A Volcano Beneath the Snow - By Albert Marrin

Prologue: A House Divided - Pages 1 - 6

(Day 1)

1. What does Lincoln use to describe the Union? (1)

2. Read the following sentence, "The issue was as clear as black ink splashed on freshly fallen snow." What literary device is this an example of? (1)

3. Who did John Brown believe had chosen him to right the wrong of slavery? (2)

4. What did Abraham Lincoln call the respect for America's law? (3)

5. According to the author, what is righteous violence? (4)

6. During what years was the Civil War fought? How many men died? (5)

Chapter 1: A Volcano Beneath the Snow - Pages 7 - 23 

(Day 2)

Child of a New Century - Pages 7 - 10

1. Where and when was John Brown born? (7)

2. Of the 5,308, 483 people living in the U.S. in 1800, how many of these people were slaves? (8)

3. What was the original name for the White House? (10)

Frontier Boyhood - Pages 10 - 13

4. Where in Ohio did the Brown family settle? (12)

5. What happened to John Brown when he was 8? (13)

(Day 3)

Finding His Way - Pages 13 - 15

6. What was John Brown's  family's religious background? (14)

On His Own - Pages 15 - 17

7. What happened to John Brown in August of 1832? (15)

8. How did John Brown propose to his second wife? How old was she? (16)

What Manner of Man - Pages 17 - 19

9. Look at the description of John Brown in the 2nd paragraph, find 3 examples of simile. (17)

10. What was phrenology? (17)

11. What did Brown focus his family's daily life on? (18)

12. After punishing John Jr., why did John Brown tell his son to whip him as well? (19)

(Day 4)

Years of Sorrow - Pages 19 - 23

13. Out of 100 people born in 1800, how many reached the age of 6? (20)

14. What is dysentery caused from? How many of Brown's children did it kill? (20)

15. What did Samuel F.B. Morse develop in 1837? What did this allow people to do? (21)

16. When was the Eerie Canal completed? What did it link the Great Lakes to? What did this allow settlers to do? (22)

17. What did the trials of John Brown deepen his sympathy for? (23)

Chapter 2: The Foulest Blot - Pages 24 - 44

(Day 5)

Beginnings - Pages 25 -26

1. How was slavery described by the Greek philosopher Aristotle? (25)

2. Originally, what did slavery have nothing to do with? (26)

Black Africa - Pages 26 - 27

3. In what ways was African slavery different than it was in the U.S.? (26)

Arab Slave Traders - Pages 27 - 31

4. What is the word "Sahara" Arabic for? (27)

5. Why was salt so valuable during these times? (28)

6. What are concubines? What are eunuchs? (28)

7. What were the expeditions compared to? What literary device is this an example of? (30)

8. What is the Qur'an  (or Koran)? What is Shari'a? (31)

(Day 6)

The Meeting of Africa and the New World - Pages 31 - 34

9. Why did the pope approve European slavery in 1450? (32)

10. What were the West Indies first called? (33)

11. What happened to the native population of Hispaniola between 1493 and 1505? (34)

Rise of the Atlantic Slave Trade - Pages 34 - 40

12. Why was rum nicknamed "kill-devil?" (35)

13. Read the following sentence, "the winds blow so very hot from off the land, that I can compare them to nothing but the heat proceeding from the mouth of an oven." What are two literary devices that this would qualify as? (36)

14. According to Henry Louis Gates Jr., how many slaves that were brought to the New World were sold by Africans? (37)

15. Explain how white slave traders were like modern day drug pushers? (38)

16. What book did Olaudah Equiano publish in 1789? (39)

17. What did Equiano and countless other Africans think that whites were? (40)

(Day 7)

The Middle Passage - Pages 40 - 44

18. When someone died, what would sailors do with the body? (43)

19. Of the estimated 11.5 million people torn from West Africa, how many do historians believe were killed? (43)

20. What did profits from the slave trade help finance in the early stages of England? (44)

Chapter 3: An Object Vast in Its Compass - Pages 45 - 76 

(Day 8)

The Rise of American Slavery - Pages 46 - 48 

1. What was England's first permanent North American settlement? (46)

2. Who were the fist slaves in New England? (46)

The Peculiar Institution - Pages 48 - 54

3. What did slave codes make it a crime to teach enslaved people? (49)

4. What was the name for children of mixed black and white descent? (53)

(Day 9)

Slavery and the Founding Fathers - Pages 54 - 60

5. Who were the first Americans to denounce slavery? (54)

6. On what date did the American Revolution begin? (54)

7. Who was the author of Notes on the State of Virginia? (55)

8. Who was the nation's fourth president? (56)

9. What is the Electoral College? (57)

10. What future states did the Northwest Ordinance ban slavery in? (58)

11. How many enslaved people were freed by Southerners in the years 1790-1810? (59)

His Majesty, King Cotton - Pages 60 - 62  

12. Who is responsible for inventing the cotton gin? (60)

13. How did slave grown cotton save countless lives? (61)

(Day 10)

