Why w e c e l e bra t e Wome n's Hi s t or y Mon t h

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Why we celebrate Women's History Month

Image 1. Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (right) takes a selfie with (from left) Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Ruth BaderGinsburg and Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Supreme Court at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., before a Women'sHistory Month reception honoring them, March 18, 2015. Photo by: Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images

March 19, 1911, was the first International Women's Day in Europe. In many European nations, as

well as in the United States, women's rights was a political hot topic. Woman suffrage — winning

the vote — was a priority of many women's organizations. Women (and men) wrote books on the

contributions of women to history.

But with the economic Depression of the 1930s that hit on both sides of the Atlantic, and then

World War II, women's rights went out of fashion. In the 1950s and 1960s, after Betty Friedan

pointed to the "problem that has no name" — the boredom and isolation of the middle-class

housewife who often gave up intellectual and professional aspirations — the women's movement

began to revive. With "women's liberation" in the 1960s, interest in women's issues and women's

history blossomed.

By the 1970s, there was a growing sense by many women that "history" as taught in school — and

especially in grade school and high school — was incomplete with attending to "her story" as well.

In the United States, calls for inclusion of black Americans and Native Americans helped some

By Jone Johnson Lewis, ThoughtCo.com on 03.04.19Word Count 639Level MAX


women realize that women were invisible in most

history courses.

And so in the 1970s many universities began to

include the fields of women's history and the broader

field of women's studies.

In 1978 in California, the Education Task Force of the

Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women

began a "Women's History Week" celebration. The

week was chosen to coincide with International

Women's Day, which was then being celebrated on

March 8.

The response was positive. Schools began to host their own Women's History Week programs. The

next year, leaders from the California group shared their project at the Women's History Institute

at Sarah Lawrence College. Other participants not only determined to begin their own local

Women's History Week projects, but agreed to support an effort to have Congress declare a

national Women's History Week.

Three years later, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution establishing National Women's History

Week. Co-sponsors of the resolution, demonstrating bipartisan support, were Senator Orrin

Hatch, a Republican from Utah, and Representative Barbara Mikulski, a Democrat from

Maryland.

This recognition encouraged even wider participation

in Women's History Week. Schools focused for that

week on special projects and exhibitions honoring

women in history. Organizations sponsored talks on

women's history. The National Women's History

Project began distributing materials specifically

designed to support Women's History Week, as well

as materials to enhance the teaching of history

through the year, to include notable women and

women's experience.

In 1987, at the request of the National Women's History Project, Congress expanded the week to a

month, and the U.S. Congress has issued a resolution every year since then, with wide support, for

Women's History Month. The U.S. President has issued each year a proclamation of Women's

History Month.

To further extend the inclusion of women's history in the history curriculum (and in everyday

consciousness of history), the President's Commission on the Celebration of Women in History in

America met through the 1990s. One result has been the effort toward establishing a National

Museum of Women's History in the Washington, D.C., area, where it would join other museums

such as the American History Museum.

The purpose of Women's History Month is to increase consciousness and knowledge of women's

history: to take one month of the year to remember the contributions of notable and ordinary


women, in hopes that the day will soon come when it's impossible to teach or learn history without

remembering these contributions.


Quiz

1 Read the following statement.

The women’s rights movement took a cue from other groups that were pushing to get their ownhistory into schools and universities.

Which sentence from the article BEST supports the statement above?

(A) With "women's liberation" in the 1960s, interest in women's issues and women's history blossomed.

(B) By the 1970s, there was a growing sense by many women that "history" as taught in school — andespecially in grade school and high school — was incomplete with attending to "her story" as well.

(C) In the United States, calls for inclusion of black Americans and Native Americans helped some womenrealize that women were invisible in most history courses.

(D) And so in the 1970s many universities began to include the fields of women's history and the broaderfield of women's studies.

2 Read the paragraph from the article.

The purpose of Women's History Month is to increase consciousness and knowledge of women'shistory: to take one month of the year to remember the contributions of notable and ordinarywomen, in hopes that the day will soon come when it's impossible to teach or learn historywithout remembering these contributions.

Which of the following can be inferred from the paragraph above?

(A) It will be many years before people will truly view women's history as inextricable from what is usuallytaught in typical U.S. history courses.

(B) The true goal of Women's History Month is to make it so that it will no longer be necessary to have areminder to learn about women's history.

(C) One month out of the year is plenty of time to focus on the contributions that notable and ordinarywomen have made to history.

(D) Increasing consciousness and knowledge about women's history is impossible in such a short timeevery year.

3 A central idea is that women's groups have made a lot of progress in advancing the rights and recognition of women in U.S.history.

How does the author qualify the CENTRAL idea?

(A) by highlighting the setbacks that women's rights faced during the 1930s and 1940s

(B) by comparing women's rights in the U.S. with international women's rights movements

(C) by focusing on women's suffrage and how women eventually won the right to vote

(D) by suggesting that the women's rights movement has done little in recent decades


4 Which of the following sentences from the article BEST develops a CENTRAL idea of the article?

(A) Other participants not only determined to begin their own local Women's History Week projects, butagreed to support an effort to have Congress declare a national Women's History Week.

(B) Co-sponsors of the resolution, demonstrating bipartisan support, were Senator Orrin Hatch, aRepublican from Utah, and Representative Barbara Mikulski, a Democrat from Maryland.

(C) The National Women's History Project began distributing materials specifically designed to supportWomen's History Week, as well as materials to enhance the teaching of history through the year, toinclude notable women and women's experience.

(D) In 1987, at the request of the National Women's History Project, Congress expanded the week to amonth, and the U.S. Congress has issued a resolution every year since then, with wide support, forWomen's History Month.


Answer Key

1 Read the following statement.

The women’s rights movement took a cue from other groups that were pushing to get their ownhistory into schools and universities.

Which sentence from the article BEST supports the statement above?

(A) With "women's liberation" in the 1960s, interest in women's issues and women's history blossomed.

(B) By the 1970s, there was a growing sense by many women that "history" as taught in school — andespecially in grade school and high school — was incomplete with attending to "her story" as well.

(C) In the United States, calls for inclusion of black Americans and Native Americans helped somewomen realize that women were invisible in most history courses.

(D) And so in the 1970s many universities began to include the fields of women's history and the broaderfield of women's studies.


The purpose of Women's History Month is to increase consciousness and knowledge of women'shistory: to take one month of the year to remember the contributions of notable and ordinarywomen, in hopes that the day will soon come when it's impossible to teach or learn historywithout remembering these contributions.

