Mary Todd Lincoln

"As soon as it was known that I was the modiste of Mrs. Lincoln, parties crowded around and affected friendship for me, hoping to induce me to betray the secrets of the domestic circle."

Choose the dictionary definition that most closely matches the word affected as it is used in this excerpt.

• adjective: acted upon; influenced

• verb (used with object): to occupy or inhabit; live in or on

• verb (used with object): to assume artificially, pretentiously, or for effect

• adjective: influenced in a harmful way; impaired, harmed, or attacked, as by climate or disease

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

"The people knew nothing of the secret history of her [Mary Todd Lincoln’s] transactions, therefore they judged her by what was thrown to the surface. For an act may be wrong judged purely by itself, but when the motive that prompted the act is understood, it is construed differently."

Which statement best summarizes the excerpt?

• If people knew Mary Todd Lincoln and understood what motivated her, they would not judge her so harshly.

• People should judge Mary Todd Lincoln’s actions only, without considering what might have motivated them.

• Mary Todd Lincoln did not let people understand her true motivations.

• If people knew Mary Todd Lincoln’s motivations, they might have encouraged her to take different action.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

"It was an unlikely romance . . . Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln were married in November of 1842. It was the first time that Mary Todd Lincoln really realized what it was like to have hardship, so she sort of stood by her man, if you will, but in a sense felt a tremendous isolation from her family. This isolation increased for Mary when Abraham Lincoln claimed the White House in 1860. In the case of Mary Lincoln, you had her as a member of the southern aristocracy married to the union president who was leading the nation into civil war. So without even doing or saying anything, the odds were stacked against her. She just felt this constant lack of support by the Washington socialites who were just abhorred that these midwesterners have taken over the white house."

Which word best describes the tone of the author toward Mary Todd Lincoln in this excerpt?

• sympathetic

• neutral

• surprised

• admiring

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.9

CCSS.RI.7.6

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Which of the following quotations supports that Keckley was sympathetic toward Mrs. Lincoln?

• “It was an unlikely romance . . .”

• “Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln were married in November of 1842.”

• “In the case of Mary Lincoln, you had her as a member of the southern aristocracy married to the union president . . .”

• “. . . the odds were stacked against her.”

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Choose the statement that best expresses an advantage of reading the memoir Behind the Scenes rather than watching the documentary videos to learn about Mary Todd Lincoln.

• Behind the Scenes provides an overview of Mary Todd Lincoln’s adult life.

• Behind the Scenes contains information that only someone who personally knew Mary Todd Lincoln would be able to explain.

• Behind the Scenes describes not only the life of Mary Todd Lincoln but also the life of her husband.

• Behind the Scenes tells the reader what the life of a seamstress was like during the 1860s.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.7

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.6.9

CCSS.RL.7.7

Which of the following factors are most important in determining whether or not a biography writer is a credible source of information?

• The writer conducts extensive research using a variety of sources.

• The writer has a close friendship with the subject.

• The writer seeks to change readers’ opinions.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RI.6.10

CCSS.RI.7.10

CCSS.RI.8.10

CCSS.RI.9-10.10

Which of the following factors are most important in determining whether or not a biography writer is a credible source of information?

• The writer has written many popular books.

• The writer engages the reader with strong imagery and storytelling.

• The writer includes only verified facts in the biography.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RI.6.10

CCSS.RI.7.10

CCSS.RI.8.10

CCSS.RI.9-10.10