View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Within the scholarly world what is the consensus regarding the story about Jefferson and Sally Hemings?

2. How many slaves does Jefferson free in his will?

3. Why does Napoleon enter into negotiations to sell what is called the Louisiana Purchase?

4. Where does Jefferson retreat to several times per year?

5. What closes all ports in the U.S. to trade and is an economically crippling move?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who are the last two surviving Founding Fathers, and how are they treated?

2. What is ironic about Jefferson's approval of the separation of church and state?

3. How does Ellis feel about the accusations that Jefferson has an illicit affair with his slave, Sally Hemings?

4. Why might it be possible that this affair took place?

5. What does John Adams mean by "Thomas Jefferson lives"?

6. How do Jefferson and Adams begin to reconcile their friendship?

7. What is the most enduring scandal of Jefferson's life?

8. How does Madison Hemings back the claim that Jefferson had an illicit affair with Sally Hemings?

9. What is the reason for the lack of pomp in his arrival to the Capitol?

10. What does Jefferson want to eliminate as president?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Jefferson writes the Declaration of independence.

Part 1) How long does it take Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence?

Part 2) Why might it have taken him this amount of time to write it?

Part 3) By what and whom is he inspired? Why?

Essay Topic 2

An accusation that historians still debate to this day is that of the relationship between Jefferson and Sally Hemings.

Part 1) Of what is he accused?

Part 2) What is the evidence of the relationship?

Part 3) Character flaws are a part of humanity. Why do scholars, historians, and the general public still debate this relationship?

Essay Topic 3

Jefferson loves his wife, but he finds a woman who is a rare equal.

Part 1) Who is this woman?

Part 2) How is she the equal of Jefferson?

Part 3) What type of relationship do these two have?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 602 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample