question answer page
Who is the author of Riding Freedom? Pam Munoz Ryan cover
How did Charlotte surprise her parents after she was born in the mid-eighteen hundreds? She survived several fevers. 2
Where were Charlotte and her parents traveling to in the doomed horse-drawn wagon? New Hampshire 2 What spooked the horses, causing the wagon to crash? A stroke of lightning. 2
Why did the doctor cut the horse’s reins above Charlotte’s grip after the crash? She wouldn’t let go of them. 2
Where did Charlotte have to live for 10 years after her parents died? In an orphanage 4 Who was in charge of Charlotte in the orphanage? Mrs. Boyle 5
What did Charlotte have to do in the orphanage that she hated? Work in the kitchen. 5
Where was the only place in the orphanage where Charlotte was happy? The stables 5
What race did Charlotte want to win? The pasture race 5
Who tended the stables at the orphanage? Vern 5
Who were Justice, Hope, Charity, and Freedom? Horses Vern had named. 5 Where did Vern work as a slave when he was a boy? A plantation in Virginia 5 Which was Charlotte’s favorite horse in the orphanage stables? Freedom 7 Who taught Charlotte how to ride? Vern 7 Where did Vern hide after he ran away from the plantation? In a root cellar 7
What was the name of the 13 year old bully that Charlotte wanted to beat in the pasture race? William 7
What was the name of the horse William was riding in the pasture race? Justice 7
How did Vern and Charlotte know that Justice would throw William off? A horse rides the way it’s ridden. 7
Who was the overseer at the orphanage? Mr. Millshark 7
What did Mr. Millshark remind Charlotte of? A plump new potato 7
What kind of horse is gentle and doesn’t like to be ridden hard? A dobbin 10
Who was two years younger than Charlotte and latched onto her at the orphanage? Hayward. 12 What did Charlotte tell Hay she would have A ranch and home where she, Hay and someday? Freedom could live. 12
How old was Hayward when his parents died? seven 16
It was a signal for all the boys to line up What did it mean when the bells at the by the front steps so someone could take orphanage rang once, then two times, then a closer look at them to decide who to three times? adopt. 17
Why did people want to adopt boys instead of To work on their farms or father a son to girls? carry on the family name. 18 What did Mrs. Boyle tell the family about That she was her niece helping out in the Charlotte when they came to adopt a child? kitchen. 18
Where did Mrs. Boyle hide Charlotte any time someone came to adopt a child so she wouldn't lose her kitchen maid? In the potato bin 18
How did Freedom, the horse, die? From an infection 23
What reason did Mr. Millshark give for telling Charlotte she couldn’t help in the stables or The townspeople didn’t think it was lady- race any more? like 25 The Clark family from Nashua whose son What family adopted Hay? died. 27
What did they always help Vern do on Mondays? Soap the bridles 27
What happened to the last boy who ran away He was caught and owned the overseer from the orphanage? two more years past sixteen. 27 What did Charlotte give to Hay before she left Half of her leather bracelet from the the orphanage? horse’s reins. 32
What would the sign on Charlotte’s ranch say? Private Property 32 What is a foal? A baby horse 32 The easy way ain't always going to get you What did Vern always say? anywhere. 32
Where did the southbound stage pick up every Tuesday and Saturday morning? Concord 34
What did Charlotte do so Vern would know she was safe, even though he couldn’t read? Piled up some rocks at the base of a sign. 37 What did Vern say he was going to name Charity’s foal? Charlotte’s Pride 37 Where did Charlotte hide her old dress and the scissors she used to cut her hair? In the stump of a dead tree 39 Where did Charlotte buy a ticket to with Vern’s coins? Manchester 39 What color was Freedom? sorrell 44
What name did Charlotte give to Mrs. Mapes and Mrs. Earhart? Charley 44
What was the end of the line of the stage Charlotte took from New Hampshire? Worcester, Massachusetts 46
Where did Charlotte sleep the first night after In the loft above the stables in she ran away from the orphanage? Worcester, Massachusetts 49
What did Charley do in the stables at night in Raked and cleaned the stalls and Worcester, Massachusetts? straightened the bridles. 49
What did Vern use to make Charley a kerchief? An old shirt 51