Which of the following can be inferred from the paragraph above?

(A) It will be many years before people will truly view women's history as inextricable from what is usuallytaught in typical U.S. history courses.

(B) The true goal of Women's History Month is to make it so that it will no longer be necessary tohave a reminder to learn about women's history.

(C) One month out of the year is plenty of time to focus on the contributions that notable and ordinarywomen have made to history.

(D) Increasing consciousness and knowledge about women's history is impossible in such a short timeevery year.

3 A central idea is that women's groups have made a lot of progress in advancing the rights and recognition of women in U.S.history.

How does the author qualify the CENTRAL idea?

(A) by highlighting the setbacks that women's rights faced during the 1930s and 1940s

(B) by comparing women's rights in the U.S. with international women's rights movements

(C) by focusing on women's suffrage and how women eventually won the right to vote

(D) by suggesting that the women's rights movement has done little in recent decades


4 Which of the following sentences from the article BEST develops a CENTRAL idea of the article?

(A) Other participants not only determined to begin their own local Women's History Week projects, butagreed to support an effort to have Congress declare a national Women's History Week.

(B) Co-sponsors of the resolution, demonstrating bipartisan support, were Senator Orrin Hatch, aRepublican from Utah, and Representative Barbara Mikulski, a Democrat from Maryland.

(C) The National Women's History Project began distributing materials specifically designed to supportWomen's History Week, as well as materials to enhance the teaching of history through the year, toinclude notable women and women's experience.

(D) In 1987, at the request of the National Women's History Project, Congress expanded the week toa month, and the U.S. Congress has issued a resolution every year since then, with widesupport, for Women's History Month.


First all-female spacewalk will take placeduring Women's History Month

During Women's History Month, astronauts Christina Koch (left) and Anne McClain (right) will make the first women-only spacewalk onMarch 29, 2019. Photos by: NASA

It's a big step for women.

If all goes according to plan, on March 29, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS)

are scheduled to conduct the first all-female spacewalk. Anne McClain and Christina Koch will

venture out together about 240 miles above the Earth and make history. To add to the significance

of their mission, the spacewalk will take place during Women's History Month.

"It was not orchestrated to be this way," said NASA spokeswoman Stephanie Schierholz. "These

spacewalks were originally scheduled to take place in the fall — they are to upgrade batteries on

the space station." McClain and Koch's spacewalk will be the second of three planned excursions

for Expedition 59, which launches this week on — what else? — Pi Day at 3:14 p.m. Eastern time.

Schierholz pointed to the fact that women would be at the controls as well. Mary Lawrence will

serve as lead flight director and Jackie Kagey will be the lead spacewalk flight controller.

By Kayla Epstein, Washington Post on 03.11.19Word Count 443Level MAX


One NASA flight controller expressed her excitement at working on the mission.

McClain is also slated to perform a spacewalk with astronaut Nick Hague on March 22.

"Of course, assignments and schedules could always change," Schierholz said.

Both McClain and Koch were members of NASA's 2013 astronaut class, half of which comprised

women.

McClain, a major in the U.S. Army and a pilot, "wanted to be an astronaut from the time I was 3 or

4 years old," she said in a 2015 NASA video interview. "I remember telling my mom at that time,

and I never deviated from what I wanted to be. Something about exploration has fascinated me

from a young age."

McClain is currently aboard the ISS. Koch, an electrical engineer, will join her March 14 in what

will be her first space flight, according to NASA. Space is just the latest exciting frontier Koch has

conquered, as her work has taken her on expeditions to the South Pole and the Arctic.

When asked in a February interview about the importance of conducting her mission during

Women's History Month, she said, "It is a unique opportunity and I hope that I'm able to inspire

folks that might be watching."

Noting that she did not have many engineers to look up to growing up in Jacksonville, North

Carolina, McClain hopes "to be an example to people that might not have someone to look at as a

mentor that it doesn't matter where you come from or what examples there might be around you,

you can actually achieve whatever you're passionate about."

"If that's a role that I can serve," she said, "it would be my honor to do that."


Quiz

1 Read the following claim.

The timing of Anne McClain and Christina Koch's spacewalk is especially meaningful.

Which sentence from the article provides the BEST support for the above statement?

(A) If all goes according to plan, on March 29, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) arescheduled to conduct the first all-female spacewalk.

(B) To add to the significance of their mission, the spacewalk will take place during Women's History Month.

(C) "These spacewalks were originally scheduled to take place in the fall — they are to upgrade batteries onthe space station."

(D) McClain and Koch's spacewalk will be the second of three planned excursions for Expedition 59, whichlaunches this week on — what else? — Pi Day at 3:14 p.m. Eastern time.

2 Read the list of details from the article.

1. Anne McClain and Christina Koch will venture out together about 240 miles above the Earth,and make history.

2. Both McClain and Koch were members of NASA's 2013 astronaut class, half of whichcomprised women.

3. When asked in a February interview about the importance of conducting her mission duringWomen's History Month, she said, "It is a unique opportunity and I hope that I'm able toinspire folks that might be watching."

4. Noting that she did not have many engineers to look up to growing up in Jacksonville, NorthCarolina, McClain hopes "to be an example to people that might not have someone to lookat as a mentor ..."

Which two details taken together provide the BEST evidence to support the idea that McClain wants to make an impact onpeople through her work as an astronaut?

(A) 1 and 2

(B) 1 and 3

(C) 2 and 4

(D) 3 and 4

3 Which statement would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article?

(A) Anne McClain will be doing another spacewalk on March 22 with Nick Hague.

(B) The NASA flight controllers are excited about helping with the spacewalk.

(C) Women will also be taking the lead on controls for the all-women spacewalk.

(D) Christina Koch and Anne McClain will be about 240 miles above the Earth.


4 Read the paragraphs from the article.

McClain, a major in the U.S. Army and a pilot, "wanted to be an astronaut from the time I was 3or 4 years old," she said in a 2015 NASA video interview. "I remember telling my mom at thattime, and I never deviated from what I wanted to be. Something about exploration has fascinatedme from a young age."

McClain is currently aboard the ISS. Koch, an electrical engineer, will join her March 14 in whatwill be her first space flight, according to NASA. Space is just the latest exciting frontier Koch hasconquered, as her work has taken her on expeditions to the South Pole and the Arctic.

How is the central idea developed in these two paragraphs?

