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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 armed St. Bernard Parish men visit the bankers of New Orleans?

2. Where did Thompson go to present his argument to save New Orleans from flooding?

3. How did Humphrey prove himself to be in combat?

4. What ongoing problem existed at the mouth of the Mississippi River that prohibited shipping?

5. What did Leroy Percy's speeches advocate?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. 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?

3. When Humphreys does publish his report, it receives great acclaim in Europe, but because of the Civil War it doesn't receive a lot of recognition in the United States. Why would the Civil War limit the recognition of Humphreys' report?

4. How is pressure the most damaging component to a levee?

5. 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?

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

7. Thompson has the idea of dynamiting the levees to the south of New Orleans, but who gets the idea primarily accepted by everyone?

8. What would be the purpose of one town sabotaging the levee in another town?

9. After reading the reports of Humphreys and Eads and hearing the oppositions of many engineers, the government insisted the reason the levees weren't working is because they weren't built correctly, not because other things were needed. Why didn't the politicians listen to the reports?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 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

World War I was occurring during the time of the flood. How did the war affect the Delta region during this time? Why was the war mentioned repeatedly throughout the book? Who did the war affect the greatest and why?

(see the answer keys)

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