U.S. History Regents Review

Which factor most influenced the economic development of the colonial South?

• plentiful forests


• warm and wet growing seasons

• rich deposits of iron ore and coal

• abundant water power for manufacturing

Base your answer to question 4 on the passage below and on your knowledge of social studies.

...The Jury withdrew, and in a small time returned, and being asked by the clerk, whether they were agreed of their verdict, and whether John Peter Zenger was guilty of printing and publishing the libels in the information mentioned? They answered by Thomas Hunt, their foreman, Not Guilty. Upon which there were three huzzas [cheers] in the hall which was crowded with people, and the next day I was discharged from my imprisonment. - John Peter Zenger

The court case discussed in this passage was important in the development of colonial America because it helped establish the principle of 


• freedom of the press

• double jeopardy

• freedom of assembly

• judicial independence

The social contract theory as used in the Declaration of Independence was most directly influenced by the writings of 


• John Locke

• Adam Smith


• Voltaire

• Benjamin Franklin

Under the Articles of Confederation, the years between 1781 and 1787 are often referred to as the “critical period” because the

• colonies were forced to pay high reparations to England

• states were fighting the French and Indian War

• southern states threatened to secede from the Union over the issue of slavery

• central government lacked the power to deal with major problems 


Which power regarding the federal judiciary was established in Marbury v. Madison?

• The president appoints all federal judges.

• The Congress creates lower federal courts.

• Members of the federal courts serve life 
terms.

• Federal laws may be declared unconstitutional.

What is a major result of the Supreme Court decisions in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) and Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)?

• Abuses of power by the president were prevented.

• The powers of the federal government were expanded.

• The powers of Congress over the territories were reduced. 


• Freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights were restricted.

In the 1830s, President Andrew Jackson supported the Indian removal policy because

• white settlers desired the land on which Native American Indians

• Native American Indians were attacking southern cities

• he wanted to punish Native American Indians for their political opposition

• he sought complete control of Texas by the United States

Base your answer to question 13 on the painting Above and on your knowledge of social studies.

Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way

Which point of view is being conveyed by the artist?

• praise for Manifest Destiny

• opposition to the end of slavery

• opposition to the purchase of Alaska

• encouragement of industrial development

Base your answers to question 14 on the speakers’ statements below and on your knowledge of social studies.

Speaker A: The right way to settle the question of slavery in the territories is to let the people who live there determine if their state is to be slave or free.

Speaker B: The Supreme Court’s decision in Dred Scott v. Sanford is exactly what this country needs. Perhaps now the abolitionists will stop their meddling.

Speaker C: Secession is unlawful and treasonous. Everything possible must be done to preserve the Union.

SpeakerD: The rights of the states must be protected. The federal government is exceeding its authority.

The solution proposed by Speaker A is known as

• nullification

• popular sovereignty

• the spoils system

• federal supremacy

Base your answers to question 15 on the speakers’ statements below and on your knowledge of social studies.

Speaker A: The right way to settle the question of slavery in the territories is to let the people who live there determine if their state is to be slave or free.

Speaker B: The Supreme Court’s decision in Dred Scott v. Sanford is exactly what this country needs. Perhaps now the abolitionists will stop their meddling.

Speaker C: Secession is unlawful and treasonous. Everything possible must be done to preserve the Union.

SpeakerD: The rights of the states must be protected. The federal government is exceeding its authority.

Which speaker most accurately represents the opinions of President Abraham Lincoln

• A

• B

• C

• D