Section 1

Question 1

What was the first impulse of African American literature?

Answer 1

Resist tyranny, sustained by dedication to human dignity.

Example sentence: The first impulse of African American literature was to resist tyranny.

Question 2

What ideals were African Americans articulating in the later 1700s?

Answer 2

Ideals of equality and liberty.

Additional information: The ideals of equality and liberty were established by the founders of the U.S.

Question 3

What did the ideals of Christianity and the American Revolution expose?

Answer 3

The chasm between white Americans’ words and their deeds.

Additional information: The ideals of Christianity and the American Revolution exposed the contrast between propaganda about freedom and the actual practice of slavery.

Question 4

What was the hypocrisy identified in the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 4

The hypocrisy of the ‘land of the free’ and ‘life, liberty, pursuit of happiness’.

Additional information: The Declaration of Independence highlighted the hypocrisy of claiming to be the ‘land of the free’ while practicing slavery.

Question 5

How did African Americans appeal to whites without directly confronting their prejudices?

Answer 5

By appealing to the Christian gospel of universal brotherhood.

Additional information: African Americans opened discussions with whites by appealing to the Christian gospel of universal brotherhood.

Question 6

What principle do they prioritize over politics?

Answer 6

PIETY over POLITICS: spiritual equality first, before social/political - CIVIL and RELIGIOUS liberty are intertwined

First footnote

Question 7

How did African Americans believe black social strivings were dignified?

Answer 7

God does not consider them inferior, so divine sanction dignifies black social strivings - exhorted readers to live up to the standards of their religion

Second footnote

Question 8

What motivated the African Americans to write?

Answer 8

Motivated by desire to win popular Christian readership

Question 9

What did the Europeans believe about the ability of African Americans to write?

Answer 9

Europeans believed they could not write, had to prove they could write, and through mastery of language could prove a civilized mind was qualified for respect

Question 10

What speech for violent action in the name of freedom did Patrick Henry give?

Answer 10

Patrick Henry’s “give me liberty or give me death” speech in 1775 set a precedent for violent action in the name of freedom