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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. Which general does Lincoln order to take command after McDowell's retreat?

2. Who do the rebels think is the real boss in the U.S. government?

3. Why does William Howard Russell, a London Times correspondent, think the South will win the war?

4. Chase and Seward agree between themselves that Lincoln must let them run the government as a ____________.

5. How can Lincoln's inaugural parade best be characterized?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Elizabeth Keckley and what is her role in the Lincoln White House?

2. What is David Herold's first mission as a rebel courier and what is he told to focus on going forward?

3. What is the nature of Chase's talks with Jay Cooke?

4. What is the mood in Washington as Chapter 15 begins and what is on Seward's mind regarding Lincoln's presidency?

5. How does Vidal describe Lincoln in the early part of the novel?

6. What is the purpose of Stephen Douglas' visit to the White House?

7. What is the Albany Plan and how does it set the stage for political machinations throughout the novel?

8. Who is Salmon P. Chase and what is his role in Lincoln's White House?

9. Whose arrival is anxiously anticipated in Chapter 14 to provide some security in Washington?

10. What does Lincoln do regarding Salmon P. Chase on the day after his inauguration that angers Chase?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the role of men in the 1860s when the men in the story are living through wartime. What precedents do they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions do they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century men do not?

Essay Topic 2

Assassination plots take on an almost human persona in this story. What is this literary technique called? Cite examples that support this position.

Essay Topic 3

Myths and legends have always surrounded the stories of the Abraham Lincoln. How does Vidal's book dispel or validate any such predisposed thoughts? Cite examples of Lincoln being viewed a little differently after reading this book.

(see the answer keys)

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