study questions for: slavery in the united...

ECON 40413 U.S. Economic History I: The Founding Eras John Lovett

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Study Questions for:

Slavery in the United States

Readings: Class notes & handouts 1) Walton, Gary and Hugh Rockoff. 2011. History of the American Economy.

Cengage. Chapter 13, pp 219 - 238. 2) Wright, Gavin. 2003. “Slavery and American Agricultural History”. Agricultural

History, 77(4). Norton. pp 527 – 552. 3) Kornblith. Gary. 2007. Slavery and Sectional Strife in the Early American Republic,

1776- 1821. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers . pp 31 - 60.

Objective/Short answer questions

1. How, prior to 1680, did Virginia get most of her labor? a. imported slaves b. the natural increase (i.e. reproduction) of existing slaves c. indentured servants from Europe d. “freeborn” laborers from Europe paying their own passage e. the “press gang” labor market f. “headwright” labor; labor receiving a subsidy from the British government

2. The year is 1640. A laborer has just arrived in colonial Virginia from overseas. According

to our lectures and readings, this person is most likely a(n): a. slave from Africa b. Native American slave from the

Carolinas

c. indentured servant from Europe d. free laborer from Europe

3. The year is 1720. A laborer has just arrived in colonial Virginia from overseas. According to our lectures and readings, this person is most likely a(n): a. slave from Africa b. Native American slave from the

Carolinas

c. indentured servant from Europe d. free laborer from Europe

4. Indentured servitude was a system in which: a. European laborers agree to work for an employer in the New World for X years in return

for passage to the New World b. some European laborers cannot not leave their lord’s employment without permission.

This “indentured obligation” lasts the worker’s entire life. c. most slaves are domestic servants rather than agricultural workers. Slavery, while present is

more limited than in “plantation economies”. d. Land owners receive land in exchange for yearly service to the proprietor of a colony.

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5. According to the Galenson reading, what caused the decline of indentured servitude in the American colonies?

a. The primogeniture system, a system in which colonial governments gave land to settlers who paid their costs of passage

b. The headwright system, a system in which colonial governments gave land to settlers who paid their costs of passage

c. A Parliamentary bill banning the coercive ownership of an Englishman’s labor. d. Rising English incomes and falling costs of passage e. Typhoid, yellow fever, and other diseases.

6. Colony Alpha’s primary export product sells for $2/lb in the home country. Colony Beta’s product sells for $4/lb in the home country. Both products cost the same amount to produce. a. Alpha is the more likely to have slavery. b. Beta is the more likely to have slavery. c. There is likely to be no difference between the two when it comes to slavery. The $/lb of the

export product is likely to have no effect on the prevalence of slavery.

7. In colony Ahh, there is a large indigenous population (ex. lots of Native Americans). There are lots of natives in colony Ahh when the colonizers arrive. In colony Beh, there are few indigenous persons. There are few natives in colony Beh when the colonizers arrive. a. Ahh is the more likely to have slavery. b. Beh is the more likely to have slavery. c. There is likely to be no difference between the two when it comes to slavery. The native

population density is likely to have no effect on the prevalence of slavery.

8. In colony A, the minimum efficient scale for A’s export product occurs when 3 laborers are used. In colony B, the minimum efficient scale for B’s export product occurs when 6 laborers are used. In colony C, the minimum efficient scale occurs when 12 laborers are used. a. A is the most likely to have slavery. b. B is the most likely to have slavery. c. C is the most likely to have slavery. d. There is likely to be no difference between the three when it comes to slavery.

Minimum efficient scale is likely to have no effect on the prevalence of slavery.

9. Colony Aleph has a healthy climate. Colony Beth’s climate is very unhealthy. a. Aleph is the more likely to have slavery. b. Beth is the more likely to have slavery. c. There is likely to be no difference between the two when it comes to slavery. Climate is likely to

have no effect on the prevalence of slavery.

10. Iotastan is a Dutch colony.1 Iotastan has a harsh climate and has traditionally relied on indentured servants from Europe for labor. Recently, the incomes of all Europeans have risen considerably. How is this likely to affect Iotastan’s labor situation? a. Iotastan is likely to use even more European indentured labor. b. Iotastan is likely to switch more toward free European labor. c. Iotastan is likely to switch more toward African slave labor.

