FINAL EXAM: AMERICAN HISTORY—QUESTION BANK
1. An important challenge facing the Constitutional Convention was how to balance the A. needs of eastern & western states B. interests of large and small states regarding representation in government C. rights of slaves & slaveholders
2. Who is the small, bookish fella known as the “Father of the Constitution”? A. George Washington B. Ben Franklin C. James Madison
3. The Great Compromise was primarily related to A. state representation in Congress B. election of the President C. selection of Supreme Court justices
4. Supporters of the new Constitution were known as ______because they realized that the new nation needed a stronger central government than what the Articles of Confederation originally offered. A. Patriots B. Anti-Federalists C. Federalists
5. How many of the original 13 states had to ratify (approve) the Constitution A. 9B. 11C. 13
6. What were the “Federalist Papers”? A. Papers written by George Washington describing his war strategy. B. Articles written persuading people to protest slavery C. Articles written urging ratification of the Constitution
7. What were weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation that ultimately lead to this first governing document not working? A. National government couldn’t wage war, make peace, and sign treaties B. National government couldn’t enforce laws, levy taxes, or regulate trade C. National government couldn’t print money or raise an army
8. The “3/5ths Compromise” made a mockery of: A. The Declaration of Independence statement “that all men are created equal” B. Great Britain’s Treaty of Paris C. The Articles of Confederation’s Northwest Ordinance
9. How do scientists think people first migrated to Americas?
A. They walked from Asia across the Beringia land bridgeB. They sailed from Polynesia in large canoes C. They paddled across the Bering Strait from Siberia in kayaks
110. Native Americans adapted to their environment to survive. The word adapt means ______.
A. to be an expert at somethingB. adjust to their environment C. legally raise another’s child
11. The Buffalo provide food, clothing, tools, and shelter for Native Americans of the:______.
A. Northwest CoastB. Eastern WoodlandsC. Great Plains
12. Christopher Columbus’s four voyages across the Atlantic led to:
A. a decline in Europe’s population as a result of new diseases.B. an exchange of people, foods, and germs between Europe & America C. a race between Spain and India to claim large parts of Americas
13. A Spanish soldier-explorers who conquered the native peoples of Mexico and Peru were called ______.
A. missionariesB. El CaptinoC. conquistadors
14. A plantation is a ______. A. large farm in a hot climate B. small farm, used to feed only yourself C. on the sole of foot
15. Conflicts between French fur traders and Great Britain colonists over land and the fur trade in the Ohio River Valley led to this. A. Treaty of Paris B. Albany Plan of Union C. French & Indian War
16. In order to prevent conflicts with settlers and Native Americans, this law forbade the English colonists from settling on lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. A. Treaty of Paris 1763 B. Proclamation of 1763 C. Declaration of Independence
17. While the Proclamation of 1763 was designed to promote peace, instead it: A. triggered wars between Indian groups. B. smelled of tyranny to many colonists. C. sparked a boycott of British goods.
18. The clashes between colonists and British troops at Lexington and Concord proved that ______. A. General Gage was a weak military leader. B. colonists no longer felt any loyalty to Great Britain C. Americans were willing to fight for the right to govern themselves
19. To protest British actions against the colonists like the Stamp Act, Tea Act, and Townshend Acts, colonists chose to ______British goods that were being taxed as a peaceful way to protest and force change. A. petition B. boycott C. form militias, and attack tax collectors
20. The Boston Massacre was a: A. smallpox epidemic that killed a large numbers of Native Americans. B. noisy protest against the Stamp Act by Loyalists. C. deadly riot between colonists and British troops in Boston.
21. Great Britain’s “The Intolerable Acts”: A. were in Great Britain’s response to the Boston Tea Party. B. closed Boston Harbor for trading. C. took away the colonists of Massachusetts’s right to govern themselves. D. all of the above.
22. What was the main impact of Thomas Paine’s essay Common Sense in the colonies? A. It persuaded many colonists that the time had come to declare independence. B. It reminded colonists that they owed loyalty and respect to King George. C. It encouraged the colonies to seek a peaceful settlement with Britain. .
