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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. By the mid-nineteenth century, what was the accepted way to navigate longitude?

2. How many days per month would the lunar distance method not work.

3. Due to the astronomers' ______________, Harrison would face much resistance after he finished his greatest work.

4. The number of pocket watches grew from one in 1737 to how many in 1815?

5. Why did Maskelyne think Harrison shouldn't win the longitude prize?

Short Essay Questions

1. What struggles did astronomers go through in attempting to solve the problem of longitude?

2. Who were Harrison's enemies? Why?

3. In Chapter 11: Trial by Fire and Water, who is the villain introduced? Why was he at odds with Harrison?

4. Describe Harrison's relationship with the Board of Longitude.

5. What was Harrison's primary motivation for winning the longitude prize?

6. Describe the H-4.

7. What hurdles did Harrison have to jump over even though the H-4 was accurate enough to win the Longitude Prize?

8. What happened to clockmaking after Harrison's death?

9. What happened when Harrison presented H-1 to the Board of Longitude?

10. What did the Board of Longitude hire Larcum Kendall to do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Dava Sobel had a keen interest in the longitude problem. In an essay, what do you know about Sobel as an author? What was her purpose in writing Longitude?

Essay Topic 2

The hero of "Longitude" is John Harrison. In an essay, outline his major accomplishments in relation to the longitude problem. Did his background help or hurt him? What controversies did he have to endure?

Essay Topic 3

Place the longitude problem in its historical context Include the following: social, political, cultural, religious, and economic factors.

(see the answer keys)

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