Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave who became a prominent activist, author and public speaker. He became a leader in the abolitionist movement, which sought to end the practice of slavery, before and during the Civil War.
Noise pollution and health problems. The internal combustion engine is behind virtually every form of high-speed travel that we have today, from early planes to cars to trains.
While I don't know what you read for the reading check I can tell you this. Trade with Japan and China only really started because we threatened them, we basically said "trade with us or we shoot you."