish gave enslaved people the chance to achieve freedom.

How does paragraph 3 contribute to the development of ideas in the text?

• It describes how slavery was ended in the English colonies.

• It provides information about English and Spanish colonists.

• It explains how Spanish and English colonists divided the Americas.

• It describes how slavery affected the regions controlled by Spain and England.

What impact did Menéndez have on slavery after he was freed?

• He fought to end slavery across all of America.

• He worked to free other Africans enslaved by the English.

• He worked to end the Spanish enslavement of Africans.

• He turned his back on other slaves in the Americas.

Which quote from the texts highlights one of the likely reasons Menéndez is remembered today?

• “So, in 1687, a group of slaves stole a canoe and escaped from Carolina to Florida.” (Paragraph 3)

• “Menéndez and the new homesteaders of Mose wrote to the king of Spain to express their gratitude” (Paragraph 5)

• “On one voyage, Englishmen captured him and sold him into slavery in the Bahamas.” (Paragraph 5)

• "Menéndez spent more than 50 years fighting for freedom and more than 40 years serving the king of Spain" (Paragraph 7)

Which of the following describes the author’s overall purpose in the text?

• to compare how Spanish and English colonists treated enslaved people

• to highlight how the Spanish provided better opportunities for enslaved people

• to provide information about an influential African American colonial hero

• to criticize history books for excluding African American colonial heroes