McCall Crabb

A. Most of us read about the legend of Hiawatha in Longfellow’s poem, but few know that the real Hiawatha, was one of the statesmen who founded the Iroquois league, or Five Nations. In the days of Hiawatha, the Iroquois tribes had engaged in fraternal warfare until reduced to want and misery. Hiawatha and another chief called a council that established the League of the Iroquois and abolished war among them forever. The league was democratic. Its chieftains were elected. No war could be waged without the consent of all the nations that were members. Any outside nation could have peace with the Iroquois by becoming a member. Later, the league became the Six Nations. The Iroquois, now transformed from weak tribes into a powerful nation, conquered all Indian peoples who dared to attack them. Their great domain separated the French colonies at Quebec from those on Mississippi. By keeping apart these colonies, they enabled the British to conquer Canada. The league founded by Hiawatha remains the heritage of his people.

1. Who was Hiawatha?

• a. a legend

• b. a long fellow

• c. a big- league player

• d. an important leader to his people

2. Before the League of the Iroquois, the tribes

• a. wrote poems

• b. reduced want and misery

• c. fought with each other

• d. got engaged to be married

3. They formed the league in order to

• a. call a council

• b. fight the French

• c. stop all wars between themselves

• d. go from Quebec to Mississippi

4. Who chose the chieftains?

• a. Canada

• b. Hiawatha

• c. everyone who voted

• d. the side that won the war

5. An outside tribe could have peace by

• a. conquest

• b. waging war

• c. joining the league

• d. reducing the Iroquois

6. After the tribes became the Six Nations, they were

• a. weak

• b. separated

• c. destroyed

• d. very strong

7. All their lands stretched from

• a. Britain to Canada

• b. Britain to France

• c. Quebec to the Mississippi

• d. The French colonies to Canada

8. Hiawatha is

• a. forgotten

• b. found by the five nations

• c. only a legend to his people

• d. remembered ang valued by his people today

B. The skyscraper, which is one of the greatest modern American creations, came into being as a result of necessity. The demand for room in an already congested district made it necessary, and modern engineering methods made it possible. The steel-cage system of construction makes the superstructure possible. The cage is made of steel beams fastened together with bolts. It may be compared to a bridge set on end. The steel skeleton forms the whole support for the upper floors, and the walls are merely covering for protection. The construction of the substructure is just as marvelous. It must be so built that it will not only support the superstructure and its contents, but also bear the pressure exerted upon it by the force of the wind against the walls. In building the foundations, steel caissons – large boxlike structures – are sunk down to bedrock. When they reach bedrock, the rock is leveled and the caissons are filled with concrete; thus solid piers are made from bedrock to the surface of the ground.

1. The scraper was constructed because of

• a. steel

• b. caissons

• c. substructures

• d. the shortage of space in the cities

2. The steel beams are fastened together with

• a. bolts

• b. boxes

• c. concrete

• d. steel cables