(A) It describes how the two astronauts feel about being the first women to take part in an all-femalespacewalk.

(B) It shows what the two astronauts are expected to do while they are conducting the all-femalespacewalk.

(C) It gives some background information about the two astronauts who are doing the all-female spacewalk.

(D) It demonstrates that the two astronauts have had experience doing spacewalks before they will conductthe all-female spacewalk.


Answer Key

1 Read the following claim.

The timing of Anne McClain and Christina Koch's spacewalk is especially meaningful.

Which sentence from the article provides the BEST support for the above statement?

(A) If all goes according to plan, on March 29, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) arescheduled to conduct the first all-female spacewalk.

(B) To add to the significance of their mission, the spacewalk will take place during Women'sHistory Month.

(C) "These spacewalks were originally scheduled to take place in the fall — they are to upgrade batteries onthe space station."

(D) McClain and Koch's spacewalk will be the second of three planned excursions for Expedition 59, whichlaunches this week on — what else? — Pi Day at 3:14 p.m. Eastern time.

2 Read the list of details from the article.

1. Anne McClain and Christina Koch will venture out together about 240 miles above the Earth,and make history.

2. Both McClain and Koch were members of NASA's 2013 astronaut class, half of whichcomprised women.

3. When asked in a February interview about the importance of conducting her mission duringWomen's History Month, she said, "It is a unique opportunity and I hope that I'm able toinspire folks that might be watching."

4. Noting that she did not have many engineers to look up to growing up in Jacksonville, NorthCarolina, McClain hopes "to be an example to people that might not have someone to lookat as a mentor ..."

Which two details taken together provide the BEST evidence to support the idea that McClain wants to make an impact onpeople through her work as an astronaut?

(A) 1 and 2

(B) 1 and 3

(C) 2 and 4

(D) 3 and 4

3 Which statement would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article?

(A) Anne McClain will be doing another spacewalk on March 22 with Nick Hague.

(B) The NASA flight controllers are excited about helping with the spacewalk.

(C) Women will also be taking the lead on controls for the all-women spacewalk.

(D) Christina Koch and Anne McClain will be about 240 miles above the Earth.


4 Read the paragraphs from the article.

McClain, a major in the U.S. Army and a pilot, "wanted to be an astronaut from the time I was 3or 4 years old," she said in a 2015 NASA video interview. "I remember telling my mom at thattime, and I never deviated from what I wanted to be. Something about exploration has fascinatedme from a young age."

McClain is currently aboard the ISS. Koch, an electrical engineer, will join her March 14 in whatwill be her first space flight, according to NASA. Space is just the latest exciting frontier Koch hasconquered, as her work has taken her on expeditions to the South Pole and the Arctic.

How is the central idea developed in these two paragraphs?

(A) It describes how the two astronauts feel about being the first women to take part in an all-femalespacewalk.

(B) It shows what the two astronauts are expected to do while they are conducting the all-femalespacewalk.

(C) It gives some background information about the two astronauts who are doing the all-femalespacewalk.

(D) It demonstrates that the two astronauts have had experience doing spacewalks before they will conductthe all-female spacewalk.


Notorious Victoria: the first woman to run forpresident

Image 1. A portrait of Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for president. The date of the portrait is unknown. Photo: Bradley &Rulofson/Wikimedia Commons.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton made history when she became the first woman to be the presidential

nominee of a major party. But she was not the first woman to run as a presidential candidate: that

honor belongs to Victoria Claflin Woodhull. In 1872, Woodhull became a third-party candidate,

running against the incumbent Republican President Ulysses S. Grant and his Democratic

challenger, New York publisher Horace Greeley. She would not have been able to vote for herself,

that right would not be granted to American women for another 50 years, but that did not deter

this pioneering feminist from making a historic bid for change.

Woodhull's journey to contesting the presidency had begun in 1871, when she was invited to

Washington to address the house judiciary committee on the subject of women's rights. Woodhull

made a bold statement before the committee: "Women are the equals of men before the law, and

are equal in all their rights."

By The Guardian, adapted by Newsela staff on 02.10.20Word Count 1,162Level 1190L


She argued that women already had the right to vote,

as all citizens born in the United States were granted

this under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

More controversially, she cited the 15th Amendment

(which abolished slavery in 1870) as applicable to

women, who, she said, had long been forced to act as

servants to their husbands and families.

Unsurprisingly, the committee declined to agree with

her position.

Woodhull ended her speech with a threat – if men

continued to exclude women from government, women would have no choice but to revolt and

govern themselves.

Congress refused to budge and so suffragists, or activists seeking to win women the right to vote,

decided to take action. On May 9, 1872, the National Woman Suffrage Association held its annual

convention and formed the Equal Rights Party. Woodhull, whose speech before the house

judiciary committee had brought her to national attention, was selected to run as the new party's

candidate for president.

For 25 years the suffrage organization had lobbied the

leaders of established parties to recognize women's

suffrage in their platforms, without success. The

nomination of Victoria Woodhull was a dramatic new

tactic and a symbolic act of protest – the first of many

to come.

Woodhull's presidential campaign was based on a

platform far ahead of its time. It began with female

suffrage, but she also endorsed an end to the "slavery"

of marriage. She believed in workers' rights and trade

unionism, equal pay for men and women, universal

health care, and prison reform.

Too Young — And A Woman

Woodhull never had any real chance of being the

president. She was only 34 years old, one year too

young for the mandatory minimum age of 35.

However, her candidacy helped to bring attention to

otherwise ignored issues, including the suffrage

movement itself.

Woodhull ran her own newspaper, Woodhull and

Claflin's Weekly, with her younger sister, Tennie

Claflin. The paper helped publicize Woodhull's views, but in the end, it proved to be her downfall.

On November 2, 1872, three days before election day, Woodhull published two articles that

attacked major critics of her campaign. One of the pieces accused New York preacher Henry Ward


Beecher of having an affair with a married woman. The other claimed Luther Challis, a

prominent Wall Street trader, had seduced two girls.

Because the two articles covered extramarital affairs and sexual activity outside of marriage, they

were considered obscene. Woodhull and her sister were quickly arrested, brought to court and

jailed.

Despite her arrest, Woodhull remained on the ballot. However, her share of the popular vote is

unknown — possibly because some of the polling stations threw away her ballot votes. She did not

win any states and therefore received no electoral votes. Grant easily won a second term by a large

margin, and Greeley died a few weeks after the election.