Where did Ebenezer Balch say he was going to move his stables? To Providence, Rhode Island 54
What did Balch tell Charley to do that she wasn’t sure she could handle? Handle 6 horses pulling a coach. 59
What did Ebenezer Balch give to Charley that she didn’t want to accept? A whip 59 What did Ebenezer tell Charley the whip was for? To guide the horses by the sound. 59 How many horses did one pair of ribbons control? two 59 How many pairs of ribbons do you hold to drive six horses? Three pairs 59 What did Charley realize her escape from Mr. Her being able to drive a team of six Millshark depended on? horses 61
Every time you fall, you learn something What did Vern tell Charlotte every time she fell new about your horse. You learn what not off Freedom? to do next time. 63 What was Charley’s reputation as a stage The best and safest driver on the driver? Atlantic coast. 70 What is a manifest? A list of passengers 70 What did Mr. Millshark wear that made him look taller? Fancy boots 70
Why did Charlotte have to make sure Mr. If people found out she was a woman, they Millshark didn’t recognize her when she drove wouldn't ride with her, even though she him in a coach? had the best reputation. 70
What did Mr. Millshark offer to Charlotte in exchange for letting him sit on top of the coach with her? A handful of cigars. 72 What were the horses called in front of the team of six? The lead horses 72 What were the middle horses called in the team of six? The swings 72 What were the horses closest to the wheels of the coach called? The wheelers 70
What were the workers called that hooked up horses to the team to pull a coach? Stock tenders 70
Where did Charlotte’s team of six get stuck in mud while she was transporting Mr. Millshark? Near Jenson’s farm 75 So Mr. Millshark would have to drag tree Why did Charlotte lead the horses into the branches and put them under the wheels muddy bog? of the stagecoach and get all dirty. 75 Who did Charlotte plan to give Mr. Millshark’s boots to? Ebenezer Balch 77
Which two of Ebeneezer’s stable boys left Rhode Island for California? James Birch and Frank Stevens 80
What were the gold diggers called? Argonauts 80 What mountain range in the West did people mine for gold? The Sierras 80 What was the most important river port in the West? Sacramento, California 80 What was the name of the stage line James and Frank joined? The California Stage Company 80
What was the name of the place in California where all the gold was being found? The Mother Lode 80
How long did James say it would take to travel from Atlanta to Panama, to San Francisco, and then riverboat to Sacramento? One month 80 His daughter who died of a fever like his Who did Charlotte remind Ebenezer Balch of? wife. 82
What did Charlotte want Ebeneezer to do when she finally bought some land? Start a livery 82
What was the name of the steamboat Charlotte took up the Sacramento River? The Wilson G. Hunt 85
Which part of the U.S. was considering granting women the right to vote before California? Wyoming 85 What did women in the East organize and hold? A Women’s Rights Conference 88 Where was the convention held in the name of women’s rights? Seneca Falls, New York 90 Where did James buy blooded stock horses from? Australia 90 Trying to shoe a feral horse and it kicked How did Charlotte get kicked in the head? her. 93
What happened to Charlotte that almost ended She lost one of her eyes when the horse Charlotte’s stagecoach driving career? kicked her. 93
What did people call Charley after she started wearing an eye patch? One-eyed Charley 95
They made less money than stage drivers, and she missed sitting in the box seat and Why didn’t Charley like being a stock tender? handling the horses. 95
What was hard for Charley to do with a team of horses after she lost her eye? Veering to the left. 100 If the road was hard, what sound did horse’s hooves make? Hollow clopping sound 100 If the road was soft, what sound did horse’s hooves make? Dull, thudding sound 100 Why did Charlotte move to California in the first place? To drive stage coaches 100
What advantages did Charlotte have in driving the stage coaches after she lost her eye? She was able to smell and hear better. 103
What gave Charlotte her famous reputation as a She saved people, getting them across a stage driver? bridge that fell apart in a storm. 108 What did people start throwing into the road to see if Charlotte could hit them with the wheels of the stagecoach? 3 dollar gold pieces 108
