8th Grade The Fight for Freedom Study Guide

Frederick Douglass: Through the experiences described in this excerpt, Douglass gained

• gratitude for his master’s and mistress’s actions

• a belief that people are not to be trusted

• more knowledge about the problem of slavery

• pleasure in spending time with his white friends

Frederick Douglass: Which sentence from the excerpt best demonstrates Douglass’s feelings about reading after he learned about slavery?

• In the same book, I met with one of Sheridan’s mighty speeches on and in behalf of Catholic emancipation.

• In moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity.

• It was pressed upon me by every object within sight or hearing, animate or inanimate.

• I heard nothing without hearing it, and felt nothing without feeling it.

Frederick Douglass: Why does Douglass first describe his mistress as “a kind and tender-hearted woman”?

• To contrast with her later, cruel behavior

• To show how much he wanted to learn to read

• To prove that some slaveholders were caring

• To emphasize his good fortune

Frederick Douglass: In paragraph 2 of the selection, Douglass calls his mistress "tigerlike" to emphasize how...

• threatening she became when she decided to deny him an education

• conflicted she was about whether to hate or enjoy being a slave owner

• forceful she was when it came to caring for the hungry or needy

• angry she became when she witnessed her husband mistreating the slaves

Harriet Tubman: What was significant about the group Tubman led to escape slavery in December 1851?

• It was the largest number of people she had ever taken.

• It traveled deeper into the swamp than ever before.

• It journeyed farther south than previous groups.

• It included eleven members of the same family.

Harriet Tubman: Read the sentence from paragraph 12: "If they were caught, the eleven runaways would be whipped and sold South, but she—she would probably be hanged." The author includes this sentence most likely to emphasize that Tubman

• felt that she needed to look out for herself more than others

• thought that the risks of danger on her journey were unlikely

• wanted to turn back and lead the travelers into slavery again

• continued bravely despite her own fears and doubts

Harriet Tubman: What can you conclude about the travelers based on the details in paragraph 19?

• They were afraid of getting caught.

• They were thankful to be journeying north.

• They slept a lot to restore their energy.

• They knew the most difficult part of the journey was over.

Harriet Tubman: What does the author's tone in paragraph 12 best help to convey about slave owners in the South?

• They were willing to negotiate with Tubman.

• They did not manage their plantations effectively.

• They knew slavery was wrong but were driven by greed.

• They considered slaves valuable property that they wanted returned.

"Not My Bones": The speaker in the poem is most likely...

• the author of the poem, Marilyn Nelson

• one of the author's ancestors or descendants

• a formerly enslaved person

• a former slave's ancestors or descendants

"Not My Bones": Which of the following is an example of personification?

• You can murder hope

• We are water respirators

• You can own someone’s body

• I am not my bones