Question

Which parts of these excerpts show that slaves had no legal rights and were often betrayed by their masters?

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

by Frederick Douglass (excerpt)


A) all remained slaves, from the youngest to the oldest

B )if any one thing in my experience, more than another, served to deepen my conviction of the infernal character of slavery, and of slaveholders, it was their based ingratitude to my poor old grandmother

C) she had served my old master faithfully from youth to old age

D) She was nevertheless a slave—a slave for life—a slave in the hands of strangers; and in their hands she saw her children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren, divided like so many sheep, without being gratified with the small privilege of a single word as to their or her own destiny.


Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

by Harriet Ann Jacobs (excerpt)


E) He was a bright, handsome lad, nearly white; for he inherited the complexion my grandmother had derived from Anglo-Saxon ancestors.

F) seven hundred and twenty dollars were paid for him.

G) he had laid up three hundred dollars, which her mistress one day begged as a loan, promising to pay her soon

H) no promise or writing given to a slave is legally binding

I) according to Southern laws, a slave, being property, can hold no property.

Answer 1

Answer: B: If any one thing in my experience, more than another, served to deepen my conviction of the infernal character of slavery, and to fill me with unutterable loathing of slaveholders, it was their base ingratitude to my poor old grandmother.

& H: promise or writing given to a slave is legally binding;

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

The correct answers are as follows:
1. For the first excerpt, the statement that shows that slaves have no legal rights and they are often betrayed by their masters is the statement in OPTIONS B.
From the statement, it can be seen that, even though the grandmother slave served her master faithfully and loyally all through the days of her life, yet she remained a slave, someone who does not have any say in what happens to her and she also get mistreated by her master despite her faithfulness.
2. For the second excerpt, the statement which shows that slaves possess no legal right is the one given in OPTION H.
This statement implies that, the slave masters are under no obligation to fulfill any promise, which they make to their slaves. Even, if the agreement is a written one, it still does not have the power to force the slave master to do that which has been promised. This means that, slaves can be treated anyhow without any fear of legal repercussion.