In 1960, historian Clement Eaton argued that in the pre-Civil War

Question

In 1960, historian Clement Eaton argued that in the pre-Civil War South, the occasional practice of African American slaves’ working for paying employers as well as for slaveowners was the primary means by which slaves were enabled to purchase their own freedom, because they could save whatever portion of their wages their slaveowners allowed them to keep. Research indicates, however, that slaves throughout the South raised crops in plots designated for their own use and sold wares in local markets, and that hired-out slaves did not necessarily save money more successfully than did other slaves. Yet Eaton’s viewpoint persists among historians who have inadequately considered both this research and the role of the family and community among those slaves who were most likely to purchase their own freedom, that is, those who worked in urban areas. For example, by 1850 the number of free African Americans in the District of Columbia greatly outnumbered slaves, and those free African Americans were often individually or collectively the primary agents in securing a slave’s freedom; at least one African American benevolent society— ostensibly organized to relieve the sick—was actually devoted to raising money for slaves’ self- purchase. Moreover, apart from direct monetary contributions, these free African Americans often supported the economic activities of enslaved African Americans by hiring their time, exchanging goods with them, and providing shelter for those whose work took them in and out of the city.

1. The author of the passage mentions an African American benevolent society primarily in order to

A. support a generalization about the role of free African Americans in securing freedom for other slaves in the District of Columbia before the Civil War

B. substantiate a point about the multiplicity of organizations formed by free African Americans in the District of Columbia before the Civil War

C. demonstrate ways in which free African Americans were able to help secure enslaved African Americans’ freedom apart from direct monetary contributions

D. counter the widely held view that African American slaves seeking freedom were more likely to receive assistance from individuals than from groups

E. note the success of a particular effort aimed at freeing enslaved African Americans in the District of Columbia before the Civil War

2. Based on the information in the passage, it can be inferred that the author would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about the circumstances of African American slaves before the Civil War?

A. In most urban areas African American slaves came to be outnumbered by free African Americans.
B. African American slaves increasingly came to live and work in urban rather than in rural areas.
C. Both rural and urban slaves depended primarily on the produce from their own garden plots for their sustenance.
D. Both rural and urban slaves were most likely to be able to purchase their own freedom through the assistance of family and community organizations.
E. Both slaves who were hired out and slaves who were not sometimes had opportunities to earn profits for themselves.

3. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. compare two arguments about a historical phenomenon
B. evaluate evidence related to a historical phenomenon
C. correct a misconception about a historical phenomenon
D. explain the acceptance of a new interpretation of a historical phenomenon
E. identify an underlying assumption of an argument concerning a historical phenomenon

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Show Answer Question #1

Official Answer

A

Show Answer Question #2

Official Answer

E

Show Answer Question #3

Official Answer

C

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dine5207 · Answer

1. The author of the passage mentions an African American benevolent society primarily in order to

A. support a generalization about the role of free African Americans in securing freedom for other slaves in the District of Columbia before the Civil War- correct answer

B. substantiate a point about the multiplicity of organizations formed by free African Americans in the District of Columbia before the Civil War- we are not talking about "multiplicity of organizations formed by free African Americans" anywhere in the passage.

C. demonstrate ways in which free African Americans were able to help secure enslaved African Americans’ freedom apart from direct monetary contributions- Great trap answer because of the words that are matching with what we have in the passage, but we are not talking about the "ways " they secured freedom, passage only talks about the role of African Americans in securing freedom.

D. counter the widely held view that African American slaves seeking freedom were more likely to receive assistance from individuals than from groups- mention of African American benevolent society only to support the role of African Americans in securing freedom not to counter anything.

E. note the success of a particular effort aimed at c in the District of Columbia before the Civil War-, True that society aimed at freeing the enslaved African Americans, but we don't have any clues in the passage about the success or failure of that effort.

YuktiMaheshwari · Answer

karisma ,  marty ,  GMATNinja : could you please explain question 2?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

2. Based on the information in the passage, it can be inferred that the author would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about the circumstances of African American slaves before the Civil War?

Explanation

Explanation

E.   aligns with the information provided in the passage. The passage discusses how slaves engaged in various economic activities, including raising crops in designated plots, selling wares in local markets, and being hired out to work for paying employers. These activities provided opportunities for slaves to earn profits for themselves, regardless of whether they were hired out or not.

