wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

AP African American Studies First Semester Review

Total questions: 71

Worksheet time: 46mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which African Civilization was a Christian Kingdom?

a)

Axum

b)

Zimbabwe

c)

Timbuktu

d)

Ghana Mali, Songhai

2.
The Bantu-speaking people migrated because they were looking for ?
a)
better farmland and better grazing.  
b)
better weather conditions.  
c)
gold and salt. 
d)
the coast, so that they could trade.  
3.

Where did the Bantu Migrations migrate to?

a)

The Bantu people migrated north and east to the Nile River and the Arabian Peninsula.

b)

The Bantu people spread south and east from their Central African homelands.

c)

The Bantu people moved west along the coast of Western Africa.

d)

The Bantu people moved north into the Sahara to cash in on the salt trade.

4.
What is one of the most important effects of the Bantu migrations.
a)
The diffusion of Islam
b)
The creation of linguistic similarities across sub-Saharan Africa
c)
The creation of a single sub-Saharan African culture
d)
The diffusion of the banana
5.

Why is the Bantu migration so important in the study of Africa?

a)

During the Bantu migration, the people refused to intermarry with Arabs or Muslims

b)

The Bantu migration brought language and iron tools across Africa and allowed for better living conditions.

c)

The migration was a force of action by the African government in the North

d)

The migration led to the first settlements in the Sahara

6.

1. Ghana’s ___________________ made it the center of an enormous trading empire.

a)

grasslands

b)

iron ore

c)

gold

d)

sugar

7.

Which of the following goods were NOT exported from Africa?

a)

Gold

b)

Slaves

c)

Ivory

d)

Silk

8.

The Muslim leader of Mali who supported education, spread Islam, and made a famous pilgrimage to Mecca was

a)

Sundiata

b)

Mansa Musa

c)

Askia the Great

d)

Sunni Ali

9.

As a result of Mansa Musa's famous pilgrimage to Mecca, Mali's capital of ___ became a center of learning and culture, drawing in artists and architects from all over the world.

a)

Timbuktu

b)

Cairo

c)

Mecca

d)

Aksum

10.

Western African empires gained wealth because of the trading of what resources?

a)

Tobacco

b)

Dyes and Sugarcane

c)

Silver and Corn

d)

Gold and Salt

11.

The Swahili Coast emerged as a major civilization due to

a)

growing cash crops

b)

being a center of the Indian Ocean trade

c)

being a Christian kingdom

d)

being an Islamic empire

12.

Which of the following is a key idea about the culture of the Swahili coast?

a)

It has a culture centered around agriculture and the Bantu language.

b)

It has a culture based on Christianity and Arabic.

c)

It has a unique culture that is a mix of languages and religions from various parts of the world.

d)

It has a culture heavily influenced by Europeans.

13.

What religion is practiced on the Swahili coast?

a)

Islam with its own Swahili practices

b)

Hinduism with its own Swahili practices

c)

A religion introduced by traders and immigrants

d)

The first and third answers are correct

14.

Why were there so many myths surrounding who built Great Zimbabwe?

a)

No one could remember why they had built it

b)

There were no books to base the knowledge on

c)

Africans fat out refused to talk about it

d)

Europeans did not believe Africans were capable of complex construction.

15.

Which of the following is NOT a reason for the walls of Great Zimbabwe?

a)

Symbol of Wealth and Power

b)

Separation of rich and poor

c)

Defense

d)

Expression of art

e)

Monument to the gods

16.

The Kongo Kingdom had a trade agreement to supply slaves for what European nation?

a)

Portugal

b)

England

c)

Spain

d)

America

17.

At first, the relationship between Portugal and Kongo kingdom was friendly. Why did it turn bad?

a)

not enough people became Christians in the Kongo kingdom

b)

Portuguese were illegally taking slaves from Kongo

c)

Portuguese thought the Kongo people were hiding gold

d)

the Portuguese accused the Kongo people of stealing horses and guns

18.

How did slavery impact the Kongo kingdom? (more than one answer!)

a)

it weakened the kingdom

b)

it led to war

c)

led to depopulation of the kingdom

d)

it made the Portuguese rich

19.

What is a griot?

a)

pilgrimage to Mecca

b)

group of traders that travel together

c)

storytellers who pass down oral history

d)

exchanging of goods without direct contact

20.

The part of the slaves' journey aboard the ship between Africa and the Americas was known as the ...

a)

Bermuda Triangle

b)

Northwest Passage

c)

Middle Passage

d)

Triangular Route

21.

The majority of slaves that were brought to the American colonies were brought to ...

a)

work in mines.

b)

work on plantations.

c)

build ships.

d)

work as house servants.

22.

What were the main crops that demanded slave labor in the Americas?

a)

cotton, wheat, corn

b)

corn, beans, squash

c)

sugar cane, cotton, wheat

d)

sugar cane, cotton, tobacco

23.

What did Europeans usually exchange for Africans?

a)

raw goods

b)

silver and jewels

c)

silk and cotton

d)

manufactured goods, gold, and guns

24.

Which of the following contributed most to the expansion of the transatlantic slave trade during the 1700's?

a)

a lack of skilled labor in the American colonies

b)

demand for slaves in the American colonies that produced cash crops

c)

demand for slaves in the industrialized American colonies

d)

demand for house servants in teh American colonies

25.

Why did so many people die on the Middle Passage?

a)

Slave traders usually purchased unhealthy individuals

b)

Disease and malnutrition

c)

Overloaded ships often sank

d)

Successful rebellions on board ships took many lives

26.

How were the conditions of the slave boats during the Middle Passage?

a)

The lodgings were clean and sanitary for the slaves

b)

The slaves were well fed and clothed

c)

The conditions were dirty and unsanitary for the slaves

d)

All of the above

27.

The Atlantic Slave Trade occurred between which centuries?

a)

14th and 18th

b)

15th and 19th

c)

16th and 20th

d)

17th and 21st

28.
The Atlantic Slave Trade contributed to the development of ____?
a)
racist ideology
b)
equality
c)
liberty and freedom
d)
economic growth for everyone
29.
How did Europeans justify enslaving Africans?
a)
They claimed that Africans were biologically inferior
b)
They claimed that Africans were biologically superior
c)
They claimed that Africans were cannibals
30.

The name of a Spanish ship which landed in New York which had been taken over by slaves was called the ________________.

a)

Captain America

b)

the Slave Ship

c)

Titanic

d)

Amistad

31.

What experiences does Olaudah Equiano’s slave narrative describe?

a)

the loss of African cultural traditions

b)

the fight to abolish slavery

c)

the observations of a slave merchant

d)

the horrors enslaved people faced during The Middle Passage

32.

What was Equiano’s main purpose in writing his narrative The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Equiano?

a)

to entertain readers with dramatic episodes in his life

b)

to sway public opinion about slavery

c)

to contrast life in Africa and life in Barbados

d)

to provide detailed information on 18th century sea travel 

33.

How did cotton relate to slavery?

a)

The desire to grow more cotton led to increased slavery

b)

It did not

c)

All enslaved people were required to grow cotton

d)

Cotton was traded for slaves in Africa

34.
How did Southern states respond to slave rebellions?
a)

They gave enslaved people some freedom.

b)
They passed even stricter slave codes.
c)
They began to understand that slavery was wrong.
d)

They refused to take enslaved people back when they were captured. 

35.

Which of these was the most common way enslaved people resisted slavery.

a)
by killing their owners
b)
by escaping to the North
c)
by organizing uprisings
d)

by finding ways to quietly reaffirm their humanity

36.

Why might an enslaved person choose to NOT revolt?

a)
To avoid punishment 
b)
To avoid family/friends being affected 
c)
To avoid death 
d)
All of the above
37.

What is the Underground Railroad?

a)

Secret tunnels that help enslaved people escape

b)

Network of allies and safe houses that helped enslaved people escape

c)

One single path that enslaved people followed

d)

a choo choo train

38.

