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Fall Semester Exam Practice Questions

Total questions: 60

Worksheet time: 34mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Why did Alexis de Tocqueville believe that American society was egalitarian?

a)

Americans lacked a hereditary social class of nobles.

b)

all americans had the same wealth

c)

the declaration of independence announced that all men were created equal

d)

Americans had just abolished slavery just before his visit

2.

Which principle was adopted in the U.S. Constitution to ensure that no one branch of the federal government became too powerful?

a)

Republican government

b)

Popular sovereignty

c)

Judicial Review

d)

Checks and Balances

3.

Which grants freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion to individuals in the United States?

a)

Articles of Confederation

b)

Treaty of Paris of 1783

c)

First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

d)

Fifth Amendment of U.S. Constitution

4.

The Bill of Rights was added to the U.S. Constitution primarily to -

a)

Establish fair and impartial elections

b)

Protect individual liberties

c)

Provide the President with power in times of emergency

d)

Guarantee voting privileges to minorities

5.

*Meat Inspection Act

*17th Amendment

*National Park Service

*Initiative, Recall, Referendum

The above items would most likely be referred to in an essay written about -

a)

US Foreign policy

b)

environmental conservation

c)

Progressive Era reform

d)

civil rights legislation

6.
  • Direct Election of senators
  • Women's suffrage
  • Direct primary elections

What was the immediate effect of the Progressive reforms listed in the box above?

a)

Big businesses came under greater government control

b)

Citizens had a larger role in selecting their elected representatives

c)

shareholders began to elect corporate officers

d)

Political bosses in large cities gained greater control over local government

7.

During the Progressive Era, Jane Addams responded to urban conditions by working to establish -

a)

settlement houses that provided assistance to the poor

b)

newspapers that helped to inform Americans about slum conditions

c)

laws that restricted certain immigrant groups

d)

free public schools located in inner-city neighborhoods

8.

Progressive reforms such as the initiative, referendum and recall attempted to -

a)

increase the power of citizens in state and local government

b)

establish the system of checks and balances

c)

provide low interest loans to farmers

d)

expand voting rights to Native Americans

9.

The Federal Reserve System was created to -

a)

protect consumers from fraud

b)

provide military support for the armed forces

c)

maintain a national petroleum supply

d)

manage the nation's money supply of currency and interest rates.

10.

Which of these made it possible for women to become full participants in American political life?

a)

Passage of the 19th Amendment

b)

Creation of the National Organization for Women (NOW)

c)

Equal pay for female factory workers

d)

Appointment of women to the US Supreme Court

11.

"If you were a sociable person, he [the government inspector] was quite willing to enter into conservation with you and to explain to you the deadly nature of the ptomaine which are found in the tubercular pork; and while he was talking with you could hardly be ungrateful as to notice that a dozen carcasses were passing him untouched." Upton Sinclair, 1906


After reading the book excerpted above, President Teddy Roosevelt asked the US Congress to -

a)

halt production at meatpacking plants

b)

passed a law calling for closer regulation of food quality

c)

fund research to find a cure for tuberculosis

d)

pass a law to limit work hours in meatpacking plants

12.

The primary objective of the Dawes Act was to -

a)

turn American Indian reservations into corporate farmland

b)

end warfare between American Indians and the U.S. military

c)

promote American Indian investment in private industry

d)

promote cultural assimilation of American Indians

13.

Which group of individuals exposed unfair and dangerous business practices during the Progressive Era?

a)

Abolitionists

b)

Muckrakers

c)

Suffragettes

d)

Robber barons

14.

Which of the following statements best explains why child labor existed in the 19th Century?

a)

Childhood was a special time in which children should be allowed to play and learn.

b)

Children should be seen and not heard

c)

Children had to contribute to their family's economic survival

d)

Work was beneficial to children't health

15.

The common purpose of these legislative acts on the chart above was to -

a)

promote the general welfare of the American public

b)

improve conditions for recent immigrants to the US

c)

advance the growth of Big Business

d)

protect the nation's resources

16.

Reformers in the Progressive Era were concerned about the problems associated with -

a)

imperialism

b)

urbanization

c)

the Depression

d)

the Red Scare

17.