A.  is opposite, which specifically mentions that by 1850, the number of free African Americans in the District of Columbia greatly outnumbered slaves. However, the passage does not make a general statement about most urban areas.

B.  While the passage discusses the circumstances of urban slaves, it does not indicate any trend towards an increasing urbanization of African American slaves. Additionally, it does not compare the distribution of slaves between urban and rural areas.

C.  While the passage mentions that slaves raised crops in plots designated for their own use, it does not specify that this was the primary source of sustenance for both rural and urban slaves. Additionally, it discusses various economic activities of slaves beyond garden plots.

D.  is also opposite is contradicted by the passage, which indicates that urban slaves were more likely to purchase their own freedom with the assistance of family and community organizations, particularly free African Americans. The passage does not suggest that rural slaves had similar opportunities.

Answer: E

Freddy12 · Answer

GMATNinja   MartyTargetTestPrep   Sajjad1994  can you help with the solution to Q3?
I didn't understand what was the misconception in the passage

sayan640 · Answer

MartyMurray   KarishmaB   AjiteshArun 
I also dint find the any reference to the misconception in the passage. Can you please show which sentence indicates that ? Kindly expain question no 3 .

Gemmie · Answer

1. The author of the passage mentions an African American benevolent society primarily in order to
A. support a generalization about the role of free African Americans in securing freedom for other slaves in the District of Columbia before the Civil War

The passage discusses the various ways that free African Americans helped enslaved African Americans secure their freedom, particularly in urban areas such as the District of Columbia. The author mentions the African American benevolent society to illustrate how free African Americans collectively supported the self-purchase of slaves' freedom.

This supports the broader point that free African Americans played a crucial role in helping enslaved African Americans gain freedom, both through direct monetary contributions and other forms of support.

2. Based on the information in the passage, it can be inferred that the author would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about the circumstances of African American slaves before the Civil War?
E. Both slaves who were hired out and slaves who were not sometimes had opportunities to earn profits for themselves.

The passage specifically mentions that slaves could raise crops in plots for their own use and sell wares in markets. This demonstrates an opportunity for slaves, regardless of being hired out, to generate some income.

Additionally, the passage acknowledges that hired-out slaves might be allowed to keep "whatever portion of their wages their slaveowners allowed them to keep."

3. The primary purpose of the passage is to
C. correct a misconception about a historical phenomenon

The passage starts by presenting a common view: slaves buying their freedom primarily relied on saving wages from being hired out.

The author then argues against this view, citing research on slaves raising crops and selling goods, and questioning the assumption that hired-out slaves saved more effectively.

The focus is on correcting the misconception about the primary means of slaves acquiring money for freedom.

KarishmaB · Answer

Difficult passage. Here are the main points: A historian, Clement Eaton, argued that in the pre-Civil War South, slaves were able to purchase their freedom primarily by being hired out and saving part of those wages. The author then tells us that this is not the case. Research shows that slaves raised crops, sold wares in market etc and hired out slaves did not necessarily save more money than these slaves. Still historians believe Eaton's view because they have not taken into account this research and the role of family and community adequately. For example, in the District of Columbia, free African Americans were often individually or collectively the primary agents in securing a slave’s freedom; ... Question 1. 1. The author of the passage mentions an African American benevolent society primarily in order to A. support a generalization about the role of free African Americans in securing freedom for other slaves in the District of Columbia before the Civil War B. substantiate a point about the multiplicity of organizations formed by free African Americans in the District of Columbia before the Civil War C. demonstrate ways in which free African Americans were able to help secure enslaved African Americans’ freedom apart from direct monetary contributions D. counter the widely held view that African American slaves seeking freedom were more likely to receive assistance from individuals than from groups E. note the success of a particular effort aimed at freeing enslaved African Americans in the District of Columbia before the Civil War ... by 1850 the number of free African Americans in the District of Columbia greatly outnumbered slaves, and those free African Americans were often individually or collectively the primary agents in securing a slave’s freedom; at least one African American benevolent society was actually devoted to raising money for slaves’ self- purchase.... The author mentions the highlighted to support this generalization - those free African Americans were often individually or collectively the primary agents in securing a slave’s freedom. Hence (A) is correct. A. support a generalization about the role of free African Americans in securing freedom for other slaves in the District of Columbia before the Civil War B. substantiate a point about the multiplicity of organizations formed by free African Americans in the District of Columbia before the Civil War It doesn't substantiate multiplicity of organizations. C. demonstrate ways in which free African Americans were able to help secure enslaved African Americans’ freedom apart from direct monetary contributions It talks about only monetary contributions done by this society. D. counter the widely held view that African American slaves seeking freedom were more likely to receive assistance from individuals than from groups No comparison discussed between individuals vs groups. E. note the success of a particular effort aimed at freeing enslaved African Americans in the District of Columbia before the Civil War The society is mentioned to illutrate the role of free African Americans in securing freedom. It doesn't measure success. Answer (A) GMAT-Club-Forum-wxxia1i9.png GMAT-Club-Forum-0ugszjf5.png GMAT-Club-Forum-j5noq3s3.png GMAT-Club-Forum-gz0ywu0n.png

