Free Blacks: Take This Quiz (answers next week!)

What?!? Two blogs in one day??? Yep! I just want to get the ball rolling, and this is the way I start all my talks that I've given both on and off line. This blog is a quiz. Don't worry if you don't know the answer, because frankly I don't expect you to! The purpose of this quiz is to show you the difference between stereotypes concerning free Blacks in the South as a whole versus the truth. Some stereotypes may be based on fact, some not, and I'm not giving away any answers. Next Monday (April 16th), I will post the answers to the quiz. Feel free to post your answers to the quiz, or what you think the answers are, in the comments, but you don't have to. So, without further ado.....

First, I’m gonna start with just the facts. This is a transcript of a quiz I handed out at a talk I gave in February of 2006. Please note that "free people of color" refers not just to Blacks, but also to tax-paying Native Americans and any other racial minorities that happened to live in the area. Early census years did not distinguish between Blacks, Native Americans, etc. Instead races were either "white" or "other free people" and "slaves".

Section 1: Population

1. In 1790, how many free people of color were there in the South compared to the North? A). 361 in the South vs 2,031 in the North B). 3,619 in the South vs. 2,031 in the North C). 36,196 in the South vs. 20,315 in the North D). None of the above
2. Which state had the largest population of free people of color in 1790 and the second largest in 1850? A). Virginia B). North Carolina C). Maryland D). New York
3. The free people of color population of the entire state of NC in 1790 accounted for what percentage of the population? A). 54% B). 5% C). 27% D). 13%
4. In the 1850 census, North Carolina again ranked 3rd in the highest population of free people of color. Virginia was 1st, Maryland was 2nd. What was the population of free people of color in NC during the 1850 census? A). 5,362 B). 13,035 C). 75,003 D). 30,463

Section 2: Laws

1. True or False: North Carolina required all free Blacks to register statewide.
2. True or False: Free Blacks could always travel freely in and out of the state.
3. True or False: Free Blacks could always own slaves in NC.
4. True or False: North Carolina's courts always followed the letter of the law when it came to free Blacks.

So, how do you think you did? You’ll find out next Monday! Wish I could offer something to the person who gets the most right…oh wait, I AM! KNOWLEDGE