QUESTIONS
1. Which famous 19th century American Transcendentalist was expelled from Harvard University for being associated with events surrounding a massive food fight in the dining hall?
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Answer: Ralph Waldo Emerson. In 1818, Harvard University’s freshman and sophomore classes got into a food fight in the dining hall. Food was hurled and multiple school dishes were destroyed. For what it regarded as resistance against authority, Harvard expelled the entire sophomore class, which included a young Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson reapplied to Harvard, was accepted back, and completed his studies.
2. Louisa May Alcott is related to two men who have been the President of the United States since Eisenhower. Which Presidents are they?
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Answer: George H.W. Bush (41st U.S. President), and George W. Bush (43rd U.S. President).
3. Not-so-great-relatives. Which
two Concord Authors were directly descended from Salem Witch
Trial Judges?
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Answer: Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott. The great-great-grandfather of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Justice John Hathorn was anything but “just”. Nicknamed “the Hanging Judge” he was a merciless force in the Salem Witch trials. The stain of the family relationship later led Nathaniel to try and distance himself by adding a “w” and “e” to his last name. Justice Samuel Sewall was Louisa May Alcott’s great-great-great-grandfather. After the Salem Witch trials had ended, Sewall had a change of heart and publicly apologized for his role in the hysteria. His apology led him to be known as “The Repenting Judge”.
4. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s enduring poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” holds a sound place in the narration of American History. However, the poem contains a significant inaccuracy.
What is it?
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Answer: Longfellow’s poem reads, “It was two by the village clock, when he [Revere] rode into Concord town”. In fact, Revere was captured by the King’s Troops before he reached Concord. His riding companion, Doctor Samuel Prescott of Concord, escaped capture and rode in to Concord spreading the alarm.
5. We can’t all be royalty. Which of the below Concord Authors is NOT descended from Charlemagne?
a) Ralph Waldo Emerson
b) Nathaniel Hawthorne
c) Henry David Thoreau
d) Louisa May Alcott
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a) Ralph Waldo Emerson
b) Nathaniel Hawthorne
c) Henry David Thoreau
d) Louisa May Alcott
Answer: C. Henry David Thoreau marched to the beat of his own drummer, not Charlemagne’s. Charlemagne is the 30th Great-grandfather of Ralph Waldo Emerson; the 32nd Great-grandfather of Nathaniel Hawthorne; and the 35th Great-grandfather of Louisa May Alcott.
6. True or False: Louisa May Alcott’s LITTLE WOMEN is based on a
true story.
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Answer: TRUE.
7. The original name for the town of Concord was:
a) Algonquin
b) Invictus
c) Musketaquid
d) Massasoit
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a) Algonquin
b) Invictus
c) Musketaquid
d) Massasoit
Answer: C. Musketaquid, an Algonquin word meaning “grassy plain”.
8. What type of a pond is Walden Pond?
a) Kettle Hole
b) Vernal Pool
c) Man-Made
d) Spring-fed
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a) Kettle Hole
b) Vernal Pool
c) Man-Made
d) Spring-fed
Answer: A. Kettle Hole, which is a hollow created when buried blocks of glacier ice melt out. The name derives from an old meaning of ‘kettle’, as in a deep iron basin for heating water over a fire.
9. What was Louisa May Alcott’s
pen name?
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Answer: A.M. Barnard
10. Name the four March sisters
from Louisa May Alcott’s LITTLE WOMEN.
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Answer: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy.
Contact Barrow Bookstore for a list of sources. Barrowbookstore@gmail.com.
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For more than 50 years, Barrow Bookstore has been a favorite of residents and visitors alike, specializing in Concord authors and history, children’s books and literature. The shop also provides a wide array of gently read and rare titles ranging from paperbacks to first editions and original manuscripts. Staff members have all worked as tour guides and reenactors in Concord and are happy to share their knowledge about the town and its history. Discover more at barrowbookstore.com.