23. The Declaration of Independence was written to explain: A. why the colonists thought “taxation without representation” was unfair. B. what Britain needed to do to win back the loyalty of the colonies. C. why it was time for the colonies to separate from Great Britain.
24. The Declaration of Independence states that all people are born with certain “Natural Rights” that include the: A. right to elect leaders who represent the people. B. rights to speak freely and to worship in peace. C. right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
25. The first draft of the Declaration of Independence was written by: A. John Adams B. Patrick Henry C. Thomas Jefferson
26. The unjust use of government power, what the Patriots thought King George was doing is known as: A. petition B. secede C. tyranny
27 The main American strength when the war began was: A. an army of well-trained militia volunteers. B. a large & powerful navy. C. an able & inspiring leader in George Washington.
28. After 1776, Washington’s basic military strategy was to: A. starve the British out of New York City B. fight a defensive war & tire the British out/lose British citizens’ support for war.
C. defeat the British in one large battle, winner take all style
29. Compared to the Continental Army, British troops were all of the following except: A. better fed B. better led. C. better trained. D. better supplied
30. The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the war because it: A. brought France & Spain into the war as an American allies B. ended General Burgoyne’s career C. liberated Georgia from British Control
31. After surviving “The Starving Time”, England almost pulled out of the Americas. What economic activity/money maker made the English colony of Jamestown profitable, and thus kept English presence in North America. Without this discovery, it is likely we may be speaking Spanish or French.
A. colonists discovered goldB. colonists discovered they could raise the “cash crop” tobaccoC. colonists made a fortune of furs.
32. Wherever Europeans settled in the Americas, Native Americans:
A. grew wealthy by trading with European colonists.B. died out in large numbers from disease. C. attacked and killed the European strangers.
33. Known as the Columbian Exchange, what items were transferred back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean?
A. animalsB. peopleC. plantsD. diseasesE. All of the Above
34. ______has the power to declare war?A. Supreme Court B. PresidentC. Congress
35. The main job of the legislative branch is to: a. obey the law of the land b. enforce and carry out federal laws c. make laws need for the country
36. The framers designed a system of checks and balances to: a. share power between the national and state governments. b. make it difficult but not impossible to amend the Constitution. c. keep any one branch of government from becoming too powerful.
37. A bill cannot become law until it is: a. approved by congress & judged Constitutional by the Supreme Court b. proposed by the president & approved by Congress. c. approved by Congress & signed by the president d. voted on by special State Conventions
38. The most important task of the executive branch is to: A. resolved disputes involving the law. B. enforce & carry out Federal laws C. decide which laws are constitutional
39. The judicial branch is responsible for: A. making new laws to stop crime B. resolving disputes under the law (Constitution) C. vetoing laws it doesn’t like.
40. The Constitution has survived for more than 200 years because it: A. gives more power to the states than to the national government. B. combines a strong framework for the government with flexibility. C. creates a framework for government that can never be changed.
41. Who is commander in chief of the U.S. military forces? A. PresidentB. House of RepresentativesC. Senate
42. Who has the power to veto laws? A. PresidentB. House of RepresentativesC. Senate
43. Who has the power to propose a law to raise revenue (tax law)? A. PresidentB. House of Representatives C. The Supreme Court
44. Congress can override a President’s veto, IF what fraction of Congress votes to override the veto? A. ½B. 2/3C. ¾
45. The power to decide whether laws and actions by the legislative and executive branches conflict with the Constitution. This allows the
Supreme Court to declare laws and executive actions void because they are unconstitutional part of government, consisting of the Supreme Courts
and lower federal courts, that interprets the laws
- judicial review B. FederalismC. popular sovereignty
Vocabulary Portion
46. Which word means: To formally approve a plan or an agreement. For example to ______an amendment, 3/4ths of States must vote “YES”. A. Republic B. Electoral College C. Ratify
47. Which word means: an agreement in which both sides in a dispute agree to give up something they want in order to achieve a settlement. A. Republic B. Electoral College C. Compromise
48. Which group of people were opponents of the Constitution because they felt it gave the National Government too much power, and made no mention of the rights of the people? A. Federalists B. Patriots C. Anti-Federalists
49. To move from one place and establish a home in a new place (animals and humans both do this, often depending on the season). A. environment B. culture C. migrate
50. People who travel to a territory or community in order to make converts to their religion are known as: A. conquistador B. mercenaries C. missionaries
51. Crops such as tobacco, sugar, and cotton, raised in large quantities in order to be sold for profit are ______. A. cash crops B. subsistence farming C. boycott
52. To refuse to buy one or more goods from a certain source. An organized refusal by many people to protest a government action. A. boycott B. tyranny C. boycott
53. To take back or cancel a law.A. boycottB. tyrannyC. repeal
54. To make a formal, written demand or request. Usually a way for citizens to show their displeasure for a government law or policy. A. tyranny B. petition C. repeal
55. A nation that joins another nation in some common effort, such as winning a war is known as an ______. A. ally B. boycott C. repeal
56. A professional soldier who fight for anyone who will pay them. Hessian soldiers were this for Britain during Revolutionary War. A. ally B. pilgrim C. mercenaries
57. An agreement in which both sides in a dispute agree to give up something they want in order to achieve a settlement or agreement. A. boycott B. compromise C. migrate
