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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. If Thompson's plan is implemented, what will happen to Plaquemines Parish and St. Bernard?

2. What did the flooding of 1912 and 1913 demonstrate?

3. What did the official report about the mouth of the Mississippi that Eads wrote finally say?

4. As floodwaters raged, what was happening to the crevasse at Mounds Landing?

5. Why was Eads allowed to proceed with his idea after being opposed unanimously?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. When the author says it is hoped that the bridge construction will "marry steamboats to railroads", what does he mean?

3. Why do people want to follow the ways of the Ku Klux Klan rather than follow Percy's successful lead?

4. Although the blacks are traditionally known for harvesting cotton, LeRoy Percy does not seek their help to avoid any racial tensions. Instead, Percy imports thousands of Italians and racial problems still emerge. Why does this happen?

5. 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?

6. How involved in the flooding is Coolidge when he is the President of the United States?

7. Why does Thompson feel he is doing a good thing by withholding news from the public?

8. 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?

9. It is said in Chapter 13 that the slower the flood, the more dangerous it is. Why would a slow flood be more dangerous than a fast moving flood?

10. One night, a boat approaches the levee that protects St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parshes and is shot at. Why was the boat shot at?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Personification is giving a nonliving object characteristics of something that is alive. How is personification used to describe the river? Why would it be used this way? What was the reasoning behind the flooding when using personification?

Essay Topic 2

The Mississippi Levee system was said to be more complicated than the average levee system. What made it different from a regular levee system? How was the levee system along the Mississippi set up? What about it made it more effective? Did this new design for the levee system help during the floods? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

LeRoy Percy was a man with great dignity and determination. How did he use his power to rise up against the KKK? How was he viewed for his interaction with the Klan? What did this tell the reader about him?

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