Export your learner materials as an interactive game, a webpage, or FAQ style cheatsheet.
Unsaved Work Found!
It looks like you have unsaved work from a previous session. Would you like to restore it?
Total Categories: 6
The *engagé* system was a form of indentured servitude primarily implemented in New France, the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the French West Indies during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Answer: True
The *engagé* system is defined as a form of indentured servitude implemented in New France, Louisiana, and the French West Indies during the 18th and 19th centuries.
The *engagé* system is categorized as a form of voluntary, paid labor, distinct from forced labor or slavery.
Answer: False
The *engagé* system is categorized as a form of forced labor and slavery, specifically indentured servitude, which involved contractual obligations often leading to exploitative conditions.
*Engagés* were brought to New France by France primarily to serve as a labor force for colonial endeavors, including the fur trade.
Answer: True
*Engagés* were brought to New France by the French government to serve as a labor force for various colonial endeavors, including the fur trade, as part of a broader development strategy.
Which of the following regions was NOT a primary location for the implementation of the *engagé* system of indentured servitude during the 18th and 19th centuries?
Answer: British North American colonies
The *engagé* system was primarily implemented in New France, the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the French West Indies, not British North American colonies.
What broader category of labor does the *engagé* system fall under?
Answer: Forced labor and slavery, specifically indentured servitude
The *engagé* system is categorized as a form of forced labor and slavery, specifically indentured servitude, due to its contractual obligations and often exploitative conditions.
In the 18th century Canadian fur trade, *engagés* were independent merchants who traded furs without official licenses, similar to *coureurs des bois*.
Answer: False
In the 18th-century Canadian fur trade, *engagés* were indentured servants bound by contract, distinct from *coureurs des bois* who were independent merchants trading without licenses.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition utilized *engagés* to staff their pirogues for transportation across the western United States.
Answer: True
The Lewis and Clark Expedition employed *engagés* to staff their pirogues, which were essential for transportation during their exploration of the western United States.
By the 19th century, the term *engagé* in Canada exclusively referred to French-Canadian men employed in the fur trade.
Answer: False
By the 19th century, the term *engagé* in Canada broadened to include all employees of the Hudson's Bay Company, regardless of their nationality, not exclusively French-Canadian men.
What was the primary role of an *engagé* in the Canadian fur trade during the 18th century?
Answer: Transporting goods by canoe and performing all aspects of frontier river travel
In the 18th-century Canadian fur trade, the primary role of an *engagé* was to transport goods by canoe and manage all aspects of frontier river and lake travel as an indentured servant.
How did *engagés* differ from *voyageurs* in the fur trade?
Answer: *Engagés* were indentured servants bound by contract, while *voyageurs* were free, licensed individuals.
*Engagés* were indentured servants bound by contract, whereas *voyageurs* were free, licensed individuals in the fur trade.
Which famous American expedition utilized *engagés* to staff their pirogues?
Answer: The Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition utilized *engagés* to staff their pirogues for transportation during their exploration.
By the 19th century, the term *engagé* in Canada evolved to refer to:
Answer: Employees of the Hudson's Bay Company, regardless of nationality
By the 19th century, the term *engagé* in Canada broadened to refer to all employees of the Hudson's Bay Company, irrespective of their nationality.
After the 1760s, Saint-Domingue's plantation economy strengthened, marked by a decrease in slave prices and a rapid increase in the profitability of coffee.
Answer: False
After the 1760s, Saint-Domingue's plantation economy weakened, characterized by doubling slave prices and a collapse in coffee profitability, leading many planters into debt.
To counteract the high cost of slave labor, Saint-Domingue planters began importing white indentured servants.
Answer: True
Saint-Domingue planters began importing white indentured servants to mitigate the high cost of acquiring and maintaining enslaved labor, which was approximately 300 Spanish dollars per slave.
White indentured servants in Saint-Domingue, known as *petits blanchets* or *engagés*, typically worked for ten years, receiving only housing.
Answer: False
White indentured servants in Saint-Domingue typically worked for five to seven years, receiving housing, food, and clothing from their masters, not ten years with only housing.
By 1789, approximately 6 percent of all white St. Dominicans were employed as *engagés* or indentured servants on plantations.
Answer: True
By 1789, approximately 6 percent of the white population in Saint-Domingue was employed as *engagés* or indentured servants on plantations, indicating their significant presence in the labor force.
