SECTION I
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUSTIONS
UNITED STATES HISTORY
SECTION I
Time- 55 minutes
80 Questions
Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by five suggested answers or completions. Select the one that is best in each case and then blacken the corresponding space on the answer sheet.
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1. The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) heightened the sectional crisis because it
(A) repealed the Missouri Compromise.
(B) repealed the Fugitive Slave Act.
(C) made Kansas and Nebraskafree states.
(D) stimulated Southern emigration to the territories taken from Mexico.
(E) signaled acceptance of the principle of the Wilmot Proviso.
2. During Reconstruction, Southern Blacks typically did which of the following?
(A) Worked as day laborers in towns and cities.
(B) Migrated northward, exercising their new freedom.
(C) Owned and worked small farms.
(D) Worked in mines and factories.
(E) Tilled farms as renters and sharecroppers.
3. The Ordinances of 1785 and 1787 were notable accomplishments because they
(A) established the principle that western landsare the joint property of all the states
(B) initiated a territorial policy that provided for the orderly creation of new states
(C) made possible a policy of Native American(Indian) relations that enabled newwestern areas to be settled peacefully
(D) put land into the hands of the actual settlerrather than the speculator
(E) were the basis for the future settlement of the dispute with Britain over the northwest posts.
4. The first Great Awakening was
(A) a religious revival that occurred throughout the American colonies.
(B) a slave rebellion in colonial South Carolina.
(C) an eighteenth-century religious movement among. Native Americans (Indians) dedicated to reaffirming traditional values.
(D) the flowering of Enlightenment political thought in colonial America.
(E) an early colonial protest against English imperial policy.
5. The American Transcendentalists may best be
characterized as which of the following?
(A) A group of Northern intellectuals who shared a belief in the value of human intuition, the presence of divinity in nature, and an emotional comprehension of God
(B) A religious sect that believed in the concept of sin and the necessity for forgiveness from God and from fellow worshippers
(C) A number of loosely organized communitarians who engaged in sexual experiments outside the confines of marriage
(D) A sect of former Unitarian ministers who expected Christ to descend to earth within their lifetimes
(E) A persecuted band who had to flee to the West because of their unpopular ideas about polygamy and other unconventional practices
6. Thomas Jefferson opposed some of Alexander Hamilton's programs because Jefferson believed that
(A) the common bond of a substantial national debt would serve to unify the different states.
(B) the French alliance threatened to spread the violence of the French Revolution to America.
(C) the federal government should encourage manufacturing and industry.
(D) Hamilton's programs were weakening themilitary strength of the nation.
(E) Hamilton's programs favored wealthyfinancial interests.
7. Which of the following did NOT contribute to the United States decision to declare war against Great Britain in 1812?
(A) American military and economic preparedness for war.
(B) American concern for national honor
(C) The impressment of American seamen
(D) British interference with United Statescommerce
(E) American fears of British aid to NativeAmericans (Indians) on the frontier.
8. Which of the following provided sources of revenue for the federal government in the period from 1800 to 1860 ?
I.Income tax
II. Sales tax
III. Customs duties
IV.Land sales
V.Real estate taxes
(A) I and II only
(B) I and III only
(C) II and V only
(D) III and IV only
(E) III, IV, and V only
9. Which of the following most accurately describes the attitude of seventeenth-century Puritans toward religious liberty?
(A) Having suffered persecution in England,they extended toleration to everyone.
(B) They tolerated no one whose expressedreligious views varied from their own views.
(C) They tolerated all Protestant sects, butnot Catholics.
(D) They tolerated Catholics, but not Quakers.
(E) They had no coherent views on religiousliberty.
10. In part, President Lincoln refrained from taking action to emancipate slaves until the Civil War had been in progress for almost two years because
(A) he sought to retain the loyalty of the border states.
(B) slavery still existed in most Northern states.
(C) Congress had not granted him theauthority.
(D) he was preparing a plan to send all of the slaves to Liberia.
(E) he feared a hostile reaction on the part ofthe British and French.
11. Which of the following statements is true about immigration to the United States during the last two decades of the nineteenth century?
(A) United States immigration laws sharplyreduced the number of eligible immigrants.
(B) Irish immigrants came in larger numbersthan earlier in the century.
