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Difficulty: HardGendered Dimensions of Slavery and Resistance

Read the following excerpt from Harriet Jacobs's memoir, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861):

"I resolved that I would run away... But where should I go?... I had at last found a home of my own! ... It was a garret, over my grandmother’s shed... The ceiling was only nine feet long and seven wide. The highest part was three feet high... The air was stifling... Yet here I was, in this loop-hole of retreat, for seven years. I could look out of a small hole and see my children playing in the yard... My grandmother was free, and she would protect me as far as she was able."

Which of the following historical conclusions about the gendered dimensions of resistance is best supported by the strategy described in the passage?

  1. A
    Enslaved women legally exploited the doctrine of partus sequitur ventrem to secure custody of their children during their flight from enslavement.
  2. B
    Enslaved women rejected physical flight altogether, relying instead on covert everyday actions within the domestic sphere to undermine the plantation economy.
  3. Enslaved women often utilized localized concealment and temporary flight to remain near their families, demonstrating how maternal responsibilities shaped their strategies of resistance.Answer
  4. D
    Enslaved women prioritized establishing grand maroon societies in urban areas to create permanent, self-governing communities.

Answer

Enslaved women often utilized localized concealment and temporary flight to remain near their families, demonstrating how maternal responsibilities shaped their strategies of resistance.
The correct answer is supported by the narrative of Harriet Jacobs. Her decision to hide in a garret for seven years rather than immediately fleeing north was driven by her desire to remain close to her children, demonstrating how maternal roles and familial ties shaped the distinct ways enslaved women resisted their bondage.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided historical source to identify the author's primary conflict and the actions she took.
The author (Harriet Jacobs) chose to hide in a tiny garret above her grandmother's shed for seven years to stay near her children, rather than fleeing to the North.
This establishes the factual basis of the specific resistance strategy being analyzed.
2
Relate the author's strategy to the broader historical context of gendered dimensions of slavery and resistance.
Enslaved women faced different constraints than men, particularly related to maternal responsibilities, which made long-distance escape difficult and favored localized hiding or temporary flight.
This connects the individual narrative to the systematic gender dynamics of enslavement and resistance.
3
Evaluate the options to identify which conclusion is historically accurate and supported by the source, while discarding options that misrepresent legal doctrines or historical terms.
The option concerning localized concealment and maternal responsibilities is correct, while distractors misrepresent partus sequitur ventrem, everyday resistance, and grand maroonage.
This guarantees that the chosen answer directly demonstrates mastery of the learning objective.

Key Concept

The gendered constraints and distinct strategies of resistance adopted by enslaved women, particularly the influence of motherhood and family ties on escape decisions.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Gendered Dimensions of Slavery and Resistance

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