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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who wrote the poem that Lincoln's teacher gives him to read?
(a) John Lennon.
(b) John Brown.
(c) John Singer Sargeant.
(d) John Keats.

2. Who is Ninian Edwards?
(a) A merchant passing through New Salem.
(b) Son of the Illinois governor.
(c) Josh Speed's stepbrother.
(d) Uncle of Elizabeth Edwards.

3. What is the true reason Lincoln wants to end the engagement with Mary Todd?
(a) She has taken to wearing spurs and brandishing a whip when they are alone.
(b) He believes she really wants to marry Stephen Douglas.
(c) He knows he is losing his mind and wants to spare her from sharing his pain.
(d) He hates her ambitions for him and doesn't want to be driven to achieve her goals for the rest of his life.

4. What reason does Lincoln give in Act 2, Scene 4 for turning down the opportunity to speak against slavery?
(a) The sponsoring organization is "a pack of hell-raising fanatics."
(b) He has a date on the night of the rally.
(c) He is pro-slavery.
(d) He is feuding with the president of the organization that wants him to speak.

5. What happens at the end of Act 2, Scene 4 that proves Lincoln's claim that he is a social success?
(a) Nancy Green accepts a job as his social secretary to keep track of his dates.
(b) Ninian Edwards invites Lincoln home for dinner.
(c) Josh Speed introduces Lincoln to his sister.
(d) Mary Todd sends Lincoln a thank-you note for a pleasant evening the previous week.

Short Answer Questions

1. What piece of advice does Ninian Andrews give Lincoln concerning Mary Todd in Act 2, Scene 6?

2. What does Lincoln do that impresses Ninian Edwards in Act 1, Scene 2?

3. What is Billy Herndon's attitude toward Mary Todd on the day Lincoln is to be married?

4. In Act 2, Scene 4, who arrives unexpectedly at Lincoln's office to visit?

5. What is the purpose of Edwards' visit to New Salem in Act 1, Scene 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Act 2, Scene 4, Lincoln continues to resist running for any office with more authority than the Electoral College. Why?

2. In Act 2, Scene 6, Lincoln decides to jilt Mary Todd on their wedding day. He plans to inform her in a long letter--a plan to which Josh Speed objects. Why does Speed object? In his mind, what does Lincoln's plan say about Lincoln as a man?

3. William Herndon reacts vehemently to Lincoln's denunciation of Mary Todd's ambitions for Lincoln. What does Herndon, who is somewhat drunk, tell Lincoln?

4. What is Webster reacting or responding to in the speech Lincoln reads in Act 1, Scene 1?

5. In Act 2, Scene 4, Lincoln has a law clerk who is something of a firebrand--he believes deeply in abolition and tries to get Lincoln involved in the public debate. What is Lincoln's response?

6. Nancy Green and Bowling Green have a disagreement about whether Ann Rutledge is good for Lincoln. What are their respective opinions?

7. At the beginning of Act 2, Scene 5, Elizabeth Edwards is responding to a bit of news which surprises her--even though she might have seen it coming. What is the news and who brought it to her attention?

8. As Lincoln contemplates breaking his engagement, Josh Speeds urges him to wait until he, Lincoln, is feeling calmer. Lincoln responds that he is desperate to have the matter settled. What is Josh Speed's larger concern about Lincoln under the circumstances?

9. Does Lincoln appear to be emotionally stable just after he announces the death of Ann Rutledge?

10. What sentiment does Daniel Webster express in the speech that Lincoln reads in Act 1, Scene 1?

(see the answer keys)

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