58. Our constitutional system that shares power between national and state governments.
A. FederalismB. interstate commerceC. popular sovereignty
59. The idea that the authority of government comes from the people & that the people vote and majority rules is known as:
A. FederalismB. interstate commerceC. popular sovereignty
Ch. 11 Test Political Developments of the New Nations
- In his Farewell Address, Washington urged Americans not to:
- Not to address the president using fancy titles.
- To pay the taxes Congress placed on luxury goods without complaint.
- Not to let loyalty to political parties tear the nation apart.
- According to the Alexander Hamilton and the other Federalists, the best form of government was one in which decisions were made by:
- A royal monarchb. the common peoplec. the wealthy & well educated
- One of the major issues dividing the Federalists & Republican parties was:
- How to divide up the nation’s wealth in a fair way. c. How many terms a president should serve?
- How large & powerful the federal government should be. d. Whether or not to pay off nation’s war debts.
- The Alien and Sedition Acts were viewed by Republicans as (identify amendments that may be being restricted):
- An attack on the 1st Amendment rights of free speech and press.
- A challenge to the power and authority of the state governments.
- A necessary measure to rid the country of illegal immigrants.
- The states’ rights theory of the Constitution holds that states:
- have very limited powers, and must rely on the Federal Government to make decisions for it.
- choose the nation’s president.
- may nullify (ignore/cancel) federal laws because Federal government received power from Constitution that states voted on to ratify (approve) it.
- The election of 1800 showed that:
- The Electoral College should be completely abolished.
- Power could pass peacefully from group to group in a democracy without violence.
- Adams wanted to turn the nation into a monarchy.
- A formal ceremony to mark the beginning of something.
- Inaugurationb. Initiation c. Ratification process
- A tax on the product or sale of a product.
- Tariffb. nullifyc. excise tax
- The following describes which event: In 1791, Alexander Hamilton the Head of the Treasury department enraged farmers by proposing a tax. Farmers used their grain to make this product, and purchase things with hit. When tax collectors came they were met with armed resistance. Washington had to send 13,000 troops to crush the resistance.
- Shays’s Rebellionb. Boston Tea Partyc. The Whisky Rebellion
- To refuse to recognize a federal law, sometimes states choose to try to do this. Reminder, they fail when they do this because the Constitution is supreme law of the land, and states national laws supersede state laws.
- Ratifyb. nullifyc. amend
- People who have come from other countries and are not yet citizens are known as:
- mercenariesb. aliensc. missionaries
- All rights kept by the states under the Constitution. Supporters of this sometimes argued that states were not obliged (have to) to honor federal laws that they (the states) believe violated the Constitution.
- Strict Constitutionalistsb. Theory of Relativityc. States’ Rights Theory
- What was the negative or controversial outcome of the election of 1796?
- The Republican Vice President candidate Aaron Burr received more votes than Thomas Jefferson and became president.
- The top two vote getters were from two different parties, John Adams a Federalist won the presidency. Thomas Jefferson the Republican candidate one vice presidency. This made things awkward, and difficult to get things done.
