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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through The Destruction of Tenochtitlan.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. At the beginning of the Introduction, Horace Gregory quotes William Carlos Williams as saying "History, history! We fools, what do we know or care?" What does Gregory think Williams means by this?
(a) History matters only to fools.
(b) It is dangerous to get involved in history.
(c) History is full of lies.
(d) Most Americans know little of history.

2. Who does Gregory say is depicted more boldly by Williams than by any other writer?
(a) George Washington.
(b) Cotton Mather.
(c) Abraham Lincoln.
(d) Aaron Burr.

3. What does Eric the Red say that his life is like now that he has been exiled?
(a) People can steal from him at will.
(b) He is more well-admired than ever before.
(c) People try to kill him when they see him.
(d) He is lonely and despondent.

4. What does Montezuma tell Cortez?
(a) That Cortez is not a god, but flesh and blood like other men.
(b) That the Spanish cannot hope to defeat such a large and well-supplied enemy.
(c) That Montezuma is not a god, but flesh and blood like other men.
(d) That the Aztecs will welcome the Spanish as Allies and help them to defeat the countryside.

5. What is Columbus' point when he makes the following statement: "I was twenty-eight years old when I came into your Highnesses' service, and now I have not a hair upon me that is not gray; my body is infirm..."
(a) He is sorry to see that the best years of his life are behind him.
(b) He has been a dedicated servant of the King and Queen for his entire life.
(c) He feels that he should be allowed to see a doctor.
(d) He is worried about who will take on his work after he dies.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does Eric the Red go to start over?

2. Why does Cortez finally burn the city?

3. What does Gregory mean when he says that "if anyone is looking for the secret of their good health and the freedom they exert within an individual speech and manner, it may be found in their determination to 'stay at home,' to accept the roots of their being and to grow slowly to their own maturity."

4. Williams, referring to the King's and Queen's promises to Columbus, remarks, "What power had such ridiculous little promises to stay a man against that terrific downpour on the brink of which they were all floating?". What promises is Williams referring to?

5. Which statement shows that Gregory believes that most people revere history without understanding it?

(see the answer key)

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