Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyGendered Dimensions of Slavery and Resistance

Read the following excerpt from Sojourner Truth’s speech at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in 1851:

'I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man—when I could get it—and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me!'

Based on this excerpt, which of the following statements best describes the dual exploitation faced by enslaved women?

  1. They performed the same grueling physical labor as men while also suffering the gender-specific trauma of having their children legally taken from them.Answer
  2. B
    They were exempted from heavy agricultural field labor under the legal doctrine of *partus sequitur ventrem* to focus solely on raising children.
  3. C
    They resisted their condition exclusively through public speeches and legal appeals, refusing to engage in everyday forms of resistance.
  4. D
    They were legally protected from physical violence and the domestic slave trade by early colonial codes that immediately outlawed the separation of families.

Answer

They performed the same grueling physical labor as men while also suffering the gender-specific trauma of having their children legally taken from them.
The correct answer is the statement that enslaved women performed grueling physical labor similar to men while also suffering the maternal trauma of having their children sold. This is directly supported by Sojourner Truth's description of her agricultural work ('ploughed and planted') and her grief over her children being sold ('seen most all sold off').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided historical excerpt from Sojourner Truth's 1851 speech.
Identify the two main points of exploitation mentioned: performing heavy labor ('ploughed and planted... work as much... as a man') and experiencing reproductive/maternal loss ('borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off').
To understand the specific forms of exploitation Truth is highlighting.
2
Relate these points to the historical context of the gendered dimensions of American chattel slavery.
Recognize that enslaved women were subjected to both standard plantation field labor and gender-specific reproductive exploitation.
To connect the primary source evidence to the learning objective.
3
Evaluate the answer choices to find the one that accurately summarizes this dual exploitation while avoiding common historical misconceptions.
Select the option stating that they performed the same physical labor as men while suffering the maternal trauma of family separation.
To identify the correct response that aligns with the historical evidence in the text.

Key Concept

The dual exploitation of enslaved women through physical labor and reproductive control/family separation.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Gendered Dimensions of Slavery and Resistance

More questions from this topic