- 1. Slavery by Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon is a powerful and poignant exploration of the post-Civil War era in the United States, particularly focusing on the insidious continuation of slavery practices through convict leasing and forced labor systems that emerged in the South. Blackmon meticulously documents how, despite the abolition of slavery, many African Americans faced a new form of bondage that was perpetuated through oppressive legal structures and exploitative economic systems. The book highlights the stories of individuals who were wrongfully imprisoned and subsequently sold into labor, revealing the stark realities of how racial discrimination and societal indifference enabled this system to thrive well into the 20th century. By combining extensive research with compelling narratives, Blackmon illustrates the deep-rooted legacy of racism and the ongoing repercussions of these historical injustices, urging readers to confront the uncomfortable truths about America's past and its connections to contemporary issues of inequality and civil rights.
What loophole in the 13th Amendment allowed forced labor to continue?
A) Except as punishment for a crime
B) Except in border states
C) Except for agricultural work
D) Except during wartime
- 2. What were Black men commonly arrested for to supply convict labor?
A) Treason and espionage
B) Vagrancy and minor offenses
C) Tax evasion
D) Copyright infringement
- 3. Which industry heavily relied on convict leasing in Alabama?
A) Coal mining
B) Shipbuilding
C) Textile manufacturing
D) Automobile production
- 4. What Pulitzer Prize did the book win in 2009?
A) General Nonfiction
B) Biography
C) Investigative Reporting
D) History
- 5. What was the 'peonage' system described in the book?
A) Military service requirements
B) Voluntary apprenticeship programs
C) Government work programs
D) Forced labor to pay off debts
- 6. Which US President finally ended the convict leasing system?
A) Harry Truman
B) Franklin D. Roosevelt
C) Theodore Roosevelt
D) Woodrow Wilson
- 7. What was a common fate of convict laborers?
A) Promotion to supervisory roles
B) Early release for good behavior
C) Transfer to northern factories
D) Death from dangerous working conditions
- 8. How were Black women affected by these labor systems?
A) They organized resistance movements
B) They were exempt from forced labor
C) They only worked in domestic service
D) They were also forced into labor
- 9. What role did local law enforcement play in this system?
A) Investigated labor abuses
B) Provided legal representation
C) Protected Black workers' rights
D) Arrested Black men on false charges
- 10. What was the relationship between Jim Crow laws and convict leasing?
A) Convict leasing ended Jim Crow
B) They were unrelated systems
C) Jim Crow enabled the legal framework for forced labor
D) Jim Crow laws prohibited forced labor
- 11. What was the primary system used to re-enslave African Americans after Reconstruction?
A) Apprenticeship programs
B) Convict leasing
C) Sharecropping contracts
D) Indentured servitude
- 12. Which company is highlighted as a major user of forced labor?
A) General Electric
B) Standard Oil
C) Ford Motor Company
D) U.S. Steel
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