The sisters were released on bail a month after their arrest, and cleared of obscenity charges the

following June, when the judge ruled that obscenity legislation did not apply to newspapers.

Although Woodhull hung on for years as a lecturer and continued to publish her weekly paper, she

had poor health and minimal resources. She eventually left her husband and moved to

England with her sister and her grown children. There she started a reforming newspaper, The

Humanitarian, and became involved with the British suffragette movement. By the turn of the

century, both she and Tennie would marry wealthy Englishmen and retire from the public gaze.

Woodhull died in 1927, as the mistress of an English country house in Worcestershire. A year later,

British women won the right to vote.

An Important Pioneer

History has reduced Woodhull to a footnote but she

should nonetheless be considered an important

pioneer. Following her presidential campaign,

thousands of her suffragette sisters continued to fight

for women to have a place in the political system. In

later elections, the Equal Rights Party continued to

nominate women for the presidency and sent

members to polling stations to insist on women's right

to vote.

Progress was slow, but by 1917, the suffragist Jeanette

Rankin became the first woman to serve in Congress,

as a Republican representative for Montana, one of

the few states that had agreed to allow women to vote.

By 1918, women won the right to vote in 40 states.

Two years later, in 1920, the constitution was

amended to mandate universal female suffrage.

As of 2016, a total of 313 women had served in Congress and two female candidates had been

major party nominees for vice president: Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, and Sarah Palin in 2008.

Since Woodhull's pioneering campaign, other third parties have nominated 21 more female

presidential candidates – including 2016's Green party candidate, Dr. Jill Stein. Finally, 136 years

after Woodhull's arrest, Hillary Clinton was nominated as the Democratic Party's presidential

nominee in 2016.


Back in 1872, as night fell on election day, Woodhull closed her campaign with a prophetic letter to

the editor of the New York Herald. Woodhull's letter, written from her prison cell, showed that she

was well aware of what she had begun: "To the public I would say in conclusion they may succeed

in crushing me out, even to the loss of my life: but let me warn them and you that from the ashes

of my body a thousand Victorias will spring to avenge my death by seizing the work laid down by

me and carrying it forward to victory."


Quiz

1 Which of the following statements BEST represents Victoria Woodhull's approach toward her critics in the article?

(A) She created the Equal Rights Party to counter her critics in the election.

(B) She created a presidential platform that she hoped would appeal to her critics.

(C) She published stories in her newspaper that directly attacked her critics.

(D) She challenged the allegations made against her by taking her critics to court.

2 WHY did the author conclude the article by printing an excerpt of Victoria Woodhull's letter?

(A) to note Woodhull's confidence about the future for women

(B) to stress how Woodhull had received many death threats

(C) to highlight Woodhull's pride in her political campaigns

(D) to illustrate Woodhull's remorse for her earlier behavior

3 What is one relationship between the introduction [paragraphs 1-7] and the section "Too Young — And A Woman”?

(A) The first provides an overview of her rise in the suffrage movement, while the second shows how heractions affected her campaign.

(B) The first describes Woodhull's early life, while the second provides details about her involvement in theBritish suffragette movement.

(C) The first details women's rights in the 1870s, while the second illustrates how Woodhull's ideas aboutmarriage affected her campaign.

(D) The first suggests that Woodhull was ahead of her time, while the second shows how poverty and poorhealth marked her final years.

4 Read the following sentences from the sections "Too Young — And A Woman" and "An Important Pioneer."

There she started a reforming newspaper, The Humanitarian, and became involved with theBritish suffragette movement.

History has reduced Woodhull to a footnote but she should nonetheless be considered animportant pioneer.

Which answer choice BEST describes how the sentences help to develop a central idea of the article?

(A) Both sentences focus on Woodhull's British involvement with the British suffragette movement.

(B) Both sentences highlight Woodhull's lifelong commitment and her legacy to women's suffrage.

(C) Both sentences emphasize the advances made by women since Woodhull's death.

(D) Both sentences suggest Woodhull has not received the recognition that she deserves.


Answer Key

1 Which of the following statements BEST represents Victoria Woodhull's approach toward her critics in the article?

(A) She created the Equal Rights Party to counter her critics in the election.

(B) She created a presidential platform that she hoped would appeal to her critics.

(C) She published stories in her newspaper that directly attacked her critics.

(D) She challenged the allegations made against her by taking her critics to court.

2 WHY did the author conclude the article by printing an excerpt of Victoria Woodhull's letter?

(A) to note Woodhull's confidence about the future for women

(B) to stress how Woodhull had received many death threats

(C) to highlight Woodhull's pride in her political campaigns

(D) to illustrate Woodhull's remorse for her earlier behavior

3 What is one relationship between the introduction [paragraphs 1-7] and the section "Too Young — And A Woman”?

(A) The first provides an overview of her rise in the suffrage movement, while the second showshow her actions affected her campaign.

(B) The first describes Woodhull's early life, while the second provides details about her involvement in theBritish suffragette movement.

(C) The first details women's rights in the 1870s, while the second illustrates how Woodhull's ideas aboutmarriage affected her campaign.

(D) The first suggests that Woodhull was ahead of her time, while the second shows how poverty and poorhealth marked her final years.

4 Read the following sentences from the sections "Too Young — And A Woman" and "An Important Pioneer."

There she started a reforming newspaper, The Humanitarian, and became involved with theBritish suffragette movement.

History has reduced Woodhull to a footnote but she should nonetheless be considered animportant pioneer.

Which answer choice BEST describes how the sentences help to develop a central idea of the article?

(A) Both sentences focus on Woodhull's British involvement with the British suffragette movement.

(B) Both sentences highlight Woodhull's lifelong commitment and her legacy to women's suffrage.

(C) Both sentences emphasize the advances made by women since Woodhull's death.

(D) Both sentences suggest Woodhull has not received the recognition that she deserves.


"Pink tax" means women still pay more forgoods and services

Women pay more for everything from clothes to razors. Photo by: Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

Is pink a luxury color?

That's what Pascale Boistard, France's State Secretary for Women's Rights, asked on Twitter in

2014.

She was making the point that women pay a kind of "pink tax" whenever they are charged more for

feminine items, or even general services, such as dry cleaning.

Four years later, in the midst of Women's History month, the question still looms.

Girl's clothes cost 4 percent more than boys' clothing. Women pay 7 percent more than men for

accessories such as tote bags and watches, 8 percent more for clothing and 13 percent more for

personal care items such as deodorant, according to NYC.gov.