Westward Expansion in the U.S. is characterized by:

a)

Founding Fathers, Constitutional principles, individual freedoms

b)

Robber barons, monopolies, urganization

c)

Transcontinental railroad, Klondike Gold Rush, Homestead Act

d)

Muckrakers, social reforms, Nineteenth Amendment

18.

The American Economy of the late 19th century provided Southern and Eastern Europeans...

a)

the idea that they would have access to plentiful job prospects and a life of their choosing

b)

an example of how to improve their own countries

c)

an opportunity to become abundantly wealthy

d)

a unique environment to observe and exercise their literary talents

19.

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of the United States during the Gilded Age?

a)

Westward migration on to the Great Plains

b)

The formation of the Constitution and founding principles

c)

Rapid industrialization and urbanization with little government regualtion

d)

The formation of a national Civil Rights Movement

20.

Which best describes a positive contribution of Andrew Carnegie?

a)

Carnegie showed how to organize large-scale production as well as how to use profits in philanthropic activities.

b)

Carnegie obtained secret rebates from railroad companies shipping his products.

c)

Carnegie obtained a near monopoly control of one part of a national industry.

d)

Carnegie helped workers to obtain better pay in his factories.

21.

Which technological advance from the 19th century resulted in all the effects listed above?

a)

Cotton Gin

b)

Railroads

c)

Canals

d)

Telephone

22.

During the 19th Century, one way political bosses gained voter support was by -

a)

Making improvements in urban infrastructure

b)

Providing public assistance for former slaves

c)

Advocating use of the Poll Tax

d)

Campaigning for women's suffrage

23.

Which group of people most likely inspired the creation of this 1893 cartoon?

a)

Philanthropists

b)

Nativists

c)

Political bosses

d)

Union Leaders

24.

Which of the following occurred as a result of the Sherman Antitrust Act?

a)

Businesses were required to pay fees to open overseas locations.

b)

The federal government could dissolve business monopolies

c)

The influence of labor unions on factory owners was reduced

d)

Workers secured a greater share of company profits

25.

Which of the following was NOT a cause of America's entry into WWI?

a)

Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare

b)

Bombing of the Lusitania

c)

Bombing of Pearl Harbor

d)

Interception of the Zimmerman note

26.

This law demonstrates that at one time the federal government was willing to-

a)

suspend habeas corpus

b)

confiscate privately owned weapons

c)

suspend freedom of speech

d)

force people into internment camps

27.

Which document imposed the above punishments on Germany after WWI?

a)

Treaty of Versailles

b)

Open Door policy

c)

Roosevelt's Big Stick policy

d)

Wilson's 14 points

28.

In 1919, isolationists in the Senate opposed U.S. Membership in the League of Nations because they -

a)

Resisted colonialism in Africa and Asia

b)

Feared creation of the Security Council

c)

Opposed membership in the League of Nations by Germany

d)

Did not want involvement in future foreign wars

29.

Charles Lindbergh became a national celebrity after what major aeronautic achievement?

a)

His invention of the first single engine airplane

b)

Flying the first solo trip across the Atlantic

c)

Flying the first solo trip across the Pacific

d)

The kidnapping of his son

30.

The Harlem Renaissance can be characterized by -

a)

The increasing acceptance of African Americans in popular sports such as football and baseball

b)

The increased presence of the KKK in northern United States

c)

The use of art, literature and music to explore the struggle of African Americans in the 1920s

d)

The increased emigration of African Americans to Italy during the 1920s

31.

The passage above most accurately reflects -

a)

The understanding that Africa had the most advanced universities of the time

b)

The development of racial pride that affected many African Americans during the 1920s

c)

The desire for Angle Americans to achieve a higher education in a foreign land

d)

The idea that America has become overcrowded and can no longer hold so many people

32.

This scandal was centered on which activity by President Harding's Interior Secretary?

a)

Breaking into the Democratic National Committee

b)

Leasing of oil reserves

c)

Bribery of Prohibition agents

d)

Mismanagement of the Bureau of Veteran Affairs

33.

The cartoon above reflects -

a)

The U.S. Policy of isolationism and neutrality

b)

A successful alliance system

c)

The ratification of the Fourteen Points

d)

The United States willingness to take a nap

34.

