African American Studies Exam

Why did Dred Scott sue for his freedom?

D. He claimed he was free because his master had taken him to areas where slavery was illegal

What was one change Mansa Musa brought to Malian society?

D. He helped spread Islam through the empire

What was Matthew Henson's contribution to exploration?

D. He was one of the fist men to reach the North Pole

How did domestication affect early human societies?

D. It allowed for civilizations to develop

Who or what was Jim Crow?

D. Laws and customs used to discriminate against black

What positive outcome resulted from the Million Man March?

D. Many African American men registered to vote

Which captured slave wrote a famous narrative about his capture and life?

D. Olaudah Equiano

How did the development of plantations lead to increased demand for slaves?

D. Plantations required enormous amounts of labor

How did Harriet Tubman support the Union war effort?

D. She was a union spy

Why did Kennedy's civil rights bill fail to pass Congress during his lifetime?

D. Southern senators blocked passage of the bill

Why do some people criticized Afrocentrism?

D. They argue that it offers a racist view of the world

Why did slaveholders want a stronger fugitive slave law?

D. They claimed that northerners assisted runaway slaves

What was the purpose of a grandfather clause?

D. To allow poor whites to vote while denying the right to poor blacks

What was the purpose of the Tuskegee Institute?

D. To teach poor African Americans a trade

How did the Portuguese initially acquire African slaves?

D. by raiding African villages

What was the Supreme Court's decision in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson?

The Supreme Court's decision in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson ruled that racial segregation was constitutional. The seven to one majority of justices advanced the controversial "separate but equal" doctrine. This decision legally allowed the segregation of African Americans and Whites.

How did African Americans help fight the war on the home front?

Thousands of blacks in the United States worked to ensure victory by fighting the war on the home front. With many white men fighting on the war front, many factories faced a labor shortage. Thousands of black men found factory jobs, such as airplane builders, shipbuilders, welders, auto mechanics, and radio operators. Black Americans also worked alongside their white neighbors to raise financial and moral support for the war effort. They bought war bonds and held rallies in schools and churches to encourage others to support the war and to buy bonds. African Americans also joined in efforts to conserve food and other goods during the war. Some planted "victory gardens" to help overcome food shortages and others volunteered to work on ration boards that regulated the distribution of food products with limited availability.

What group was founded by W.E.B Du Bois and other young black intellectuals to fight for full rights for African Americans?

A. Niagara Movement

What advice did Booker T. Washington offer African Americans in his Atlanta Compromise?

A. Seek vocational education

What was the purpose of the Million Man March?

A. To promote unity among black men

What was the Middle Passage?

A. the route by which slaves were transported from Africa to the Americas

What goods did Europeans trade for slaves in Africa in the triangular trade system?

B. manufactured goods such as guns and alcohol

What was one way in which Coretta Scott King contributed to the recognition of African Americans in the United States?

C. She helped to have her husband's birthday recognized as a national holiday

What was the outcome of the Dred Scott case?

C. The Supreme Court ruled that slaves were not citizens

What is hip-hop culture?

C. A cultural movement that began in the 1970s

Which of the following groups was NOT founded in the late 1800s and early 1900s to protect the interests of black Americans?

C. Congress of Racial Equality

What is de facto discrimination?

C. Discrimination not supported by law but continued in practice

What kind of work did most Egyptians perform?

C. Farming

Which European nation was NOT heavily involved in the slave trade?

C. Greece

What was the name of the first antislavery political party in the United States?

C. Liberty Party

Why did violent rioting take place in Los Angeles after the verdict in the Rodney King case was announced?

C. Many people believed that the verdict reflected prejudice against black Americans

What role did the buffalo soldiers play in the American West?

C. They battled native Americans and bandits

Why did some African Americans criticize gangsta rap?

C. They complained that it glorified gang culture

How were black troops treated in the U.S. Army?

C. They often received fewer supplies than white troops

What was the reaction of Union Army recruiters when African Americans first tried to enlist?

C. They turned away black voters

How were some buffalo soldiers rewarded for their actions during the Spanish-American War?

C. They were granted the Medal of Honor

How did most people become slaves in ancient times?

C. They were prisoners of war

Why did so many people die on the Middle Passage?

C. disease and malnutrition were common

What is manumission?

C. the freeing of slaves

Why do historians know little about African American cowboys?

