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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. How long did John Wilkes Booth have between finding out about Lincoln's plans to attend the play and his assassination of the President?

2. What was the cause of William Seward's injuries that caused him to be healing in bed when the assassination attempt on his life was made?

3. What wound did Lewis Powell successfully inflict upon William Seward, though he did not succeed in killing him?

4. What two weapons did John Wilkes Booth carry with him the night of the assassination?

5. On the night of April 11th at the Torchlight Parade, what did Lincoln say in his speech regarding African-Americans?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does James L. Swanson create suspense in the scene when Lewis Powell attempts to assassinate William Seward?

2. In what ways is Lewis Powell portrayed as a pathetic character after his attempt to take William Seward's life?

3. How does James L. Swanson characterize the personality of the actress Laura Keene, who was present at the scene of John Wilkes Booth's shooting of Abraham Lincoln.

4. What danger to Lewis Powell's assassination plot lurked in William Seward's room of which Lewis Powell was unaware?

5. How does James L. Swanson demonstrate Fanny Seward's courage and ferocity within the scene of Lewis Powell's attempt to take her father's life?

6. What is the significance of the photo that was taken at Abraham Lincoln's inauguration and that includes John Wilkes Booth?

7. What is James L. Swanson's purpose when he describes John Wilkes Booth's passions as including "the romance of lost causes"? (2)

8. How did John Wilkes Booth's knowledge of Ford's Theater facilitate his assassination of Abraham Lincoln?

9. Since John Wilkes Booth could have easily gained an audience with President Abraham Lincoln in the Executive Mansion using his famous face, why did he not just assassinate him in such a meeting?

10. How did Mary Todd Lincoln's letter to the Ford Theater's proprietors unwittingly help Abraham Lincoln's would-be assassins complete their goal?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is the theme of hope depicted within the narrative despite the grim act at the center of its story? Create a clear, specific claim and support it with concrete details from the book.

Essay Topic 2

How does the author get across Abraham Lincoln's tendency to avoid a grand and flashy presence? What ultimate message about how politicians ought to behave is being created within this depiction? Include concrete details from the book to support your claim.

Essay Topic 3

How does the author use sensory details in order to paint a vivid portrait of the historical events he depicts within the novel? Discuss at least two scenes that include extensive use of sensory details and pull quotes from these scenes to support your claim.

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