Spirituals, Douglass, Lincoln, and Lee

1
Spirituals, Douglass, Lincoln, and Lee

• p. 361-370

2
For black people of the period, what did
spirituals become?

• A form of poetry reflecting their language,
  music, and concerns

3
What double meaning did some spirituals have?

• Some were signal songs used to convey messages
  that overseers would not understand.

4
In the context of slavery in the South, provide
an interpretation for each of the following
references from Go Down, Moses.

• Egypt
• Pharoah
• My people

• the South
• the overseer or owner
• the slaves themselves

5
Again in the context of slavery in the South,
provide an interpretation for each of the
following references from Swing Low, Sweet
Chariot.

• The chariot
• The river Jordan

• the underground railroad
• the Mississippi River

6
Briefly explain why the allusions in the
spirituals are primarily religious.

• Religion is important in the lives of the slaves.

7
Who was the person described as the Moses who
returned to the South to lead the slaves to
freedom?

• Harriet Tubman

8
What hope did spirituals give to the oppressed
black people?

• Salvation and earthly freedom

9
What is the main subject in Go Down, Moses?

• Moses freeing his people from bondage

10
What was the home referred to in Swing Low,
Sweet Chariot?

• The North or heaven

11
Frederick Douglass
12
How did Frederick Douglass celebrate his entrance
into manhood?

• By escaping from slavery

13
List three ways in which Douglass helped the
abolitionist cause.

• He lectured in its behalf at home and abroad.
• He worked for the underground railroad.
• He published the North Star, an influential black
  newspaper.

14
from My Bondage and My Freedom
15
What did the command Make a noise mean?

• It commanded the slaves to sing.

16
What comparison does Douglass make between the
songs of the slaves and those he heard in Ireland
during the famine in 1845-1846?

• In both he heard the same wailing notes.

17
What conception of slavery does Douglass trace to
the songs he heard when he was a slave?

• dehumanizing

18
According to Douglass, what were the slaves on
the plantations encouraged to do?

• sing

19
What was the tone of the singing of the slaves on
the plantations?

• melancholy

20
What was the type of singing done on allowance
day?

• Improvised songs

21
According to Douglass, what was the worst effect
of bondage?

• Destroyed ones soul

22
Name three facts found in the autobiography of
Douglass.

• He once had been owned by a Colonel Lloyd.
• He often did not understand the slaves songs.
• He found that slave songs and Irish songs had
  something in common.

23
Abraham Lincoln
24
What was the Missouri Compromise, and why did its
repeal revive Lincolns interest in politics?

• The Missouri Compromise maintained a balance
  between the admission of free and slave states to
  the Union.
• Its repeal raised Lincolns desire to preserve
  the Union.

25
In the context of American literature, how are
Jefferson and Lincoln alike?

• Their writings have a permanent place in American
  literature.

26
The Gettysburg Address
27
In terms of time, what is the structural
progression of Lincolns speech?

• It begins with the past, turns to the present,
  and looks to the future.

28
In the opening paragraph, Lincoln speaks of the
nations birth. What rebirth does he speak of in
the final paragraph?

• The rebirth of freedom

29
What was the occasion for The Gettysburg
Address?

• The dedication of a national military cemetery

30
Why did President Lincoln believe that in a
larger sense the Gettysburg groundcould not be
consecrated or hallowed?

• The ground had already been consecrated

31
What was the great task remaining?

• Upholding the principles of the Constitution

32
Name three speech techniques found in The
Gettysburg Address.

• Precision and balance
• Clear logic
• Simple, eloquent diction

33
Robert E. Lee
34
What reason did Lee give for refusing Lincolns
offer to command the Union forces?

• His wish not to take part in an invasion of the
  South

35
In peace, what advice did Lee offer the South?

• To create a new and better life within the Union

36
What does Lee say to his son in his letter?

• That he received Everetts Life of Washington
• He agrees with his son that the South has
  grievances.

37
What does Lee feel that the North has done to the
South?

• Infringed on the rights of the states

38
How does Lee feel about the Constitution?

• That the people who took such pains in its
  writing did not intend for it to be broken
• Reverence
• That it should be considered until there are no
  other constitutional options

39
With what does Lee equate secession?

• Revolution

40
What similar feelings did Lincoln and Lee have in
regard to the Union?

• Both believed in the sanctity of the Union.

41
Identify and briefly explain the conflict Lee
describes in Letter to His Son.

• Lee loves the South and the Union he does not
  want to choose between the two.

42
What does Lees remark that we are between a
state of anarchy and civil war indicate?

• The newspaper tells of states leaving the Union
  and others that intend to leave. The country is
  falling apart.
• It also indicates that no battles had been fought
  as yet.

43
To what did Lee mainly show his loyalty?

• His state (Virginia)

44
As an American citizen and army officer, what did
Lee intend to do for the immediate present?

• Be patient and await the decision of his state