Many indentured servants in Saint-Domingue included German settlers and Acadian refugees deported by the British.
Answer: True
Indentured servants in Saint-Domingue included German settlers and Acadian refugees who had been deported by the British during the French and Indian War.
Hundreds of Acadian refugees voluntarily constructed a military base for the French government in Saint-Domingue.
Answer: False
Hundreds of Acadian refugees perished while forcibly constructing a jungle military base for the French government in Saint-Domingue, indicating their labor was coerced and deadly.
Despite economic challenges, Saint-Domingue produced less sugar than any single British Caribbean island.
Answer: False
Despite economic challenges, Saint-Domingue produced more sugar than all of the British Caribbean islands combined, highlighting its immense productivity.
What economic trend characterized Saint-Domingue after the 1760s?
Answer: A weakening plantation economy with doubling slave prices and collapsing coffee profitability.
After the 1760s, Saint-Domingue experienced a weakening plantation economy marked by doubling slave prices, tripling land prices, and a collapse in coffee profitability.
What was the approximate cost of a slave in Saint-Domingue, and how did planters respond to this expense?
Answer: 300 Spanish dollars; they began importing white indentured servants.
A slave in Saint-Domingue cost approximately 300 Spanish dollars, leading planters to import white indentured servants to offset this high expense.
What were the typical terms of service for white indentured servants (*petits blanchets* or *engagés*) in Saint-Domingue?
Answer: Five to seven years, with housing, food, and clothing provided.
White indentured servants in Saint-Domingue typically served for five to seven years, receiving housing, food, and clothing from their masters.
By 1789, what percentage of white St. Dominicans were employed as *engagés* on plantations?
Answer: Approximately 6 percent
By 1789, approximately 6 percent of all white St. Dominicans were employed as *engagés* or indentured servants on plantations.
Which groups comprised some of the indentured servants in Saint-Domingue?
Answer: German settlers and Acadian refugees deported by the British.
Indentured servants in Saint-Domingue included German settlers and Acadian refugees who had been deported by the British.
What was the fate of hundreds of Acadian refugees forced to build a military base in Saint-Domingue?
Answer: They perished while forcibly constructing a jungle military base for the French government.
Hundreds of Acadian refugees perished while forcibly constructing a jungle military base for the French government in Saint-Domingue.
Despite economic challenges, how did Saint-Domingue's sugar production compare to British Caribbean islands?
Answer: It produced more sugar than all of the British Caribbean islands combined.
Despite economic challenges, Saint-Domingue produced more sugar than all of the British Caribbean islands combined.
Louisiana's pattern of slavery was distinct from other Southern states due to its Louisiana Creole heritage, which led to supplementing slave labor with *petits habitants* and immigrant indentured servitude.
Answer: True
Louisiana's unique pattern of slavery, influenced by its Creole heritage, involved supplementing enslaved labor with *petits habitants* and immigrant indentured servitude due to a scarcity of enslaved people.
On many Louisiana plantations, only enslaved people performed manual labor, maintaining a rigid racial hierarchy.
Answer: False
On many Louisiana plantations, free people of color and white laborers worked alongside enslaved people, creating a multi-class labor system that differed from rigid racial hierarchies.
Creoles in Louisiana sometimes referred to *engagés*, particularly Germans, as 'white slaves,' and they were commonly sold under this designation.
Answer: True
Creoles in Louisiana often referred to *engagés*, especially Germans, as 'white slaves,' and they were indeed commonly sold under this designation, reflecting their harsh conditions.
German *engagés* who eventually gained their freedom were known as 'Redemptioners'.
Answer: True
German *engagés* who successfully completed their indenture contracts and gained freedom were known as 'Redemptioners'.
The children of *engagés* or *petits habitants* in Louisiana were always guaranteed freedom and protection from forced labor.
Answer: False
In some cases, the children of *engagés* or *petits habitants* in Louisiana were abandoned and subsequently sold into slavery as 'white slaves,' indicating a lack of guaranteed freedom.
Sally Miller's story is significant because she was a free woman who advocated for the rights of indentured servants in Louisiana.
Answer: False
Sally Miller's story is significant for illustrating the extreme exploitation faced by some indentured servants and their descendants, as she was sold into slavery despite being born to German *engagé* parents, not because she was a free advocate.
