exam 2 short answer

How did maroon societies show both examples of conservatism and resistance? What circumstances led to this?

• Maroon societies were clear examples of resistance because they were formed by enslaved people who escaped, established autonomous communities, and defended themselves against colonial powers. They often raided plantations, aided other runaways, and maintained African cultural practices.

• At the same time, maroons could be conservative in their survival strategies. To secure autonomy, some groups made treaties with colonial authorities that required them to return future runaways, effectively reinforcing slavery. This conservatism arose from the need to maintain their fragile independence and avoid total destruction by colonial forces.

What were the last countries in the Americas to end slavery

The last countries to abolish slavery were Cuba (1886) and Brazil (1888), with Brazil enacting the "Golden Law" as the final legal step in ending slavery in the Americas.

How did apprenticeship programs extend White control over Black labor?

After emancipation, apprenticeship programs (such as in the British Caribbean) forced freedpeople to continue working for their former enslavers under exploitative conditions. Though they were technically free, they were required to labor for a set number of years, often without fair wages. Planters used these programs to maintain economic and social dominance over Black workers, delaying their full independence.

What examples does Gomez use to argue that “preservation and destruction of life may have both been consistent with resistance” (p. 122)?

• Preservation of Life: Raising families, passing down cultural traditions, and simply surviving were acts of defiance against a system designed to dehumanize and exploit. Enslaved people who formed families and communities actively resisted the erasure of their identities.

• Destruction of Life: Some enslaved women practiced abortion or infanticide, either to prevent their children from enduring slavery or to deny enslavers new laborers. Additionally, suicides—sometimes interpreted as a spiritual “return to Africa”—were acts of ultimate resistance against the dehumanization of slavery.

Andrew Johnson’s Positions on Newly Freed Blacks and Former Confederates:

• Johnson, who became president after Lincoln's assassination, opposed granting full rights to newly freed Blacks. He believed in states' rights and did not support Black suffrage, arguing that it was a matter for individual states to decide.

• He was lenient toward former Confederates, granting widespread pardons and allowing many Southern leaders to regain power. His Reconstruction policies allowed Southern states to enact Black Codes, which restricted the freedoms of African Americans.

Radical Republicans’ Positions on Newly Freed Blacks and Former Confederates:

• The Radical Republicans wanted full civil rights and political participation for newly freed Blacks, including voting rights and equal protection under the law.

• They strongly opposed Johnson’s lenient approach toward former Confederates and pushed for harsher punishments for those who led the rebellion. They passed the Reconstruction Acts, which placed the South under military rule and required states to grant Black men the right to vote before rejoining the Union.

How Black Codes Attempted to Recreate Conditions of Slavery:

• Black Codes were laws passed by Southern states to limit the freedom of African Americans and maintain white supremacy.

• They restricted Black people’s ability to own property, sign contracts, travel freely, or testify against white people in court.

• Many codes forced Black individuals into labor contracts, and if they refused, they could be arrested and sentenced to work for white employers, resembling slavery.