Civil War Lit Study Guide: Part I

Civil War Lit Study Guide: Part I

Multiple Choice

Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

____1.In the spiritual Go Down, Moses, the refrain “Let my people go” refers to the

a. / leader of the Jews asking the pharaoh to give the slaves their freedom.
b. / people who worked through the Underground Railroad.
c. / desire for the African Americans to own their own property.
d. / prayer sent to heaven in the hopes of being heard.

____2.In from My Bondage and My Freedom, what is the cause that results in Mrs. Auld refusing to help Douglass learn how to read?

a. / she realizes that he is not smart enough to learn how to do it
b. / her husband advises her to quit teaching him
c. / the community warns her she must stop or be punished
d. / she becomes frightened at the idea of getting caught

____3.Which of the following statements from Slavery Under Glass is an opinion?

a. / The FreedomCenter is part of a wave of more than 20 new museums dedicated to African American history that are in development around the country.
b. / All the same, telling the part of that story concerning slavery can be tricky.
c. / Its largest feature is a two-story, rough-hewn log cabin rescued from a Kentucky farm.
d. / The project was first conceived 11 years ago by Robert C. Harrod.

____4.The statement “and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth” from The Gettysburg Address is an example of

a. / diction. / c. / parallelism.
b. / free verse. / d. / personification.

____5.In Lincoln’s The Gettysburg Address, he states that he actually cannot dedicate the cemetery because he

a. / does not feel that he has the right to do that until the war was over.
b. / is leaving that up to the people who came to visit the cemetery.
c. / knows that the families of soldiers will be the ones to consecrate it.
d. / believes that the soldiers were the ones whose actions had already done that.

____6.Drawing conclusions means to

a. / add clues together to figure out what will happen next.
b. / make a general statement about the selection’s overall meaning.
c. / put into your own words what a story is about.
d. / monitor an author’s diction and choice of words.

____7.When a person writes the story of his or her own life, it is called a

a. / biography / c. / autobiography
b. / diary / d. / manual

____8.The art of effective public speaking is known as

a. / persuasion / c. / evidence
b. / oratory / d. / politics

____9.A journal is commonly known as

a. / an outline of upcoming events
b. / a schedule of daily meetings
c. / a daily recording of life’s happenings
d. / a list of class or work assignments

____10.In drawing a conclusion about the theme of a literary work, you

a. / figure out whose opinion you most agree with.
b. / create a theory about the author’s purpose in writing.
c. / put together the facts or plot elements and form an assumption.
d. / analyze the figurative language and paraphrase it to increase comprehension.

____11.An author’s use of diction is

a. / a unique or foreign accent. / c. / the use of dialogue in a story.
b. / his or her choice of words. / d. / his or her personal point of view.

____12.When a series of words, phrases or sentences with similar form are used in literature, it is known as

a. / alliteration / c. / free verse
b. / assonance / d. / parallelism

____13.The type of literature that lets you experience history as if “you are there” is known as

a. / autobiography / c. / personification
b. / historical narrative / d. / historical context

Recall and Interpret (And Ain’t I a Woman?)

____14.Who is “that little man in black” in the address?

a. / a minister / c. / a farmer
b. / a senator / d. / a speaker

____15.At the end of her speech, Sojourner Truth

a. / gets tired of speaking and stops. / c. / introduces the next speaker.
b. / uses third person to refer to herself. / d. / calls on others for a vote.

____16.Who is the primary audience for Sojourner Truth’s speech?

a. / slaves / c. / women
b. / white men / d. / children

____17.What is the main point of Sojourner Truth’s speech?

a. / Women are just as capable as men and deserve the right to vote.
b. / Intellect should not be a factor in obtaining basic rights.
c. / The African Americans of the South and women of the North should unite.
d. / She has worked hard her entire life and is proud of her determination.

____18.What did Sojourner Truth mean when she said, “I could work as much and eat as much as a man-when I could get it-and bear the lash as well!”

a. / She could do the same things men could do.
b. / She worked more hours than most of the men.
c. / She could bear punishment by whipping as well as men could.
d. / She was rarely treated badly as many of the men were.

____19.What does Sojourner Truth believe will help turn the world right side up again?

a. / a quick end to the Civil War / c. / putting a stop to slavery
b. / women getting the right to vote / d. / putting religion back in the home

Vocabulary (And Ain’t I a Woman?)

