Roots Study Guide

Based On Your Viewing Of The Movie Roots to

include all 6 episodes, answer the following
questions completely. Be sure to answer essay
questions completely. Partial answers will only
receive partial credit. Since this test will be given
instead of a 9 weeks exam, expect the test to be
very detailed.

1. Kunta Kinte lived in Africa. What important

training had he just completed when he was
captured?

2. When Kunta returned from his training what

did his father already have built for him?

3. What is the name of the girl Kunta meets as

he is looking for the bird during his training?
4. When the black men and the white men
capture Kunta, what was he doing in the tall
grassy forest that day?

5. The Captain of the slave ship had never been

aboard a slave ship. He made many
compromises. List 6 things that really
seemed to bother the captain about the
whole slavery issue.

6. If a slave ship wanted to pack the slaves in

tightly, how were the slaves positioned?

7. The Captain of the Ligaleer decided on loose

pack. How many slaves began the voyage and
how many actually made it to America?

8. Describe the conditions on the lower slave

deck to include any food the slaves were
given, treatment, treatment of dead or sick
slaves, sanitation and temperature. ( Worth
6 questions)
9. What were the women slaves used for by
the men on the ship during the passage?

10. What religion were the Africans and who did

they call god?

11. When Kunta arrived in America, describe

how they covered a terrible sore on his back
before the auction?

12. On the ship, what was the problem the

slaves had when trying to formulate a plan
of escape?
13. What question does Fanta ask Kunta Kinte
about the moon in the night sky when they
are waiting for the auction?

14. What are male slaves called in America on

the auction block?

15. What are female slaves called in America on

the auction block?

16. Describe the auction in detail. (at least on

paragraph including the sounds, how they
prepare the slaves for auction, the bidding
process and inspection of the slaves)
17. When Kunta is purchased at auction what
name does his owner give him?
18. Who is placed in charge of Kunta and given 6
months to turn him into a good slave?

19. When Kunta is lying in the barn, what animal

does he give a message and then release out
the window?

20. When Fiddler comes into the barn what does

he find that causes him to tell Kunta that he
has no choice but to leave the plantation?

21. Explain Mr. Aims (the first overseer)

behavior toward the slaves to include the
women.
22. When Kunta escapes the first time, what
does he wake to see for the very first time
in his life?

23. When Mr. Aims catches Kunta, explain what

happens in detail. Be sure to include the
outcome.

24. Many years go by and Kunta never stops

thinking about the girl from Africa. When
he runs the second time, he finds her. What
has happened to her over the years? Be
sure to include physical and mental changes.
Explain her role as a slave. (What does she
have to do on the farm?)(Worth 10
questions)
25. What war is going on at the beginning of this
movie?

26. When the first owner realized that Kunta

has run away again, what happens to the
overseer, Mr. Aims?
27. When the slave catchers find Kunta what do
they tell him and what do they do to him?

28. When Kunta awakens 3 weeks later, he no

longer belongs to his original owner. Who
owns him now?

29. Who takes care of Kunta and nurses him

back to health?

30. Why have Fiddler and Kunta been moved to

this new plantation?
31. What relationship does the new owner have
to Kunta’s old owner?

32. Kunta Kinte falls in love and gets married.

What southern tradition was used in
marriages?

33. What secret does Kunta’s new owner have?

34. When Kunta and his wife have a daughter,

what Kunta name her?
35. What does her name mean?
36. When Missy Anne comes to visit as a child,
she teaches Kunta’s daughter to read and
write. What happens to a slave who learns
these things?
37. When Missy Anne comes to visit around the
age of 16, she and Kunta’s daughter keep
some secrets. There are 3 secrets. List
them.

38. Kunta’s daughter has a boyfriend named

Noah. What does she do for Noah that
changes her life forever?

39. What is her punishment for helping Noah?

40. What African tradition does Kunta follow,

then give up when Belle tells him it has all
 been a lie. After all, the name he had given
their daughter was supposed to have a
special African meaning, too.

41. When Kunta’s daughter is sold, who

purchased her?
42. Describe her first night at the new
plantation.

43. The next morning, a lady takes special care

of Kunta’s daughter. How does she explain
the master’s behavior?

44. When Kunta’s daughter has a son, what does

she name him?

45. Why is she disappointed in her son as a

young adult?

46. A driver from another plantation wanted to

marry Kunta’s daughter, but she refused.
Why?
47. When the driver takes her 4 hours away to
visit the Reynolds Plantation again, explain
her visit with her father.

48. What special job does Kizzy’s son have?

49. What does his nickname become?

50. Kizzy’s son marries and has 2 sons. The

oldest son is named Tom. What special job
does he do when he grows up?

51. What slave name caused Mr. Moore’s wife to

go crazy and changed Mr. Moore’s
relationship with Kizzy’s son?

52. George figures up the cost of his entire

family. They would cost $6000.00. How
long did he say he would have to work to buy
their freedom?
53. Squire James wants to purchase George and
his family and offers them freedom in how
many years?

54. Mr. Moore crushes George’s hopes. How?

55. What secret does Kizzy tell George to

prevent him from killing Mr. Moore?

