3. Document Project 3: Tobacco and Slaves

Quiz for Document 3.9 Lieutenant Governor William Gooch to the Board of Trade, London, 1729

Quiz for Document 3.9: Lieutenant Governor William Gooch to the Board of Trade, London, 1729

Choose the best answer to each question.

1. What was Lieutenant Governor William Gooch’s primary concern about whether or not slaves could successfully run away?

They might start a violent insurrection.

He feared he would lose his job.

They might steal materials.

It could inspire larger numbers to try to escape.

2. What can be implied about slave life from reading Gooch’s letter?

All slaves ran away at some point.

Some slaves tried to escape, with varied results.

Slaves never successfully escaped in the colonies.

Large runaway colonies existed all over the colonies.

3. In the context of the eighteenth century, why did Gooch want to get support from the Board of Trade to limit possibilities for slave escapes?

To avoid complaints from London about the plantation owners

To reveal the weaknesses of the slave system

To protect slavery for his wealthy elite planters

To lay the groundwork for independence from England

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