N.C. Battle to her Daughter, Sarah
Prepared by Jack Bareilles
History Teacher, McKinleyville High School, McKinleyville, CA
Introduction Questions
1.
According to the introduction, what is this letter from N.C. Battle to her daughter Sarah
about?
2.
What was the total value of the slaves sold?
3.
What is the modern-day equivalent of this amount?
4.
What motive caused the family to fight over the sale?
5.
Who was the executor of the estate?
6.
What does N.C. Battle say Curran is doing to the rest of the family members?
7.
What does N.C. Battle do to protect her part of the family inheritance?
8.
According to broadsides advertising slave sales in the Gilder Lehrman Collection, what
was the average cost of a slave at this time?
9.
Using these cost estimates from the broadside advertisements in the Gilder Lehrman
Collection, about how many slaves would the family have been selling if they averaged
about $500 per slave?
10.
The introduction calls the slave business "harsh." What is particularly harsh about what
Ms. Battle writes in regards to the babies born to the slave mothers?
Document Questions
11.
Where is Ms. Battle writing from and on what date?
12.
Why does Ms. Battle write Sarah?
13.
As you read, try to determine what Sarah might have been anxious about.
14.
Who did Ms. Battle say she bought?
15.
Who did Uncle Lucian bring? What did this person and Uncle Lucian do?
16.
What do you think Ms. Battle means when she says she is "not much grieved about
Cha[r]y or Charity [because] they have both acted the Lady . . . & I have been the slave"?
17.
What does Ms. Battle say is the difference between her and other people? (Look at the
inserted postscript at the end of the text.)
18.
How did Ms. Battle say the Negroes reacted when they saw her and what did they beg her
to do?
19.
How much was the total amount paid for all the lot (the group or assortment) of slaves?
Remember, at that time a typical working man could earn as little as a dollar or two a
day.
20.
What was Lu's condition after thirteen years of toil?
21.
Who ended-up owning the "Negroes and the bill of sale"?
22.
What does Lucian agree to do?
23.
What does Lucian think he can only achieve by filing a law suit?
24.
How does Curran treat Lucian? What does he call him?
25.
According to the inserted text, how much cash was paid?
26.
What does Ms. Battle tell Sarah about Ms. Battle's plans to visit?
