View a FREE sample

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through The Virtue of History Aaron Burr.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What reason does the narrator give for believing that Americans have trouble understanding their own national character?
(a) Americans think that all Americans are Native Americans.
(b) Americans do not like to admit that they have origins and a history.
(c) Americans only like to think about the future.
(d) Americans do not have any character left, only emptiness.

2. Toward the end of the introduction, Gregory quotes the following passage: "Question him in hell, O Muse, where he has gone, and when there is an answer, sing and make clear the reasons that he gave for that last blow. Why did he send his son into that tropic jungle and not go himself, upon so dangerous an errand?" Why does Gregory include this quote?
(a) To demonstrate that history must judge the actions of historical figures.
(b) To prove that Walter Raleigh was a coward.
(c) To suggest that even Williams cannot answer all of history's questions.
(d) To show the lyricism of Williams' prose.

3. What are Bridget Bishop and Susanna Martin indicted for?
(a) Drunkenness.
(b) Stealing.
(c) Witchcraft.
(d) Whoring.

4. Why does "she" say that De Soto's men are beginning to hate him?
(a) Because they have become infected with diseases and are experiencing epidemics.
(b) Because he has subjected them to many hardships and they have found no gold.
(c) Because they are worried that they will never make it back to Spain.
(d) Because they are afraid that they will all be killed in battle.

5. What happens to the girl Ponce de Leon gives a gold crucifix to?
(a) His men capture her and steal the crucifix back.
(b) He finds her later under a bush with her hands cut off.
(c) He accidentally kills her without knowing who she is.
(d) He finds her later working as a slave.

Short Answer Questions

1. What explanation does the narrator give for the Puritans' lack of imagination?

2. What is Williams trying to tell the reader about Columbus when he quotes details about how harrowing the storms at sea during Columbus' voyages were?

3. How does Williams say that intense emotions affect our perceptions of things?

4. What happens to Cortez when the Aztecs counterattack from outside the city?

5. What is De Soto looking for?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 470 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample