Chapter Chronology

Quiz for Seeking the American Promise: “A Slave Sues for Her Freedom”

Select the best answer for each question. Click the “submit” button for each question to turn in your work.

Question

1. When enslaved people sued for their freedom in Massachusetts in the 1780s, what document(s) did they argue justified their claim to freedom?

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Correct. The answer is b. Slaves like Bett argued that the Massachusetts state constitution assured the freedom and equality of all people, and that this provision logically and legally included slaves, too. It was on the grounds of the language of this state constitution that Massachusetts slaves sued for their freedom.
Incorrect. The answer is b. Slaves like Bett argued that the Massachusetts state constitution assured the freedom and equality of all people, and that this provision logically and legally included slaves, too. It was on the grounds of the language of this state constitution that Massachusetts slaves sued for their freedom.

Question

2. What conclusion can you draw about the experience of slavery in the late eighteenth century from the description of Bett’s owners Colonel John Ashley and his wife?

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Correct. The answer is d. Although Colonel Ashley had the reputation as a kind and gentle man, his wife was cruel and “the most despotic of mistresses.” This illustrates the variability in slave owner temperament and thus the variation in how slaves could be treated, ranging from benevolence to violence. The essay does not contain sufficient evidence for any of the other conclusions.
Incorrect. The answer is d. Although Colonel Ashley had the reputation as a kind and gentle man, his wife was cruel and “the most despotic of mistresses.” This illustrates the variability in slave owner temperament and thus the variation in how slaves could be treated, ranging from benevolence to violence. The essay does not contain sufficient evidence for any of the other conclusions.

Question

3. When Bett chose the name “Elizabeth Freeman” for herself after she was freed from slavery, she was likely signaling

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Correct. The answer is c. The last name “Freeman” was likely a direct reference to her new status as a free woman. Changing her name allowed Freeman to shed her enslaved identity and assert a new identity as a dignified, independent, and free woman.
Incorrect. The answer is c. The last name “Freeman” was likely a direct reference to her new status as a free woman. Changing her name allowed Freeman to shed her enslaved identity and assert a new identity as a dignified, independent, and free woman.

Question

4. How was Elizabeth Freeman’s lawsuit similar to the claims made by white Americans during the Revolutionary War?

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Correct. The answer is a. Both Freeman and white American revolutionaries argued that they were being unjustly “enslaved” in violation of the human rights to freedom, property, liberty, and independence. The degree to which white Americans were actually enslaved is worthy of debate, but regardless of their legal status, the arguments made in both cases were similar.
Incorrect. The answer is a. Both Freeman and white American revolutionaries argued that they were being unjustly “enslaved” in violation of the human rights to freedom, property, liberty, and independence. The degree to which white Americans were actually enslaved is worthy of debate, but regardless of their legal status, the arguments made in both cases were similar.

Question

5. What is the historical significance of Elizabeth Freeman’s story?

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Correct. The answer is d. Freeman was the first slave in Massachusetts to sue for her freedom on the basis on the 1780 state constitution, and her 1781 lawsuit inspired other slaves to do the same. The court cases that resolved these lawsuits led to the erosion of slavery in Massachusetts, which, by 1790, was eliminated in that state.
Incorrect. The answer is d. Freeman was the first slave in Massachusetts to sue for her freedom on the basis on the 1780 state constitution, and her 1781 lawsuit inspired other slaves to do the same. The court cases that resolved these lawsuits led to the erosion of slavery in Massachusetts, which, by 1790, was eliminated in that state.