Abolitionist Parker Pillsbury warned in 1853 that a 'white skin is no security whatsoever' against being subjected to forms of servitude or slavery.
Answer: True
Abolitionist Parker Pillsbury issued a warning in 1853 that 'A white skin is no security whatsoever' against being subjected to forms of servitude or slavery, highlighting the vulnerability of some white individuals.
What characterized Louisiana's pattern of slavery compared to other American Southern states?
Answer: It had a distinct pattern due to its Creole heritage, supplementing slave labor with *petits habitants* and immigrant indentured servitude.
Louisiana's pattern of slavery was distinct due to its Creole heritage, which led to supplementing slave labor with *petits habitants* and immigrant indentured servitude.
What was the social composition of labor on many Louisiana plantations?
Answer: Free people of color and white laborers worked alongside enslaved people.
On many Louisiana plantations, free people of color and white laborers worked alongside enslaved people, creating a multi-class labor system.
How did Creoles in Louisiana sometimes refer to *engagés*, particularly Germans?
Answer: White slaves
Creoles in Louisiana sometimes referred to *engagés*, particularly Germans, as 'white slaves,' reflecting the harsh conditions of their servitude.
What term was used for German *engagés* who eventually gained their freedom?
Answer: Redemptioners
German *engagés* who eventually gained their freedom were known as 'Redemptioners'.
What sometimes happened to the children of *engagés* or *petits habitants* in Louisiana?
Answer: They were abandoned and subsequently sold into slavery as 'white slaves'.
In some cases, the children of *engagés* or *petits habitants* in Louisiana were abandoned and subsequently sold into slavery as 'white slaves'.
What was the significance of Sally Miller's story in the context of Louisiana's indentured servitude?
Answer: Her story, documented in *The Lost German Slave Girl*, illustrates the extreme exploitation faced by some indentured servants and their descendants.
Sally Miller's story, documented in *The Lost German Slave Girl*, is significant for illustrating the extreme exploitation faced by some indentured servants and their descendants, as she was sold into slavery despite being born to German *engagé* parents.
What warning did abolitionist Parker Pillsbury issue in 1853 regarding the safety of white children?
Answer: That a 'white skin is no security whatsoever' against being subjected to forms of servitude or slavery.
Abolitionist Parker Pillsbury warned in 1853 that 'A white skin is no security whatsoever' against being subjected to forms of servitude or slavery, highlighting the vulnerability of white children.
The construction of the New Orleans Canal in 1831 primarily relied on enslaved labor due to its availability and low cost.
Answer: False
The construction of the New Orleans Canal in 1831 primarily relied on indentured servitude because enslaved labor was considered too valuable to be subjected to the project's dangerous and deadly conditions.
Irish *engagés* who worked on the New Orleans Canal died in large numbers due to harsh conditions, but replacements were difficult to find.
Answer: False
While Irish *engagés* died in horrific numbers during the New Orleans Canal construction, replacements were readily available as continuous boatloads of impoverished Irish *engagés* arrived, desperate for work.
Historical estimates for Irish *engagés* who died during the New Orleans Canal construction range between 8,000 and 20,000.
Answer: True
Historical estimates for the Irish *engagés* who perished during the construction of the New Orleans Canal range between 8,000 and 20,000, although no official count was kept.
Many deceased *engagés* during the New Orleans Canal construction were given proper burials with individual grave markers.
Answer: False
Many deceased *engagés* were buried without grave markers in the levee or had their bodies dumped into roadway-fill, reflecting a lack of respectful burial practices.
The Irish Cultural Society of New Orleans dedicated a Celtic cross in 1990 to commemorate the Irish workers who died building the New Orleans Canal.
Answer: True
In 1990, the Irish Cultural Society of New Orleans dedicated a Kilkenny marble Celtic cross in New Basin Canal Park to commemorate the Irish workers who perished during the canal's construction.
Which major public works project in Louisiana in 1831 heavily relied on indentured servitude?
Answer: The building of the New Orleans Canal
The construction of the New Orleans Canal in 1831 was a major public works project that relied almost exclusively on indentured servitude.
Why were *engagés* primarily used for the New Orleans Canal construction instead of enslaved labor?
Answer: Enslaved labor was considered too valuable to be subjected to the dangerous and deadly conditions.