"It doesn't take any more chemicals to make women's deodorant than men's deodorant," says

Angela Hattery, director of the women and gender studies department at George Mason

By Nicole Zelniker, USA Today, adapted by Newsela staff on 08.21.19Word Count 643Level MAX


University. "Part of the point is being able to take advantage of a group of people — in this case,

women — by extracting more resources from them."

And it's not just these "taxes" that erode equality between women and men, but other obstacles

and biases as well.

According to the American Association of University Women, women in the United States make

80 percent of what a man makes, according to 2016 data. Not only are women charged more than

men, but they're not making as much.

And, according to the AAUW, most black women make 63 percent of what white, non-Hispanic

men make.

"Women make less money, particularly women of color," says Dana Berkowitz, associate professor

of sociology and women and gender studies at Louisiana State University. "Taxing them has more

devastating consequences."

Plus-sized women are also at a disadvantage. Women often are charged more for plus-sized

clothing, while men are not.

The average women's size in the United States is about 14. Usually, that is where plus-sized

clothing starts. Plus-sized women account for 67 percent of the population according to Plunkett

Research, a global market research company based in Houston.

"These companies know that there are plenty of women out there whose bodies don't conform to

their 'traditional' sizing charts but who still want to be fashionable and keep up with trends," says

Ammarie Grassle, an Instagram model. "They're using that fact to make extra money off us."

Manufacturers justify the added expenses by stating that they use unique elements and design

patterns on plus-sized clothing, which have more features overall.

These women are in "double jeopardy," Hattery says. She believes that not only are they charged

more because they are women, but also because of their race or size.

But all over the world, activist organizations are fighting the pink tax.

Girl Talk HQ works to educate Canadians about the price gap and gather enough support to get the

government's attention.

Some U.S. states are also working to fight the "tax."

New York, for example, effectively ended the tampon tax in 2016, no longer taxing tampons as

though they were luxury items. Also in 2016, California introduced a bill that would outlaw

gender-based pricing.

Companies such as Billie, a woman-oriented shaving company, do not charge more for feminine

items. Founded in 2017, 75 percent of company employees are women.

"I was actually buying men's razors out of principal," Georgina Gooley, Billie's co-founder, says

about why companies need to stop charging more for pink razors. "Why charge women more for

anything, right? There's just no reason."


Boxed, a bulk-item shipping company, is another company working to eliminate the pink tax by

charging the same amount for men's and women's items.

According to Ashish Prashar, the vice president of communications at Boxed, the company has

made more money since charging the same amount for men's and women's items because it has

attracted more customers.

"We absorb the costs ourselves," Prashar said. "It doesn't matter if we break even on those

products because it is the right thing to do."


Quiz


She was making the point that women pay a kind of "pink tax" whenever they are charged morefor feminine items, or even general services, such as dry cleaning.

Which of the following options BEST supports the idea that gender-based pricing is affecting women?

(A) Women pay 7 percent more than men for accessories such as tote bags and watches, 8 percent morefor clothing and 13 percent more for personal care items such as deodorant, according to NYC.gov.

(B) And it's not just these "taxes" that erode equality between women and men, but other obstacles andbiases as well.

(C) According to the American Association of University Women, women in the United States make 80percent of what a man makes, according to 2016 data.

(D) And, according to the AAUW, most black women make 63 percent of what white, non-Hispanic menmake.

2 According to the article, work is being done to combat the "pink tax."

Which paragraph BEST supports the idea outlined above?

(A) "It doesn't take any more chemicals to make women's deodorant than men's deodorant," says AngelaHattery, director of the women and gender studies department at George Mason University. "Part of thepoint is being able to take advantage of a group of people — in this case, women — by extracting moreresources from them."

(B) Manufacturers justify the added expenses by stating that they use unique elements and design patternson plus-sized clothing, which have more features overall.

(C) These women are in "double jeopardy," Hattery says. She believes that not only are they charged morebecause they are women, but also because of their race or size.

(D) New York, for example, effectively ended the tampon tax in 2016, no longer taxing tampons as thoughthey were luxury items. Also in 2016, California introduced a bill that would outlaw gender-based pricing.

3 Which of the following people quoted in the article would be MOST LIKELY to agree with the idea that certain groups of womenexperience the economic effects of the "pink tax" more than others?

(A) Pascale Boistard

(B) Angela Hattery

(C) Georgina Gooley

(D) Ashish Prashar

4 How are Billie’s and Boxed’s opinions connected to each other?

(A) Billie's and Boxed's opinions about how much to charge for women's items are opposed to each other.

(B) Billie's and Boxed's opinions about how much to charge for women's items are similar to each other.

(C) Billie's opinion about how to make a profit by charging women the same as men contrasts with Boxed'sopinion.

(D) Billie's opinion about how to make a profit by charging women the same as men builds on Boxed'sopinion.


Answer Key


She was making the point that women pay a kind of "pink tax" whenever they are charged morefor feminine items, or even general services, such as dry cleaning.

Which of the following options BEST supports the idea that gender-based pricing is affecting women?

(A) Women pay 7 percent more than men for accessories such as tote bags and watches, 8 percentmore for clothing and 13 percent more for personal care items such as deodorant, according toNYC.gov.

(B) And it's not just these "taxes" that erode equality between women and men, but other obstacles andbiases as well.

(C) According to the American Association of University Women, women in the United States make 80percent of what a man makes, according to 2016 data.

(D) And, according to the AAUW, most black women make 63 percent of what white, non-Hispanic menmake.

2 According to the article, work is being done to combat the "pink tax."


(A) "It doesn't take any more chemicals to make women's deodorant than men's deodorant," says AngelaHattery, director of the women and gender studies department at George Mason University. "Part of thepoint is being able to take advantage of a group of people — in this case, women — by extracting moreresources from them."

(B) Manufacturers justify the added expenses by stating that they use unique elements and design patternson plus-sized clothing, which have more features overall.

(C) These women are in "double jeopardy," Hattery says. She believes that not only are they charged morebecause they are women, but also because of their race or size.

(D) New York, for example, effectively ended the tampon tax in 2016, no longer taxing tampons asthough they were luxury items. Also in 2016, California introduced a bill that would outlawgender-based pricing.

3 Which of the following people quoted in the article would be MOST LIKELY to agree with the idea that certain groups of womenexperience the economic effects of the "pink tax" more than others?

