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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. What part of man does Thoreau say government has control over?

2. What does Thoreau say government should be based on?

3. How does Thoreau say soldiers are expected to perform their duties?

4. What happened to Thoreau when he took his own advice given in 'Civil Disobedience'?

5. What was Anthony Burns's occupation?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Thoreau claim not to be in 'Civil Disobedience' and what was his support for this?

2. What did Thoreau say about laws in 'Slavery in Massachusetts'?

3. How did Thoreau end 'Slavery in Massachusetts'?

4. What did Thoreau say was ironic about the day he presented his speech, 'Slavery in Massachusetts'?

5. How did Thoreau feel about the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

6. How did Thoreau say decisions in America should be made?

7. What kind of issue did Thoreau say slavery was turning into, and how did he feel about this?

8. Who did Thoreau say the government saw as their authority, and how did he feel about this?

9. What did Thoreau accuse the newspapers of in 'Slavery in Massachusetts'?

10. How did Thoreau suggest men should withdraw their support of an unjust government?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Security and safety were two themes that were touched on a number of times throughout this book. What were some of these instances, and how did this affect the essays in which they were included?

Essay Topic 2

Thoreau performed many acts of service by giving his speeches and essays. What are some of the most significant examples of this service, and how did these events affect the people he was trying to help?

Essay Topic 3

What historical events prompted some of the essays from this book, and what were Thoreau's opinions about them?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 652 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample