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WorksheetsHPM 1.5 Great Migration & the Blues ASSESSMENT
Total questions: 16
Worksheet time: 21mins
What was the Great Migration?
Movement of Europeans to the United States in the 1800s
Movement of African Americans from the South to northern and western cities
A wave of immigrants moving from Asia to the U.S.
A migration of Native Americans during the Trail of Tears
Which city became a major center for Blues music during the Great Migration?
Chicago
Atlanta
Miami
Dallas
What is Bessie Smith’s nickname?
Queen of Soul
Lady Day
Empress of the Blues
First Lady of Jazz
Which invention helped Blues music spread to homes across the U.S.?
Telegraph
Phonograph (record player)
Steam Engine
Sewing Machine
Who is considered the “Father of the Blues”?
Robert Johnson
W.C. Handy
Muddy Waters
Louis Armstrong
What type of instruments transformed the Blues in cities like Chicago?
Acoustic banjos
Electric guitars and amplifiers
Harpsichords
Steel drums
Which of the following best describes the themes often found in Blues lyrics?
Travel, money, and comedy
War, politics, and technology
Love, loss, poverty, and survival
Nature, farming, and exploration
How did the Great Migration change African American political power?
It made it harder for them to vote.
It allowed them to vote in northern cities, increasing their influence.
It gave them fewer choices in elections.
It eliminated all segregation laws immediately.
Why did record companies in the 1920s and 1930s create “race records”?
To separate white musicians from Black musicians
To market African American music to African American and white audiences
To prevent Blues music from spreading
To document only classical music
How did the Blues influence other genres?
It remained isolated and had no impact.
It only influenced country music.
It shaped jazz, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and later hip-hop.
It replaced all other styles of music in the U.S.
Which statement best explains how technology shaped the spread of the Blues?
Technology made music less popular.
Radio and records helped the Blues reach audiences far from its origins.
Electric guitars made Blues music disappear.
Technology made it impossible to hear Blues outside the South.
Why might Blues music have been especially powerful for African Americans during the Great Migration?
It gave them a way to tell their stories and connect their experiences across different cities.
It made them forget about their struggles.
It focused only on politics, not culture.
It was the only type of music available in northern cities.
Bessie Smith’s music often dealt with themes of independence and racial injustice. What does this suggest about her influence?
She only cared about becoming rich.
She gave voice to struggles faced by African Americans, especially women, and inspired later artists.
She only entertained white audiences.
She did not affect music beyond her own lifetime.
The Great Migration gave African Americans (a) political power by allowing them to vote in (b) cities, and (c) music spread with them, influencing culture and creating new economic opportunities in the music industry.
Bessie Smith was one of the first African American women to become a national music star. Her success tell us about the opportunities and challenges African American artists faced during this time. Which of the following statements is FALSE?
Bessie Smith’s success showed that African American artists could achieve fame and economic success.
Bessie Smith faced challenges such as racial discrimination and limited opportunities comparted to white music artists.
The Blues heavily influenced other music styles—jazz, rhythm and blues (R&B), gospel, soul, rock and roll, and hip-hop.
Bessie Smith wasn't a real Blues artist. She was a cartoon character that was a jazz singer.
Which modern pop artist do you feel is the modern day Bessie Smith AND Why?
HINT: Make sure to use the CEER format (make a CLAIM, give a piece of EVIDENCE, give a statement EXPLAINING how that evidence proves your claim and then RESTATE your claim.)