(A) Pascale Boistard

(B) Angela Hattery

(C) Georgina Gooley

(D) Ashish Prashar

4 How are Billie’s and Boxed’s opinions connected to each other?

(A) Billie's and Boxed's opinions about how much to charge for women's items are opposed to each other.

(B) Billie's and Boxed's opinions about how much to charge for women's items are similar to eachother.

(C) Billie's opinion about how to make a profit by charging women the same as men contrasts with Boxed'sopinion.

(D) Billie's opinion about how to make a profit by charging women the same as men builds on Boxed'sopinion.


America and warfare were never the sameafter World War I

Arnold S. Hoke (left), who served in the U.S. Army during World War I, married Army nurse Clara Lewandoske (right) after the war. Photo by:Patricia Munson-Siter/Library of Congress

At night when things were quiet in the "jaw ward," the wounded doughboys would take out their

small trench mirrors and survey the damage to their faces.

Noses had been shot off in the fighting at Saint-Mihiel. Chins were destroyed in the Meuse-

Argonne offensive. Mouths had been torn apart in the battle of Belleau Wood.

It was 1918, and Clara Lewandoske, a 25-year-old Army nurse from Wisconsin, was caring for

these cases in a Red Cross hospital in Paris. "They were wonderful boys," she recalled, and rarely

complained.

But at night, if she saw one with a mirror, she would go to his bedside and start chatting. "Get

them off of the subject," she said. "Invariably, you'd get them to sleep."

In time, they got used to their injuries. "We all did," she said. "It was just one of those things."

By Michael E. Ruane, Washington Post on 08.26.19Word Count 1,675Level MAX


Lewandoske and her "boys" were among the millions of Americans who served in World War I.

There were soldiers, sailors and nurses. They were white, black and Latino.

Among them was an Army sergeant from Iowa named Arnold Hoke, who would one day become

Clara's husband.

Tens of thousands from their generation would perish on the battlefield, 25,000 in one six-week

period alone. Many thousands more would die of disease.

Others came home physically or emotionally broken.

"There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial," President Woodrow Wilson had warned

Congress that April. "It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war. But the right is

more precious than peace."

This month, the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the Smithsonian Institution and the

National World War I Museum and Memorial, in Kansas City, are marking the anniversary with

exhibits, lectures and commemorations.

World War I started in Europe in the summer of 1914, and ended on November 11, 1918. The

United States entered the conflict after France, Russia and Britain had battled Germany and its

allies for almost three years.

And American might was brought to bear against Germany only in the closing months of the

conflict, but just in time to help reverse the enemy's huge, last-gasp offensive and end the war.

The U.S., although badly divided, had been provoked to join the war by the sinking of neutral

American ships by German submarines, and by a secret German deal to offer Mexico the states of

Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, if it joined the German cause.

The offer, outlined in the "Zimmerman telegram," was sent in code by German Foreign Secretary

Arthur Zimmerman to the German ambassador in Mexico.

It was intercepted, hit the newspapers March 1, 1917, and created a national uproar.

Five weeks later, in a one-paragraph congressional resolution, the U.S. declared war.

In those days, it was called the "Great War," or simply "the world war," because no other like it was

imaginable.

Along with staggering death tolls, it generated memorable literature, geopolitical upheaval, hope,

disillusion, Hitler, the Russian Revolution and the seeds of World War II.

For Americans, it provided, among other things, trench food called "corn willy," the Selective

Service System, the double-edged safety razor and George M. Cohan's anthem, "Over there:"

"Send the word, send the word over there

"That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming

"The drums rum-tumming everywhere."

But over there, the Yanks would find nightmare landscapes scarred by trenches and shell holes,

and "mud that swallowed men, machines and horses without a trace," wrote historian David M.


Kennedy.

There were horrific weapons like the flamethrower, the machine gun and phosgene gas, and the

bullet-swept region between the lines known as no man's land.

It was "industrialized death," as the late art critic Robert Hughes put it.

When the U.S. entered the struggle in 1917, the conflict already had claimed 5 million lives.

But the Yanks were game.

"So prepare," Cohan's lyrics went, "say a prayer, Send the word, send the word to beware We'll be

over, we're coming over And we won't come back till it's over, over there."

Sgt. Arnold S. Hoke and his men had just hauled a supply of rations and ammunition overnight to

their comrades at the front, and by the time they arrived the food was cold and congealed in

grease.

In the dark and the rain, he and his detail had gotten lost, and hadn't found his company until

after dawn.

But the famished soldiers gathered in a patch of woods in the Argonne Forest, in northeastern

France, to devour the food anyhow.

"The men lined up, and they started to dish out this food to them," Hoke remembered. "The

captain told me to — he knew I'd been up all night — and he told me to go over there in the

basement of this farmhouse and get a little sleep."

Hoke, 25, was a veteran who had served on the Mexican border in 1916.

He had been honorably discharged, and had reenlisted after the U.S. entered the war.

A native of Spaulding, Iowa, he was assigned to recruit local Iowa men for what became Co. M of

the Army's 168th infantry regiment.

By mid 1918, he and his men already had been through a lot, he recalled in a tape recording he

made on April 12, 1971, that is now part of the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.

(A similar recording made by his wife also resides with the project.)

Often, the soldiers would talk about what they would do when they got home, "all kinds of silly

things," Hoke said. He planned to go to the local drugstore and have a thick pineapple malt as

soon as he got back.

One doughboy, a man he had recruited from Atlantic, Iowa, said that he figured he would be

wounded, lose a leg and meet his comrades at the train station. "I'll get back home before you

guys," he told his buddies.

He'd have a hollow artificial leg, fill it with whiskey and pass it around so all the boys could have a

drink.

As Hoke rested in the farmhouse that day, German artillery had zeroed in on the trees where his

comrades were eating.


"They threw a salvo of shells into this woods," he said. "And they caught our men all lined up

waiting for their chow."

Fifteen to 20 men were killed, and about 30 were wounded, he remembered, including the man

from Atlantic.

One of his legs had been practically blown off, Hoke recalled, and was just hanging by a few

ligaments. He was conscious as he lay on the ground, and didn't seem to be in a lot of pain.

"You guys thought I was kidding," Hoke remembered him saying. "I'll meet you at the depot with

that wooden leg full of bourbon."

Hoke said the soldier was taken to a battlefield dressing station, where the damaged leg was

amputated.

But the man died in an ambulance en route to the rear.