*Engagés* were primarily used for the New Orleans Canal construction because enslaved labor was deemed too valuable to be exposed to the project's dangerous and deadly conditions.
What was the estimated death toll for Irish *engagés* during the construction of the New Orleans Canal?
Answer: Between 8,000 and 20,000
Historical estimates for Irish *engagés* who died during the New Orleans Canal construction range between 8,000 and 20,000.
How were the bodies of many deceased *engagés* handled during the New Orleans Canal construction?
Answer: They were buried without grave markers in the levee or dumped into roadway-fill.
Many deceased *engagés* were buried without grave markers in the levee or dumped into roadway-fill, reflecting the dehumanizing treatment of these laborers.
French economists and abolitionist movements argued that paid labor or indentured servitude was more cost-effective than slave labor in Saint-Domingue.
Answer: True
French economists and abolitionist movements, such as the Société des amis des Noirs, argued that paid labor or indentured servitude was more cost-effective and could achieve the same output as slave labor.
King Louis XVI opposed changing the labor system in French colonies because he believed slave labor was morally indefensible.
Answer: False
King Louis XVI opposed changing the labor system because slave labor was directly responsible for enabling France to surpass Britain in trade, indicating an economic rather than moral justification.
The multi-class labor system in Louisiana, involving free people of color and white laborers alongside enslaved people, contributed to a shift in perspectives towards abolishing slavery.
Answer: True
The multi-class labor system in Louisiana, which included free people of color and white laborers alongside enslaved individuals, contributed to a shift in perspectives, converting many to the idea of abolishing slavery.
Observations on Creole plantations indicated that paid employees produced work of inferior quality compared to slave workers.
Answer: False
Observations on Creole plantations indicated that enslaved workers produced work of inferior quality compared to paid employees, suggesting inefficiency in slave labor.
The primary justification for maintaining expensive slave labor, despite its inefficiency, was the social status it conferred upon the proprietary planter.
Answer: True
The primary justification for maintaining expensive slave labor, despite its inefficiency, was the social status and power it conferred upon the proprietary planter within society.
Mr. Melvil believed that emancipated enslaved people would be inherently lazy and unable to cultivate land for a wage.
Answer: False
Mr. Melvil countered the assertion that freed enslaved people would be lazy, arguing that their perceived laziness would cease once they became familiar with civilization and developed new needs, motivating them to work for a wage.
What argument did French economists and abolitionist movements like the Société des amis des Noirs put forth regarding labor in Saint-Domingue?
Answer: Paid labor or indentured servitude was more cost-effective than slave labor.
French economists and abolitionist movements argued that paid labor or indentured servitude was more cost-effective than slave labor and could achieve comparable output on plantations.
Why did King Louis XVI resist changing the labor system in French colonies despite economic arguments for paid labor?
Answer: Slave labor was directly responsible for enabling France to surpass Britain in trade.
King Louis XVI resisted changing the labor system because slave labor was crucial for France's economic dominance over Britain in trade.
How did the multi-class labor system in Louisiana influence views on the abolition of slavery?
Answer: It contributed to a shift in perspectives, converting many minds to the idea of abolishing slavery.
The multi-class labor system in Louisiana contributed to a shift in perspectives, converting many minds to the idea of abolishing slavery.
What observation was made about the quality of work between slave labor and paid labor on Creole plantations?
Answer: Slave workers produced work of inferior quality compared to paid employees.
Observations on Creole plantations indicated that enslaved workers produced work of inferior quality compared to paid employees.
According to the text, what was the primary justification for maintaining expensive slave labor despite its inefficiency?
Answer: The social status it conferred upon the proprietary planter.
The primary justification for maintaining expensive slave labor, despite its inefficiency, was the social status it conferred upon the proprietary planter.
How did Mr. Melvil respond to the Creole planter's concern about plantations without enslaved people?
Answer: He stated that the *affranchis*, or freedmen, would cultivate the land for a wage.
Mr. Melvil responded to the Creole planter's concern by stating that *affranchis*, or freedmen, would cultivate the land for a wage, suggesting a viable alternative to enslaved labor.
What was Mr. Melvil's counter-argument regarding the laziness of freed enslaved people as workers?
Answer: He argued they would cease to be lazy once familiarized with civilization and new needs.
Mr. Melvil argued that freed enslaved people would cease to be lazy once familiarized with civilization and new needs, which would motivate them to work more effectively.