8th Grade Social Studies Standard "4.0 Economics," Indicator "<a href="javascript:void(0)" class="module-home" title="CW.3 Students Will Analyze The Political, Economic, And Social Goals Of Reconstruction." data-bs-toggle="tooltip">CW.3 …" - Public Release

Student Response

Henry Blake discusses the harsh realities of sharecropping, a system of farming that took hold in the post-Civil War South and the passage of the 13th Amendment, which banned slavery. Despite the fact that African Americans were now legally free, there were numerous former slave holders who resented this new social order and were seeking ways to still dominate the Black population. The economy of the South, which had been built on exploiting slave labor, was in crisis. Instructions. The plantation owners needed a new labor system that would allow them to continue earning profits from farming without actually breaking the law. Sharecropping proved to be that system. It kept African Americans confined socially and dependent economically. The majorityof freedmen had no money, land, or even a basic education. Sharecropping gave them a home and a job but at a very high cost. Like Blake, ''Half your crop went to the farm owner, '' freedmen had to surrender a large portion of their crop to the landowner. Worse, landowners wouldfalsify accounts and records in an attempt to keep sharecroppers in a position of continual indebtedness. Blake points tothis injustice when he says, ''No matter how good account you kept, you had to go by their account... If you didn't make no money... they would advance you more.'' This system exploited the economic vulnerability of emancipated African Americans and ensured that, despite the formal end of slavery, many remained shackled by poverty and under the control of white landowners.

Score

Score Point 4

Annotation

This response demonstrates comprehensive understanding. The system of sharecropping is identified and explained with details (Henry Blake discusses the harsh realities of sharecropping, a system of farming that took hold in the post-Civil War South and the passage of the 13th Amendment, which banned slavery. Despite the fact that African Americans were now legally free, there were numerous former slave holders who resented this new social order and were seeking ways to still dominate the Black population). Several ways that this denied economic freedoms to African Americans are described as well (The plantation owners needed a new labor system that would allow them to continue earning profits from farming without actually breaking the law. Sharecropping proved to be that system. It kept African Americans confined sociallyand dependent economically. The majorityof freedmen had no money, land, or even a basic education. Sharecropping gave them a home and a job but at a very high cost). Evidence from the provided stimulus is thoroughly integrated into the response. Insight can be seen in the level of detail and thoroughness of conclusions such as (This system exploited the economic vulnerability of emancipated African Americans and ensured that, despite the formal end of slavery, many remained shackled by poverty and under the control of white landowners).

The system described in this excerpt is share cropping. Share cropping was when newly freed black man, or a freedman, rented a small portion of a white man's field. The white men would give the freedman crops to grow, a home and tools to help farm. Every time the freedman harvested, the white plantation owner would come and take part of it to pay off the debt the freedman had from first getting the home, tools and seeds he has. The rest of the crops, the freedman could sell to buy anything he and his family needed. However, while this deal looked good to the naked eye, it mostly kept the freedmen in debt and was very similar to slavery. After the Civil War, African Americans supposedly had more rights, and while they technically did, things like share cropping kept them in debt and in a situation not so different from slaver for many years. By the time the freedman gave the portion of crop that the plantation owner wanted to the plantation owner, all they had left was just enough to buy food, clothes, seeds and new tools if needed. They couldn't live the free life they were promised, and there was no room for any sort of luxuries.

Score

Score Point 3

Annotation

This response shows adequate understanding. Sharecropping is identified and explained (Share cropping was when newly freed black man, or a freedman, rented a small portion of a white man's field. The white men would give the freedman crops to grow, a home and tools to help farm. Every time the freedman harvested, the white plantation owner would come and take part of it to pay off the debt the freedman had from first getting the home, tools and seeds he has. The rest of the crops, the freedman could sell to buy anything he and his family needed). An explanation of how this system denied economic freedoms is provided (After the Civil War, African Americans supposedly had more rights, and while they technically did, things like share cropping kept them in debt and in a situation not so different from slaver for many years. By the time the freedman gave the portion of crop that the plantation owner wanted to the plantation owner, all they had left was just enough to buy food, clothes, seeds and new tools if needed. They couldn't live the free life they were promised, and there was no room for any sort of luxuries). Although adequate content knowledge is demonstrated, no reference to the stimulus is made, preventing a higher scorepoint.

The system that former enslaved man Henry Blake is discussing is known as sharecropping, a system created during reconstruction to give African Americans who couldn't afford farmland to still be farmers. In theory, the idea was a good step to take toward African American economic independence. But when put into action, African Americans didn't make any profit from it due to constantly buying supplies for the farm, giving profit to landowners, and not having enough to sell in the end because of it. This left African Americans with little to no financial freedom, and Henry Blake confirms it when he says, ''we couldnt make nothing, just overalls and something to eat. Half [your crop] went to the [farm owner'' African Americans were left in major debt and had no way out of it. Running away from it wasn't an option either because farm owners would find them anyway and make them pay. Blake narrates this in the excerpt when he warns, ''you better not try to leave and get caught. Theyd keep you in debt.'' In summary, the system of sharecropping, while an idea that was formed to help formerly enslaved people find work, it quickly backfired and turned into an economic prison that African Americans had no way of escapng from.

Score

Score Point 4

Annotation

This response demonstrates comprehensive understanding. The system is identified and explained (The system that former enslaved man Henry Blake is discussing is known as sharecropping, a system created during reconstruction to give African Americans who couldn't afford farmland to still be farmers). A thorough and detailed explanation of how this denied economic freedoms, with integrated text evidence, is provided. (In theory, the idea was a good step to take toward African American economic independence. But when put into action, African Americans didn't make any profit from it due to constantly buying supplies for the farm, giving profit to landowners, and not having enough to sell in the end because of it. This left African Americans with little to no financial freedom, and Henry Blake confirms it when he says, ''we couldnt make nothing, just overalls and something to eat. Half [your crop] went to the [farm owner'' African Americans were left in major debt and had no way out of it. Running away from it wasn't an option either because farm owners would find them anyway and make them pay. Blake narrates this in the excerpt when he warns, ''you better not try to leave and get caught. Theyd keep you in debt.'') Insight can be seen in the selection and integration of text evidence, as well as (In summary, the system of sharecropping, while an idea that was formed to help formerly enslaved people find work, it quickly backfired and turned into an economic prison that African Americans had no way of escapng from).

Read the excerpt and use it to answer the constructed response question.

After freedom . . . we couldn't make nothing, just overalls and something to eat. Half [your crop] went to the [farm owner]. . . . A man that didn't know how to count would always lose . . . . No matter how good account you kept, you had to go by their account . . . . If you didn't make no money . . . they would advance [give] you more. But . . . you better not try to leave and get caught. They'd keep you in debt.

Henry Blake, former enslaved African American, oral interview, 1936 to 1938

Identify the system described in this excerpt.

Explain how the system denied economic freedoms to African Americans after the Civil War.

Use details and examples from the excerpt to support your response.

Enter your answer in the space provided.

This page shows a list of test questions in the 8th Grade Social Studies public release collection at MSDE. 8th Grade Social Studies Standard "4.0 Economics," Indicator "CW.3 …"

Icon representing a test question. 1. 2021 Question 23 (CR).

This page shows a list of test questions in the 8th Grade Social Studies public release collection at MSDE. 8th Grade Social Studies
Standard "4.0 Economics," Indicator "CW.3 …"