____20.To make a racket, a person has to be quite

a. / noisy. / c. / exhausted.
b. / considerate.

____21.If a person has borne a great burden, that person has

a. / ignored it. / c. / forgotten it.
b. / carried it.

____22.If a person is obliged to someone, he or she is feeling

a. / resentful. / c. / appreciative.
b. / melancholy.

Recall and Interpret (from My Bondage and My Freedom)

____23.Mrs. Auld stops teaching Douglass how to read because she

a. / finds out she has broken a state law.
b. / is firmly told not to by her husband.
c. / knows he is no longer interested.
d. / is threatened by the other slaves.

____24.Who did Douglass turn to in order to expand his education?

a. / the master of the house / c. / white children
b. / several slaves on the grounds / d. / several school teachers

____25.Douglass not include the names of some of his teachers in his writings because he knows it

a. / could hurt his reputation. / c. / could possibly make them angry.
b. / would upset the Aulds. / d. / might embarrass them.

____26.Douglass bought a copy of the “Columbian Orator” because he

a. / wanted to become a famous speaker.
b. / heard other boys talking about it.
c. / needed something new to read.
d. / was told to by the Aulds.

____27.What was the primary result from Douglass’s education?

a. / eventual reconciliation with his mistress, Mrs. Auld
b. / increased dissatisfaction with being a slave
c. / gradual acceptance of his position in society
d. / growing popularity with the area slave owners

____28.Douglass compares slaveholders to

a. / robbers. / c. / victims.
b. / wardens. / d. / beasts.

____29.Concerning the concept of slavery, the other boys

a. / agreed that it was right and proper. / c. / accepted it as part of life.
b. / had never given it a thought. / d. / thought it completely unfair.

Vocabulary (from My Bondage and My Freedom)

____30.A benevolent person is one who is

a. / kind. / c. / spiteful.
b. / grateful.

____31.A sign of depravity might be

a. / dignity. / c. / humility
b. / cruelty.

____32.If you have induced someone to buy your product, you have

a. / tricked them. / c. / convinced them.
b. / forced them.

____33.To vanquish a foe means to

a. / conquer. / c. / negotiate.
b. / retreat.

____34.To censure a person means to

a. / validate. / c. / criticize.
b. / discipline.

Recall and Interpret (Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Go Down, Moses, and Keep Your Hand on the Plow)

____35.In the refrain of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, the word “home” refers to

a. / Africa. / c. / a house.
b. / Jordan. / d. / heaven.

____36.The overall tone in “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”is

a. / defeated. / c. / anxious.
b. / hopeful. / d. / hateful.

____37.The phrase “Let my people go” in the refrain of “Go Down, Moses”means to allow the

a. / workers go home. / c. / slaves go free.
b. / children go back to Egypt. / d. / people to leave Israel.

____38.In “Go Down, Moses,” the enslaved African Americans compare themselves to

a. / the Jews. / c. / Abraham.
b. / the pharaoh. / d. / soldiers.

____39.One topic found in both “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Go Down, Moses”is

a. / the plight of the Jews in Egypt. / c. / reaching the opposite shores.
b. / several bands of heavenly angels. / d. / riding away in a golden chariot.

____40.“Go Down, Moses” urges Moses to

a. / take another journey to Israel. / c. / go and talk to the Lord.
b. / carry the slaves home to heaven. / d. / help them reach their freedom.

____41.In “Keep Your Hand on the Plow,” the images of chain and jail represent

a. / the biblical figures that were captured.
b. / the story of apostle Paul and Silas.
c. / the oppression of the slaves.
d. / the prison runaways are put in.

____42.These three spirituals demonstrate every ideas EXCEPT

a. / hope / c. / faith
b. / escape / d. / despair

____43.In “Keep Your Hand on the Plow,”Paul and Silas are

a. / slaves out in the field. / c. / singers of the spiritual.
b. / prisoners in the Bible. / d. / two of the slave owners.

____44.In “Keep Your Hand on the Plow,”the image of the plow represents

a. / prison. / c. / work.
b. / faith. / d. / joy.

Recall and Interpret (An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge)

____45.What clue does the phrase “the doomed man’s brain” suggest to the reader?

a. / He will escape at the last minute. / c. / He has already given up on life.
b. / He is going to die no matter what. / d. / He is not thinking very clearly.