(C) Nativist agitation brought about a declinein immigration.
(D) The United States government entered intoa "gentleman's agreement" to ban immigrants from certain countries.
(E) Southern and Eastern Europeans came inlarger numbers than earlier in thecentury.
12. By the time of the Revolution, the American colonists had generally come to believe that creation of a republic would solve the problems of monarchical rule because a republic would establish
(A) a highly centralized government led by a social elite.
(B) a strong chief executive.
(C) a small, limited government responsible to the people.
(D) unlimited male suffrage.
(E) a society in which there were no differences of rank and status.
13. President Jackson's Native American (Indian) policy resulted in which of the following?
(A) Jackson's loss of popularity in the country.
(B)The first efforts to grant citizenship to Native Americans.
(C) The division of tribal lands into small units and their allotment to heads of families in each tribe.
(D) Widespread uprisings among the Sioux in the Dakota Territory.
(E) The removal of the Cherokee from the Southeast to settlements across the Mississippi.
14. "... the descendants of Africans who were imported into this country, and sold as slaves. .. are not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word 'citizens' in the Constitution, and can therefore claim none of the rights and privileges which that instrument provides for and secures to citizens of the United States."
The passage above is from which of the following?
(A) Marbury v. Madison
(B) The Liberty party platform
(C) McCulloch v. Maryland
(D) Dred Scott v. Sanford
(E) The Freedmen's Bureau act of 1865
15. In which year would the population of an Atlantic seacoast city most likely have appeared as follows?
Categories (selected groups oftotal population) #
Born in United States of parents
born in United States (White)70,352
Born in Ireland (White)25,282
Born in United States of parents
born in Ireland (White) 2,017
Born in Russia (White) 10
Born in United States of parents
born in Russia (White) 2
Non-White born in UnitedStates 2,317
(A) 1763 (B) 1790 (C) 1820(D) 1850(E) 1890
16. In the history of American transportation, the canal era occurred during which of the following periods?
(A) 1600-1625
(B) 1750-1775
(C) 1790-1810
(D) 1820-1850
(E) 1865-1890
17. The French and Indian War was a pivotal point in America's relationship to Great Britain because it led Great Britain to
(A) encourage colonial manufactures.
(B) impose revenue taxes on the colonies.
(C) restrict emigration from England.
(D) ignore the colonies.
(E) grant increased colonial self-government.
18. A proposal for the uncompensated emancipation of American slaves was advanced by
(A) Thomas Jefferson in the NorthwestOrdinance of 1787.
(B) James Madison in The Federalist in 1788.
(C) the American Colonization Society in 1817.
(D) William Lloyd Garrison in The Liberatorin 1831.
(E) the Republican party platform of 1860.
19. The "Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions" issued by the Seneca Falls Convention demanded
(A) greater rights for women.
(B) the immediate termination of slavery.
(C) enlightened treatment of the insane.
(D) a new role for women in the antislaverymovement.
(E) improvement in prison conditions.
20. The North's advantages over the South at the outbreak of the Civil War included all of the following EXCEPT
(A) greater agreement over war aims.
(B) more substantial industrial resources.
(C) a more extensive railroad network.
(D) dominance in foreign trade.
(E) naval supremacy.
21. The mercantilist system in the eighteenth century led to
(A) the restriction of governmental interventionin the economy.
(B) the protection of Native Americans(Indians) from European economicexploitation.
(C) the expansion of colonial manufacturing
(D) the subordination of the colonial economy to that of the mother country.
(E) noncompetitive commercial relationsamong nations.
22. A major defect in the national government established by the Articles of Confederation was that it lacked
(A) a means of amending the Articles.
(B) the authority to tax.
(C) the power to declare war.
(D) the authority to make treaties.
(E) a legislative branch.
23. The hostility of the Know-Nothing party was directed primarily against
(A) the growth of cities and industrial manufacturing
(B) Irish and German Catholic immigrants
(C) Free Masons and members of other fraternal orders
(D) abolitionists
(E) slaveholders
24. The term "cult of domesticity" refers to
(A) an aspect of the Salem witchcraft trials of1692, in which mainly middle-agedmatrons were accused of practicing evilmagic.
(B) the Shakers, a religious sect founded byMother Ann Lee in the eighteenthcentury.
(C) the idealization of women in their roles aswives and mothers during the early nineteenth century.
(D) the defense given by antebellum apologistsfor slavery, who argued that bondage was a form of benevolent paternalism.
(E) the Puritans' insistence on the importanceof the family as the cornerstone of theirsocial order.
25. Which of the following most likely increased Mexican suspicion of United States territorial objectives in the 1830's and 1840's?
(A) Abolitionist agitation in the North
(B) Jackson's policy toward the annexation ofTexas (1836-37)
(C) The Webster-Ashburton Treaty
(D) Clay's speeches in the campaign of 1844
(E) Rhetoric on "manifest destiny" in theAmerican press
26. All of the following elements of the Radical Republican program were implemented during Reconstruction EXCEPT
(A)provision of 40 acres to each freedman
(B)enactment of the Fourteenth Amendment
(C)military occupation of the South
(D)punishment of the Confederate leaders
(E)restrictions on the power of the President
27. Which of the following was a widely held belief among the Founding Fathers of the United States?
(A) Direct democracy is superior to representative government.
(B) Widespread ownership of property is abulwark of republican government.
(C) Political parties are an inevitable outgrowth of republican government.
(D) Universal manhood suffrage is essential toa free government.
(E) The separation of legislative, executive andjudicial functions leads to governmentalchaos.
28. Which of the following is correct about the tariffs passed during the period 1816-1828 ?
(A) They reduced barriers to free trade.
(B) They were supported by all sections of thenation.
(C) Their constitutionality was tested in thecourts.
(D) They were primarily intended as revenue raising measures.
(E) They were the first tariffs whose majorpurpose was protection.
29. Which of the following had the greatest impact on the institution of slavery in the United States in the first quarter of the nineteenth century?
(A) Demands of Southern textile manufacturers for cotton
(B) Introduction of crop rotation and fertilizers
(C) Use of more stringent techniques of slavecontrol
(D) Invention of the cotton gin
(E) The "three-fifths" compromise
30. The nullification controversy of 1832-1833 was significant, in part, because it
(A) signaled the triumph of pro-tariff forces.
(B) strengthened support for the MissouriCompromise.
(C) weakened the Whig party throughout theSouth.
(D) enhanced Andrew Jackson's reputation as astrong President.
(E) cemented the alliance between AndrewJackson and John C. Calhoun.
31. The establishment of Brook Farm and the Oneida Community in the antebellum United States reflected
(A) the influence of Social Darwinism onAmerican thinkers.
(B) the continued impact of Calvinist ideas onAmerican thought.
(C) the blossoming of perfectionist aspirations.
(D) attempts to foster racial integration.
(E) the implementation of Masonic schemes forsocial improvement.
32. The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 provided for
(A) temporary Union military supervision ofthe ex-Confederacy.
(B) federal monetary support of the resettlement of American Blacks in Africa.
(C) denial of Black property-holding andvoting rights.
(D) implementation of anti-Black vagrancylaws in the South.
(E) lenient readmission of the ex-Confederatestates to the Union.
33. The Whigs of the 1830's and 1840's differed from the Jacksonian Democrats in that the Whigs
(A) won the support of Irish immigrants.
(B) secured the removal of Native Americans(Indians) to lands west of the Mississippi.
(C) supported the American System of Henry Clay.
(D) favored a laissez-faire economy.
(E) urged the annexation of Texas.
34. All of the following statements about pre-Civil War American slavery are true EXCEPT:
(A) Although experience varied from one plantation to another, investments in slaves generally yielded rates of return equal to or better than other forms of investments of comparable risk in the pre-Civil War American economy.
(B) Although Southern legal codes did notuniformly provide for the legalization and stability of slave marriage, slaves were generally able to marry, and theinstitution of marriage was common on Southern plantations.
(C) Although slaves were mainly employed in agriculture, by the 1850's they also were employed as construction workers and industrial laborers.
(D) Because of the relative ease with which slaves could gain their freedom by manumission or by purchase, the proportion of freedmen to slaves was almost equal in many areas of the South.
(E) Despite the geographical diffusion ofslavery throughout the South, at no timedid the majority of White families in theSouth own slaves.
