Which of the following statements about the slave family is true?

A) Masters rarely broke up slave families.
B) Masters usually discouraged slaves from forming family units.
C) Most southern states had legalized slave marriages by 1860.
D) Children were often named after relatives of past generations as a way of retaining family history.

Naming children after relatives of past generations was a common way for slaves to maintain a sense of family history and identity, especially since they were often stripped of their own family names and histories. However, masters often did break up slave families by selling family members to different estates. While some states did legalize slave marriages, it was not a widespread practice and many slave marriages were still not legally recognized. Masters also had little interest in encouraging slaves to form family units, as this could lead to stronger ties among slaves and potential rebellion.