____46.What literary technique does the author primarily use in the majority of this story?

a. / flashback / c. / hyperbole
b. / parody / d. / alliteration

____47.What part of Fraquhar’s description stands out as unusual for someone being accused of a crime?

a. / his age / c. / his expression
b. / his clothing / d. / his appearance

____48.The last image Farquhar has is of

a. / the Union spy. / c. / his wife and home.
b. / the bridge’s sentinels. / d. / his watch.

____49.When Farquhar begins hearing a sharp, steady sound, it is actually

a. / his heartbeat. / c. / his watch.
b. / the drums. / d. / the bullets.

Vocabulary (An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge)

____50.When dirty laundry protrudes into the hallway, it is

a. / in the way. / c. / put in the closet.
b. / overlooked.

____51.If a locker is adorned, it means it is

a. / kept very clean and orderly. / c. / identical to the other lockers.
b. / covered in many lovely items.

____52.If music is ardently studied, it is being

a. / ignored. / c. / enjoyed.
b. / tolerated.

____53.If a person who assents to being the president of a club

a. / refuses to be nominated. / c. / accepts the position.
b. / hopes to reach that job.

____54.If a person experiences a poignant moment that person may

a. / cry. / c. / sleep.
b. / chuckle.

Recall and Interpret (from Mary Chestnut’s Civil War)

____55.Sitting down on a chimney showed that Mary Chestnut was feeling

a. / chilled. / c. / lonely.
b. / exhausted. / d. / confused.

____56.What did the bombing at 4 a.m. signify?

a. / the outbreak of the Civil War / c. / the burning of Fort Sumter
b. / the death of Colonel Chestnut / d. / the raising of the southern flag

____57.The women on the rooftop were clearly upset because they

a. / were weary and needed quiet in order to sleep.
b. / did not know what they should do to help.
c. / were frightened and worried for their husbands, fathers, or sons.
d. / knew it would be a very long night for all.

____58.In her diaries, Mary Chestnut scolds

a. / Manning. / c. / Wigfall.
b. / Boykin. / d. / Anderson.

____59.Which of the following statements from the passage is an example of an opinion?

a. / My husband has been made an aide-de-camp of General Beauregard.
b. / April 12, 1861 . . . Anderson will not capitulate.
c. / Yesterday was the merriest, maddest dinner we have had yet.
d. / They were escorted to Beauregard’s headquarters.

____60.The focus of Mary Chestnut’s journal entries is the

a. / ending of the Civil War. / c. / attack on the state of Texas.
b. / destruction of the Harriet Lane. / d. / battle at Fort Sumter.

Vocabulary (from Mary Chestnut’s Civil War)

____61.To make an allusion to tardiness is to

a. / point it out indirectly. / c. / ignore it unknowingly.
b. / barely refer to it.

____62.If a person audaciously announces she is running for class president, she

a. / secretly tells her friends. / c. / only mentions it to her parents.
b. / informs almost everyone.

____63.A guilty person prostrate before a judge may be

a. / weeping. / c. / kneeling.
b. / confessing.

____64.To have a delusion is to have

a. / a detached outlook. / c. / a strong viewpoint.
b. / a false impression.

____65.If the odor pervades a building, people may

a. / just get a whiff in the hallway. / c. / not detect it anywhere anymore.
b. / smell it everywhere they go.

Recall and Interpret (Letter to His Son)

____66.The main idea behind Lee’s letter is

a. / reviewing Life of Washington. / c. / explaining his reticence for war.
b. / convincing his son not to fight. / d. / discussing the Constitution’s laws.

____67.How does Lee apparently feel about George Washington?

a. / He deeply respects him.
b. / He opposes most of his ideas.
c. / He suspects people have forgotten him.
d. / He knows he is in favor of secession.

____68.Lee believes that secession is just another form of

a. / hostility. / c. / acceptance.
b. / revolution. / d. / disloyalty.

____69.What word does Lee use to describe the concepts of anarchy and war?

a. / mistaken / c. / evil
b. / foolish / d. / corrupt

____70.The one thing that Lee says he will not sacrifice for anyone is

a. / honor. / c. / victory.
b. / family. / d. / respect.

____71.In the letter, Lee says that if the United States goes to war, he will mourn for his country and for

a. / morality. / c. / freedom.
b. / justice. / d. / mankind.

