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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 did George Atzerodt do just before he decided to abandon his plan to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson?

2. What weapons did Lewis Powell bring to William Seward's house, intending to kill him?

3. What was the role of Charles Forbes, the only man sitting outside of the Lincolns' theater box seat?

4. What noise finally led David Herold to flee the scene in the getaway carriage before Lewis Powell had emerged from the house?

5. What was the subject of Lincoln's dream the night before the assassination, as recorded by Secretary Welles in his diary?

Short Essay Questions

1. How was Frederick Seward injured during Lewis Powell's attempt to assassinate Secretary of State William Seward?

2. What was the main goal of the plot to assassinate the Union's top governmental leaders all in one night?

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

4. What methods does James L. Swanson use to convey the chaotic nature of the scene within Ford's Theater after John Wilkes Booth had escaped?

5. What qualities of William Seward's situation caused him to chosen by the assassins as the third target in the assassination plot, in addition to Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson?

6. Over what issues was the American Civil War fought?

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

8. What were the reasons that Dr. Charles Leale wanted to move Abraham Lincoln from the theater, even though he had just proclaimed his wounds sure to be fatal?

9. What are two themes touched upon within Abraham Lincoln's inauguration day speech of 1865?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that discusses the connection between the decision by the U. S. government to make sure John Wilkes Booth's grave remained unmarked and the modern controversy over the media's coverage of mass shooters. Write a specific, clear claim and back it up with both concrete details from the book and concrete details from your research.

Essay Topic 2

What is the book's message regarding the tendency for humans to be fascinated with macabre subjects? Create a strong, specific, arguable claim and back it up with quotes from the text.

Essay Topic 3

How does James L. Swanson use irony within the text? Discuss at least three uses of irony within the book and explore each instance's connection to larger themes within the book. Back up your points using concrete details from the book.

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