SSAT Reading Comprehension Practice Test 22

The following speech was delivered by Frederick Douglass at a meeting of the Anti-Slavery Society in Pittsburgh in 1863.

1. According to Douglass, the mission of the Civil War is to

• A. destroy the Confederacy
• B. punish the rebel soldiers
• C. end slavery
• D. preserve the Union
• E. create a new class of citizens

2. Douglass believes the work of the Anti-Slavery Society should not be considered complete until

• A. slavery is abolished
• B. black men in the South are able to vote
• C. blacks can move freely between the South and the North
• D. black men of the North and South have the right to vote
• E. all conditions for voting are ended

3. What does Douglass mean by calling for black men to be admitted "fully and completely into the body politic of America"(lines 9–10)?

• A. They must have the same rights and privileges as all other citizens.
• B. They must be able to vote.
• C. They must be able to run for office.
• D. They must take up arms to defend the Government.
• E. They must be considered a separate class of citizens.

4. The purpose of Douglass's speech was to

• A. inform members of the society of the horrors of slavery
• B. convince listeners to adopt fair and equal voting requirements
• C. inform listeners of the progress of the war
• D. convince members of the society that slavery should be ended
• E. explain how the right to vote would create harmony