Content Knowledge Pt 3

In a lesson about different interpretations of the Constitution, a teacher presents students with the following quote and asks them to identify a founding father who might have said it and explain why they chose that historical figure.

"Our Constitution has accordingly fixed the limits to which, and no further, our confidence may go; and let the honest advocate of confidence read the Alien and Sedition acts, and say if the Constitution has not been wise in fixing limits to the government it created, and whether we should be wise in destroying those limits."

Which student response is the most accurate?

• Thomas Jefferson might have said it because he interpreted the Constitution strictly and, as an Anti-federalist, did not want the federal government to expand its power.

• Alexander Hamilton might have said it because, as a Federalist, he favored a limited federal government to protect states' rights.

• John Adams might have said it because, as a Federalist, he feared having a strong federal government.

• James Madison might have said it because he had very little confidence in the Constitution when it was being ratified.

"Whether there ought to be a federal government intrusted [sic] with the care of the common defense, is a question in the first instance, open for discussion; but the moment it is decided in the affirmative, it will follow, that that government ought to be clothed with all the powers requisite to complete execution of its trust."

— Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 23

Which of the following weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation is Hamilton arguing against in the quote above?

• the inability of the government to create a standing army

• the lack of power to tax the states

• the excess influence of political parties

• the weakness of a national credit system

Following the arrival of Europeans, many Native tribes adopted new cultural practices in an attempt to adapt to the colonial environment. Which of the following describes the cultural trend of many tribes following displacement by European colonists?

• Cultural preservation
• Cultural resistance
• Cultural isolation
• Many adopted nomadic lifestyles, shifting from agriculture to hunting for sustenance.

Which of the following best describes the reaction from colonists to the Quartering Act of 1765?

• It was the final instigating factor leading toward the civil war.

• They begrudgingly accepted the requirements, but it increased resentment of England.

• Almost all of the colonies evaded the requirements of the act.

• The requirements were not considered unreasonable, and they were accepted by colonists.

Which of the following was NOT a challenge faced by leaders of the early American Republic?

• A strong central government
• Limited transportation infrastructure
• Political divisions
• New population of freed slaves

Manifest Destiny inspired Americans to migrate westward and settle the land between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean. Which of the following is a major long-term economic effect of this westward expansion by the United States?

• a heavy reliance on oxen and horses to travel

• the expansion of agriculture and mineral operations in the United States

• a peaceful trading relationship with American Indians

• the concentration of the craft goods economy in the South

Which of the following elements of colonial American history would come first on a timeline?

• American Revolution
• the Mayflower Compact

• Bacon's Rebellion

• the formation of the House of Burgesses

Which of the following most correctly explains a key conflict between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists regarding the ratification of the U.S. Constitution?

• Federalists wanted a strong central government while Anti-Federalists sought to preserve power in the individual states.

• Disagreement over the length of the presidential term.
• Disagreement over the level of power given to the state governments.
• Disagreement over the need for a Bill of Rights.

Who invested in the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492?

• King Louis XIV of France
• Pope Alexander VI
• King Henry VII of England
• Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, how did the Inca civilization use its geographical situation to facilitate transportation and defense?

• The Inca civilization relied heavily on sea routes for transportation and defense.
• The Inca civilization used underground tunnels for transportation and defense.
• The Inca civilization had no need for transportation and defense due to their isolation.
• They built well-made roads using wooden, bronze, and stone tools.