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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. When was Adams released from his position as diplomat?

2. When did the results of the Constitutional Convention ion 1787 reach Adams and Jefferson?

3. How was France's old regime described in 1787?

4. Why was the whale fishery lowered during the War of Independence?

5. What did Vergennes lend to the U.S.?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did whale-oil fishery become an issue again in 1788?

2. How did Adams respond to Jefferson's appointment as a diplomat in France?

3. Why are the Federalists no longer a political party?

4. What events led Jefferson to France in 1784?

5. What did Adams caution Jefferson about, at the end of Chapter 3?

6. What was Jefferson's opinion of the Algerian government and why?

7. What role did Abigail Adams have in the letters?

8. Which criticism of the Constitution did Adams refute, in Chapter 5?

9. What was the irony of the European position on the Barbary pirates?

10. What was Adams' opinion of Jefferson's presidency?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The writing styles of Adams and Jefferson revealed a lot about both individuals and the times in which they lived.

1) Describe the writing style, handwriting, spellings, grammar, and phrasing in the letters.

2) Explain the advantages and/or disadvantages of the writing style in the 1700s/1800s.

3) Analyze the current writing styles, and the similarities and changes in the English language of now and when Adams and Jefferson corresponded.

Essay Topic 2

Adams' Defense of the Constitutions of the United States countered the criticisms of the revolutionary new government that was being designed for America.

1) Describe the criticism about the American government that prompted Adams to write Defense of the Constitutions of the United States.

2) Explain the source of the criticism and the possible reasons for it.

3) Analyze three main points that Adams made in Defense of the Constitutions of the United States to support the country's foundation.

Essay Topic 3

The impact of The Adams-Jefferson Letters proved to be a valuable part of American history.

1) Describe the concepts and principles that Adams and Jefferson fought for in their lives.

2) Explain the reasons why Adams and Jefferson were aware of the importance of their correspondence and continued to write later in their lives.

3) Analyze the major things people can learn about the past, present, and future of America from The Adams-Jefferson Letters.

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