Grovefax #3

Did You know?

This week, in honor of Black History Month, this Groovefax is a bit different. Following is a list of questions concerning African American history. See how many you can get correct before reading the answer.

1. What part of Africa did the majority of slaves come from?

a. South

b. Central

c. West Coast

The majority of slaves came from the West Coast of Africa, a 3,000 mile stretch extending from the Senegal River, downward around the coastal bulge, to the southern limit of present day Portuguese Angola.

2. What was a "barracoon"?

a. a slave warehouse

b. a slave trader

c. a tribal chief

Upon landing in Africa, the slave trading company made arrangements to establish a joint fort and trading station. One of the first buildings to go up would be a "barracoon," a warehouse where slaves could be kept until the voyage across the Atlantic.

3. In the beginning of the slave trade, what was the average cost of a healthy male slave?

a. $10.00

b. $60.00

c. $150.00

Prices varied greatly, but the average cost of a healthy male was $60.00 in merchandise; a woman could be bought for $15.00 less.

4. The voyage of slave ships from Africa to the West Indies was called the "Middle Passage" Why?

a. It was the second of a three-leg voyage

b. The ships passed between two continents

c. All the slaves were kept in the middle of the ship

The voyage from Africa to the West Indies was called the "Middle Passage" Because it was the second leg in a ship's triangular journey, home base to Africa, then to the West Indies, and finally back to the point of original departure.

5. In the beginning of the slave trade, what was the usual profit margin on a slaving voyage?

a. 10 on the dollar

b. 30 on the dollar

c. 50 on the dollar

After taking out all expenses, including insurance payments and sales commissions, a slaving voyage was expected to make a profit of thirty cents on the dollar.

6. What commodity created the initial demand for slaves in America?

a. Tobacco

b. Cotton

c. Sugar

More than all other products combined, it was sugar that created the great demand for slaves in America and it was the sugar industry that determined their geographical distribution within the land.

7. What groups of slaves were known as "Maroons"?

a. Runaway slaves belonging to colonies

b. Slaves abandoned on deserted islands

c. Slaves who could not be sold

Independent colonies of runaway slaves date back as far as 1542.

These "Maroons" as they were called, had established themselves in the

mountains and forests of the West Indies.

8. In what year did " slavery" become recognized in law?

a. 1643

b. 1662

c. 1675

In 1662 when a Virginia law used the word " slaves" to designate an

already existing class, slavery became recognized in law, as for some

years it had been in practice.

9. When were the first Affirmative Action type "quota's" made laws?

a. 1781

b. 1732

c. 1651

As stipulated in the Articles of Confederation, ratified in March,

1781, Congress was empowered to fix Negro quotas for the armed land forces

from each state in proportion to the state's white inhabitants.

10. In 1783, Jesse Peter became a licensed Baptist preacher of the

first Negro Baptist Church. Where was this church located?

a. Silver Bluff, South Carolina

b. Boston, Massachusetts

c. Cleveland, Ohio

After receiving his license, Jesse Peter, in 1783, took over the

Church of Silver Bluff, South Carolina, and the first Negro Baptist Church

in the United States.

11. Who was the first African-American to dine at the White House?

a. Marcus Garvey

b. Martin Luther King

c. Booker T. Washington

On October 16, 1901, after an afternoon meeting at the White House, President Theodore Roosevelt informally invited Booker T. Washington to remain and eat dinner with him, making Washington the first black American to dine at the White House with the president.

12. In what year was the first public slave auction held in America?

a. 1638

b. 1690

c. 1725

The first public slave auction of 23 individuals was held in the

Jamestown Square in 1638.

13. During the summer of 1919, 26 race riots broke out. What was

this summer known as? BONUS - can you name some of the areas where the

riots occurred?

a. Red Summer

b. Riot Summer

c. Black Summer

This was the year of the "Red Summer", with 26 riots between the

months of April and October. These included disturbances in the following

areas:

May 10 Charleston, South Carolina

July 13 Gregg and Longview counties, Texas

July 19-23 Washington, DC

July 27 Chicago

October 1-3 Elaine and Phillips counties, Alabama

14. The list of African-Americans claiming their service in the

British Army during the American Revolution, and thus their right to

freedom,

became known as what?

a. The Black List

b. The Black Book

c. The Book of Negroes

In November 1782, Britain and America signed a provisional treaty

granting the former colonies their independence. As the British prepared

for their final evacuation, the Americans demanded the return of American

property, including runaway slaves, under the terms of the peace treaty.

With thousands of blacks seeking to document their service to the Crown,

Brigadier General Samuel Birch, British commandant of the city of New

York, created a list of claimants know as The Book of Negroes.

15. The term "Jim Crow" was made famous by whom?

a. John Brown

b. Thomas Rice

c. Samuel Lewis

Thomas Dartmouth Rice. This white entertainer won fame in the 1830's

with a blackface routine and a song called "Jim Crow". Among whites, that

name became synonym for the racist image of foolish, ineffectual black.

16. Tommie Smith and John Carlos made the "fist in the air" symbol of

black power globally famous during which event?

a. A Rock concert

b. The World Series

c. The Summer Olympics

Tommie Smith and John Carlos, gold and bronze medal winners in the

200-meter track event in the 1968 Olympics, raised their fist in the

"Black Power" salute during the medal ceremony.

17. An invention of Elijah McCoy began the use of what term?

a. Hot Dog

b. The Real McCoy

c. As strong as steel

Elijah McCoy, a mechanical engineer born to slave parents, invented a

device that enabled machines to be self-lubricating. When cheap

imitations showed up that didn't do the job as well as his, buyers

insisted on the "Real McCoy".

18. In 1642, a Virginia law penalized anyone sheltering runaway

slaves what price?

a. 2 Horses

b. 50 British pounds

c. 20 Pounds of Tobacco

The Virginia laws, passed in 1642 penalized anyone sheltering a

runaway slave 20 pounds of tobacco for each night of refuge granted.

19. What were the names of the two Blacks who accompanied George

Washington during his famous trip across the Delaware?

a. Sam Oliver and John Brown

b. Washington Smith and Salem Poor

c. Prince Whipple and Oliver Cromwell

In 1776, two blacks, Prince Whipple and Oliver Cromwell, crossed the

Delaware with George Washington enroute to an attack on the British

in Trenton, New Jersey.

20. In what year did the last state north of the Mason-Dixon Line to

pass a slave emancipation law?

a. 1754

b. 1804

c. 1900

New Jersey, in 1804, become the last state north of the Mason Dixon

line to pass a slave emancipation law.