- A Native American won the vice presidency, but was not allowed to take office because of his ethnicity.
- Which famous founding father found Washington’s response to the “Whisky Rebellion” as foolish, and a violation of the people’s liberties to protest?
- James Madisonb. Alexander Hamiltonc. Thomas Jefferson
- Which famous founding father found admired what was happening with the French Revolution, he was quoted stating: “The tree of liberty must be refreshed with the blood of tyrants from time to time.”
- James Madisonb. Alexander Hamiltonc. Thomas Jefferson
- This man was a leading Federalist, and felt the ideal economy should be based on business, manufacturing, and trading with other countries.
- Alexander Hamilton b. Thomas Jeffersonc. Robert E. Lee
Ch. 12 “Foreign Policy of a New Nation”
- Describe the state of the United States army after the Revolutionary War?
- Strongb. weak, they went homec. involved in fighting
- Which two countries were threats to the new United States because the territory they claimed surrounded the United States?
- France & Germanyb. Canada & Chinac. Spain & Great Britain
- What two terms defined President Washington’s foreign policy?
- Aggressive & defiantb. Isolationism & neutralityc. poor & weak
- Explain the importance geography played in President Washington’s foreign policy.
- Oceans separated the United States from other countries, particularly the ones in Europe.
- Mississippi River divided the country in half separating the people.
- The Appalachian Mountains made a nice dividing line for the Proclamation of 1763.
- That was the “XYZ Affair” involved French spies seeking a ______in order to just sit down and speak with the French foreign minister about peace.
- Foreign policyb. tribute c. embargo
- “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!” This slogan heard everywhere was in response to what event?
- Whisky Rebellionb. French Revolutionc. Jay Treatyd. XYZ Affair
- By choosing peace and avoiding War with France, Adams did an unpopular thing that cost him:
- The support of Thomas Jefferson and the Republican Party.
- The support of fellow Federalists, and thus lost the election of 1800 to Jefferson.
- The support of George Washington, who implemented the foreign policy of fighting anyone, anywhere, any time.
- Principles that guide the United States through dealings with other countries are called: ______policy.
- Foreign policyb. tribute c. embargo
- What country was upset with the new alliance the United States made with Great Britain because of the Jay Treaty?
- Franceb. Spainc. Germany
- Thomas Jefferson faced two foreign policy challenges, those two were:
- Barbary states pirates & France and Great Britain seizing ships
- Latin American & French Revolutions
- Canada invading the United States & Mexico placing an Embargo on the U.S.
- President Jefferson’s solution to France and Great Britain attacking and capturing United States merchant ships was:
- Embargo of 1807b. War of 1812c. Proclamation of 1763
- Closing off an area to keep people or supplies from going in and out is called a ______.
- Blockadeb. tributec. tariff
- What was the negative effect of Jefferson’s Embargo of 1807 on the United States
- It negatively affected both the France and British economies.
- It increased the piracy of American ships in the Caribbean.
- It put over 55,000 American seaman out of work.
- After the British bombarded Fort McHenry for 25 hours near Baltimore, Francis Scott Key wrote the poem:
- The Crisisb. The Star Spangled Bannerc. Horton Hears a Who
- What was the greatest U.S. victory in the War of 1812, yet a totally unnecessary battle because the Treaty of Ghent was signed two weeks prior and ended the War of 1812?
- Battle of Fort Detroitb. Battle of Yorktownc. Battle of New Orleans
- Which event led to the policies established by the Monroe Doctrine?
- French Revolutionb. Latin American Revolution-Spain out of Latin Americac. War of 1812
- President Monroe announced to the world: “North and South America were not to be considered subjects for future colonization by any European powers.” “The United States would view efforts by Europeans to take over any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety.” This is known as the:
- Madison Doctrineb. Jefferson Doctrinec. Monroe Doctrine
- The Monroe Doctrine is based on two fundamental principles:
- The United States would not get involved with affairs in Europe & European nations would not meddle (interfere) in North or South Americas or the United States would view it as threat.
- The United States would fight and conquer all territory it thought it could take (Manifest Destiny) & The United States would aid France in all issues/wars with Great Britain.
Ch. 14 TEST: JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY