Like the John Brown's Legacy assessment, this question gauges student ability to evaluate the relevance of contextual information for determining the motivations of an author. Students must select one fact and explain how it sheds light on why President Harrison declared Columbus Day a national holiday in 1892. Students with a strong understanding of contextualization will be able to explain how the fact that Catholic voters comprised an important voting bloc in the pending election might have affected Harrison's decision to honor an Italian Catholic explorer.
