The War of 1812: FORMAL QUIZ
1. The United States and Britain continued to have problems after the Revolution because the British
a. judicial courts continued to rule on issues of law in the colonies
b. retained trading posts in the Northwest
c. banks refused to grant credit to American businesses
d. merchants refused to trade with American merchants
2. How did the war between Britain and France challenge America’s neutrality in the early 1800s?
a. they created a slave rebellion in the Caribbean
b. they put a joint embargo on American products
c. they searched and seized American merchant ships
d. they attacked the major seaports along the eastern coast of the U.S.
3. Which of the following accurately characterizes the foreign policy goals of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison BEFORE 1812?
a. Maintain U.S. neutral rights without going to war
b. Declaring war on either Britain or France
c. Explore various means for acquiring Canada
d. Provide aid to independence movements in Latin America
4. Native Americans in the West allied themselves with the British during the War of 1812 because they
a. wanted to stop American settlers from taking their lands
b. were persuaded to do so by Aaron Burr
c. had ambitions to establish an Indian Confederacy
d. had signed a binding treaty with Britain during the America Revolution
5. Which of the following did NOT contribute to the start of the War of 1812?
a. The Embargo Act of 1807
b. Congressional “War Hawks” demanded the removal of British troops from the West and Canada
c. British impressment of American sailors from American merchant ships
d. Excessively high taxes on American colonists
6. James Madison asked Congress for a declaration of war against Britain in 1812 for four reasons. Which was NOT included in his speech?
a. Blockading of American ports
b. Impressment of American sailors
c. Inciting Native American attacks on settlers in the West
d. The opportunity to annex Canada
e. Violation of American “freedom of the seas”
7. What was the most significant weakness facing the United States entering the War of 1812?
a. weak president and cabinet
b. weak army and navy
c. weak chief justice and supreme court
d. weak Senate and House of Representatives
8. The group of Americans who generally supported the War of 1812 were referred to as:
a. Rebels
b. Tories
c. Federalists
d. War Hawks
9. The British troops were motivated to burn Washington D.C.:
a. To kill James and Dolley Madison
b. To destroy the founding documents of the United States
c. To get revenge for American troops burning the Canadian capital city of York
d. To get revenge for losing the battle of Fort McHenry
10. The young lawyer who witnessed the Battle of Fort McHenry and was inspired to write the Star Spangled Banner was:
a. Francis Drake
b. Andrew Jackson
c. Dolly Madison
d. Francis Scott Key
11. Which of the following is NOT true of the Battle of New Orleans?
a. it took place after the Treaty of Ghent was signed
b. Andrew Jackson became a war hero
c. It inspired the Star Spangled Banner which became the national Anthem of the United States
d. It gave Americans a huge sense of pride for defeating a far superior British army
12. The Battle of New Orleans
a. saw the British win another victory
b. made William Henry Harrison a national hero
c. resulted in the British seeking peace
d. unleashed a wave of nationalism and self-confidence
13. The Hartford Convention of Federalists in 1814:
a. Nominated Andrew Jackson for president in the election 1814
b. Declared war on Great Britain
c. called for a separate peace treaty between the US and Canada
d. helped to cause the downfall of the Federalist Party for being unpatriotic
14. The War of 1812 had all of the following consequences in the United States EXCEPT:
a. acquisition of new land
b. The demise of the Federalist Party
c. An increase in U.S. manufacturing
d. An increase in American nationalism
15. The War of 1812 is sometimes called the “Second War for American Independence” because:
a. In the war, unlike the Revolutionary War, Americans were united
b. The British tried once again to tax Americans without their consent
c. The war was caused by continuing British violations of American’s rights
d. The United States fought for the independence of Canada