56. George has to go to England to pay Mr.

Moore’s bet back. He is only supposed to be
gone for 2 years. His return is really 14
years later. What has Mr. Moore done with
his family?

57. Why can’t George stay on and live with his

family on the plantation?

58. Who has died while George has been gone?

59. While George is gone, what war is taking

place?
60. When the white people learn that slavery
has been abolished, what is their reaction in
town as the telegraph is read?

61. What does Tom’s family offer the slaves to

do since slavery is gone?

62. Why do these plans fail and the farmer has

to sell his plantation?

63. What plan does Tom devise to identify the

problem that has been happening?

64. Who is given the name Ole’ George?

65. When Tom goes to the sheriff with the

proof, what happens to Tom?

66. How does ole’ George save Tom’s life?

67. What evidence do we have that prejudice

was also blacks treating whites poorly?
68. What lesson does Ole’ George’s wife teach
Tom’s son when he talks about getting
revenge?

69. Chicken George returns after slavery is

abolished to announce he has purchased the
family some land in
________________________________.

70. Who advises the behavior of Ole’ George and

Tom to be very suspicious and request a
unannounced trip out to farm to check up on
things?

71. What does Ole’ George ask for when the

men arrive finding all the “darkies” working
as ordered?

72. Ole’ George fakes a broken leg and is called

a “nigger lover” when he reveals he is fine.
What is Ole’ George’s response?
73. As the first plan fails and the ambush
expected,Tom and Ole’ George are held at
gunpoint. When the white men try to open
the barn doors to get the rest of the black
people, what is used to change the odds?

74. What irony develops between Tom and the

old man who once whipped him almost until
death?

75. The last words George ever speaks to the

white man that beat his son are
“________________________________
________________________________”
76. What does Two-bob mean in Kunta’s original
language?
77. What does Coby Belongo mean?
78. When the family arrives to their new home,
what tribute does George give to Kunta
Kinte?(This will include the tracing back of
the family history) Counts as 10 questions
 79. Write an essay on one of the following
topics. This should be at least 5 paragraphs,
typed, double spaced and completely answer
the topic you choose. You will be allowed to
bring this in and complete it at home.

Topics (choose one)

A. My Name is Kizzy Kinte
“ You are Kizzy Kinte. You have decided to write your story to
leave as a history for your people. You must explain the events
and include your feelings as they occurred to you.”

B. I Was There
“You are a young white boy or girl. Your parents forced you to
work on the slave ship that brought Kunta Kinte to America.
You will tell the story of what you saw on the ship from the
time the slaves were brought aboard until they go off the ship.
Your description does not have to be limited to things you saw
on the movie. You must reveal your feelings about the things
you saw.”

C. I was a slave named _____________.

“ You are a fictional slave. Give yourself a name. You must give
your story. Are you African born or were you born in America?
Describe your life and hardships. Finally, explain your feelings
toward white people. “
 I Was A Slave Named Sally
Sample Essay by Ms. Williams

I was born on Massa’ Williams’ plantation in Blue Springs,

Alabama in 1790. My parents brought my into this world in a

little wooden shack at the far end of the slave quarters. There

were times I wondered why my parents would even want to have a

child when they knew the life I would live could never be free.

Then, I realized that it was their job to breed and create new

stock to work for Massa’ Reynolds.

My life was better than some slaves who lived during my

day. I was never misused sexually. To take such a sacred thing

as a woman’s body without asking is just evil. Many of my friends

who came to us from other plantations, told me about that

shadowy part of the souls of some men. I never witnessed that

for myself. Maybe God has His hand on me even in slavery. Still,

I wasn’t spared from all pain.

 I watched my mother work until her fingers bled from the

prickly cotton plants. At times, I thought her fingers would just

fall off, but they didn’t. She picked that cotton each day until

sores grew on top of old sores. Those sweet hands never healed.

They never had time to heal. The scars on her hands were

probably nothing compared to the scars on her spirit. She never

complained, but her eyes begged for a better way of life. I don’t

know if she dared to let herself dream about freedom. If she

did, she never told me. I think she thought it would be better

for me not to long for freedom. She knew it was dangerous for a

young slave to become restless and run for freedom, so she tried

to keep me content.

Daddy died when I was only twelve. He never had any

energy to hold me when I was smaller, but I knew he loved me.

He told me stories of people who learned to travel in their minds.

It was something Daddy called “imagination”. I practiced

“imagination” every chance I could. When I had to climb the

trees and pick the fruit for Massa’, I imagined I was in the hand

of a giant troll, always a friendly troll. I never imagined anything

evil because reality was scary enough. My friendly trolls made

from trees, my magic wand fashioned from the washing stick, and

the tiny elves that lived beneath the leaves of the collard greens

all helped me pass the days.

Mama’s hope was for me to be content and never try to

escape, but it was Daddy’s gift that gave me the tools I needed

to become content. I know they regret not being able to give me

my freedom. If only they could understand how many places I

went and how many creatures I met in my mind. Massa’ truly had

the use of my body all the days of my life as I toiled in his fields,

but I was the only massa’ of my imagination.