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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. What does Lincoln ask Mary Todd in Act 2, Scene 8?
(a) To contribute to his campaign.
(b) To be his wife.
(c) To leave town so he and Ninian Edwards can resume their friendship.
(d) To move west to Oregon with him and Seth Gale.

2. What is the sentence that Lincoln tells his farewell crowd is true and appropriate for all times and occasions?
(a) "One step for man, a giant step for mankind."
(b) "And this, too, shall pass away."
(c) "This is the day the Lord has made."
(d) "What's good for the goose is good for the gander."

3. In the debate, Lincoln accuses Douglas of pandering to both sides of the slavery issue. What does he mean?
(a) Telling the South he's for slavery and the North that it shouldn't be allowed to spread.
(b) Offering a trip to China to see the giant Pandas if a compromise is reached.
(c) Breathing heavily whenever the issue becomes heated.
(d) Refusing to take a stand either for or against slavery.

4. Who is fetching water for Seth Gale's sick son in Act 2, Scene 7?
(a) Gobey, a free negro who works for the family.
(b) The Gale family slave, Gobey.
(c) Seth Gale's good friend, Gobey.
(d) Gobey, a runaway slave.

5. How is Lincoln's appearance different from Election Day?
(a) He has a beard.
(b) There is a patch over one eye.
(c) He is walking with a cane.
(d) He has shaved his head.

Short Answer Questions

1. What are the issues on Lincoln's mind as he addresses the crowd?

2. Who is the moderator of the debate between Lincoln and Douglas?

3. What is the last line of the play, sung by the crowd?

4. What legal case established that slaves should be considered property?

5. What is the mood of the crowd surging around Lincoln at the railroad station?

Short Essay Questions

1. As he waits for the election results, Lincoln calls the evening a "death watch." What are Lincoln's feelings about winning the election?

2. While Lincoln asserts that he submits to the will of God, he doesn't belong to any church. What are his objections to organized forms of worship?

3. Stephen Douglas takes the position that "each state should mind its own business," says Lincoln in the debate. It might seem like the safer course, he argues, but there is a danger to following that advice. What is the danger that Lincoln foresees?

4. Mary Todd accepts Lincoln's return in Act 2, Scene 8 without much resistance. She extracts a promise from Lincoln that he'll never leave again, then declares her love for him and her determination "to fight by his side" until death parts them. Does Mary Todd truly love Lincoln or is she using him?

5. As he is leaving Springfield, what is Lincoln's hope regarding his future?

6. In Act 2, Scene 7, it has been two years since Lincoln broke off his engagement. He has been drifting since then, but has returned to New Salem in time to meet his old friend, Seth Gale. The Gale family is heading west, to Oregon. Gale has had a hard journey and now his young son is suffering from swamp fever. What does he want from Lincoln at this time?

7. On Election Day, as the Lincolns wait for voting results, Mary becomes increasingly anxious. Finally, Lincoln suggests she go home to wait. She responds with a surprising outburst. What does she say and why does she feel so strongly?

8. At the beginning of the play's final scene, it's clear that national tension have risen as a result of Lincoln's election. What worries Kavanagh as he waits for the Lincolns to board the train for Washington?

9. In Act 2, Scene 8, Lincoln apologizes for being a coward. He says he shrank from the marriage because he didn't want or believe in the destiny Mary envisions for him. Now, though, he says he wants to "strive to deserve" her faith. Does the way that Lincoln again asks her to marry him indicate that he loves her or has some other reason for marrying her?

10. Lincoln, says Douglas in the debate, is stirring up rebellion against authority. What is the danger that Douglas foresees? And what is the solution he proposes?

(see the answer keys)

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