Why did people want Charley to run over their 3 dollar gold piece with the stagecoach wheel? It would give them good luck 108 Where did Charley’s route go from San Juan Bautista? To Santa Cruz 108
How often did stage drivers change horses? Every twelve miles 108
Where was Charley riding when she saw the For To Watsonville to mail a letter to Sale sign in a pasture? Hayward 110
Who owned the farm and property Charlotte bought in Watsonville? Margaret. 110
How many acres was the land Charlotte bought in Watsonville? 25 acres 110 What kind of orchard was on the land Charlotte bought? An apple orchard 110 How many laying hens was on the land Charlotte bought? forty 110
Why did Charlotte think the land in Watsonville would be perfect? As a lay station for stage coaches 110
Her husband died in debt on the mortgage for the house and property. The bank was Why did Margaret forced to sell her property? going to foreclose on the property 110 How much did Charlotte pay for the property in Watsonville? 600 dollars 110 What was the ranch called that Charlotte bought? Rancho Corralitos 110 What name did Charlotte give the banker she bought the land in Watsonville California from? Charley Parkhurst 113
How long did it take for a letter to travel east to Hayward? A month 113
Tend the chickens and eggs and cook in What did Charlotte hire Margaret to do? exchange for living on the property. 113 What did Margaret make with the apples from the orchard? Applesauce, apple butter, and preserves 113
What did Charlotte find inside a burlap sack tossed in her road in Watsonville? A litter of kittens 115
What was painted on the wooden sign Charlotte found in her pasture? Private Property 115
What did Hay (AKA Hayward) look like? Red hair and big ears 115
Where did Hay’s adoptive parents move? Missouri 119
What did Hay do for work for a year and a half? Pony Express 119 Transcontinental telegraph and railroad Why did the Pony Express work end? took its place 119
What did way stations do? Change stage coach teams of horses. 119
Why did the people who adopted William send him back to the orphanage? He beat the man’s prize mare. 119
In what county did Charlotte register to vote? Santa Cruz County 122 It was against the law for a woman to Why did Hayward worry about Charlotte voting? vote. 122 Who did Ulysses S. Grant run against in the presidential election? Horatio Seymour 128
What party was Ulysses S. Grant? Republican 128
What party was Horatio Seymour? Democrat 128
What was the problem with the foal born during a thunderstorm on Charlotte’s ranch? It was breach 129
What did Ebenezer say Charlotte should name the twin horses born during a thunderstorm? Worry and Trouble (A filly and a colt) 129
What did Charlotte name the twin horses born The colt: Vern’s Thunder and the filly: the night of the thunderstorm on her ranch? Freedom 129
What is the name of the true woman the story, Riding Freedom, is based on? Charlotte Darkey Parkhurst 130 One-eyed Charley, Cockeyed Charley, and What other names was Charlotte known by? Six-horse Charley 130
When was Charley born in New Hampshire? 1812 130
What was the name of Ebenezer Balch’s stables in Providence Rhode Island? What Cheer Stables 130
In what year did James E. Birch and Frank Stevens go to California? 1849 130
What does ‘whip’ or ‘jehu’ mean in Biblical text? A charioteer 130 What name was Charlotte listed as in the poll list in the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper on October 17, 1868 for voting in the 1868 presidential election? Charles Darkey Parkhurst 130
November 3, 1868 at Tom Mann’s Hotel i n Where do historians believe Charlotte first downtown Soquel, California where the voted? Soquel Fire Station now stands. 130 When was Charlotte’s true identity as a woman discovered? After her death. 130
What was the Seven Mile House? A stagecoach stop and hotel 130
What was the road renamed as from Santa Cruz to Watsonville? Freedom Boulevard 130
How many years before women were legally allowed to vote in a federal election did Charlotte vote? Fifty-two years 130
When did the Pajaro Valley Historical Association mark Charlotte’s grave with a monument? 1955 130
What mountain did Charlotte Parkhurst drive a stagecoach over? Mt. Madonna 130
Who shall longer say that a woman can not What did Charlotte’s obituary say? labor and vote like a man? 130