Natural Enemies - Pages 62 - 69

14. Who was known as the "Moses of her People?" (63)

15. How many slaves do historians believe escaped between 1830 and 1860? (63)

16. What is "obeah?" (64)

17. Who was known as "Black Spartacus?" (65)

18. How much did Thomas Jefferson purchase Louisiana for? (66)

19. What did Americans believe "Manifest Destiny" was? (66)

20. Who led the most lethal slave revolt in American history? (67)

(Day 11)

The Abolitionists - Pages 69 - 76

21. What was the name of William Lloyd Garrison's newspaper that became a mouthpiece for abolitionists? (69)

22. What were "nonresistants?" (70)

23. In what year was slavery abolished throughout the British Empire? (71)

24. What was the name of Frederick Douglas's newspaper? (72)

25. Who is the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin? (73)

26. How much did Georgia lawmakers offer to anyone who would kidnap William Lloyd Garrison so that the state could try him for inciting rebellion? (75)

Chapter 4: Mighty Man of Valor - Pages 77 - 102

(Day 12)

John Brown, Abolitionist - Pages 78 - 81

1. What did John Brown believe God used special people for? (77)

2. What two countries fought in the War of 1812? (78)

3. What is the name for the basic human quality that allows one to identify with another's feelings? (79)

4. At most, how much were factory workers making per year in the 1840's? (81)

Deepening Crisis - Pages 81 - 84

5. What crop did planters call a "soil-killer?" (82)

6. How many senators does each state get to elect regardless of population? (82)

7. During what years was the Mexican American War? (82)

8. Frederick Douglass said making a Disunited States of America was "like burning down your house to get rid of the mice." What literary device is this an example of? (84)

(Day 13)

Fighting the Fugitive Slave Act - Pages 84 - 87

9. In what year did Congress pass the first fugitive slave law? (84)

10. What was the largest vigilance committee in the north? (85)

11. During the mid 1800's, what empire was Canada a part of? (86)

12. Who was the editor of the Liberator? (87)

The Firestorm - Pages 87 - 90

13. On what date did the Kansas-Nebraska Act become law? (87)

14. What had the Missouri compromise banned in the Louisiana Purchase? How many years did this ban last before being repealed? (88)

15. Under Kansas's slave code, what would happen to anybody who spoke or wrote out against slavery? What was the punishment for helping fugitive slaves? (89)

16. What was the Sharp's rifle designed for? (90)

(Day 14)

Captain Brown - Pages 90 - 98

17. Which four of John Brown's adult children moved to Missouri in 1854? (91)

18. Who did John Brown refer to as "the devil's drummers and fifers?" (92)

19. What was the name of the self-defense group John Brown formed around 1851? (93)

20. What nicknames did John Brown go by in order to distinguish himself from his sons? (94)

21. Who was the South Carolina representative who beat Massachusetts senator Charles Sumner with a cane? (97)

(Day 15)

Murders Along the Pottawatomie - Pages 98 - 100

22. What did Brown and his sons announce themselves as, as they entered the homes of pro-slavery men living along Pottawatomie Creek? (98)

23. What two things did the men John Brown killed at Pottawatomie have in common? (98)

24. According the the author, what is the modern U.S. government definition of terrorism? (99)

Bleeding Kansas - Pages 100 - 102

25. In what year did Kansas join the Union as a free state? (101)

26. At the time, what was "Africa" used as another term for? (102)

(Day 16)

Chapter 5: Into "Africa" - Pages 103 - 127

Useful Friends - Pages 103 - 106

1. Where was the capital of American abolitionism in 1857? (103)

2. While viewing Charles Sumner's coat, John Brown's eyes were said to have "shone like polished steel." What literary device is this an example of? (104)

3. What did Brown believe the Golden Rule and the Declaration of Independence meant? (105)

4. What Native-American tribe did some press reports falsely accuse of committing the murders at Pottawatomie? (106)

Abolitionists Turn to Violence - Pages 106 - 109

5. On what date was the Dred Scott decision? (106)

6. Of the nine Supreme Court justices involved in the Dred Scott decision, how many owned slaves? (107)

7. Which famous author is quoted as saying, "My thoughts are murder to the state" in response to the Dred Scott decision? (108)

(Day 17)

The Plan - Pages 109 - 113

8. What was the title of Frederick Douglass's autobiography? (109)

9. What is a "pike?" (110)

10. Even if John Brown's plan failed, what did he plan to incite within the country? (111)

11. According to Brown, what did the Lord order him to grow in order to deceive Federal Marshals? (112)

12. What was the name of the English soldier John Brown hired to train his raiders while he was in Canada? (113)

(Day 18)