1 Although it still has the central Asian suffix.


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11. The two colonies of Unostan and Dosistan can both produce sugar. Unostan has a culture

and religion that encourages small, nuclear, families. Dosistan, however has a religion and culture that embraces large, extended, families and polyamory (the practice of multiple marriage partners). The result is that the average household in Dosistan has several times as many people as that of Unostan. Which colony is more likely to turn to slave labor? a. Unostan is the more likely to have slavery. b. Dosistan is the more likely to have slavery. c. There is likely to be no difference between the two when it comes to slavery. Family size,

religion, and the nature of family relationships is likely to have no effect on the prevalence of slavery.

12. Isaac is a highly skilled worker. He is a literate, master carpenter who knows rudimentary bookkeeping. Bill is an unskilled worker. He will work hard, but has no special skills. Both sign an indentured servitude contract. Who likely has a longer contract to serve? Hint: I’d use common sense and economic intuition more than going back to the Galenson reading.

a. Bill, the unskilled b. Isaac, the skilled c. Both should have the same term as long as it costs the same to ship both over.

13. Which of the following best explain why cotton became “King” in the ante-bellum U.S.

south? a. The tobacco trade was banned by the British government. U.S. tobacco lost its main market. b. Egyptian and Indian cotton was attacked by the boll weevil. Boll weevils were not in the

U.S. until well after the Civil War. c. Eli Whitney's cotton gin, and later saw gins, were invented. d. Automated spinning and weaving machines which could handle cotton fibers, were invented. e. New breeds of cotton, in particular Indian short staple, were introduced to the U.S.

14. Which of the following is the single best explanation as to why cotton became “King” in

the ante-bellum U.S. south? I'm looking for the # 1 reason. a. The tobacco trade was banned by the British government. U.S. tobacco lost its main market. b. Egyptian and Indian cotton was attacked by the boll weevil. Boll weevils were not in the

U.S. until well after the Civil War. c. Eli Whitney's cotton gin, and later saw gins, were invented. d. Automated spinning and weaving machines which could handle cotton fibers, were invented. e. New breeds of cotton, in particular Indian short staple, were introduced to the U.S.

15. Which of the following is true of the colonial and early national period (i.e. up until

about 1820)?

a. Slightly more slaves were transported from Africa to the United States than from Africa to the Caribbean.

b. Significantly more slaves were transported from Africa to the Caribbean than from Africa to the United States.

c. The majority of slaves imported in to the United were actually 2nd and 3rd generation slaves from the Caribbean (i.e. not directly from West Africa).


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16. Which of the following is true of the period around 1825?

a. Slightly more slaves lived in the United States than the Caribbean. b. Significantly more slaves lived in the Caribbean than in the United States. c. Both British and Spanish Caribbean slaves had been emancipated by 1809.

17. Which of the following are reasons, discussed in class, why slaves were emancipated in very different manners in the U.S. South as opposed to the British Caribbean? Check () each and every blank that applies.

Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes.




18. How did Southern per free capita incomes compare to much of Western Europe on the eve of the U.S. Civil War? a. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. b. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. c. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. d. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes.

19. How did Southern per free capita incomes compare to that of the U.S. North on the eve of the

U.S. Civil War? a. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. b. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. c. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. d. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes.

20. What do the above two questions suggest regarding the profitability of cotton farming and slavery? e. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. f. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. g. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. h. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes.

21. Which law explicitly prohibited the spread of slavery to certain areas?

a. the U.S. Constitution b. the “Crime of 1803” c. the Louisiana Purchase d. the Missouri Compromise of 1820e. the Compromise of 1850 f. the Kansas Statehood Act of 1862

22. Which law allowed (or at least opened the door to) “popular sovereignty” determining whether a territory would become a slave or a free state? a. the U.S. Constitution b. the “Crime of 1803” c. the Louisiana Purchase d. the Missouri Compromise of 1820d. the Compromise of 1850 f. the Kansas Statehood Act of 1862


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23. It’s 1805 and New Avalon, a little known U.S. state, has just passed a “freeborn” emancipation act. What the heck is “freeborn” emancipation? a. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. b. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. c. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. d. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes.

24. Michael is slaving living in New Avalon. He is 16 years old at the time New Avalon’s

“freeborn” emancipation act is passed. When will Michael get his freedom as a result of the act? a. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. b. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. c. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. d. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes.

25. A possible advantage of freeborn emancipation over immediate emancipation is:

a. – d. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes.

26. You go back to 1860 and convince the U.S. Congress to pass a law immediately emancipating all slaves in the United States. The law states, however, that the federal government will compensate slave owners for their loss of “property”. About how much (as a % of GDP) will the federal government have to pay? a. – e. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes.

