Question

and policy positions led to significant financial hardship, as white people refused to come to his business during and after his time in office. robert smalls was born into slavery in south carolina and worked as a longshoreman in charleston. during the war, he escaped with a confederate ship, turning it over to the union navy and gaining his freedom. his actions helped convince abraham lincoln to allow black people to join the u.s. military. after the war, smalls helped found the south carolina republican party, eventually becoming a state and national congressman. which of the following statements about black politicians are supported by the examples above? select three. they came from both enslaved and free backgrounds. they often supported the union during the civil war and the republican party after the war. they were among the wealthiest black people in the united states at the time. they faced significant challenges while in office due to their race.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option against the text:

1. "They came from both enslaved and free backgrounds."

Robert Smalls was born into slavery. If there’s another Black politician (implied by "examples above," though only Smalls is detailed here, the option’s generality about "both" fits historical context of Black politicians in this era—some enslaved, some free.

1. "They often supported the Union during the Civil War and the Republican Party after the war."

Smalls escaped with a Confederate ship, turned it over to the Union (supported Union), and helped found the South Carolina Republican Party (supported GOP after war). This aligns.

1. "They were among the wealthiest Black people in the United States at the time."

The text mentions financial hardship for a politician (white people boycotted his business) and Smalls’ background as a longshoreman/slave—no indication of wealth. This is unsupported.

1. "They faced significant challenges while in office due to their race."

The text states a politician faced "significant financial hardship" because white people refused to patronize his business (due to his race/positions). This aligns with racial challenges in office.

Answer:

A. They came from both enslaved and free backgrounds.
B. They often supported the Union during the Civil War and the Republican Party after the war.
D. They faced significant challenges while in office due to their race.