Midterm Review

Front

Which act created an increase in tensions due to the fact that it might allow slavery in Northern states, if they voted it in (popular sovereignty).

Back

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Answer explanation

The Kansas-Nebraska Act introduced popular sovereignty, allowing territories to decide on slavery. This raised tensions as it opened the possibility for slavery in Northern states, contradicting previous compromises.

Front

What was the main purpose of the Missouri Compromise?

Back

To maintain the balance of power between free and slave states

Answer explanation

The main purpose of the Missouri Compromise was to maintain the balance of power between free and slave states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, thus preventing conflict over slavery in new territories.

Front

Which event marked the beginning of the American Civil War?

Back

The attack on Fort Sumter

Answer explanation

The attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, is widely recognized as the event that marked the beginning of the American Civil War, as it was the first military engagement between the Union and Confederate forces.

Front

What was the significance of the Dred Scott decision?

Back

It declared that African Americans could not be citizens.

Answer explanation

The Dred Scott decision was significant because it declared that African Americans could not be citizens, reinforcing racial discrimination and contributing to tensions leading up to the Civil War.

Front

What piece of legislation, passed a few months before the end of the Civil War in 1865, abolished slavery nationwide?

Back

13th Amendment

Answer explanation

The 13th Amendment, ratified in December 1865, abolished slavery throughout the United States, making it the correct answer. The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in specific states but did not abolish slavery nationwide.

Front

Radical Republicans believed that freedmen (former slaves) should immediately be given citizenship and all other rights (voting, property, etc.) President Andrew Johnson...

Back

disagreed because he did not think they were ready

Answer explanation

President Andrew Johnson disagreed with the Radical Republicans because he believed that freedmen were not ready for citizenship and the rights that came with it, reflecting his more lenient approach towards Reconstruction.

Front

What was the biggest issue that divided Republicans during Reconstruction?

Back

how to readmit the Southern states

Answer explanation

The biggest issue that divided Republicans during Reconstruction was how to readmit the Southern states. This involved debates over the terms and conditions for their reintegration into the Union after the Civil War.

Front

What was the greatest success of the Freedmen's Bureau? Options: Providing land grants to former slave owners. Establishing military forts in the South. Creating a national bank for freedmen and providing mortgage loans. Establishing schools and providing education for formerly enslaved people.

Back

Establishing schools and providing education for formerly enslaved people.

Answer explanation

The greatest success of the Freedmen's Bureau was establishing schools and providing education for formerly enslaved people, which helped them gain essential skills and knowledge for their new lives as free individuals.

Front

Which statement should be placed in the box labeled with the number 2? Options: Ensures all citizens the right to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude., Bans slavery in the United States and all of its territories., Grants citizenship to all persons born in the United States and guarantees them equal protection under the law., Guarantees employment to all previous slaves.

Back

Grants citizenship to all persons born in the United States and guarantees them equal protection under the law.

Answer explanation

The correct statement grants citizenship and equal protection to all born in the U.S., aligning with the 14th Amendment, which is crucial for ensuring rights for all citizens, especially former slaves.

Front

Why did sharecroppers remain in a state of debt peonage?

Back

They owed money to the landowners, never getting out of debt.

Answer explanation

Sharecroppers remained in debt peonage because they owed money to landowners, creating a cycle of debt that was difficult to escape. This financial dependency kept them trapped in a system that favored the landowners.