American History Quiz

Who proposed the Missouri Compromise in 1820?

• Abraham Lincoln
• Henry Clay
• Thomas Jefferson
• George Washington

Answer explanation

The Missouri Compromise in 1820 was proposed by Henry Clay.

What did the Missouri Compromise do to the balance between free and slave states?

• Maintained the balance between free and slave states
• Tipped the balance in favor of free states
• Abolished the concept of free and slave states
• Increased the number of slave states

Answer explanation

The Missouri Compromise maintained the balance between free and slave states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.

Who was the US president who is most associated with the term 'Manifest Destiny'?

• Abraham Lincoln
• George Washington
• James K. Polk
• Thomas Jefferson

Answer explanation

The US president most associated with the term 'Manifest Destiny' is James K. Polk.

Which treaty ended the Mexican War in 1848?

• Treaty of Versailles
• Treaty of Paris
• Treaty of Tordesillas
• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Answer explanation

The Mexican War in 1848 was ended by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

What term is used to describe the belief that the U.S was divinely sanctioned to expand across the North American continent?

• American Expansionism
• Divine Intervention
• Manifest Destiny
• God's Will

Answer explanation

Manifest Destiny is the belief that the U.S was divinely sanctioned to expand across the North American continent.

What was one major result of the Mexican War for the United States?

• Complete withdrawal from Mexican territory

• Expansion of US territory to the Pacific

• Destruction of the United States' economy

Answer explanation

The major result of the Mexican War for the United States was the expansion of US territory to the Pacific.

What was a key component of the Compromise of 1850?

• Allowing Texas to enter the Union as a slave state

• Granting all states the right to choose whether to allow slavery

• Banning all slavery in the United States

• Allowing California to enter the Union as a free state

Answer explanation

The key component of the Compromise of 1850 was allowing California to enter the Union as a free state.

Which act, part of the Compromise of 1850, was the most controversial?

• Fugitive Slave Act
• Homestead Act
• Kansas-Nebraska Act
• Emancipation Proclamation

What was the primary purpose of the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

• To merge Kansas and Nebraska into one state
• To establish a monarchy in Kansas and Nebraska
• To abolish slavery in Kansas and Nebraska
• To allow the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery

What was the outcome of John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry?

• Unsuccessful, captured and executed
• Successful, achieved his goals
• Surrendered and was pardoned
• Retreated and escaped unharmed