This machine led to an increase in the demand for slaves, and a boom to the southern economy...

a)

washing machine

b)

cotton gin

c)

light bulb

39.

Why did Southern states pass slave codes?

a)

to satisfy the Northern states demand of cotton

b)

to ensure all slaves attend church regularly

c)

to control slaves and prevent rebellion's

d)

Slave codes allowed all slaves to attend school for education

40.

This was a form of labor utilized by colonists in which Europeans would pay for passage to the New World through contract labor.

a)

Indentured Servitude

b)

Headright System

c)

Primogeniture

d)

Encomienda System

41.

Which of the following statements does not accurately describe slavery in the North American colonies?

a)

slaves in Georgia & South Carolina's coastal region primarily worked on large plantations in dangerous and brutal conditions

b)

in Virginia, slaves made up a minority of the population and had varied jobs

c)

in New England, slaves worked mainly in urban areas and ports

d)

strict slave laws prevented slave revolts through the 1700s

42.

American colonists began to use African slaves primarily because

a)

the papacy created an edict calling for the use of African slaves in Catholic-controlled lands

b)

the African slaves were more accustomed to agriculture than the Native Americans

c)

the Native Americans were decimated by European disease, while the Africans developed immunity

d)

the practice of indentured servitude was outlawed by the pope

43.

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about the southern colonies during the late seventeenth century?

a)

the economy was equally mixed among farming, trade, and small manufacturing

b)

African slaves were strictly segregated from white indentured servants

c)

the economy was dominated by skilled labor in port towns

d)

tobacco, rice, and indigo served as major staple crops

44.
Why did Southerners who did not own slaves support slavery?
a)
They feared the power of the slaveholders.
b)
They believed they would be able to own slaves someday.
c)
They knew that the Southern economy depended on slave labor.
d)
They understood that the Constitution did not ban slavery in the South.
45.
What were African American folk songs known as?
a)
Yeomen
b)
Spirituals
c)
Slave Codes
d)
Overseers
46.

What purposes did singing songs serve in the lives of enslaved people? Mark all that apply.

a)

Raise spirits during work

b)

Express their sorrow and suffering

c)

Convey secret messages

d)

Prove to the master that they could read

e)

Seek comfort in God

47.

A law enacted as part of the Compromise of 1850, designed to ensure that escaped slaves would be returned into bondage.

a)

Black Codes

b)

Jim Crow Laws

c)

Fugitive Slave Act

d)

Segregation

48.

Slave owners justified slavery by saying......

a)

African Americans could not take care of themselves.

b)

African Americans would become violent if set free.

c)

Slavery is in the bible, so it was acceptable

49.

What did the Supreme Court rule in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case?

a)

Dred Scott was set free since he lived in a free state.

b)

Dred Scott was property and not a citizen.

c)

Dred Scott's owners were guilty of holding him against his will and were arrested.

d)

Dred Scott's owners had to pay Dred Scott for work he completed.

50.

This African American writer and abolitionist encouraged enslaved people to rebel. He was so successful that the state of Georgia put a bounty on his life.

a)

Douglass Adams

b)

David Walker

c)

Nat Turner

d)

John Horse

51.

Societies of self-liberated enslaved people that were formed on the periphery of other societies and organized resistance and aided other slaves in escaping were known as ___

a)

Diaspora

b)

Abolitionist societies

c)

Maroon Societies

d)

Indentured servants

52.

Where did the Stono Rebellion happen?

a)

North Carolina

b)

South Carolina

c)

Tennesee

d)

Florida

53.

Where were the enslaved participants in the Stono Rebellion headed to?

a)

Spanish Florida

b)

Mexico

c)

French Canada

d)

Haiti

54.
Before independence, Haiti was a colony of _____.
a)
Great Britain
b)
France
c)
The United States
d)
Belgium
55.

Why did the Haitian Revolution start? (Choose 2)

a)

The revolution started because of slaves wanting social equality and freedom.

b)

The Haitian Revolution was influenced by the French Revolution

c)

All of the above

d)

The Haitian Revolution was influenced by the American Revolution

56.

