Like the Unions in Paterson, New Jersey assessment, this question gauges whether students can source and contextualize a document. Students must first examine an 1850 speech by Senator Solomon Weathersbee Downs then determine which fact can help them evaluate the reliability of Downs' argument about the conditions facing slaves in the South. Strong students will be able to explain that Downs had a vested interest in protecting the institution of slavery because he was a slaveholder (Fact 2) and his constituents were pro-slavery (Fact 4).
