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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. While on strike, how much do the workers demand for a four-hour shift, to return to work?

2. Which of the following is NOT a modern technology invented during the time Roebling worked on the Great Bridge?

3. Who is Seth Low?

4. How many companies bid for the lucrative wire contract?

5. Who is chosen to ride in the first cable car to ever cross the East River?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens during the "rope fall" of 1878?

2. What statements about wire and Roebling does the Herald print, even though they are not factual?

3. Why does Roebling decide to make a public appearance before the completion of the bridge, and how does he look to the public?

4. How did Haigh succeed in getting faulty wires past the inspectors for construction?

5. How did non-ticketholders find a way to join in the celebration of the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge?

6. What was work like for the men who first began construction on the Brooklyn footbridge?

7. What argument do Roebling and Hewitt find themselves in over the wire contract?

8. How did Emily Warren help keep the Brooklyn Bridge project afloat when her husband became ill?

9. How did the newspapers react to Emily's involvement in the Bridge project?

10. How does New York City react to Roebling's request for an additional $600,000 to strengthen the bridge's trusses?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Roebling did not always have such a strong relationship with his son Washington as he did when the two were working together. Explain what Roebling's relationship with Washington was like when Washington was a boy, and what events led to the change in relationship between father and son. Then, explain how the two worked together as they were constructing "The Great Bridge."

Essay Topic 2

While he was ill, Emily Roebling stood up and single-handedly saved production of the Brooklyn Bridge. Describe how Emily, who had no engineering experience, managed to maintain production of the bridge. Then, explain how the media felt about Emily's newfound power, and Emily's reaction the paper's speculations.

Essay Topic 3

In the epilogue of this novel, David McCullough compares the Brooklyn Bridge to two other major bridges completed at the time - The George Washington Bridge, and the San Francisco Bridge. How does the Brooklyn Bridge compare / contrast to these two famous bridges? Why do you think McCullough chose these two bridges to use as comparitive tools when exploring the impact the Brooklyn Bridge had on the engineering world?

(see the answer keys)

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