Study Guide for the First Test on Chasing Lincoln’s Killer Name: ______
The test will be on Wednesday, January 31st.
1. How did John Wilkes Booth react to the news of the Union’s victory? First page of Chapter 1 “John Wilkes Booth awoke depressed. It was Good Friday morning, April 14, 1865. The Confederacy was dead. His cause was lost and his dreams of glory over. He did not know that this day, after enduring more than a week of bad news, he would enjoy a stunning reversal of fortune. No, all he knew this morning when he crawled out of bed was that he could not stand another day of Union victory celebrations.”To answer this completely, don’t just say Booth was depressed. Explain WHY he was depressed.
2. What play was being performed when Lincoln was assassinated?
- Where the Wind Blows.
- The Great Gatsby.
- Our American Cousin.
- Of Mice and Men.
3. Why did Booth wait to pull the trigger of the gun until the actor on stage said a particular line of the play? (Chapter 2)“The actor Harry Hawk entered the stage. It was not yet time — there were too many actors still onstage. Booth listened to the dialogue of the play for his signal. In a few moments, Booth knew, Harry Hawk would be alone onstage and would speak a line guaranteed to produce such energetic laughter that it would drown out the sound of just about anything, including, Booth hoped, the sound of a pistol shot.”
4. What weapon did John Wilkes Booth use to assassinate the president?
- a bowie knife
- a six shooter
- a Deringer Pistol
- a sword
5. Why did Booth choose that particular weapon? (Chapter 1) “Booth chose as his primary weapon a .44 caliber, single-shot, muzzle-loading pistol manufactured by Henry Deringer of Philadelphia. It was a small, short-barreled, pocket-size handgun designed for concealment, not combat. Its big .44 caliber ball, weighing in at nearly an ounce, was a solid, deadly round.”
6. Why was Secretary Seward recovering in bed when his assassination was attempted?
- he was attacked by a dog
- a carriage accident
- he lost a boxing match
- tuberculosis
7. Explain how Powell gained entrance to the Seward home. (Chapter 3) “The door surely locked, he would have to ring the bell. If someone answered, could he just shoot or slash his way in? That might attract the attention of pedestrians or awaken the occupants of the house to defend themselves. Deception, not brute force, was the key. They came up with a brilliant plan. Powell would pretend he was a messenger delivering important medicine from Seward’sdoctor. To make his story more believable, Powell carried a small package wrapped in paper and tied with string.”To answer this completely, you need to explain why it would be difficult to gain entrance to the home THEN how Powell did it.
9. Who was George Atzerodt supposed to kill?
- President Lincoln.
- Vice-President Johnson.
- Secretary of State Seward.
- Secretary of War Stanton.
10. Take each word from the list below. Write the definition that goes with how it is used in the story. The numbers in parentheses are the page numbers where the word can be found. Example: the word oblivion can be found on page 73. The sentence is “Other great actresses of the 19th century American theater have faded into oblivion while Laura Keene is remembered for a single unscripted act.” One definition for oblivion is “the state of being completely forgotten or unknown” and the second is “complete annihilation or extinction.” You would use the first definition because it fits the story. Laura Keene has not been completely forgotten or unknown like other actresses of her time. On a sheet of notebook paper, write the word in the left margin followed by the correct definition.
secede(first black page) to leave the Union if they disagreed with the government.
to withdraw formally from an alliance, federation, or association, as from a political union, a religious organization, etc.
vigilantes (90) rampaging mobs of vigilantes who might storm the Old Capitol Prison
any person who takes the law into his or her own hands, as by avenging a crime.
indescribable (13)[Lincoln] said [the dream] related to . . . the water; that he seemed to be in some . . . indescribable vessel, and that was moving with great [speed] towards an indefinite shore.
not describable; too extraordinary for description
rampaging (90)If Booth was captured, the army would have to protect him from Lincoln’s avengers — rampaging mobs of vigilantes who might storm the Old Capitol Prison
violent or excited behavior that is reckless, uncontrolled, or destructive.
epidemic (80) battled dishonest government contractors who sold the army low-quality uniforms, rotting equipment, and defective weapons; and endured an epidemic of officers who would not fight.
extremely prevalent; widespread.
mayhem (81)A scene of mayhem replaced the calm that Stanton had seen a little more than an hour before.
random or deliberate violence or damage.
incite (26)That would, they hoped, incite the Confederacy to continue the war against the Union. George Atzerodt, Lewis Powell, and John Wilkes Booth would strike simultaneously and murder Vice President Johnson, Secretary of State Seward, and President Lincoln.
to stir, encourage, or urge on; stimulate or prompt to action
grotesque (86)In an instant, the hissing, burning gas vapor lit the grotesque scene.
odd or unnatural in shape, appearance, or character; fantastically ugly or absurd; bizarre.
solemnHe looked around, too, and watched as Lincoln “looked upon the people he loved and acknowledged [them] . . . with a solemn bow.”
characterized by dignified or serious formality, as proceedings; of a formal or ceremonious character
catastrophic (87)All signs were consistent with a catastrophic injury to the brain.
disastrous event or end
dialogue (33)After hearing some familiar dialogue, Booth would know, to the minute, how much time remained in the performance.
the conversation between characters in a novel, drama, etc.
leverage (95)He would trade Lincoln for Confederate prisoners of war, or attempt to use his captive as leverage to give the South an advantage in peace negotiations.
power or ability to act or to influence people, events, decisions, etc.; sway:
vestibule (35)Booth could see the door of the vestibule that led directly into the president’s box.
a passage, hall, or antechamber between the outer door and the interior parts of a house or building
depiction (40)this work of fiction was filled with exaggerations and lies, but its cover was an accurate depiction of the shooting.
representation in image form, as in a painting or illustration
farfetched (41)The idea of the president fighting back against the young leaping and sword-fighting actor is not as farfetched as it sounds.
being only remotely connected
avenged (43)“Sic semper tyrannis!” he thundered. It was the state motto of Virginia: “Thus always to tyrants.” Then Booth shouted, “The South is avenged!”
to take vengeance on behalf of
brute (48)That might attract the attention of pedestrians or awaken the occupants of the house to defend themselves. Deception, not brute force, was the key.
savage; cruel
aliases (50)Powell operated under several aliases– Payne, Wood, and Hall.
a false name used to conceal one's identity
caliber (16)Booth chose as his primary weapon a .44 caliber, single-shot, muzzle-loading pistol manufactured by Henry Deringer of Philadelphia.
the diameter of something of circular section, especially that of the inside of a tube
gaslight (8)Public buildings and private homes glowed from candles, torches, gaslights, and fireworks.
light produced by the combustion of illuminating gas
patent (61)As he continued east on F, he approached two of Washington’sgreatest landmarks: to the left, the huge marble Patent Office.
the exclusive right granted by a government to an inventor to manufacture
arouse(63)He saw guards ahead. Be natural, he thought. Don’t arouse suspicion.
to stir to action or strong response
vengeance (66)Half-crazed voices cried out demanding vengeance: “Kill the murderer!” “Hang him!” “Shoot him!”
the desire for revenge
coagulated (68)Leale’s fingers probed for the source of the blood and found it behind the left ear: a neat, round hole, about the diameter of a man’s fingertip, clotted with a plug of coagulated blood.
to change from a fluid into a thickened mass
accomplice (70)Powell had an accomplice waiting in the wings. No one pursued him when he fled the scene and no one at the Seward house saw or could identify him.
a person who knowingly helps another in a crime or wrongdoing, often as a subordinate