U.S. History Quiz: Expansion, Civil War, and Reconstruction

What was the main focus of political debates in the 1840s and 1850s as the U.S. expanded westward?

• Debates over whether acquired land should be free or slave

• Development of new agricultural techniques

• Expansion of trade routes

• Cultural exchange with Native Americans

Which legislation promoted economic development and encouraged westward expansion by giving 160 acres of cheap land to families that would settle there for five years?

• Homestead Act

• Expansion Opportunity Act

• Manifest Destiny Act

• Frontier Development Act

What was the immediate cause of secession that led to the Civil War?

• Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Compromise of 1850

• Emancipation Proclamation

• Election of Abraham Lincoln

What did the Emancipation Proclamation change the purpose of the Civil War to, and how did it impact African Americans?

• It changed the purpose to ending slavery and allowed African Americans to fight in the Union Army

• It changed the purpose to gaining economic power and led to the migration of African Americans to the North

• It changed the purpose to preserving the Union and led to increased discrimination against African Americans

• It changed the purpose to expanding westward and led to the establishment of African American schools

Which amendment abolished slavery and brought about drastic economic change in the South?

• 18th Amendment

• 11th Amendment

• 15th Amendment

• 13th Amendment

What was one way southern society sought to limit the power of the 15th Amendment?

• By implementing poll taxes and literacy tests

• By supporting the civil rights movement

• By establishing separate but equal facilities

• By promoting equal rights for all citizens

Why were southern societies successful in limiting the amendments using specific historical evidence?

• They were not successful due to the implementation of segregation and discriminatory laws

• They were not successful due to the emergence of the civil rights movement

• They were successful due to the support of the federal government

• They were successful due to the efforts of the Radical Republicans

What was the main focus of the abolitionist movement during the Civil War?

• Promoting the expansion of slavery

• Advocating for the rights of immigrants

• Supporting the Confederate States

• Seeking to end slavery and help slaves escape

Which Supreme Court case ruled that Congress could not legislate slavery in the territories?

• Marbury v. Madison

• Plessy v. Ferguson

• Brown v. Board of Education

• Dred Scott decision

What was the purpose of the Anaconda plan during the Civil War?

• To establish diplomatic relations with European countries

• To blockade the Southern ports and control the Mississippi River

• To negotiate a peace treaty with the Confederate States

• To expand the Union's territory into the Western states