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

Short Answer Questions

1. How many words did Abraham Lincoln's inauguration speech of 1865 contain?

2. What was the source of Mary Todd Lincoln's emotional disturbance in the three years previous to Lincoln's inauguration?

3. How many stories did William Seward's house have, making Lewis Powell's task of finding him difficult?

4. What wound did Lewis Powell successfully inflict upon William Seward, though he did not succeed in killing him?

5. What distinctive marking did John Wilkes Booth's horse have on her body?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what ways is Lewis Powell portrayed as a pathetic character after his attempt to take William Seward's life?

2. How does James L. Swanson demonstrate Fanny Seward's courage and ferocity within the scene of Lewis Powell's attempt to take her father's life?

3. What was the main goal of the plot to assassinate the Union's top governmental leaders all in one night?

4. What is James L. Swanson's purpose when he describes John Wilkes Booth's passions as including "the romance of lost causes"? (2)

5. How did John Wilkes Booth's knowledge of Ford's Theater facilitate his assassination of Abraham Lincoln?

6. How does James L. Swanson characterize the personality of the actress Laura Keene, who was present at the scene of John Wilkes Booth's shooting of Abraham Lincoln.

7. Over what issues was the American Civil War fought?

8. What is the author's purpose in relating the events of Mary Lincoln Todd's and Abraham Lincoln's afternoon together on the date of the assassination?

9. How was Frederick Seward injured during Lewis Powell's attempt to assassinate Secretary of State William Seward?

10. How did Mary Todd Lincoln's letter to the Ford Theater's proprietors unwittingly help Abraham Lincoln's would-be assassins complete their goal?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does James L. Swanson use irony within the text? Discuss at least three uses of irony within the book and explore each instance's connection to larger themes within the book. Back up your points using concrete details from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that discusses the connection between the decision by the U. S. government to make sure John Wilkes Booth's grave remained unmarked and the modern controversy over the media's coverage of mass shooters. Write a specific, clear claim and back it up with both concrete details from the book and concrete details from your research.

Essay Topic 3

What is the author's treatment of race relations within the events of the book? How does he get across to the reader the complexities of the country's conflicts without devoting entire chapters to the topic of race? Craft a specific and clear claim regarding the author's treatment of the race relations theme and use textual details to support your claim.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,451 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample