Practice Quiz

CLEP US History I

Category - Politics

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The slaves being transported to America on the slave ship Amistad took over the ship and successfully demanded their freedom in 1831 based upon which of the following arguments?
  1. The slave trade had been banned internationally, so their captivity was illegal.
  2. Slavery went against the basic tenants of Christianity.
  3. Legally, they were stolen property and therefore no profit should be made from of them.
  4. If they had not overtaken the ship, pirates would have.
  5. If the ship had been headed for the American North, they would not have been slaves.
Explanation
Answer: A - The captives on the Amistad argued that, since the slave trade had been banned internationally, their captivity was illegal. This argument won them their freedom since most countries, including the United States, had outlawed the international trade. As their case illustrates, the law was largely ignored and slave continued to be smuggled into the United States. The case did nothing to improve the status of slaves within the United States, but was a small step in the long process toward he abolition of slavery.
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