Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Elizabeth was born in 1818 in Richmond, Virginia to parents who were wealthy and considered part of the high society. They were also both from Northern states. For Elizabeth's education, she was sent to Pennsylvania to study in a religious school. What denomination, known as Society of Friends, ran the school?
2. During the first half of the 1800s, the Van Lew house in Richmond was a center of soirees, parties, and discussions. Many events were held in their large front parlor. One author, who would later become quite famous for literary works like "The Pit and the Pendulum", read his latest poem aloud in that setting. The poem was "The Raven". Who was this gentleman?
3. Elizabeth's father died in 1843 and left an inheritance to each member of his family. Elizabeth, who had never married, received around $10,000. She and her brother were both strong believers in the abolitionist movement. What did Elizabeth do with this inheritance?
4. By 1862 the country had been in the American Civil War for a year. Elizabeth wanted to do something to help Union soldiers but, living in Richmond and away from the battles at that time, was unsure how to proceed. Then she heard about horrible conditions inside an infamous prison in Richmond that housed Union prisoners of war. What was the name of this infamous three-story site on the waterfront of the James River?
5. Elizabeth, during her times at Libby Prison, also made mental notes of conversations she overheard from Confederate officers. Worried that people would start to wonder why she was spending so much time back and forth to the prison, she began to dress and act quite differently at times. What nickname was she given by the people in Richmond?
6. By 1863 word had gotten out to the Union command that Elizabeth was aiding the soldiers in Libby Prison. She was approached by a general and asked to be a spy. She agreed and began using ciphers and codes to pass messages. Who was this Union controversial general, nicknamed "Beast", who asked this of Elizabeth?
7. Elizabeth had a slave named Mary Jane. Against all customs at the time, she had Mary Jane baptized, sent to school, and even sent abroad to continue her education. During the American Civil War Elizabeth "loaned" Mary Jane (with photographic memory) to the First Lady of the Confederacy. Who was this unsuspecting woman?
8. Elizabeth Van Lew's Union flag was the first to fly when Richmond fell to the Union.
9. After the war, U.S. Grant personally visited Elizabeth and told her she had sent some of the most valuable information from Richmond during the war. He asked what he could do and she responded that she would like to be reimbursed for some of the costs. He appointed her to a local post that she held for eight years. What was this role that was normally held by a "mail"?
10. Toward the end of her life, Elizabeth reached out to the descendants of Paul Revere, whose grandson she had aided in the war. They donated her money and, when she passed away in 1900, paid for her gravestone. Upon her deathbed, Elizabeth made a startling announcement that she had buried something in her backyard. What was it?
Source: Author
stephgm67
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
LeoDaVinci before going online.
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