35. Which of the following is a correct statement about the Gilded Age?
(A) The average real wages of blue-collarworkers declined.
(B) The average number of hours peopleworked increased.
(C) Prices of farm products rose sharply,causing the cost of living to rise steeply.
(D) Business activity expanded and contractedfrequently.
(E) The federal debt from the Civil Warrequired heavy federal taxes.
36. The principal motivation for drafting the Bill of Rights was the desire to
(A) test the new process of amendment describedin the Constitution.
(B) protect rights not specified in the Constitution.
(C) strengthen the power of the federal government.
(D) restore to the states the powers they hadenjoyed under the Articles of Confederation.
(E) clarify the federal relationship among the states.
37. Which of the following statements about the "American System" is correct?
(A) It was set up by the Treaty of Ghent at the endof the War of 1812.
(B) It was strongly promoted by Andrew Jackson.
(C) It permitted immigrants to be naturalized afterliving in the United States for five years.
(D) It was designed to meet the nation's need foreconomic progress and self-sufficiency.
(E) It called for an end to the European presence in
South America.
38.In 1861 the North went to war with the South primarily to
(A) liberate the slaves.
(B) prevent European powers from meddling inAmerican affairs.
(C) preserve the Union.
(D) avenge political defeats and insults inflicted bythe South.
(E) forestall a Southern invasion of the North.
39. In the presidential campaign of 1860, which of the following positions was asserted by the Republican party platform with respect to slavery?
(A) Slavery should be abolished immediately by the federal government.
(B) The extension of slavery to other countries should be prohibited.
(C) The Missouri Compromise line (360 30') should be extended to the Pacific Ocean, and slavery should be prohibited in territories above that line.
(D) The gradual emancipation of the slaves should begin, and the federal government should compensate slave owners for the loss of slave property.
(E) The extension of slavery to United States territories should be prohibited by the federal government, but slavery should be protected in the states where it already existed.
40. Which of the following contributed most to the American victory in the Revolution?
(A) French military and financial assistance.
(B) The failure of Loyalists to participate inmilitary action.
(C) A major American military victory at Valley Forge.
(D) Support from the French Canadians.
(E) The British failure to capture Philadelphia.
41. When Thomas Jefferson said in 1801, "We are all republicans -we are all federalists," he meant that
(A) Americans would never ally themselves withmonarchical governments.
(B) federalists would be appointed to his cabinet.
(C) the two parties' platforms were identical.
(D) the principles of American government were above party politics.
(E) he admired Hamilton's policies.
42. Which of the following stressed the importance of individual inspiration, self-reliance, dissent, and nonconformity?
(A) George Whitefield
(B) Ralph Waldo Emerson
(C) James Fennimore Cooper
(D) Joseph Smith
(E) Abigail Adams
43. Which of the following was true of a marriedwoman in the colonial era?
(A) She would be sentenced to debtors' prison fordebts incurred by her husband.
(B) She could vote as her husband's proxy inelections.
(C) She generally lost control of her property whenshe married.
(D) She was the prime beneficiary by law of herhusband's estate.
(E) Her legal rights over her children were thesame as those of her husband.
44. President Washington's Neutrality Proclamation of 1793 was issued in response to
(A) Spanish expansion in the Southeast
(B) Dutch economic activity in the mid-Atlantic
states
(C) Canadian alliances with northern American
Indians
(D) French diplomatic overtures to invoke the
Franco-American Alliance
(E) English boycotts of selected American
manufactures
45. The Hartford Convention was a manifestation of
(A) New England Federalist opposition to the War
of 1812.
(B) New England's desire to end United States
trade with Great Britain.
(C) northern gratitude to General Jackson for his
victory at New Orleans.
(D) the War Hawks' impatience with President
Madison's conduct of foreign policy.
(E) western resentment against British-backed
American Indian attacks.
46. The graph above ~ which of the following statements?
(A) There were more Black people than White people in theantebellum South.
(B) Most southern families held slaves.
(C) Most southern families lived in rural areas.
(D) The southern population was much smaller than that ofthe North.
(E) Slaveholders were an extremely powerful group.
47. Which of the following labor organizations endorsed the philosophy of "bread and butter" unionism by concentrating on demands for higher wages, shorter hours, and improved working conditions?