27. You go back to 1860 and convince the U.S. Congress to pass a law immediately

emancipating all slaves in the United States. The law states, however, that the federal government will compensate slave owners for their loss of “property” and resettle the former slaves in western Africa. About how much (as a % of GDP) will the federal government have to pay? a. – e. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes.

28. You go back to 1860 and convince the U.S. Congress to pass a “freeborn” emancipating

law for the entire United States. The law states that the federal government must set aside enough money (today, i.e. 1860) to pay compensation to a slave owner each time a slave is emancipated. About how much (as a % of GDP) will the federal government have to set aside today to be able to fund the is future compensation? a. – e. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes.

29. As a % of U.S. GDP, how costly was the U.S. Civil War?

a. – e. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes. Knowing the range is more important than knowing the value form a single estimate.


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30. What does Gavin Wright, in “Slavery & American and Agricultural History”, argue regarding the feasibility of using slaves in wheat production? a. Skills required for wheat production meant wheat could never be profitably grown using slaves. a. Slaves were profitable in wheat production only within a very narrow range. Too far north

and colder weather would cause slaves to get sick. Too far south and soil nematodes would cause the slaves to get sick.

b. Slaves could help farmers guarantee they had enough labor to meet the high labor demand at harvest time. A farmer could pull all of his slaves off of other projects & into harvesting wheat.

c. If a system for renting slaves and moving them long distances could have been found, slaves would have been ideal for wheat. An owner’s band of slaves could migrate north to match the different harvest times.

d. Wheat’s high demand for labor during the harvest, and low demand for labor at other times, made it hard to efficiently use slaves year round.

31. Gavin Wright, in “Slavery & American Agricultural History”, essentially argues that the

two main things are required for slavery to thrive were: a. 1) steady, year-round labor requirements for the primary crop, and 2) a lack of markets for

insurance and other types of risk sharing. b. 1) a production process that requires “gang style” labor, 2) a production process that does not

require skilled labor. c. 1) a high dollar value for what labor can produce (as reflected in high land values), 2)

property rights (i.e. laws) which protect the “right” to own slaves. d. 1) low transportation costs for goods shipped out of the region, and 2) high transportation costs

for goods coming into the region.

32. During what time period did Slave states have a majority in the U.S. House ofRepresentatives? (You won’t have to know the exact dates, just the approximate date range.)

a. – e. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes.

33. During what time period did Slave states have a majority in the U.S. Senate? (You won’t have to know the exact dates, just the approximate date range.)

a. – e. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes.

34. Many have argued that slavery was not economically conducive to wheat production. What do these “Wheat Slavery” folks say about how well slavery fits (or doesn’t fit) the seasonality of wheat production’s labor demand?

b. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes &/or the Wright reading. c. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes &/or the Wright reading. d. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes &/or the Wright reading. e. Dang! I forgot to put in the options! Check out your class notes &/or the Wright reading.


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36 – 47. Matching. Match each law or event with a description of that law or event.

36. The Dred Scott Case 37. The Northwest Ordinance 38. Texas becomes a state 39. the Missouri compromise 40. the Compromise of 1850 41. the 3/5 Compromise 42. Delaware and Maryland … 43. Bleeding Kansas 44. the Election of Abraham

Lincoln 45. In 1784 …

a. Dang! I forgot to put in the options!

b. Dang! I forgot to put in the options!

c. Dang! I forgot to put in the options!

d. Dang! I forgot to put in the options!

e. Dang! I forgot to put in the options!

f. Dang! I forgot to put in the options!

g. Dang! I forgot to put in the options!

h. Dang! I forgot to put in the options!

i. Dang! I forgot to put in the options!

j. Dang! I forgot to put in the options!

k. Dang! I forgot to put in the options!

l. Dang! I forgot to put in the options!

m. Abe gets to slaying vampires!!

46 – 50. On the map on the following page, indicate each of the items below. 46. a region that grew a crop other than cotton that was both: a) a “slave crop”, b) not suitable for

growing in the middle and western part of the country. Hint: I’m talking rice. 47. a region that grew a different crop other than cotton that was both: a) a “slave crop”, b) not suitable

for growing in the middle and western part of the country. 48. a region that grew a different crop other than cotton that was both: a) grown using slave labor “slave

crop”, b) and suitable for growing in the middle and western part of the country. 49. a region that grew a crop other than cotton that was both: a) grown using slave labor “slave crop”, b)

and suitable for growing in the middle and western part of the country. 50. an area, within the cotton belt, in which both slavery and cotton growing were particularly profitable.


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study questions for: slavery in the united...

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