American History Quiz

What was the purpose of the Land Ordinance of 1785?

• To establish a uniform national land policy

• To distribute land to the soldiers of the Revolutionary War

• To pay off the national debt by selling land in the Old Northwest

• To create a new class of rich landowners

What was one of the major handicaps of the Articles of Confederation?

• The establishment of a strong central government

• The inability to regulate commerce among the states

• The power to enforce tax collection

• The ability to resolve conflicts between states

What did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 forbid?

• The sale of land in the Northwest Territories

• The admission of new states into the Union

• The establishment of a national bank

• The practice of slavery in the Northwest Territories

According to the Great Compromise, how is representation determined in the Senate?

• Based on population

• Each state has equal representation

• Based on the size of the state

• Based on the state's economic contribution

What was the significance of Shay's Rebellion?

• It led to the drafting of the Bill of Rights

• It revealed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• It resulted in the imposition of the first tariff law

• It caused the Whiskey Rebellion

What was the three-fifths compromise?

• A compromise that allowed three out of five states to ratify the Constitution

• A tax compromise where three-fifths of the revenue came from the Southern states

• An agreement that slaves would count as three-fifths of a person for population counts

• A trade agreement that reduced tariffs by three-fifths

Who was known as the "Father of National Debt"?

• George Washington

• Thomas Jefferson

• Alexander Hamilton

• James Madison

What was the outcome of Pinckney's Treaty of 1795 with Spain?

• It resulted in the creation of the first National Bank

• It led to the end of the Revolutionary War

• It granted Americans free navigation of the Mississippi River

• It imposed the first tariff law

What did the XYZ Affair involve?

• A secret meeting between American envoys and French go-betweens demanding a bribe

• A military alliance between the U.S. and France

• A trade agreement between the U.S. and Britain

• The end of the Revolutionary War

What was the result of the Convention of 1800?

• It started a new alliance between France and America

• It annulled the alliance between France and America and called for France to return captured American ships

• It established the Sedition Act

• It raised the residence requirements for aliens in the U.S.