Four famous documents read closely: Douglass 1852, a fireside chat, the Declaration of Sentiments, a Birmingham letter summary

Grade 11 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Douglass ends with hope

   Who made it: Frederick Douglass, a speaker against slavery. When: July 5, 1852. Where: Corinthian Hall, Rochester, New York. For whom: 500 to 600 people at a celebration run by the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society. Why: to say what the Fourth of July meant to enslaved people. Excerpt (Oration at Rochester; pamphlet, 1852, p. 38): "I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope. While drawing encouragement from "the Declaration of Independence," the great principles it contains, and the genius [spirit] of American Institutions, my spirit is also cheered by the obvious tendencies of the age." Source card "Roosevelt asks for faith". Who made it: Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States. When: March 12, 1933. Where: the White House, Washington, D.C.. For whom: radio listeners across the country. Why: to explain the bank holiday and ask people to trust the reopened banks. Excerpt (Radio address on the banking crisis; Public Papers, 1938, item 16, about p. 65): "You people must have faith; you must not be stampeded [rushed into panic] by rumors or guesses. Let us unite in banishing fear. We have provided the machinery to restore our financial system; it is up to you to support and make it work. It is your problem no less than it is mine." Limits: A speech shows what the president said and asked; it does not show what listeners did next.

2. 1.

   Jun compares Douglass (1852), who ends with hope, and Roosevelt (1933), who asks for faith. Which comparison do the excerpts support best?

   • Both look ahead with confidence; Douglass rests it on principles, Roosevelt on rebuilt machinery
   • Both speak to audiences that are already convinced of the speaker's case and need no persuasion
   • Douglass offers no hope while Roosevelt offers hope, so the two speakers directly conflict with each other
   • Both rest their hope on the Declaration of Independence and the American institutions

3. Douglass on a citizen's opinion

   Who made it: Frederick Douglass, a speaker against slavery. When: July 5, 1852. Where: Corinthian Hall, Rochester, New York. For whom: 500 to 600 people at a celebration run by the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society. Why: to say what the Fourth of July meant to enslaved people. Excerpt (Oration at Rochester; pamphlet, 1852, p. 36): "I hold that every American citizen has a right to form an opinion of the constitution, and to propagate [spread] that opinion, and to use all honorable means to make his opinion the prevailing one." Source card "Letter from Birmingham Jail, in brief". Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: On April 12, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, for leading a march that broke a court order against the protests. On April 16, in the city jail, he wrote a long letter. It answered a statement by eight white Birmingham clergymen, printed in the Birmingham News, that criticized the protests and asked for law and order. The letter was copied and passed around, then printed as a pamphlet and in magazines from May 1963. Its main points, in our words: Black Americans had been told for years to wait, and waiting had brought no change; a law used to keep segregation in place is unjust, and refusing it can be right; peaceful marches were meant to build pressure until city leaders agreed to talk; the bigger obstacle was moderate white people who put calm ahead of justice; and what happens in one city affects people everywhere. Context: King's letter is still under copyright, so this sheet gives its ideas in our words and does not quote it.

4. 2.

   Pia reads Douglass's claim that a citizen may use "all honorable means" to make an opinion prevail. Which idea in the Birmingham summary is closest?

   • That a citizen should obey any law, even an unjust one, until the law is repealed
   • That open, peaceful pressure, like marches, can be a legitimate way to move leaders
   • That moderate allies should wait patiently for leaders to act on their own
   • That a court order settles whether a public protest is honorable or not in the end

5. Roosevelt on confidence

   Who made it: Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States. When: March 12, 1933. Where: the White House, Washington, D.C.. For whom: radio listeners across the country. Why: to explain the bank holiday and ask people to trust the reopened banks. Excerpt (Radio address on the banking crisis; Public Papers, 1938, item 16, about p. 64): "After all, there is an element in the readjustment of our financial system more important than currency, more important than gold, and that is the confidence of the people. Confidence and courage are the essentials of success in carrying out our plan." Source card "After the radio talk, in brief". Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: In the talk, Roosevelt said that the banks of the twelve cities with a Federal Reserve Bank would open again the next day, March 13, 1933. Banks in about 250 more cities reopened on March 14. By March 15, banks holding 90 percent of the country's banking resources were open again, and deposits far exceeded withdrawals. Some 4,000 banks never reopened.

6. 3.

   Milo tests Roosevelt's claim that the people's confidence mattered more than currency or gold. Which evidence on the cards tests it best?

   • The rise in deposits, which shows that confidence alone fixed the whole banking system
   • The 4,000 banks that stayed closed, which show confidence did not matter
   • Deposits exceeded withdrawals once banks reopened, but 4,000 banks stayed closed
   • His own words in the talk, since a President would not exaggerate to listeners

7. Seneca Falls, July 1848, in brief

   Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: About 300 people attended the Seneca Falls convention on July 19 and 20, 1848. Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted the Declaration of Sentiments with Mary Ann M'Clintock, and 100 of those present signed it. Source card "The vote resolution at Seneca Falls, in brief". Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Of the resolutions at Seneca Falls, only the ninth, which urged women to secure the right to vote, was not adopted by everyone. Some who spoke feared that asking for the vote would hurt their other demands and make the movement look foolish. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Frederick Douglass argued for it, and it passed by a small majority. Source card "The Declaration of Sentiments makes its demand". Who made it: Elizabeth Cady Stanton with Mary Ann M'Clintock; signed by 100 women and men. When: July 1848. Where: Seneca Falls, New York. For whom: the convention and the public. Why: to list women's complaints and demand their rights. Excerpt (Declaration of Sentiments; History of Woman Suffrage, 1881, p. 71): "Now, in view of this entire disfranchisement [being kept from voting] of one-half the people of this country, … we insist that they have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of the United States." Context: History of Woman Suffrage, which prints this text, was compiled by Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Matilda Joslyn Gage and printed in 1881. Limits: The 1881 printing and the text on the National Park Service's site differ slightly in punctuation and a few words.

8. 4.

   A student says everyone at Seneca Falls agreed on the demand for the vote. Zee reads the cards. Which evidence answers that claim best?

   • The 100 signatures out of about 300 attendees, which show 200 people disagreed
   • The words "we insist," which show that the delegates were firm and united on it
   • The 19th Amendment of 1920, which shows the demand became law much later
   • The ninth resolution, on the vote, was not adopted by everyone and passed narrowly

9. Douglass does not despair

   Who made it: Frederick Douglass, a speaker against slavery. When: July 5, 1852. Where: Corinthian Hall, Rochester, New York. For whom: 500 to 600 people at a celebration run by the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society. Why: to say what the Fourth of July meant to enslaved people. Excerpt (Oration at Rochester; pamphlet, 1852, p. 37): "Allow me to say, in conclusion, notwithstanding [in spite of] the dark picture I have this day presented, of the state of the nation, I do not despair of this country. There are forces in operation, which must inevitably, work the downfall of slavery." Context: The Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society, his hosts, asked for one hundred printed copies of the speech. Limits: The pamphlet records what Douglass said to listeners who supported him; it does not show how other Americans responded. Source card "Douglass ends with hope". Who made it: Frederick Douglass, a speaker against slavery. When: July 5, 1852. Where: Corinthian Hall, Rochester, New York. For whom: 500 to 600 people at a celebration run by the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society. Why: to say what the Fourth of July meant to enslaved people. Excerpt (Oration at Rochester; pamphlet, 1852, p. 38): "I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope. While drawing encouragement from "the Declaration of Independence," the great principles it contains, and the genius [spirit] of American Institutions, my spirit is also cheered by the obvious tendencies of the age."

10. 5.

    A student says Douglass's closing hope shows he thought the nation was just. What should Kira answer?

    • He calls his picture dark, and bases his hope on forces expected to end slavery
    • His hope means he expected slavery to end within a year or two of the speech
    • The closing belongs to a different speech from the one with the dark picture
    • He says he does not despair, so he approves of the nation as it then stood

11. The Rochester speech, in brief

    Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: Rochester, New York. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: The Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Sewing Society invited Frederick Douglass to speak. He agreed on one condition: that he speak on July 5, not July 4. About 500 to 600 people came to Corinthian Hall. Afterward the Society asked him for one hundred printed copies, and the speech came out as a pamphlet in 1852. Source card "Douglass asks why he was invited". Who made it: Frederick Douglass, a speaker against slavery. When: July 5, 1852. Where: Corinthian Hall, Rochester, New York. For whom: 500 to 600 people at a celebration run by the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society. Why: to say what the Fourth of July meant to enslaved people. Excerpt (Oration at Rochester; pamphlet, 1852, p. 14): "pardon me, allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here to-day? What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied [written] in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?"

12. 6.

    A student uses the 1852 pamphlet text as proof of exactly what Douglass said aloud. What should Luz add?

    • The pamphlet matches exactly, because Douglass was present when it was printed
    • The pamphlet has little value, because Douglass did not print it himself
    • The pamphlet is a summary by the Society, so it merely sketches what he said
    • It is a published text; the card does not say whether it matches his spoken words

13. Roosevelt opens the talk

    Who made it: Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States. When: March 12, 1933. Where: the White House, Washington, D.C.. For whom: radio listeners across the country. Why: to explain the bank holiday and ask people to trust the reopened banks. Excerpt (Radio address on the banking crisis; Public Papers, 1938, item 16, about p. 61): "I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about banking — with the comparatively few who understand the mechanics of banking but more particularly with the overwhelming majority who use banks for the making of deposits and the drawing of checks." Context: The banks had been closed since March 6, 1933.

14. 7.

    Tala sees that the excerpt comes from a printed volume of Roosevelt's papers from 1938. What should Tala remember about judging how the talk felt to listeners in 1933?

    • The volume was edited in 1938, so the words were changed to suit events since 1933
    • The page shows his words but not his voice, his pace or listeners' reactions
    • The page is a transcript made by listeners, so it records how they reacted
    • The 1938 volume shows how listeners reacted to the talk when it was printed in 1938

15. Letter from Birmingham Jail, in brief

    Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: On April 12, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, for leading a march that broke a court order against the protests. On April 16, in the city jail, he wrote a long letter. It answered a statement by eight white Birmingham clergymen, printed in the Birmingham News, that criticized the protests and asked for law and order. The letter was copied and passed around, then printed as a pamphlet and in magazines from May 1963. Its main points, in our words: Black Americans had been told for years to wait, and waiting had brought no change; a law used to keep segregation in place is unjust, and refusing it can be right; peaceful marches were meant to build pressure until city leaders agreed to talk; the bigger obstacle was moderate white people who put calm ahead of justice; and what happens in one city affects people everywhere. Context: King's letter is still under copyright, so this sheet gives its ideas in our words and does not quote it.

16. 8.

    Esme's note says this sheet quotes King's letter on waiting. What should the note say?

    • The note is right, since the card lists the main points that the letter made
    • It summarizes the letter in our words and quotes none of King's wording
    • The note is right, but the quoted lines are shortened to save room on the page
    • The sheet quotes the eight clergymen's statement instead of quoting King himself

17. The Rochester speech, in brief

    Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: Rochester, New York. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: The Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Sewing Society invited Frederick Douglass to speak. He agreed on one condition: that he speak on July 5, not July 4. About 500 to 600 people came to Corinthian Hall. Afterward the Society asked him for one hundred printed copies, and the speech came out as a pamphlet in 1852.

18. 9.

    Noah's note says Douglass gave his speech on July 4 at the celebration. What should the note say?

    • He spoke on July 6, the day after the holiday, because the Society needed a free hall
    • He spoke on July 5, 1852, a date he made a condition of accepting
    • He spoke on July 5, 1853, a year after the Society invited him
    • He spoke on July 4, but the pamphlet was dated July 5

19. Seneca Falls, July 1848, in brief

    Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: About 300 people attended the Seneca Falls convention on July 19 and 20, 1848. Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted the Declaration of Sentiments with Mary Ann M'Clintock, and 100 of those present signed it. Source card "Four documents, in brief". Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: The Declaration of Sentiments was written mainly by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, working with Mary Ann M'Clintock, and signed by 100 women and men at Seneca Falls, New York, in July 1848. Frederick Douglass gave a speech in Corinthian Hall, Rochester, New York, on July 5, 1852. President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke on the radio from the White House on March 12, 1933, about the banks; he gave about 30 such talks in all. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a long letter in the city jail of Birmingham, Alabama, on April 16, 1963.

20. 10.

    Ari's note says 300 people signed the Declaration of Sentiments. What should the note say?

    • 300 signed it, since the people who attended the convention supported it
    • 100 attended the convention, and 300 signed it afterward in other towns
    • Women signed it, one hundred of them, and the men present did not sign
    • About 300 attended the convention, and 100 of those present signed it