B. The solitary lives of black Cowboys went largely undocumented

How did northern African Americans respond to the Fugitive Slave Act?

B. They formed self-protection groups

What role did black fraternities and sororities play at college?

B. They served as a support system for black students

What role did the griot play in West African society?

B. They were storytellers who preserved history and traditions

What was the primary use for slaves in most societies?

B. To perform manual labor

What cash crops did slaves produce on plantations in the Caribbean?

B. Tobacco, sugar, and cotton

What law did Homer Plessy violate?

A. A law requiring blacks to ride in railroad cars separate from whites

On Which continent did the first ancestors of modern human beings appear?

A. Africa

What are hieroglyphics?

A. Egyptian writing that uses pictures and symbols

What was one outcome of the Missouri Compromise?

A. It Maintained the balance between slave and free states in the U.S. Senate

Why did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 a major civil rights victory?

A. It prohibited racial discrimination

Which of the following is NOT generally considered an aspect of hip-hop culture?

A. Jazz

What event led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

B. Violence at a voting rights march in Selma, Alabama

What is the definition of a historically black college or university?

B. a college or university founded before 1964 whose principal mission is African American education

What roles did African Americans play in World War II?

At home and on the war front, African Americans contributed to the eventual victory over Germany and Japan. About a million black men and women served in the armed forces. However, the military remained segregated until 1948 so most blacks were assigned to service and support positions. In all, 22 black combat units fought in Europe. Despite the racism that existed in the armed forces, some black soldiers managed to rise through the ranks. For example, in 1940 Benjamin O. Davis became the first African American general in the army. Among the African American groups who fought valiantly in WW2 were the Tuskegee Airmen, a division of the Army Air Corps. During the war the Tuskegee Airmen won great acclaim for their bravery and their successful record. They flew nearly 1,600 missions and destroyed 112 enemy aircraft. African American women also made great contribution to the war effort. The Women's Army Corps at first were only allowed such duties at hospital service for black soldiers. In 1944 the army opened its hospital doors to black nurses.

Why did the European trade in African slaves remain small in the 1400s?

B. Europe did not need large numbers of manual laborers

Why did Lincoln's election in 1860 anger many southerners?

B. He was the leader of the antislavery party (Answer is potentially wrong)

Which African American poet wrote I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings?

B. Maya Angelou

What did Martin Luther King Jr. learn during the Chicago campaign?

B. Northern supported the efforts to end racial discrimination in the United States (Answer could potentially be wrong)

How did the slave trade affect Africa's population?

B. Reduced population and frequent warfare destroyed entire communities

Why did the Republican Party lose the support of some black voters?

B. Republicans did little

How did the U.S. Supreme Court rule in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson?

B. Segregation was legal as long as facilities were separate but equal

How did location influence the development of ancient Egypt?

B. The fertile soil of the Nile Valley made farming easy, so people could focus on other activities.

What is racial profiling?

B. The practice of using race to identify people likely to commit crimes

What role did Nelson Mandela play in ending apartheid in South Africa?

Nelson Mandela was among the most vocal leaders of the ANC's fight against South Africa's apartheid. Mandela was arrested and imprisoned for nonviolent protesting the South American government. However, Mandela and other ANC leaders were convinced they needed to switch to a more violent approach in order to be successful. To carry out his violent protest, Mandela formed Umkhonto we Sizwe ("Spear of the Nation"), an underground militant branch of the ANC. This group was dedicated to sabotaging the unjust programs of the south African government. For his role in this sabotage, Mandela was arrested again in 1962, and soon afterward his sentence was increased to imprisonment for life. Nelson Mandela's overall involvement lead to the end of racial segregation in South Africa. He was released after 27 years of imprisonment and toured the world urging that sanctions stay in place until "the total elimination of apartheid and the extension of the vote to all South African people."

What problems do African American males face in receiving equal treatment in the nation's justice system?

One problem that African American males face in receiving equal treatment in the nation's justice system is racial profiling. Racial profiling is a practice using race, to determine which people are likely to commit certain types of crime. An example of racial profiling is when law enforcement would stop cars simply because the driver was black. Another problem faced by African American males is the high rates of incarceration. On average black men in the United States are imprisoned more often and for longer terms than white men. Also, African American convicted of murder receive the death penalty more often than their white counterparts, regardless of the victims race. By the mid-1990s nearly one in three black men between the ages of 20 and 29 was under some form of criminal justice supervision.