Should slaveowners' descendants pay? Malik Al Nasir found an unusual way to continue his research into his Guyanese ancestry and the history of enslaved people from the Sandbach Tinne dynasty.
eBay letters that reveal slavery secrets
Family fortunes: Records unearthed by Cambridge PhD student Malik Al Nasir expose the kinship and brutality behind one of Britain’s most powerful slave-trading dynasties. Comprehension quiz
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What does the word “contentious” mean?
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Which word is the closest synonym for “redress”?
A: Worsen
B: Compensate
C: Punish
D: Forget
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According to the article, why did Malik Al Nasir start his own archive?
A: He wanted to sell historical documents online.
B: He was frustrated that he could not find resources in public archives and libraries.
C: He wanted to prove that the Gladstones and Sandbachs were the only wealthy slave-owning families.
D: He was hired by a museum to create a new database.
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According to the article, how much of Britain’s GDP was the slave trade responsible for at its height?
A: 11%
B: 1%
C: 22%
D: 40%
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Which two of the following are reasons mentioned in the article for why some people are in favour of descendants of slaveowners paying reparations?
A: Because the fortunes were built on the lives of people who were stripped of their freedom.
B: Because it is a form of punishment for historical crimes.
C: Because the descendants are heirs to unearned privilege.
D: Because it is a legal requirement.
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Do you think that descendants of slave owners should pay reparations? Explain your view using at least one piece of evidence from the text.
Answers
Tap to reveal
1: A subject of argument or dispute, 2: B, 3: B, 4: A, 5: A and C, 6: Your opinion!
1: A subject of argument or dispute, 2: B, 3: B, 4: A, 5: A and C, 6: Your opinion!
Glossary
Archives - Collections of historic records.
Tranche - A portion; from the French word for a slice.
Colonised - To move to a place and attempt to take it over, at the expense of any existing people.
GDP - Short for Gross Domestic Product, the measure of all the goods and services produced inside a country.
Grotesque - A figure or face carved out of stone and fixed to the roof or walls of a building. They are similar to gargoyles, but gargoyles include a spout for water to drain through.
Inhumane - Cruel, or without compassion.
Reparations - Providing payment to make amends for a wrongdoing.
Legacy - Something that comes from events in the past.