Question 116·Medium·Command of Evidence
“Bound for the Promised Land” is a 2020 historical article about Harriet Tubman. In the article, the author asserts that Tubman’s success on the Underground Railroad was rooted in her meticulous planning and deep knowledge of the landscape, writing, ____.
Which quotation from the article best supports this claim?
For command-of-evidence quote questions, first restate the claim in your own words and underline its key ideas (for example, “careful planning” and “knowledge of the landscape”). Then scan each option and ask: Does this sentence clearly show those exact ideas, not just the same general topic? Quickly eliminate choices that talk about results, reputation, or unrelated details rather than the specific cause or method in the claim. Choose the quotation that most directly and concretely matches all parts of the statement you’re asked to support.
Hints
Underline the key parts of the claim
In the claim, focus on the words that tell you why Tubman was successful: "meticulous planning" and "deep knowledge of the landscape." Your answer must connect to both ideas, not just one.
Match ideas, not just topic
All the choices mention Tubman, but only one describes how she prepared and used her surroundings. Look for words related to preparation, studying, or mapping, and to physical features of the land.
Eliminate answer choices that show results or reputation
If a choice talks mainly about how many people she helped, what others thought of her, or her later memories, it’s probably not about the planning and landscape that led to her success.
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate the claim in simple terms
The author claims that Tubman’s success on the Underground Railroad was based on:
- Meticulous planning: careful, detailed preparation before escapes.
- Deep knowledge of the landscape: understanding the physical environment (creeks, paths, stars, woods, etc.) she traveled through.
The correct quotation must clearly show both her careful planning and her use of the land to guide escapes.
Test each choice against the two key ideas
Now check each option and ask:
- Does it show planning (preparing, organizing, mapping, studying in advance)?
- Does it show knowledge of the landscape (land features, directions, natural guides like rivers, stars, terrain)?
Evaluate the choices:
- Option A talks about how many people she helped, which is about results, not about how she planned or used the land.
- Option B focuses on her reputation (stories of her courage spreading), not on any specific planning or landscape knowledge.
- Option C mentions nights in the swamps, but only in the context of her remembering and speaking softly later in life; it doesn’t describe her planning or how she used that environment to guide escapes.
Only one remaining option directly shows both careful preparation and using the physical environment as a guide.
Identify the quotation that matches the claim
The quotation that clearly shows Tubman preparing in detail before escapes and using the natural landscape to guide her route is:
"Before each escape, Tubman memorized the bends of the creeks and the positions of the stars, charting a route few slaveholders could imagine."
This supports the claim because:
- "Before each escape" and "memorized" show meticulous planning.
- "Bends of the creeks" and "positions of the stars" show her deep knowledge of the landscape and how she used it to navigate.
So the best supporting quotation is that sentence (choice D).