Serfdom vs. Slavery

Answer choices

1. A

   Opposite (if anything)7% picked this

   Collective defiance by serfs during the nineteenth century was confined almost exclusively to their participation

   This is diminishing the connection between Russian serfdom (many slaves / absent owner) and rebellion, if anything. It's saying that rebellion was "confined" almost entirely to smaller acts of defiance.

   7%
2. B

   Opposite (if anything)13% picked this

   The rebellious activity of United States slaves was more likely to escape the historical record than was the

   This comes close to suggesting an alternate explanation for why there was less rebellion (seemingly) in the U.S. It wasn't that the demographics lent themselves less to rebellion; rebellions actually happened, but they just escaped the historical record.

   13%
3. C

   Correct74% picked this

   Organized rebellions by slaves in the Western Hemisphere during the nineteenth century were most common in colonies with large estates that normally

   Why this is right

   This corroborates the connection between "many slaves" and rebellion. It's showing that in places in the U.S. that resembled Russian serfdom (because there were LARGE numbers of slaves), you also saw organized rebellions. It strengthens the connection the author was making: "the large numbers in which serfs were owned probably contributed significantly to the four great rebellions". In the US, it was very rare to have 100+ slaves in the same place (and rebellions were more rare). But, this answer is saying, when they DID have that many slaves in the same place, rebellions became more likely.

   Skill tested: Strengthen · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

   74%
4. D

   Opposite / Unclear Impact3% picked this

   In the southern United States during the nineteenth century, those estates that were managed by intermediaries rather than by the owner generally relied upon

   This pairs up "many slaves / absent owner" but it doesn't tell us whether these estates had more/less/average levels of rebellion. We already knew that the U.S. overall had less rebellion, so this would be sort of a Cause w/o Effect weakener. The author thought that "many slaves / absent owner" was a causal factor in rebellions.

   3%
5. E

   Opposite (if anything)3% picked this

   The intermediaries who managed estates in Russia during the nineteenth century were in general much more competent as managers than the owners

   The author was making it seem like an absentee owner who relied on intermediaries was more likely to have serfs rebelling. But this answer makes it sound like the intermediaries actually did a better job managing things than the owner, which would undermine that causal logic.

   3%