Civil War Mini Quiz 1 (States Rights, Nullification, Slavery)

Which statement best explains why slavery became more widespread in the South than in the North?

• The South had more moral objections to slavery

• The South’s economy depended on large-scale agriculture

• The North forced the South to use enslaved labor

• The North had more farmland

What does states’ rights mean?

• States can ignore all federal laws

• States should control most political decisions with limited federal interference

• The federal government is stronger than all states

• States can form their own countries at any time

Which issue caused the most political conflict between the North and South before the Civil War?

• Fishing rights

• Cotton prices

• Slavery’s expansion into new states

• Weather patterns

What is nullification?

• A state creating a brand-new federal law

• A state refusing to follow a federal law it believes is unconstitutional

• A state changing the Constitution

• A federal law being automatically erased after 10 years

Why did Southern leaders support nullification?

• They wanted stronger federal control

• They believed states should protect their own interests, especially slavery

• They thought the federal government supported slavery

• They wanted better trade with Europe

Why did most Northern politicians oppose the spread of slavery into new territories?

• They believed slavery made farming easier

• They worried slavery would give the South more political power

• They wanted to move south and own plantations

• They believed the Constitution required slavery everywhere

What major economic difference increased tension between the North and South?

• The North relied on cash crops; the South relied on factories

• The North was industrial; the South was agricultural

• Both regions had identical economies

• The South depended on shipping and ports more than the North

Which political party in the mid-1800s most strongly defended slavery and states’ rights?

• Republican Party

• Democratic Party

• Green Party

• Whig Party

Which political party was newer and largely opposed the expansion of slavery into western territories?

• The Republican Party

• The Democratic Party

• The Federalist Party

• The Nullification Party

How were slavery, states’ rights, and nullification connected?

• All three were attempts to increase federal power

• All three were economic policies used by the North

• All three were major issues that increased sectional tension between North and South

• None were connected