"I apologize for a rather unpleasant war story," Hoke said on the recording. "Let me assure you

there's nothing pleasant about war, in any shape or manner, and I just hope that nobody will ever

see another one."

The day after he got home from France he went to the drugstore and got his pineapple malt.

Nurse Clara Lewandoske recalled only one night when she fell apart during the war.

It was in Paris' Lycee Pasteur, a high school that had been made into a 2,400-bed hospital, during

a period of heavy fighting, when the wounded and sick soldiers would come pouring in from the

front.

Some of the cases were horrific.

She had once found a soldier who had wandered from his bed.

"It was a gorgeous moonlit night," she recalled. "I came out in the hall. Here was this patient

sitting in the doorway. He had taken his bandage off, and it looked like half of his head was gone.

It was a horrible sight. It shook me more than anything else in the whole war."

"We got him back to bed, and he died before morning," she said.

Lewandoske had 36 patients in four wards to care for. At night, she and other nurses walked the

corridors with lanterns shrouded with denim, to guard against air raids, she recalled.

They often worked on patients by candlelight.

One night it got to be too much.

"I was a pretty calm individual," she said. She had been orphaned at 9, and raised by the family of

a local minister. Back home, she had once assisted at a surgery done on a dining room table.

But during an awful night in the hospital, with soldiers crying out from all over, "I did cave in," she

said. "I got hysterical. We just couldn't get around to everything. We had hemorrhages (and) a lot

of sick boys."

It was heartbreaking. "We were mother, and sister and home to them," she said.


On November 11, 1918, the war ended with an armistice. She happened to be in downtown Paris

when word came.

"All hell broke loose," she recalled. "It was a terrific thing. You didn't know whether you'd survive

or not. It was just the wildest time."

American nurses were hugged and serenaded, she said. "We saw our chief nurse. She was quite old

and they had her on a cannon, pulling her down through the main streets of Paris."

Clara and Arnold came home from the war in 1919.

In September 1921, she was a delegate to the American Legion convention in Kansas City. Also in

attendance was Arnold. They met and fell in love. They were married November 22, 1922, lived

through the Depression and raised two children.

Arnold died on July 30, 1971, four months after they recorded their memories. He was 78. Clara

died on June 27, 1984, at the age of 91. According to their granddaughter Patricia Munson-Siter,

they are buried side by side in the military section of Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego,

California.

Both grave markers cite their service in the Great War.


Quiz

1 According to the article, World War I was a devastating war like no other before it.


(A) Lewandoske and her "boys" were among the millions of Americans who served in World War I. Therewere soldiers, sailors and nurses. They were white, black and Latino.

(B) Tens of thousands from their generation would perish on the battlefield, 25,000 in one six-week periodalone. Many thousands more would die of disease.

(C) World War I started in Europe in the summer of 1914, and ended on November 11, 1918. The UnitedStates entered the conflict after France, Russia and Britain had battled Germany and its allies for almostthree years.

(D) And American might was brought to bear against Germany only in the closing months of the conflict, butjust in time to help reverse the enemy's huge, last-gasp offensive and end the war.


"I apologize for a rather unpleasant war story," Hoke said on the recording. "Let me assure youthere's nothing pleasant about war, in any shape or manner, and I just hope that nobody will eversee another one."

Which of the following options BEST supports the idea that Hoke experienced unpleasant events during World War I?

(A) One doughboy, a man he had recruited from Atlantic, Iowa, said that he figured he would be wounded,lose a leg and meet his comrades at the train station.

(B) Fifteen to 20 men were killed, and about 30 were wounded, he remembered, including the man fromAtlantic.

(C) He was conscious as he lay on the ground, and didn't seem to be in a lot of pain.

(D) The day after he got home from France he went to the drugstore and got his pineapple malt.

3 Read the following quote from Clara Lewandoske.

"I came out in the hall. Here was this patient sitting in the doorway. He had taken his bandage off,and it looked like half of his head was gone. It was a horrible sight. It shook me more thananything else in the whole war."

How does this paragraph support Clara Lewandoske’s position?

(A) by illustrating that sickness was as dangerous to soldiers as enemy fire

(B) by highlighting the immense physical and emotional toll the war inflicted on those who experienced it

(C) by explaining how medical techniques were not advanced enough to save most soldiers

(D) by explaining why many people who served in World War I never participated in a war again

4 Which answer choice BEST explains why the author wrote this article?

(A) to explain to the reader how World War I changed life in America

(B) to show the reader what World War I was like for the people who served during the conflict

(C) to highlight how World War I advanced military technology and techniques

(D) to explain some frequently overlooked positive results of World War I


Answer Key

1 According to the article, World War I was a devastating war like no other before it.


(A) Lewandoske and her "boys" were among the millions of Americans who served in World War I. Therewere soldiers, sailors and nurses. They were white, black and Latino.

(B) Tens of thousands from their generation would perish on the battlefield, 25,000 in one six-weekperiod alone. Many thousands more would die of disease.

(C) World War I started in Europe in the summer of 1914, and ended on November 11, 1918. The UnitedStates entered the conflict after France, Russia and Britain had battled Germany and its allies for almostthree years.

(D) And American might was brought to bear against Germany only in the closing months of the conflict, butjust in time to help reverse the enemy's huge, last-gasp offensive and end the war.


"I apologize for a rather unpleasant war story," Hoke said on the recording. "Let me assure youthere's nothing pleasant about war, in any shape or manner, and I just hope that nobody will eversee another one."

Which of the following options BEST supports the idea that Hoke experienced unpleasant events during World War I?

(A) One doughboy, a man he had recruited from Atlantic, Iowa, said that he figured he would be wounded,lose a leg and meet his comrades at the train station.

(B) Fifteen to 20 men were killed, and about 30 were wounded, he remembered, including the manfrom Atlantic.

(C) He was conscious as he lay on the ground, and didn't seem to be in a lot of pain.

(D) The day after he got home from France he went to the drugstore and got his pineapple malt.

3 Read the following quote from Clara Lewandoske.

"I came out in the hall. Here was this patient sitting in the doorway. He had taken his bandage off,and it looked like half of his head was gone. It was a horrible sight. It shook me more thananything else in the whole war."

How does this paragraph support Clara Lewandoske’s position?

