Sugar Changed the World Part 4

Sugar was the connection, the tie, between slavery and freedom. In order to create sugar, Europeans and colonists in the Americas destroyed Africans, turned them into objects. Just at that very same moment, Europeans -- at home and across the Atlantic -- decided that they could no longer stand being objects themselves. They each needed to vote, to speak out, to challenge the rules of crowned kings and royal princes. How could that be? Why did people keep speaking of equality while profiting from slaves? In fact, the global hunger for slave-grown sugar led directly to the end of slavery. Following the strand of sugar and slavery leads directly into the tumult of the Age of Revolutions.

Which statement best describes the authors’ claim that sugar was the connection between slavery and freedom?

• The global demand for slave-grown sugar led directly to the end of slavery.

• In order to produce large amounts of sugar, Europeans and colonists destroyed Africans.

• At the same time that Europeans were exploiting slaves, Europeans decided they wanted more freedom themselves.

• Europeans no longer wanted to be ruled by a king but wanted a vote themselves.

Which detail from the passage best supports the idea the global demand for slave-grown sugar led directly to the end of slavery?

• “In order to create sugar, Europeans and colonists in the Americas destroyed Africans, turned them into objects.”

• “Following the strand of sugar and slavery leads directly into the tumult of the Age of Revolutions.”

• “Just at that very same moment, Europeans -- at home and across the Atlantic -- decided that they could no longer stand being objects themselves.”

• “They each needed to vote, to speak out, to challenge the rules of crowned kings and royal princes.”

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CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

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CCSS.RL.8.1

In revolutionary France, the defenders of slaves began to win the argument against the advocates of property rights. By fall of 1791, the French passed a law making free blacks and people of mixed background on the sugar islands legally equal to all other Frenchman. Yet this was not good news for [abolitionists and allies] in England. For even as the revolutionaries in France passed humane laws, they began using the guillotine to execute their own lords and nobles. As blood started to flow in the streets of Paris, slave owners in England and the Americas were given a perfect defense: If you interfere with property rights, if you free slaves, if you change anything in the government, the result will be chaos and terror.

How does the excerpt support the authors' central idea that the global trade of sugar and ideas impacted the entire world in both positive and negative ways?

• The sugar trade led to the spread of ideas of freedom and revolution. However, these ideas caused Americans and others to turn their back on the revolutions around the world.

• The sugar trade led to the spread of ideas of personal freedom and, ultimately, revolution. However, revolutions often had violent and deadly consequences.

• The sugar trade caused the revolution in France, which created chaos and preventing progress in other nations.

• Global trade led to the spread of ideas of freedom but did not advance abolitionist goals in France or England.

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CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

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Back in France, the government that had abolished slavery was in the process of destroying itself. The great paradox about the French Revolution is that even as the revolutionaries passed ever more laws to benefit the poor and enslaved, those same leaders turned increasingly zealous in murdering their enemies. This is like so many regimes in which, to this day, a tyrant claims he is helping the people while he jails his opponents and robs his nation. Great ideas cover up brutal behavior.

What is the meaning of paradox as it is used in the excerpt?

• problem

• concern

• absurdity

• contradiction

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CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

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Why were Americans, including President Jefferson, unable to to treat Haitians as “brave and courageous human beings"? On the test, you will need to support your answer with text evidence.

• Americans were scared that the Haitians would attack them next.

• Americans were upset that the result of the Haitians freedom was less sugar production.

• Americans would have to acknowledge the contradiction in their new nation

• Americans were unaware of what was going on in Haiti at the time.

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CCSS.RL.7.1

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