They Fought Against Slavery Trivia Quiz

Answer: Denmark Vessey

Denmark Vessey had managed to buy his freedom and supported himself as a carpenter. In July of 1822, Vessey with about 80 others, planned to take over Charleston. However, he was betrayed, and the rebellion never even had a chance to start. There has been recent evidence that perhaps Vessey was framed for the incident.

Answer: False

Slave Gabriel Prosser developed a plan to overthrow white rule in Richmond. Called "Gabriel's Rebellion", it was unsuccessful because it was betrayed by a deserter and the rebels were hampered by rains. Prosser was eventually executed for his plan.

Answer: Moses

She led over 300 slaves to freedom. Towards the end of her life, Tubman boasted, "I never run my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger." Harriet Tubman was so successful that southern slave owners offered a $40,000 reward for her capture. A little known fact: Harriet Tubman suffered from narcolepsy.

Answer: Nat Turner

In August of 1831, Turner and seven other slaves killed the entire Travis family with axes and hatchets. Afterwards, Turner and his followers began terrorizing other plantations in he area. In November of that year, Turner and 16 of his followers were executed.

Answer: The Liberator

Garrison began publishing his paper in 1831. Garrison denounced moderation in the fight against slavery, and he proclaimed his committment to freedom when he said, "I am in earnest--I will not equivocate--I will not excuse--I will not retreat a single inch--AND I WILL BE HEARD." Garrison also founded the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1833.

Answer: Yes

Sojourner Truth was given her freedom in 1827 and changed her name in the early 1840s. She felt that her life mission was to travel around the country telling the truth about slavery and God. She was a powerful speaker for the anti-slavery movement. She also spoke out for women's rights.

Answer: John Brown

In 1855, John Brown and his sons traveled into the Kansas Territory to help the Free Soilers against the pro-slavers. In the fight, Brown and his sons killed five pro-slavery settlers. They were never arrested for the Pottawatomie Massacre. In 1859, Brown hoped to lead slaves in a revolt at Harper's Ferry.

The planned rebellion failed when no slaves showed up to join Brown, and he was surrounded at the federal arsenal in Harper's Ferry. He was later executed for the planned uprising.

Answer: No

Most men weren't happy with the idea of women playing an active public role in the anti-slavery movement. This may have been because many of these same women also campaigned for women's rights. One exception to this was William Lloyd Garrison who encouraged women such as Sarah and Angelina Grimke to speak at anti-slavery rallies.

Answer: Liberia

While members of the American Colonization Society felt slavery was wrong, they didn't necessarily want equality for free blacks. Their solution was to establish a country for African-Americans. Only about 1,400 free and once-enslaved African-Americans migrated to Liberia. (Sierra Leone was a British colony.

The capital, Freetown, was colonized in 1787 for freed slaves from British colonies such as Nova Scotia. When in 1808 Britain began to suppress the transatlantic slave trade, the hinterland of Freetown was also colonized, and slaves found on slave trading vessels were taken there. For some decades after 1808 it was, in effect, a dumping-ground for freed slaves.

Answer: Uncle Tom's Cabin

More specifically, when Lincoln met author Harriet Beecher Stowe he said "So, this is the little lady that started this great big war." This was in reference to Stowe's novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin". The book outraged southern slave owners and encouraged northerners to join the abolitionist movement.