Vocabulary (Letter to His Son)

____72.A perusal of a new student in school means

a. / a show of friendship. / c. / a critical attitude.
b. / a close observation.

____73.Before the colonies became states, anarchy, or a sense of ____ prevailed.

a. / poverty / c. / lawlessness
b. / loneliness

____74.To put collectibles in an array means to

a. / arrange them carefully. / c. / give them away to friends.
b. / hide them in your closet.

____75.If parents expect a child to redress his mistake, he will

a. / apologize for it profusely. / c. / feel guilty for it continuously.
b. / rectify it honestly.

____76.To contend a grade means to

a. / insist that it is incorrect. / c. / suspect a mistake.
b. / accept it graciously.

Recall and Interpret (Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words that Remade America)

____77.The main reason for Lincoln’s presence at Gettysburg was to

a. / make the dedication formal. / c. / show support for Everett.
b. / give a long, political speech. / d. / approve of the dedication music.

____78.How did Lincoln’s way of speaking help him in front of a crowd?

a. / His higher voice could project much farther.
b. / His accent amused people and made them more receptive.
c. / He was very quiet so the audience listened carefully.
d. / His deep voice created a sense of power and strength.

____79.To improve his speaking ability, Lincoln

a. / practiced in front of a mirror. / c. / recited Shakespeare to people.
b. / alternated yelling and whispering. / d. / rehearsed at least three times.

____80.What factor about Lincoln does Wills say might have offended some Easterners?

a. / his unspoken support of ending slavery
b. / his age, height and overall appearance
c. / his distinctive Kentucky accent
d. / his avoidance of negative wording

____81.What apparently occurred five times during Lincoln’s speech?

a. / passionate applause / c. / long pauses
b. / hostile jeering / d. / temporary confusion

Recall and Interpret (The Gettysburg Address)

____82.The line “Four score and seven years ago” refers to the

a. / first battles signifying the start of the Civil War.
b. / creation of the Declaration of Independence.
c. / construction of the Gettysburg cemetery.
d. / birth of Edward Everett, one of the era’s best speakers.

____83.What is “the great battle-field” that Lincoln refers to?

a. / Washington, D.C. / c. / Gettysburg cemetery
b. / the government / d. / the Constitution

____84.According to Lincoln, who consecrated the cemetery?

a. / the politicians / c. / the soldiers
b. / the people / d. / the musicians

____85.Which phrase from the speech is an example of parallelism?

a. / Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
b. / But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate-we can not consecrate-we can not hallow-this ground.
c. / The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
d. / It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

Vocabulary (The Gettysburg Address)

____86.A person who orders five score of pencils would receive

a. / 5 / c. / 100
b. / 50

____87.If someone wanted to consecrate something, he or she might

a. / bless it. / c. / paint it.
b. / use it.

____88.An example of hallowed ground is

a. / a church. / c. / a school.
b. / a shopping center.

____89.It is possible many animals will perish due to global warming, which means they will

a. / migrate. / c. / die.
b. / evolve.

Short Answer

Analyze and Evaluate (And Ain’t I a Woman?)

90.In Sojourner Truth’s speech, she focuses on what two groups who were fighting for their rights?

91.Sojourner Truth gives four different reasons why she should be considered the equal of any man. Name two of them and explain why she feels these are good examples of gender equality.

Analyze and Evaluate (from My Bondage and My Freedom)

92.When Douglass writes about the “torment of this knowledge,” he uses a number of metaphors to explain how he feels about knowing he will be a slave for life. Name two of these metaphors and discuss how they represented his feelings about slavery.

Analyze and Evaluate (Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Go Down, Moses and Keep Your Hand on the Plow)

93.The refrain in each of these spirituals works to emphasize the songs’ meanings. Name the refrain from each one and analyze how they reflect the overall concept .

Analyze and Evaluate (from Mary Chestnut’s Civil War)

94.“Mary Chestnut’s Civil War” is clearly an example of a diary or personal journal. List two reasons why this is apparent to the reader.

Essay

Evaluate and Connect (And Ain’t I a Woman?)

95.Sojourner Truth repeats the same message several times. Write a paragraph stating how the repetition supports the argument she is making.

Evaluate and Connect (from My Bondage and My Freedom)

96.Douglass writes, “Nature made us friends; slavery made us enemies.” Write a paragraph that explains what he meant with this statement.