Which of the following is a reason for the poverty of Haiti after the revolution?

a)

Freed slaves after the revolution did not know how to farm

b)

European countries refused to trade with a country run by former slaves 

c)

Most of the population of Haiti was killed in its bloody revolution 

d)

France forced Haiti to pay an enormous sum in reparations for winning independence 

57.

Why was the Haitian Revolution was significant for African Americans? (choose TWO answers)

a)

It showed that there was no hope for them gaining their freedom

b)

It was a source of inspiration as the first free Black republic

c)

It exposed the inequality and oppression they faced in the US even more

d)

It proved that justifications for slavery were correct

58.

Which of the following are true about the Louisiana Slave Revolt of 1811? Select all that apply.

a)

It was inspired by the Haitian Revolution

b)

The goal was to establish an independent Black republic

c)

It resulted in less strict slave codes in Louisiana

d)

It involved more than 500 enslaved African people

59.

Which of the following statements is NOT an idea from Frederick Douglass's speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"?

a)

Throughout the world, America shows the most revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy for its usage of slavery.

b)

Gross inequalities exist throughout the United States of America, and Independence Day serves to highlight them.

c)

The Fourth of July is a day that reveals to the American slave the injustice and cruelty of their lack of freedom.

d)

Slavery helped the United States become a powerful country, so it is justified

60.

Which idea is BEST supported by the following excerpt from Frederick Douglass's speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"?

For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be denounced.

a)

People need to be shaken out of complacency towards slavery.

b)

People need to recognize the humanity of enslaved people.

c)

People need to realize that slavery is still occurring in the U.S.

d)

People need to have a reasoned debate about the problem of slavery.

61.

Maria Stewart was known for (select all that apply)

a)

being the first Black woman to publicly speak to both men and women

b)

supporting women's rights and education

c)

assisting escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad

d)

supporting resistance against slavery

62.

The Southern states seceded to form which of the following?

a)

The United States of America

b)

The Confederate States of America

c)

The Slave States of America

d)

The Union

63.

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

a)

Ended slavery everywhere

b)

Ended slavery in states in rebellion against the U.S.

c)

Created the 13th Amendment

d)

Extended slavery into western territories

64.

Which of the following did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

a)

Freed all slaves in the Confederate states that were not currently under Union control.

b)

Laid the groundwork for a future constitutional amendment to outlaw slavery.

c)

Allowed for African American men to fight in the Union army.

d)

All of the above

65.

What was the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation?

a)

To support the abolitionist movement

b)

To help the Union win the war

c)

To get European allies for the Union

66.
If Lincoln set the slaves frees in the states that were in rebellion, he thought it would hurt the war effort for the south because.........
a)

Northerners would want to help the slaves in the south

b)

Lincoln just wanted to set them free

c)

it would make their plantation economy collapse

d)

In order to get help from France, Lincoln had to free the slaves.

67.

After the Emancipation Proclamation, the Civil War was not only about keeping the Union together but also for ____________

a)

Ending Southern Control in Kentucky

b)

Ending Slavery

c)

Ending Northern abuse towards the South

d)

Jefferson Davis's tyranny

68.

Juneteenth is observed on what day?

a)

June 10th

b)

June 9th

c)

June 19th

d)

June 13th

69.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger (pictured here) informed slaves of their emancipation from slavery. In what town did this event take place?

a)

Lafayette, Louisiana

b)

Galveston, Texas

c)

Brunswick, Georgia

d)

Wakanda

70.

Granger’s announcement actually came almost three years after the famous executive order abolishing slavery, issued by then-President Abraham Lincoln.

a)

the Freedom Order

b)

the Abolition

c)

the Emancipation Proclamation

d)

the Edict of Liberation

71.

Juneteenth is significant for African Americans today in that it

a)

celebrates their commitment to seeking joy and validation among themselves

b)

celebrates the end of slavery in all of the United States

c)

erases all of the pain and suffering their ancestors experienced in slavery

d)

shows that racism is no longer a problem in the US