KarishmaB · Answer

Question 2. 2. Based on the information in the passage, it can be inferred that the author would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about the circumstances of African American slaves before the Civil War? A. In most urban areas African American slaves came to be outnumbered by free African Americans. B. African American slaves increasingly came to live and work in urban rather than in rural areas. C. Both rural and urban slaves depended primarily on the produce from their own garden plots for their sustenance. D. Both rural and urban slaves were most likely to be able to purchase their own freedom through the assistance of family and community organizations. E. Both slaves who were hired out and slaves who were not sometimes had opportunities to earn profits for themselves. A. In most urban areas African American slaves came to be outnumbered by free African Americans. Given: ...by 1850 the number of free African Americans in the District of Columbia greatly outnumbered slaves, We know only about the District of Columbia, not most urban areas. B. African American slaves increasingly came to live and work in urban rather than in rural areas. Comparison not given anywhere. C. Both rural and urban slaves depended primarily on the produce from their own garden plots for their sustenance. Again, not told about their primary dependence for sustenance. We know they grew stuff for sustenance, but was it their primary source for sustenance, we don't know. D. Both rural and urban slaves were most likely to be able to purchase their own freedom through the assistance of family and community organizations. We know that rural slaves were less likely to get freedom. We don't know that if they were able to, how did they get their freedom. We only know that assistance of family and community organizations were primary agents in securing a slave’s freedom in the district of Columbia. E. Both slaves who were hired out and slaves who were not sometimes had opportunities to earn profits for themselves. Correct. Given: Research indicates... that hired-out slaves did not necessarily save money more successfully than did other slaves. So looks like both were able to save money sometimes. Answer (E) GMAT-Club-Forum-z5m3ncjs.png GMAT-Club-Forum-4j2z2bms.png GMAT-Club-Forum-viwii1s1.png GMAT-Club-Forum-0m5wfgwf.png

KarishmaB · Answer

Question 3. 3. The primary purpose of the passage is to A. compare two arguments about a historical phenomenon B. evaluate evidence related to a historical phenomenon C. correct a misconception about a historical phenomenon D. explain the acceptance of a new interpretation of a historical phenomenon E. identify an underlying assumption of an argument concerning a historical phenomenon The author gives information to correct a misconception - Eaton's view. Many historians believe Eaton's view. Eaton's view says that the practice of slaves’ working for paying employers was the primary means by which slaves were enabled to purchase their own freedom... Author says that research indicates that hired-out slaves did not necessarily save money more successfully than did other slaves and then he gives how family and community played a big role. Hence he corrects a misconception. Answer (C) GMAT-Club-Forum-w2hg25ya.png GMAT-Club-Forum-byn3fuea.png GMAT-Club-Forum-ens753na.png GMAT-Club-Forum-62a3ov78.png

NoeticImbecile · Answer

Hello, with regards to C. you have stated that passage mentioned only about monetary contributions. This does not seem to be the case if we read this " Moreover, apart from direct monetary contributions, these free African Americans often supported the economic activities of enslaved African Americans by hiring their time, exchanging goods with them, and providing shelter for those whose work took them in and out of the city." Kindly explain how to choose A over C. Thank You GMAT-Club-Forum-ibjkl560.png GMAT-Club-Forum-rnc9yucz.png GMAT-Club-Forum-18ezek8v.png GMAT-Club-Forum-9adcm3jt.png

VerbalBot · Answer

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In 1960, historian Clement Eaton argued that in the pre-Civil War

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In 1960, historian Clement Eaton argued that in the pre-Civil War

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