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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. What was the main reason that the President did not attend all of the Ex Comm meetings?

2. What is SAM an acronym for?

3. Who sent messages praising Russia and castigating the U.S.?

4. How many ships either stopped or turned back before reaching the blockade?

5. What type of non-fiction is Thirteen Days?

Short Essay Questions

1. What distinguishes Thirteen Days as a memoir (besides the subtitle) and not just an autobiography?

2. What did Ambassador Dobrynin provide as evidence that USSR would not be a threat to the United States?

3. When was Congress told, and how did Congress react to the news of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

4. How did JFK feel about the reaction from Congress when he informed them about the crisis and his plans?

5. How did Ex Comm formulate their recommendations to the President?

6. What other actions did the U.S. take besides the blockade?

7. How did RFK feel about his fellow members of in Ex Comm?

8. After the blockade takes effect, RFK meets with Dobrynin again. What do they discuss?

9. What information did the Intelligence Community have about the missiles in September, but did not inform the President about at that time? Why were they not passed on?

10. What was ironic about JFK's meeting with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrea Gromyko?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In an essay, analyze the paradox of rulership. Why is a single leader desirable? Why is a committee type leadership desirable? Does the Constitution solve the problems with rulership? How so?

Essay Topic 2

The theme of understanding consequences is prevalent in Thirteen Days. Write an essay exploring this theme and its implication to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the powers of Congress and the Presidency using the JFK administration in Thirteen Days as a primary example.

(see the answer keys)

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