Kansas Interlude - Pages 113 - 116

13. Which president offered a $250 reward for John Brown's capture? (114)

14. Where in Ohio did John Brown Jr. have a farm? (115)

Final Preparations - Pages 116 - 119

15. How many miles northwest is Harper's Ferry from Washington, D.C.? (116)

16. What false name did John Brown go by when he arrived in Harper's Ferry on July 3, 1859? (116)

17. What did Brown ignore the basics of? (117)

18. Who said Brown would be going into a "perfect steel trap?" (118)

(Day 19)

Harper's Ferry - Sunday, October 16, 1859, Evening - Pages 119 - 120

19. Who was Colonel Lewis Washington the great-grandnephew of? (119)

Harper's Ferry - Monday, October 17 - Pages 120 - 124

20. Who was the first victim of John Brown's crusade to free the slaves? (120)

21. Who spread the news to the local population that Harper's Ferry was under attack? Who does the author compare this person to? (121)

22. Who was the mayor of Harper's Ferry who was killed during the fighting? (122)

23. During the raid, what did Oliver Brown beg his father to do? How did John Brown respond? (123)

Harper's Ferry - Tuesday, October 18 - Pages 125 - 127

24. Who commanded a 90 man detail of U.S. Marines sent to Harper's Ferry? (124)

25. What did John Brown say he would release the hostages in return for? (125)

26. How long did it take for the marines to capture Brown and free the hostages? (126)

27. Of the 21 men Brown led, how many lost their lives? (127)

(Day 20)

Chapter 6: The Cause He Loved So Much - Pages 128 - 146

The South on Trial - Pages 128 - 134

1. Who was the Governor of Virginia at the time of John Brown's arrest? (129)

2. What three things did John Brown say he believed in and lived by during his trial? (129)

3. What is the term for someone who suffers, even dies, for a belief and for the good of others? (130)

4. What three death penalty offenses did a grand jury charge John Brown with? (130)

5. Brown's critics accused him of having a "heart as black as a stove-pipe." What literary device is this an example of? (131)

6. Why did Brown's lawyers say he should be tried for treason by the federal government as opposed to the state of Virginia? (132)

7. On what date in 1859, was John Brown found guilty on all charges? (133)

(Day 21)

Keeping the Deathwatch - Pages 134 - 135

8. What type of minister did John Brown Say he would not allow to pray for his soul? (135)

Friday, December 2 - Pages 135 - 138

9. Which actor who would later assassinate Abraham Lincoln was present at John Brown's execution? (136-137)

10. Who delivered the eulogy at John Brown's funeral? (138)

Aftershocks - Pages 138 - 141

11. What is a carpetbag? (138)

12. Which black leader fled to England after investigators began looking for him after the execution of John Brown? (140)

(Day 22)

Making an Abolitionist Martyr - Pages 141 - 146

13. Who praised John Brown as "a superior man"  in a famous speech on the evening of October 30, 1859? (142)

14. Why were Southerners worried about hanging John Brown? Why did Northern abolitionists want the South to hang John Brown? (142-143)

15. What did abolitionists declare December 2nd, 1859?

16. Who was the founder and editor of the New York Tribune? (145)

17. What is the name for objects once linked to a holy person? (145)

18. How many months after the death of John Brown did the Civil War begin? (146)

(Day 23)

Chapter 7: High Noon for the Union - Pages 147 - 170

Fear - Pages 147 - 151

1. The author says that the Harper's Ferry raid was to the Civil War what Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor was to World War 2. What literary device is this? (147)

2. In what year was the Nat Turner slave revolt? (148)

3. What dreadful choice did new laws in Mississippi and neighboring states force free blacks to make? (149)

4. Which state did Senator Jefferson Davis represent? (150)

Lincoln - Pages 151 - 154

5. Who were the early two chief political parties in the United States? What did each party favor compared to the other? (151)

6. Why did Republicans oppose slavery? (151)

7. In what year was Abraham Lincoln born? How much younger was he than John Brown? (151)

8. What "inalienable" rights did Lincoln believe everybody had according to the Declaration of Independence? (152)

9. What is "amalgamation" an evil sounding term for? (153)

10. What is the name for shows where white actors would portray blacks by darkening their skin and painting their lips?

11. Why did Abraham Lincoln believe that slavery would go away on its own if confined to the South? (154)

(Day 24)

The Election of 1860 - Pages 155 - 157

12. Who was the leading contender to Abraham Lincoln at the 1860 Republican Convention in Chicago? (155)

13. What did the Whig party change their name to? (155)

14. What is the term for a dishonest seller of cheap goods? (156)

15. What percentage of the vote did Abraham Lincoln receive on November 6, 1860? (157)

Secession - Pages 157 - 162

16. Who is quoted as saying, "Then John Brown, and a thousand John Browns, can invade us, and the Government will not protect us." (158)

