AFS 2010 Quiz

Haitian Independence

○ Haiti produced half of the sugar and coffee consumed in Europe ○ 8,000 plantations -> 40,000 whites, 50,000 slaves ○ Toussaint L'Ouverture led a battle for freedom which lasted twelve years ○He was an educated Haitian (had good economic knowledge) ○ The French allied with the Haitians to fight the English ○January 1st, 1804 is the Haitian Independence Day ® Whites viewed the Haitian rebellion as a reason to not encourage freedom for slaves or allow literacy

Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion

○ Nat Turner was a slave who had visions of the need to stage a violent rebellion for black liberation ○ He led 70 armed black people in Southampton Virginia during August 1831 and together they killed from 55 to 65 white people ○ Despite the rebellion being put down a few days afterwards, Nat Turner lived in hiding for a few months before being captured and executed. ○ 21 "co-conspirators" were also hung along with Turner ○ After the rebellion, many black slaves began to silence their demands for justice and freedom. ○ Some even began to preach about how slavery wasn't bad and how they had been rescued from the evils of Africa. ® The aftermath of this rebellion was immediate: ◊ Slaves were barred from meeting for religious purposes without a white minister present and legislation was passed making it illegal to teach a slave how to read or write

Dred Scott: Facts of the Case

Family owned slave Dred Scott. Since Dred Scott had lived in several free states, he sought his freedom out when his master passed away. His case ultimately ends up at the Supreme Court. The ruling is in favor of the slaveholder

How slavery started in the USA?

Slavery started in the USA when twenty Angolans were brought over from the ship "The White Lion"

Missouri Compromise

Slaves above the line were free and allowed to have some rights. However, slaves below the line were still enslaved. ○ Missouri upset the previously equal balance of slave and free states, so it was decided to split Maine from Massachusetts in order to keep the balance. ○ This sparked a movement among states to seek to make their own rules/regulations ○ Slavery became an economical and ethical issue ○Missouri became a rallying cry for abolitionist to demand that there be no more slave states in the USA. ○1820: Maine becomes a free state ○ However, tensions between the slave states and free states increases. Additionally, tensions between the federal and state governments get worse.

What did the case on the Amistad prove?

The Amistad case was about 53 kidnapped Africans from Sierra Leone who were en route to Cuba and killed several members of the crew in a slave revolt. Despite attempting to steer the ship back to Sierra Leone, the ship landed in America and the surviving Africans and crewmen made a case at the Supreme Court. Former President John Quincy Adams argued on behalf of the slaves. He argued that they were free and kidnapped from their country and should be let go. The ship-owners argued that the slaves had murdered innocent crewmen and were their property. Ultimately, the truth came out, and the slaves were allowed voyage back to Sierra Leone. (8:1 court ruling). Additionally, the Spaniards had violated laws about international slave trade.

Fugitive Slave Act (1850)

This version authorized the appointment of slave commissioners who issued warrants for arrest ® Slaves were given NO TRIAL ® Additionally, there was NO JURY and NO TESTIFYING ◊ Commissioners also awarded the person $5 if the slave is let go and $10 if the slave is returned to the master ○ Many Northern politicians objected to these laws - The law also forbid anyone from interfering with the slave recapture - A fine of $1,000 was given to anyone who did ○ Alternatively, there was 6 months in jail or you could be sentenced with treason (often a punishment of death) □ The 1850 version wasn't repealed until 1864 ® There was also a vigilance committee that was formed to send slaves back to plantations and to report any suspicious activity

Fugitive Slave Act (1793)

This version of the Fugitive Slave Law authorized the recapture of slaves, authorizing magistrates to issue certificates of removal of slaves across states

Colonization

the action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area.

Dred Scott: Outcome

○ Slaves are property, therefore they have no constitutional rights ○ They also cannot sue or become citizens ○ This is contradictory as Congress (technically) shouldn't be able to regulate slavery in territories ○ As a result, this ruling challenged the validity of the Missouri Compromise ○ The case also had far-reaching implications ○ A precedent was set that slaves were private property and couldn't be taken without due process for the slave owner ○ This terrified free states and many began to become concerned if/when they would return to slavery ○ Republicans also used this case to gain recognition for the future President Abraham Lincoln to gain popularity

Frederick Douglass: "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?

○ Speaking to an anti-slavery committee on the 4th of July ○ Addresses white complacency ○ The Declaration of Independence wasn't given to black people/ weren't included in it ® Not included in the "pale" -> indicative of distance between whites and black socially ® "You may rejoice, I must mourn" ○American slavery is different than other types of slavery