Chapter 30 Quiz: Foodways, Craft, and Material Culture
Multiple Choice
1. The "Three Sisters" agricultural system — corn, beans, and squash grown together — originated with:
a) Scots-Irish settlers b) German immigrants c) Indigenous peoples (Cherokee and other Native Americans) d) English colonists
2. Nixtamalization — treating corn with wood ash lye — is important because it:
a) Makes corn easier to grind into flour b) Releases niacin and prevents pellagra, a niacin-deficiency disease c) Turns corn into a natural pesticide d) Increases the sugar content of the corn
3. "Leather britches" are:
a) A type of handmade trousers worn by frontier settlers b) Green beans dried whole on strings, a traditional Appalachian preservation technique c) Strips of dried deer hide used in basket-weaving d) Leather patches used to repair quilts
4. The Foxfire Project was founded in:
a) 1932, during the Great Depression b) 1955, during the civil rights movement c) 1966, by a teacher named Eliot Wigginton at a school in Georgia d) 1980, by the Appalachian Regional Commission
5. In the Log Cabin quilt pattern, the central red square traditionally represented:
a) A drop of blood from the Civil War b) The hearth fire at the center of the home c) The red clay soil of the mountains d) The communist labor movement
6. The Cherokee double-weave basket is notable because:
a) It is woven from only one type of material b) Two separate baskets are woven simultaneously and connected to create a single double-walled vessel c) It can only be made by men d) It was invented by European settlers and adopted by the Cherokee
7. Which institution established one of the earliest craft programs in Appalachia, incorporating traditional crafts into its educational mission?
a) Harvard University b) Berea College c) The University of Virginia d) Yale University
8. The Southern Highland Craft Guild was organized in:
a) 1776 b) 1850 c) 1930 d) 1972
9. Which of the following best describes the African contribution to Appalachian food traditions?
a) African contributions were minimal and limited to a few spices b) Cooking techniques (slow-braising, frying), specific ingredients (black-eyed peas), and the centrality of greens all have African roots c) African food traditions were confined to the coastal South and did not reach the mountains d) The only African contribution was the technique of smoking meat
10. The "politics of food" described in the chapter refers to:
a) Government regulations on food safety b) The way the same food can be a source of shame when eaten by poor mountain people and a source of prestige when served in upscale urban restaurants c) The debate over organic vs. conventional farming d) Political campaigns conducted at community food festivals
11. What was the primary purpose of Appalachian quilts?
a) Decorating walls b) Generating income through sales to tourists c) Keeping families warm through mountain winters d) Recording historical events
12. The Foxfire Approach to Teaching emphasizes:
a) Strict memorization of grammar rules and vocabulary b) Standardized test preparation c) Student-driven investigation and documentation of their own community's culture d) Teacher-centered lectures on traditional knowledge
13. Country ham is preserved primarily through:
a) Refrigeration b) Vacuum sealing c) Salt-curing and smoking d) Chemical preservatives
14. The Seagrove pottery tradition is located in:
a) Eastern Kentucky b) Central North Carolina c) Southern West Virginia d) Northeast Tennessee
Short Answer
15. In two or three sentences, explain why corn was so central to the Appalachian diet. What advantages did corn have over other crops in the mountain environment?
16. Describe the quilting bee as a social institution. What functions did it serve beyond the production of quilts?
17. The chapter describes a tension between craft as tradition and craft as commodity. In your own words, explain this tension and give one specific example.
18. Why does the chapter argue that the African roots of Appalachian food have been "erased"? What are the consequences of this erasure for how Appalachian food culture is understood?
Answer Key Location
Answers to selected questions can be found in Appendix: Answers to Selected Exercises.