(A) by illustrating that sickness was as dangerous to soldiers as enemy fire

(B) by highlighting the immense physical and emotional toll the war inflicted on those whoexperienced it

(C) by explaining how medical techniques were not advanced enough to save most soldiers

(D) by explaining why many people who served in World War I never participated in a war again

4 Which answer choice BEST explains why the author wrote this article?

(A) to explain to the reader how World War I changed life in America

(B) to show the reader what World War I was like for the people who served during the conflict

(C) to highlight how World War I advanced military technology and techniques

(D) to explain some frequently overlooked positive results of World War I


What motivated ancient leaders to conquer?

The Macedonian phalanx (right) led by Alexander the Great at the Battle of Thebes in 335 B.C. defeated the Thracians, a group of Indo-European tribes that once inhabited a large area in Eastern and Southeastern Europe. Image from: "The Story of the Greatest Nations, fromthe Dawn of History to the Twentieth Century" by John Steeple Davis, published in 1900

For centuries, leaders have used their power to

overtake other societies. Some have done it to expand

the extent of their power, others to increase their

riches.

Throughout history, many different kingdoms have

risen and fallen. Many empires have been born out of nothing and then collapsed to ruin. Men

have used large armies to wrestle power away from mighty emperors and kings. Others have relied

on their ability to rally the masses behind their cause, noble or otherwise. What is clear throughout

history, from Julius Caesar to Genghis Khan, is that it takes a distinct personality to be a

conquerer.

More Territory, Cultural Exchange

By National Geographic Society, adapted by Newsela staff on 12.11.19Word Count 713Level 1050L


Similar motivations connect some of history's greatest conquerors. For example, many wanted

more territory so their empires could grow in size as well as develop culturally. From 336–323

B.C., Alexander the Great not only conquered most of the known world, he also spread Greek

culture from Egypt to India. At the same time, he encouraged cultural exchange within his empire,

which allowed Greek culture to absorb new influences. During the second century B.C., the Roman

Empire conquered Macedonia and absorbed both the Macedonian kingdom and Greek culture into

its empire. Between 320 and 550 A.D., the Gupta Empire grew from a small portion of northern

India to a vast territory that stretched from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal. As the empire

grew in size, it also developed culturally, and education and art thrived.

Chance To Win Riches

The spoils of war can be a significant motivation for conquest. When Genghis Khan led the

Mongols into battle in the 1200s, many of his soldiers were motivated by the chance to win riches.

Julius Caesar was motivated by wealth as well. In fact, it was this motivation that led to his

conquest of Gaul in 58 B.C. Gaul comprised three territories in Europe that spanned parts of

modern-day France: Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and northern Italy.

Control Over Trade

Another long-term motivation was the desire for control over trade. For the Mongols, the chance

to control the Silk Road was an attractive reason for conquest. The Silk Road was a network of

trade routes that stretched across Asia and into Europe. Early on, Mongols targeted states that

controlled parts of this network.

Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and William the Conqueror are three legendary conquerors. All

three created and then expanded their empires because of a desire for both power and riches. This

ambition pushed them to continue to enlarge the areas under their control. Larger empires meant

more land, more people and, by way of taxes and tribute, more wealth.

Alexander the Great became king of Macedonia at just 20 years old. He was an ironfisted ruler

who crushed rebellions and killed his enemies before they could become a threat. Alexander led

his conquests with unmatched military skill. Julius Caesar first consolidated his own power within

Rome. Then, he expanded Rome's influence and wealth through military conquest. William the

Conqueror established the power of the state of Normandy and drastically changed English society

through his conquest. As king of England, he redistributed the state's wealth, transferring power to

his people, the Normans.

Charisma Protected Their Positions As Rulers

Each of these leaders had a great deal of charisma. Their magnetic, inspiring personalities earned

the devotion of their militaries. This support was crucial to their conquests and protected their

positions as rulers.

Beyond the desire to rule, the perceived right to rule also motivated history's ancient conquests.

Alexander the Great believed himself to be the half-god son of Zeus. He was convinced that he

deserved success. William the Conqueror led the Norman Conquest in 1066 because he believed

himself to be the rightful heir to the English throne. King Edward had promised that William

would be his heir. However, Edward had also made this promise to others, causing several battles

for the crown after his death. William eventually prevailed, and claimed what he perceived as his


rightful place on the throne. Some historians theorize that Genghis Khan also felt he was destined

to rule.

The desire for power is clearly very strong in history's leaders. Conquerors faced overwhelming

dangers for a chance to rule but, to them, the rewards outweighed the risks.


Quiz

1 According to the article, why did the Mongols conquer new territory?

(A) to stop Alexander the Great from taking over the area

(B) to spread their culture to other parts of the world

(C) to find new people to charge expensive taxes

(D) to gain control of trade on the Silk Road

2 How did Julius Caesar affect the Roman Empire?

(A) Caesar changed the religion of the Roman Empire.

(B) Caesar increased the influence of the Roman Empire.

(C) Caesar liberated areas from Alexander the Great's rule.

(D) Caesar expanded the Roman Empire to England.

3 How are the sections organized to develop understanding?

(A) by compare and contrast to highlight the similarities of different conquerors

(B) by chronological order to show how each conqueror influenced the leaders who followed

(C) by problem and solution to explain the common challenges leaders faced while growing their empires

(D) by cause and effect to describe what eventually caused the downfall of these empires

4 What is one reason the author includes information about taxes?

(A) to describe how some leaders motivated people to join their campaigns

(B) to suggest that conquering new lands was very expensive

(C) to show why larger empires often made more money

(D) to argue that conquerors treated their subjects unjustly


Answer Key

1 According to the article, why did the Mongols conquer new territory?

(A) to stop Alexander the Great from taking over the area

(B) to spread their culture to other parts of the world

(C) to find new people to charge expensive taxes

(D) to gain control of trade on the Silk Road

2 How did Julius Caesar affect the Roman Empire?

(A) Caesar changed the religion of the Roman Empire.

(B) Caesar increased the influence of the Roman Empire.

(C) Caesar liberated areas from Alexander the Great's rule.

(D) Caesar expanded the Roman Empire to England.

3 How are the sections organized to develop understanding?

(A) by compare and contrast to highlight the similarities of different conquerors

(B) by chronological order to show how each conqueror influenced the leaders who followed

(C) by problem and solution to explain the common challenges leaders faced while growing their empires

(D) by cause and effect to describe what eventually caused the downfall of these empires

4 What is one reason the author includes information about taxes?

(A) to describe how some leaders motivated people to join their campaigns

(B) to suggest that conquering new lands was very expensive

(C) to show why larger empires often made more money

(D) to argue that conquerors treated their subjects unjustly

Documents

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