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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does Williams think that Burr did not get along with Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson?
(a) They had not gotten along since the first time they had met.
(b) They campaigned against Burr when he ran for office.
(c) They favored a stronger central government than he did.
(d) They did not approve of Burr's affairs with women.

2. What event has distracted historians from telling the whole story about Burr?
(a) The French and Indian War.
(b) Shea's rebellion.
(c) The American Revolution.
(d) The duel with Alexander Hamilton.

3. What event in Poe's life trapped him in his poetry?
(a) The destruction of his home.
(b) The death of his wife.
(c) The end of the war.
(d) The birth of his child.

4. What kind of position is Jones' squadron in when the battle begins?
(a) Jones has only three ships left and is at a severe disadvantage.
(b) Jones has fewer ships, but is in a better position geographically than the enemy is.
(c) Jones has the same number of ships as the enemy.
(d) Jones has 20 ships and is at a strong advantage.

5. When does Houston defeat Santa Ana?
(a) During World War I.
(b) During the battle for Texan independence.
(c) During the Revolutionary War.
(d) During the Civil War.

6. How does Williams say that intense emotions affect our perceptions of things?
(a) They make everything larger.
(b) They make everything harder.
(c) They make everything confusing.
(d) They make everything better.

7. What part of Poe's reputation does Williams say is undeserved?
(a) His reputation for eccentricity.
(b) His reputation for criticizing other writers.
(c) His reputation for the strange and macabre.
(d) His reputation for poetic braggadocio.

8. How does the narrator describe George Washington's character at the beginning of "George Washington"?
(a) He says that Washington was corrupted by power.
(b) He says that Washington was ambitious.
(c) He says that Washington rarely told the truth.
(d) He says that Washington was a good man.

9. Who does Lincoln say he owes everything he is or ever will be to?
(a) His angel mother.
(b) His loving sister.
(c) His faithful housekeeper.
(d) His devoted wife.

10. What does William Carlos Williams say is the most important thing to remember about people who are descended from Africans who were brought to the Americas in slavery?
(a) They speak many different languages.
(b) They were forced to endure inhumane conditions at sea.
(c) They bring a certain quality to America with them.
(d) They have managed to thrive despite adversity.

11. Which Founding Father refers to Aaron Burr as dangerous?
(a) James Madison.
(b) Benjamin Franklin.
(c) Alexander Hamilton.
(d) Thomas Jefferson.

12. Why does Franklin recommend against trying to make money in America through manufacturing?
(a) There are no cities in America in which to build manufacturing plants.
(b) To do well in manufacturing, you need large numbers of poor people who are willing to work for low wages.
(c) Few ships travel to America, so manufacturers could not market their goods to foreign ports.
(d) America does not have enough raw materials to do well at manufacturing any items of commercial value.

13. Who is the narrator for the second half of "Poor Richard"?
(a) William Carlos Williams.
(b) Benjamin Franklin.
(c) An average American.
(d) An American Indian.

14. What adjective does the narrator use to describe Boone's character?
(a) Brave.
(b) Mild.
(c) Strong.
(d) Temperamental.

15. According to the narrator, what was Boone's emotional state when he lived alone in the wilderness for three months?
(a) Worry.
(b) Exhilaration.
(c) Fear.
(d) Ecstasy.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Poe call Longfellow?

2. What area does Boone discover, along with his brother, just before the American Revolution?

3. Why does John Paul Jones write to Benjamin Franklin in "Battle Between the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis"?

4. Why does Williams say that it is "water from a spring" to talk to M?

5. What category of people does Williams say that Houston fits into?

(see the answer keys)

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