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WorksheetsAmerican History I - Part A
Total questions: 65
Worksheet time: 1hrs 19mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
In its 1824 Gibbons v. Ogden decision, the Supreme Court based its ruling on an interpretation of the Commerce Clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. It determined that under that clause Congress had powers to regulate any kind of commerce that crossed state lines. How did the Supreme Court decision affect life in the United States?
a)
It gave the federal government a larger role in the national economy
b)
It forced businesses to work only within the borders of their home state
c)
It made government officials the main authorities for managing businesses
d)
It took away any powers states had to made decisions about economic matters
2.
In June 1788, William Grayson wrote "Infuse new strength and spirit into the state governments; for, when the component parts are strong, it will give energy to the government, although it be otherwise weak." WHICH statement about government would Grayson MOST likely support?
a)
Large states should have more say than small states
b)
New states should be added to strengthen the country
c)
The Articles of Confederation left the states too weak
d)
The Constitution took too much power away from the states
3.
Use the table below to answer the question. Which phrase best explains the cause of the results in this table?
a)
the issue of slavery
b)
the concerns of colonial loyalists
c)
the conflict between large and small states
d)
the need of the federal government to levy taxes
4.
Use the excerpt to answer the question that follows. What was the purpose for John Winthrop's statement?
a)
to argue for the abolition of the slave trade
b)
to promote settlement of the Jamestown colony
c)
to inspire the Puritan founders of Massachusetts
d)
to encourage missionaries west of the Appalachians
5.
In 1767 Britain imposed import taxes on products such as glass and tea. Colonists agreed to stop importing taxed goods from Britain. Many colonists stopped drinking tea. They started making their own clothes or bought clothes made in the colonies. In the last months of 1769 nearly every colonial legislature passed a law that banned merchants from importing taxed goods. What long-term effect did the laws restricting imports have in the colonies?
a)
They caused tension among northern colonies competing with each other
b)
They led colonists to tire of American goods, causing many to accept high taxes
c)
They contributed to a sense of American identity by encouraging colonies to cooperate
d)
They led American colonists to develop industries at home, achieving economic self-sufficiency
6.
Use the excerpt below to answer the question. Why did southern states like South Carolina oppose the use of tariffs during the early 1800s?
a)
The tariffs protected northern manufactures at the expense of southern plantation owners
b)
The tariffs made it more difficult to purchase slaves at the markets
c)
The tariffs caused the price of cotton to increase and the price of manufactured goods to decrease
d)
The tariffs regulated trade between individual states
7.
Use the cartoon to answer the question. Which option best reflects the message of the cartoon?
a)
The colonies must work together in order to be strong
b)
The colonies should remain loyal to England
c)
Colonists needed to acquire new territory
d)
Colonists should ally with the French to defeat the British
8.
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
Missouri Compromise of 1820
Compromise Tariff of 1833
Compromise of 1850
Which statement best describes the role played by an historical figure in the debates that led to these agreements?
Missouri Compromise of 1820
Compromise Tariff of 1833
Compromise of 1850
Which statement best describes the role played by an historical figure in the debates that led to these agreements?
a)
John Quincy Adams sought to open more territories to slavery
b)
John C. Calhoun argued that the states must obey all federal laws
c)
Henry Clay offered solutions to satisfy different sides of the issues
d)
Daniel Webster threatened secession if his state's needs were not met
9.
Use the information below to answer the question that follows. The above list includes reasons that Alexander Hamilton gave in support of what proposal?
a)
a national bank
b)
a free trade zone
c)
a publicly owned stock market
d)
a committee on economic planning
10.
Use the information below to answer the question. Why was the above sequence of events significant in the history of the Cherokee people?
a)
They brought about the establishment of federal reservations in the eastern United States
b)
They restored Cherokee land rights that had been granted during the colonial period
c)
They brought about the granting of citizenship rights to the Cherokee people
d)
They led to the Cherokee people being forced to move west of the Mississippi River
11.
Use the list below to answer the question. Why was the Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court decision a threat to northern regions of the country?
a)
The Supreme Court ruled that limited slavery to slave-states was not legal
b)
The decision meant that northern business owners could not use slave labor
c)
The Supreme Court determined that Black Codes in northern states were illegal
d)
The decision meant that slaves had to be paid the same wages as other workers
12.
Which of the following could the national government NOT do under the Articles of Confederation?
a)
impose taxes
b)
declare war and make peace
c)
coin money
d)
establish a postal system
13.
Use the information to answer the question that follows. This change occurred because of disagreement over what issue?
a)
accepting women in leadership roles
b)
refusing to play taxes as an act of protest
c)
supporting the violent actions of John Brown
d)
helping slaves escape on the Underground Railroad
14.
What was ONE reason the United States went to war with Mexico in 1846?
a)
Mexico and the U.S. were engaged in a border dispute.
b)
The United States retaliated against Mexico for signing a military alliance with France.
c)
The Mexican government had blockaded shipments in the Gulf of Mexico.
d)
The United States feared an invasion by Mexico.
15.
Use the information below to answer the question that follows. Political leaders, like Henry Clay, supported an economic plan called the "American System" during the 1800's. What was a goal of this plan?
a)
to promote American industry and commerce
b)
to encourage agricultural exports from America
c)
to increase economic ties with Latin American countries
d)
to limit the national government's involvement in the economy
16.
The U.S. Constitution's objective to "provide for the common defense" was intended to address which deficiency of the Articles of Confederation?
a)
the absence of a national court system
b)
the inability of Congress to collect taxes
c)
the lack of an effective national military
d)
the failure of congressional foreign policy
17.
How did the federal government respond to the Cherokee rejection of the New Echota Treaty?
a)
President Andrew Jackson sent troops to Georgia to protect the Cherokee
b)
The Supreme Court ruled that the Cherokee were not entitled to their lands
c)
The U.S. government proceeded to force the removal of the Cherokee from Georgia
d)
The U.S. government passed legislation that granted U.S. citizenship rights to the Cherokee
18.
Use the information below to answer the question. What was ONE result of the growth of this industry in New England during the early 1800's?
a)
The role of work for women began to change
b)
The use of slaves in northern towns became more common
c)
The need for immigrant labor began to decrease
d)
The cost of imported goods began to decline
19.
Why did Andrew Jackson's administration support the removal of Native Americans from the eastern states?
a)
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jackson's policy
b)
The Native Americans had fought with the British during the War of 1812
c)
Whites wanted to settle and live on Native American lands
d)
The federal government wanted to protect the Native Americans from violent white settlers
20.
The year is 1865 and the 13th amendment has just been passed. Which of the following is now true?
a)
Women can vote
b)
Former slaves can now vote
c)
Slavery in the U.S. no longer exists
d)
All people born in the United States are citizens
21.
Use the quote below to answer the question. Based upon the quote, which action would be most supported by Transcendentalists such as Margaret Fuller?
a)
abolishing the institution of slavery in the United States
b)
Encouraging the relocation of slaves to Liberia
c)
leaving the Union to protect slavery
d)
strengthening fugitive slave laws across the South
22.
What was the purpose of the Constitution?
a)
to establish a government for the American nation
b)
to list the specific rights guaranteed to American citizens
c)
to explain the political principles of the new American government
d)
to announce to the world why the colonies were demanding independence
23.
Use the information in the box to answer the question that follows. What change occurred to address these weaknesses in the United States system of government?
a)
State governments were abolished
b)
New states were added to the Union
c)
The Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation
d)
The Supreme Court issued its ruling in Marbury v. Madison
24.
Use the excerpt to answer the question that follows. Based on this excerpt, James Otis would agree to which of the following statements?
a)
The separation of church and state protects religious freedom
b)
Slavery is inconsistant with the principle of individual liberty
c)
Businesspeople should be excluded from taking part in government
d)
A prosperous economy relies upon government regulation of commerce
25.
What was a major disagreement between Federalists and anti-Federalists during the ratification of the U.S. Constitution?
a)
which party leader should be elected president
b)
whether the legislature should override a veto
c)
how much power state governments should retain
d)
when to enforce the concept of judicial review
26.
Use the timeline to answer the question that follows. Which of the following factors contributed the MOST to these innovations?
a)
the United States patent system
b)
tariffs protecting the textile industry
c)
the pursuit of profits by entrepreneurs
d)
mercantilist policies that created monopolies
27.
Use the information in the table to answer the question that follows. The wars listed in the table occurred as the result of tensions between which groups of people?
a)
Catholic and Protestant colonists
b)
enslaved laborers and plantation owners
c)
European colonists and Native Americans
d)
French trappers and settlers from England
28.
American Transdentalists would LEAST likely promote which of the following views?
a)
American writers should avoid emulating European models
b)
By giving up material luxuries, humans can better discover meaning in life
c)
Traditional education should be the source of American culture
d)
Civil disobedience is an effective weapon against an unresponsive government
29.
Use this excerpt to answer the question that follows. Which statement is BEST supported by this excerpt?
a)
Railroads made travel to the western United States easier
b)
Steamboat travel was possible only for the few who could afford it
c)
Stagecoaches were the quickest way to travel in the West during the 1870s
d)
Canals shortened the time and distance it took to travel across the country
30.
What effect did the Emancipation Proclamation have on foreign involvement in the Civil War?
a)
It encouraged Mexico to become a safe haven for freed slaves
b)
It brought the Spanish in on the side of the Union
c)
It forced Canada to officially participate in the Underground Railroad
d)
It kept the British from providing aid to the Confederacy
31.
Use the list below to answer the question. In what way did the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act contribute to ongoing struggles between anti-slavery and pro-slavery?
a)
It protected slavery west of the Mississippi River
b)
It effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise
c)
It encouraged cotton farmers to move westward
d)
It created more free states than slave states
32.
Use the table below to answer the question. Based on the information in the table, which statement about trade is MOST accurate?
a)
The New England economy was dependent on exporting goods to the British
b)
The British were more dependent on goods from the Southern colonies than the New England colonies
c)
The Southern colonies were less dependent on trade with Britian than the Northeast
d)
The American economy was self-sufficient without trade with Britain
33.
Use the information below to answer the question. Why was this compromise important for the fuctioning of the U.S. government?
a)
It meant that small states ha a greater voice than larger states in the federal government
b)
It permitted governors of smaller states an opportunity to exert pressure on Congress
c)
It gave smaller states more imput than larger states in the selection of presidential candidates
d)
It allowed smaller states to have as much power as larger states in one house of Congress
34.
In 1832, a convention in South Carolina issued an "Ordinance of Nullification" in reaction against tariffs enacted by the United States Congress. What principle did advocates of nullification use to support their cause?
a)
due process
b)
states' rights
c)
judicial review
d)
separate but equal
35.
Use the excerpt to answer the question that follows. What change occurred in the United States during the early 1800s that better reflected this ideal?
a)
Women played a more active role in government
b)
African Americans enjoyed greater social opportunities
c)
The status and treatment of Native Americans improved
d)
Property qualifications for voting were gradually removed
36.
Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman all played leading roles in the abolitionist movement. What else did they have in common?
a)
They had once been slaves themselves
b)
They made trips to the South to help slaves escape
c)
They were known for their public speaking abilities
d)
They wrote books to convince people to support their cause
37.
Use the information in the table to answer the question that follows. Which group in the American colonies benefited the MOST as a result of this trading system?
a)
Native Americans who sold land at high prices to colonial farmers
b)
Women who found more economic opportunities than they had in Europe
c)
African laborers who had steady work at high wages in the American colonies
d)
Entrepreneurs who conducted business in the port cities of the American colonies
38.
Which viewpoint influenced principles in the U.S. Constitution and was based on the work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau?
a)
the claim that all men were created equal
b)
the support for a government based on divine right
c)
the requirement for a government based on checks and balances
d)
the assertion that law be supported by popular sovereignty
39.
What impact did the Northwest Ordinance haev on the spread of slavery through the United States?
a)
It provided slaveholders with additional land that could be farmed by slaves
b)
It eliminated the sale of slaves north of the Virginia border
c)
It was the first action by the federal government to prohibit the spread of slavery
d)
It attempted to maintain a balance between free and slave states
40.
What did the Boston Tea Party cause Britain to do?
a)
stop the tax of tea
b)
set fair prices for goods
c)
approve new strict laws
d)
ban western settlement
41.
How did the War of 1812 affect the economy of the United States?
a)
More people turned to farming because the war disrupted overseas trade
b)
Manufacturing increased because British goods were not longer imported
c)
The destruction of factories caused by fighting resulted in a slow recovery
d)
Labor costs increased due to shortages of workers who went to fight in the war
42.
Which of the following groups benefited the MOST from the Homestead Act of 1862?
a)
factory owners who wanted to reduce the power of unions
b)
Native Americans who wanted to protect their way of life
c)
farmers who wanted to purchase land in western territories
d)
supporters of slavery who wanted its expansion to new territories
43.
In 1820, the Missouri Compromise included provisions to ban slavery in some federal territories. The Supreme Court overturned those provisions in its Dred Scott v. Sandford ruling in 1857. How did Congress eventually invalidate the Supreme Court's decision?
a)
It asked state courts to uphold the provisions
b)
It impeached the justices who made the ruling
c)
It rejected the ruling with a two-thirds majority vote
d)
It passed the 13th amendment to make slavery illegal
44.
Use the excerpt to answer the question that follows. Which of the following explains the main reason for Boston's prosperity in 1720?
a)
Plantation agriculture supported various businesses
b)
The availability of books made it a center of education
c)
Rich natural resources encouraged the growth of industrialization
d)
Maritime trade provided the foundation for the city's development
45.
During the Civil War, with which of the following statements would a southern state most likely agree?
a)
A strong federal government is the best government
b)
State and federal governments should have equal power in determining what is best for the country
c)
The Federalists were correct in their assumptions about government
d)
State governments should have equal power to determine their own destinies
46.
Use the information in the box to answer the question the follows. What group contributed to the creation of these stories from American folklore?
a)
Puritan settlers
b)
French trappers
c)
Asian immigrants
d)
enslaved Africans
47.
"The United States will conquer Mexico but it will be as the man who swallows the arsenic which brings him down in turn. Mexico with poison us."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
How does this quote from Emerson relfect the view of those who opposed the Mexican War?
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
How does this quote from Emerson relfect the view of those who opposed the Mexican War?
a)
Many citizens believed it would trigger a battle over the expansion of slavery
b)
Congress believed it would increase the power of the U.S. president
c)
Congress believed any territory won in the war would be too hard to govern
d)
Many business leaders believed it would damage trade relations between two countries
48.
Use the list to answer the question that follows. Which of the following milestones most belongs with the others on the list?
a)
1853 - Elisha Otis introduced a safe passenger elevator
b)
1864 - The first oil pipeline was built in Pennsylvania
c)
1868 - Christopher Latham Sholes invented the typewriter
d)
1876 - Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone
49.
Why was the 15th Amendment added to the U.S. Constitution?
a)
Political parties wanted to nominate presidential candidates
b)
Segregation of public facilities was still legal
c)
Residency requirements were difficult to verify
d)
Former slaves were being denied rights as citizens
50.
How did the Compromise of 1850, which brought California into the Union, contribute to the growing sectional tension prior to the Civil War?
a)
It prohibited the spread of slavery into areas won during the Mexican War
b)
It outlawed slavery in states carved out of the Northwest Territory
c)
It forced officials in free states to return escaped slaves to their owners
d)
It ruled that slaves could not be granted freedom after living in free states
51.
Which of the following was ONE contributing factor to the outbreak of war between the United States and Mexico?
a)
The United States claimed the Nueces River as the southern border of Texas.
b)
The United States outlawed trade between the two countries.
c)
Mexico was opposed to the annexation of Texas by the United States.
d)
Mexico sought to regain shipping ports along the Gulf Coast.
52.
Which of the following identifies a contribution that Alexander Hamilton made as George Washington's Secretary of the Treasury?
a)
Establishing a national bank
b)
building a merchant marine fleet
c)
negotiating foreign trade agreements
d)
deciding cases about interstate commerce
53.
Which aspect of southern life allowed for the spread of cotton farming in the region during the early 19th century?
a)
The availability of slave labor
b)
The development of state-owned irrigation projects
c)
The development of widespread public transportation
d)
The growth of foreign investments in the states
54.
The Pilgrims originally established Plymouth for what reason?
a)
financial gain
b)
relief from famine
c)
to establish a Northwest passage
d)
to escape religious persecution
55.
Use this information to answer the question:
_______? ________
Sewing
Working on the farm
Working in shops
Which title BEST summarizes the information in the box?
_______? ________
Sewing
Working on the farm
Working in shops
Which title BEST summarizes the information in the box?
a)
Roles of Nurses during the Civil War
b)
Roles of Women during the Civil War
c)
Roles of Soldiers during the Civil War
d)
Roles of Merchants during the Civil War
56.
During the 1840s, a famine led to increased immigration to the U.S. from which country?
a)
China
b)
Ireland
c)
Russia
d)
Mexico
57.
Why did southern states oppose the Tariff of 1824?
a)
It limited the importation of slaves
b)
It caused southern states to pay more for manufactured goods
c)
It applied only to agricultural goods
d)
It forced southern states to ship more cotton to New England
58.
How did Horace Mann's ideas affect life in the United States?
a)
They forced schools run by religious groups to close
b)
The influenced the growth of the public school system
c)
The resulted in the adoption of exams required to hold citizenship
d)
They led to laws accepting only immigrants who could already read and write
59.
Why would members of the House of Burgesses most likely meet?
a)
to approve laws passed in England
b)
to choose a representative to Parliament
c)
to appoint governors of the other colonies
d)
to make decisions about local laws and taxes
60.
Which economic policy required a colony's natural resources to be used to benefit the ruling country?
a)
feudalism
b)
laissez faire
c)
mercantilism
d)
salutary neglect
61.
In 1850 and 1852, California passed laws that charged a tax on foreign miners. These taxes were aimed at the large numbers of immigrant miners drawn by the gold rush from which country?
a)
China
b)
Russia
c)
Ireland
d)
Germany
62.
What invention helped colonists become aware of what was going on in other colonies during the Revolutionary War period?
a)
the telegraph
b)
the printing press
c)
the caravel
d)
the phonograph
63.
How did Abigail Adams hope the Revolutionary War would change the lives of women?
a)
It would give women the right to vote
b)
IT would give women the right to work
c)
It would give women the right to an equal education
d)
IT would give women the right to serve in the military
64.
What was the function of the Delcaration of Independence
a)
to announce to the world the American colonies reasons for separation from England
b)
To demand representation in Parliament for the American colonies
c)
To establish a government for the American colonies
d)
To claim new territory for American colonists
65.
The Bill of Rights was originally written in response to what?
a)
the Parliament's laws passed during the Revolutionary Period
b)
the British king's statements during the Revolutionary Period
c)
Parliament's statements during the Revolutionary Period
d)
The Articles of Confederation
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