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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. After 18 years of marriage to Lincoln, what is it that Mary Todd is bitter about?
(a) Lincoln chain smokes all over the house.
(b) Lincoln spends too much time reading and not enough attention to her.
(c) Lincoln still isn't politically ambitious enough to suit her.
(d) Lincoln habitually puts his muddy boots on expensive furnishings.

2. Who is Lincoln's main rival for the presidency?
(a) William Herndon.
(b) Andrew Jackson.
(c) Stephen Douglas.
(d) Uriah Heep.

3. What song does the band play as Lincoln departs?
(a) "Let It Be."
(b) "Ave Maria."
(c) "John Brown's Body."
(d) "Happy Days Are Here Again."

4. What institution does Douglas use to bolster his argument that negroes are not equal under the Constitution?
(a) The Supreme Court.
(b) The Catholic Church.
(c) The American Civil Liberties Union.
(d) The National Rifle Association.

5. Why does Mary agree to the public humiliation of taking Lincoln back after two years?
(a) Lincoln promises to make a public declaration of his undying love on the courthouse steps.
(b) She will control Lincoln by using his shame about their broken engagement.
(c) She never worries about what others think of her.
(d) The humiliation will be wiped out by "ultimate triumph."

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the moderator of the debate between Lincoln and Douglas?

2. How does Lincoln frequently begin a sentence after his election?

3. What is Lincoln considering as his first act as president?

4. How does Mary Todd accept Lincoln's proposal at the end of Act 2, Scene 8?

5. What do the red flags mean in the map of states in Lincoln's campaign headquarters?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Act 3, Scene 9, Stephen Douglas says the question of equal rights for slaves has been legally settled. How was the issue settled and what was the decision?

2. Mary Todd accepts Lincoln's return in Act 2, Scene 8 without much resistance. She extracts a promise from Lincoln that he'll never leave again, then declares her love for him and her determination "to fight by his side" until death parts them. Does Mary Todd truly love Lincoln or is she using him?

3. Almost at the moment he learns of his election, Lincoln's life changes in a way he doesn't like. In the play, who or want is the sign of this change? And which of the play's themes does this change fit into?

4. In his prayer for Seth Gale's son, Lincoln also prays for something else. What is it?

5. As he is leaving Springfield, what is Lincoln's hope regarding his future?

6. Lincoln, says Douglas in the debate, is stirring up rebellion against authority. What is the danger that Douglas foresees? And what is the solution he proposes?

7. Lincoln has an outburst of his own, in response to Mary. What are his complaints against her?

8. Stephen Douglas takes the position that "each state should mind its own business," says Lincoln in the debate. It might seem like the safer course, he argues, but there is a danger to following that advice. What is the danger that Lincoln foresees?

9. In Act 2, Scene 7, it has been two years since Lincoln broke off his engagement. He has been drifting since then, but has returned to New Salem in time to meet his old friend, Seth Gale. The Gale family is heading west, to Oregon. Gale has had a hard journey and now his young son is suffering from swamp fever. What does he want from Lincoln at this time?

10. On Election Day, as the Lincolns wait for voting results, Mary becomes increasingly anxious. Finally, Lincoln suggests she go home to wait. She responds with a surprising outburst. What does she say and why does she feel so strongly?

(see the answer keys)

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