US History Midterm Review

Which amendment to the Constitution banned slavery in the United States?

• Sixteenth Amendment

• Fourteenth Amendment

• Fifteenth Amendment

• Thirteenth Amendment

Which of the following BEST describes how colonial America developed toward self-governance during the period of Salutary Neglect?

• Colonists began buying manufactured goods from Britain and selling them to other countries at higher prices.

• The British Empire began to enforce Navigation Acts in addition to new taxes on the colonies to circumvent their economic losses.

• Colonists refused to conduct business with Britain once the colonists discovered the British were using them to make England rich.

• Though the British Empire controlled trade routes, colonists found ways to circumvent England’s watchful eye by smuggling manufactured goods.

Which is an example of how the powers of the presidency expanded during the Jefferson administration?

• Jefferson refused to acknowledge the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Marbury v. Madison.

• Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase without a law specifically granting the president that power.

• Jefferson used his own funds to send Lewis and Clark on an expedition to explore western North America. 

• Jefferson publicly gave his opinion on how the Supreme Court should rule in the case of Marbury v. Madison.

Which answer BEST explains how geography influenced the outcome of the Battle of Trenton?

• The Hessians thought the thick forests would protect them from an American attack.

• The Hessians thought their proximity to the Delaware was a barrier against an American attack.

• The Hessians thought the massive amounts of snow would keep them safe from an American attack.

• The Hessians thought their encampment upon a ridge would keep them safe from an American attack.

Which provision of the Treaty of Paris of 1783 BEST illustrates why the treaty was considered exceptionally favorable for the Americans?

• States were encouraged, but not forced, to return confiscated property and possessions to Loyalists.

• The United States was guaranteed fishing rights off the coast of Newfoundland.

• The United States gained territory formerly belonging to Spanish Florida.

• The new boundary of the United States extended to the Mississippi River.

How did the American victory in the Mexican-American War affect American political and regional divisions?

• The political and regional divisions in America intensified because most of the new lands gained through the war were geographically southern and greatly favored the southern slave holding states.

• The victory opened vast new lands to American settlement, leading to intensified political and regional debates and divisions surrounding the issue of slavery.

• The victory emboldened the young American nation and led to an increase in the political status of the U.S. military generals.

• Many Congressmen favored returning much of the gained lands to Mexico, thus creating a Congressional crisis.

Why was Congress’ lack of taxation power considered a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

• The confederation government could not generate money to recover from the Revolutionary War, leaving it weak and susceptible. 

• The confederation government could not control its states like England controlled its colonies by forcing them to pay taxes.

• The confederation government could not generate enough support to pay for the replacement of munitions following Shays’ Rebellion. 

• The confederation government could not make citizens fund the union because they continuously pushed westward, away from governmental control.

Which of the following BEST explains why the fall of Vicksburg was a significant defeat for the Confederacy?

• Vicksburg was a major industrial center for the Confederacy, especially for producing weapons.

• Vicksburg allowed the Confederacy to control the Mississippi River and move goods and soldiers.

• The battle of Vicksburg was bloody, and the Confederacy could not replace the soldiers who were killed.

• Vicksburg was located at the mouth of the Mississippi River and important for ships smuggling past the blockade.

Which of the following might BEST explain James K. Polk’s preference for a territorial war with Mexico over Texas to a territorial war with Great Britain over Oregon?

• Mexico’s new, unstable, and weak government

• Manifest Destiny leading Polk to believe he could eventually conquer Mexico

• George Washington’s precedent of maintaining an alliance with Great Britain

• treaties which gave the United States a stronger claim to Texas than to Oregon

Which of the following influential American colonial writers’ ideas are BEST represented by: individualism, personal responsibility, movement away from tradition, and an emotional response to religion?

• Thomas Paine

• Thomas Jefferson

• Benjamin Franklin

• Jonathan Edwards