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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. Why did President Coolidge hire Herbert Hoover?

2. In early 1927, what did many of the communities begin to do?

3. What was Thompson's proposition to prevent the levees from failing?

4. Who finally gave approval for Thompson to organize his plan when he arrives back to the Delta area?

5. As other cities are flooding, why did panic erupt amongst the residents in New Orleans?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did the author start the book on a stormy night?

2. Both Ellet and Humphreys are in competition to survey the Mississippi River. Ellet's report came out first and Humphreys takes Ellet's report as a personal insult. Why would Humphreys be insulted by Ellet's report?

3. Humphreys has his friend, Charles Howell, inspect the progress Eads is making on the jetties. Howell makes a report that the jetties aren't working the way Eads said they would. Eads in turn has a friend of his disclaim Humphreys' report. Why does Humphreys lie in his report?

4. Much of the Delta region is underwater from the failure of levees, yet the people of Greenville still have faith in their protection levee. What happens to their levee?

5. The author wrote that during the 1800's "the prevailing attitude is that the Mississippi River can be controlled if the laws of nature governing the river were understood." What could John M. Barry mean by this?

6. As committees are formed to decide about dynamiting the levee, the Mounds Landing crevasse is brought up in conversation. Why is this crevasse brought into the conversation?

7. Why does Hoover see being the chairman of the flood committee as a great opportunity?

8. After the Mounds Landing Crevasse widens and thousands of acres are underwater, many other levees begin to fail. The white people left the area, while the black people stayed behind to work. What does this tell the reader about the Delta region?

9. The railroads and river make the Delta region flourish, yet there is a shortage of workers in the area. How will the better treatment of blacks by LeRoy Percy help this problem?

10. What does the Boston Club symbolize in New Orleans?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When the St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parish levee was to be dynamited, tickets were sold to the event. Who were the main ticket holders? What did this tell the reader about society in 1927? What did this tell the reader about the citizens of New Orleans?

Essay Topic 2

Discrimination was a major aspect of the novel. Compare and contrast how LeRoy Percy wished the blacks to be treated to how they were treated in the area. How did the action and the idea conflict? Why was this an important conflict in this time in history?

Essay Topic 3

Weather was a major contribution to the historical events that occurred during 1927. What part did weather have in this nonfiction book? Why was weather so important? What did the people believe about weather during the floods?

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