17. Who was chosen to be President of the Confederate States of America? (159)

18. Who swore in Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States on March 4, 1861? (160)

19. On what date in 1861, did Lincoln and his family move into the White House? (161)

20. What did Wendell Phillips expect the Confederacy to reopen after secession from the North? (161-162)

(Day 25)

Civil War - Pages 162 - 163

21. Where is Fort Sumter located? (162)

22. On what date did the Confederates fire on Fort Sumter? (163)

23. In what roles would the Union army accept twelve-year-olds? (163)

24. What was the name of Thomas Wentworth Higginson's book about his adventures in the military during the Civil War?

25. Who wrote "The Battle Hymn of the Republic?" (165)

Why They Fought - Pages 165 - 170

26. What is the name for the belief that the United States has a God-given mission to further self-government under the rule of law? (165)

27. What was the nickname given to average, everyday Union soldiers in the North? (166)

28. What was the nickname given to average, everyday Confederate soldiers in the South? (167)

29. As compared to the Confederacy, what percentage of the nations factories were located in the North? (167)

30. What percentage of shipping was located in the North? (167)

31. In 1860, what was the population in the North? What was the population in the South? (167)

32. What nickname did Southern soldiers give Lincoln's troops in the North? (168)

33. According to the author, "Northerners found that invading the South was like knocking down hornet nests." What literary device is this and example of?

34. Who was the Vice President of the Confederate States of America? (169-170)

(Day 26)

Chapter 8: Wiped Out in Blood - Pages 171 - 204

A War to End Slavery? - Pages 171 - 177

1. How did slaves contribute to the Confederate war movement? (172)

2. Roughly, what percentage of nurses in Confederate military hospitals were black? (173)

3. Who ran as the Republican Party's first presidential candidate in 1856? Who did he lose to? (175)

4. Who was the Secretary of the Treasury under Abraham Lincoln? (176)

(Day 27)

Emancipation - Pages 177 - 186 

5. Which Confederate general was originally asked by Lincoln to lead the Union soldiers, but chose to fight for the South instead? (177)

6. What was the nickname for the Confederate general, Thomas J. Jackson? (177)

7. What was the name of the Confederate lieutenant who served as Robert E. Lee's cavalry commander? (178)

8. Why were England and France leaning toward recognizing the Confederacy as a nation? (179)

9. Who was the founder and editor of the New York Tribune? (181)

10. On what date did the Battle of Antietam occur? How many men were killed? How many were wounded? How many were missing? (181)

11. What was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War? (182)

12. Who did William Lloyd Garrison give credit for the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation to? (185)

(Day 28)

Blacks in Blue - Pages 186 - 192

13. What are some examples of the many diseases that more soldiers died from than being killed in battle? (187)

14. By the end of the Civil War, roughly how many black men had served in the ranks of the Union army? (189)

15. Who did Confederate President Jefferson threaten to punish in May of 1863? (190-191)

16. What did President Lincoln issue in July of 1863? What did this order tell Union soldiers to do? (191)

17. Who was the Confederate Commander who oversaw the massacre at Ft. Pillow, Tennessee? (191-192)

(Day 29)

Making War John Brown's Way - Pages 192 - 204

18. What was the nickname of General Ulysses S. Grant? (193)

19. What song did William Tecumseh Sherman's army take as their marching song? (195)

20. Why did black soldiers make it a point to shoot any bloodhounds they found? (195)

21. Which city did Union soldiers refer to as the "hell-hole of secession?" (196)

22. On what date did Abraham Lincoln make his second inaugural address? (197)

23. What did the 13th Amendment abolish? (199)

24. Who did the 14th Amendment give citizenship to? What did the 15th Amendment declare? (199)

25. Why was the Shenandoah Valley known as the "Breadbasket of the Confederacy?" (200)

26. On what date in 1865 did Robert E. Lee surrender? (201)

27. Who assassinated Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater?  (202)

28. What nickname was Abraham Lincoln given after the war? (203)

(Day 30)

Chapter 9: Legacy - Pages 205 - 207

1. In what year was the Black Panther Party founded? (205)

2. Which member of the Black Panther Party wrote Soul on Ice? (205)

3. In what year did Paul Hill shoot a doctor outside a Florida abortion clinic? (206)

4. What was the name of the man who detonated an explosive-filled truck outside a federal building in Oklahoma City? How many people were killed? (206)

5. Who was the leader of al-Qaeda during the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack? (206)

6. What is the word "jihad" Arabic for? (206)

7. What did Osama bin Laden consider the United States to be? What adjectives does he use? (207)