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. What was one of the objectives of the Second Continental Congress?

2. What event causes Congress to flee from Philadelphia?

3. How many votes were necessary to declare independence?

4. References to what subject were removed from the declaration?

5. Which American envoy disliked both Adams and Franklin?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who did Adams marry?

2. Explain Adams' education and entry into the profession of law.

3. What did Adams come to realize about the tensions among the American envoys in Paris?

4. How does Adams react when his ship is wrecked in a storm and he must be repaired in Spain.

5. Where was John born and who were his parents?

6. Explain some of Adams' immediate issues as Head of the War Department.

7. Where is Adams headed when the book opens?

8. What are Abigail's first impressions of London after her arrival?

9. What did Adams do upon arriving in France?

10. What was Adams' overall opinion of the First Continental Congress?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Adams spent several years living in France as a diplomatic envoy. Compare and contrast his life there with his life in Massachusetts. What did he like and dislike about life in both places?

Essay Topic 2

Thomas Paine wrote that "These are the times that try men's souls." Explain how the times also tried the souls of the women left behind to keep the homes intact and raise the children. Use Abigail Adams as a prominent example.

Essay Topic 3

John and Abigail ultimately lost four children before their own deaths. Name the children and the circumstances of their deaths.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,191 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample