Question

decide whether each statement is true or false. the first africans were brought to jamestown, virginia, in 1619. they were classified as indentured servants. manumission was when a slave took their freedom by force from their master. the invention of the cotton gin did not have a profound effect on the institution of slavery in the southern states. though house slaves typically enjoyed more comforts, they sometimes suffered from being closer in proximity to their slave holder. enslaved persons dreaded being “sold down the river” because they often would never see their loved ones again. marriage was the only legal contract into which enslaved persons could enter.

Explanation:

1. In 1619, the first Africans were brought to Jamestown, Virginia and were initially classified as indentured servants. So the first statement is true.
2. Manumission is the act of a slave - owner freeing a slave, not a slave taking freedom by force. So the second statement is false.
3. The cotton gin increased the demand for cotton and thus increased the demand for slave labor in the Southern states. So the third statement is false.
4. House slaves had more comforts but also faced more personal abuse due to proximity to slave - holders. So the fourth statement is true.
5. "Sold down the river" meant being sold to harsher plantations further south, often separating enslaved people from loved ones. So the fifth statement is true.
6. Enslaved persons could not enter into any legal contracts, including marriage. So the sixth statement is false.

Answer:

1. True
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. True
6. False