Free African-Americans expressed themselves in post-Revolutionary America by
A. building their own communities with institutions such as schools and churches.
B. immediately achieving political and property rights.
C. developing a distinctly African-American voice through writing and poetry.
D. both (a) and (c) above are correct.
And you think ... ?
To determine the correct answer, let's break down the options and analyze each one:
A. Building their own communities with institutions such as schools and churches: This option suggests that free African-Americans expressed themselves by creating their own communities and establishing institutions like schools and churches. This aligns with historical evidence as free African-Americans often used community-building as a way to assert their autonomy, create networks of support, and cultivate their own cultural identity.
C. Developing a distinctly African-American voice through writing and poetry: This option indicates that free African-Americans expressed themselves by developing a unique voice through writing and poetry. This is also historically accurate as many free African-Americans used literature as a means of self-expression, often addressing issues such as slavery, discrimination, and their experiences as free individuals.
Now let's assess the options:
B. Immediately achieving political and property rights: This option is not accurate. Although there were significant developments regarding African-American rights following the American Revolution, achieving full political and property rights was not an immediate outcome. It would take several decades and intense struggles, such as the Civil Rights Movement, for African-Americans to gain broader political and property rights.
D. Both (a) and (c) above are correct: This option correctly combines the aspects from options A and C, stating that building their own communities with institutions and developing a distinctly African-American voice through writing and poetry were both ways in which free African-Americans expressed themselves in post-Revolutionary America. This is the most accurate and comprehensive answer.
Therefore, the correct answer is option D: both (a) and (c) above are correct.