April Morning

Chapters 1-2

Reading Check

1. Lexington, Massachusetts (Chapter 1)

2. Lamentations (Chapter 1)

3. Isaiah Peterkin (Chapter 1)

4. Joseph Simmons (Chapter 1)

5. Boiled pudding (Chapter 2)

Short Answer

1. Moses Cooper is hard on Alex. He criticizes him for his work, claiming he is slow to start and quick to finish. When Sarah confronts him and tells him Adam believes Moses does not love him, he recognizes that he is tough on Adam and resolves to ensure Adam knows he loves him. (Chapters 1-2)

2. Adam has doubts about his faith because of people who are unkind, like the deacon Isaiah Peterkin. Granny believes doubt is wrong, but Adam heard a Sam Adams Committeeman who claims doubt has virtues. (Chapter 1)

3. Joseph is estranged from his brothers because he did not approve of their scheme to invest in a slave ship. Adam admires Joseph for his moral fortitude in disowning his brothers. (Chapter 2)

4. Morality plays a significant role in the novel: Joseph Simmons rejected his family members for investing in the slave trade, Adam is frequently criticized for his doubts, and Levi is scolded for saying he wants to kill a “redcoat soldier.” Aside from the morality that is addressed in the family home, the villagers also scold one another for their conduct. For example, people from town scold Adam and Ruth for walking alone at night, and Moses scolds locals for intending to burn the committee meeting’s minutes. (Chapters 1-2)

Chapters 3-4

Reading Check

1. Levi (Chapter 3)

2. 79 (Chapter 3)

3. Simon Casper (Chapter 4)

4. A smokehouse (Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. Moses is skeptical of anything that is superstitious and not driven by reason. For example, when Parker tells Moses the weather will be fine when he intends to rally the local militia, Moses doubts his assertion based on reason and is proven correct. (Chapter 3)

2. The rider says the British forces intend to go to Concord to destroy weapons and supplies that have been stored by the Colonists. (Chapter 3)

3. When Moses realizes it is Adam who has signed up to join the militia, he does not speak but simply nods his head. Later that evening, Sarah objects to Moses letting his son sign up for something so dangerous, because he is young. Moses tells Sarah that if he had refused Adam, he would have lost a son—indicating that if he had shamed Adam in front of the townspeople, Adam would never have forgiven him. (Chapter 3)

4. The colonial militia intended to have a peaceful confrontation with British soldiers. The reverend had intended to tell the soldiers that the townspeople did not desire a conflict, but only wanted to safeguard their liberties. When an unidentified shot is heard, the British soldiers, anticipating an attack, fire into the colonial militia. (Chapter 4)

Chapters 5-6

Reading Check

1. Solomon Chandler (Chapter 5)

2. Ashley’s Pasture (Chapter 5)

3. Joseph Simmons (Chapter 6)

4. Concord (Chapter 6)

Short Answer

1. Adam’s experience with the militia has caused him to abruptly transition to adulthood because he witnessed the death of his father at the hands of British soldiers. (Chapter 5)

2. Chandler believes the colonials should fight for God as restitution for what the British have done. The reverend disagrees with Chandler and does not believe that fighting should be done for God, but that they should ask for forgiveness from God. Simmons claims that the fighting should be done to defend their land and their way of life. (Chapters 5-6)

3. Adam realizes that Chandler delights in killing, but Adam does not delight in taking human life. In one instance Adam sees a wounded boy who is roughly Levi’s age, and it makes Adam ill, causing him to vomit. (Chapter 6)

4. When a British soldier with a horse is wounded, the military leader of the group, Beckett, refuses to ride the horse because he believes it would not be dignified. Chandler chooses to ride the horse in his stead. Joseph believes this is dishonorable because the other people in the troops must walk. (Chapter 6)

Chapters 7-8

Reading Check

1. Lexington (Chapter 7)

2. Boston (Chapter 7)

3. 5,000 (Chapter 7)

4. Pontiac (Chapter 8)

Short Answer

1. Joseph believes that because people have died, the colonials will fight the British until they return to England. This belief is likely bolstered by the resentment the colonials feel toward British troops who killed men in the Lexington militia and stole horses and supplies from colonists. (Various chapters)

2. The colonial troops, while smaller in number, are more familiar with the landscape: They use thickets, roofs, and stone walls to their advantage. While British soldiers are in formation, the colonials hide behind these items, making the soldiers an easy target. (Various chapters)

3. The Lexington community considers Adam to be a man after his father dies. He tells Levi they must take responsibility for Moses’s chores after his passing and must make the decision whether to fight in the battle in Boston. He reflects on a game he played when he was young called Pontiac but surrenders the memory because it no longer reflects his responsibilities. He takes note when his mother insists on feeding him more when previously she would scold him for eating too much. (Various chapters)

4. Because Adam is considered the head of the household, he feels responsible for his father’s chores and for taking care of his family. At one point, Adam states that he wants the war to be over, possibly indicating that he may not choose to participate in another battle. However, in the novel’s conclusion, he reveals to Granny that he will probably have to go to war at some point. (Various chapters)