What was the main intent of the Mexican Repatriation Act?

a)

To grant citizenship to Mexican-Americans in the U.S.

b)

To encourage Mexican-American immigrants to work in the U.S.

c)

To send Mexican-American immigrants back to Mexico

d)

To eliminate discrimination against Mexican-Americans in the U.S.

35.

The title of the chart above would be:

a)

Characteristics of the New Deal

b)

Causes of Black Tuesday

c)

Effects of the Great Depression

d)

Banking policies of the 1920s

36.

Put the following eras in chronological order:

a)

1, 2, 3, 4

b)

2, 3, 4, 1

c)

3, 2, 4, 1

d)

4, 3, 2, 1

37.

What was FDR's goal in creating the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)?

a)

stimulate economic growth

b)

restore public's faith in financial institutions

c)

provide jobs for the unemployed

d)

increase the government's tax revenue

38.

The Reconstruction Finance Corporation is similar to later New Deal legislation in that both -

a)

protected the economy through government intervention in private business

b)

gave direct relief payments to unemployed citizens

c)

provided more efficient services through public utility regulation

d)

borrowed money from foreign banks to reduce the national debt

39.

What does the illustration above represent to patrons of a bank?

a)

Restrictions on the federal government's ability to set prime interest rates

b)

The federal government's assurance of protection on individual bank deposits

c)

Limitations on the role of the federal government in providing home loans.

d)

The power of the federal government to privatize the bank in order to stimulate economic growth

40.

What problem were both the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) developed to address?

a)

limited income of senior citizens

b)

excessive stock market speculation

c)

high unemployment

d)

increased use of credit

41.

Why did the federal government create the TVA program in 1933?

a)

to offset the effects of urbanization and rapid population growth

b)

to provide jobs and improve the regional standard of living

c)

to establish industrial centers in the region

d)

to promote organic farming practices

42.

The creator of this political cartoon was expressing his concerns about -

a)

the involvement of U.S. government officials in the Teapot Dome scandal

b)

the Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Sonya Sotomayor

c)

the U.S. declaration of war on Germany after the sinking of the Lusitania

d)

the expansion of executive power during the Great Depression

43.

Which of the following New Deal Programs had the most impact long term on U.S. life?

a)

The Social Security Administration

b)

The Civilian Conservation Corps

c)

The Agricultural Adjustment Agency

d)

The Works Progress Administration

44.

The Supreme Court, citing the U.S. Constitution, Article I, which states that all legislative power is to be vested in the Congress. Article 1 is thus violated if Congress grants its exclusive legislative power to the president, found which New Deal program unconstitutional?

a)

Securities and Exchange Commission

b)

Social Security Act

c)

Civilian Conservation Corps

d)

National Industrial Recovery Act

45.

What did FDR intend to fix with the issue depicted in the cartoon?

a)

Increasing judicial support of New Deal Programs

b)

Financial reforms

c)

Better wages for workers

d)

Providing food for hungry Americans

46.

Why did the Populist Party want free coinage of silver?

a)

To decrease the bargaining power of labor unions

b)

To increase the amount of money in circulation

c)

To reduce economic inflation

d)

To raise campaign contribution limits

47.

President Woodrow Wilson't Fourteen Points were based on the belief that -

a)

The principle of self-determination should be applied to people of all nations

b)

Isolationism should guide international relations

c)

Industrial nations should have equal access to colonial possessions

d)

Military strength is a nations best path to world peace

48.

Which statement best explains the population trend that is illustrated in this table?

a)

There were fewer women working in factories than on farms from 1890 to 1910.

b)

There was a high demand for workers to fill factory jobs in the late 1800s and early 1900s

c)

Major crop failures made it difficult for farmers to make a living in the last decades of the 1800s

d)

There was an increase in the number of immigrants who became farmers in the early 1900s

49.

What cause of the Great Depression is this quote referring to?

a)

Over production

b)

Uneven distribution of wealth

c)

Buying on Margin

d)

Over speculation

50.

Mahan's books influenced US efforts become a world power primarily by -

a)

Emphasizing the need for protectionist tariffs

b)

Arguing against forming overseas alliances

c)

Advocating overseas expansion

d)

Demonstrating the political risks of foreign trade

51.

Which goal was shared by both the Populists and the Progressives?

a)

the free coinage of silver

b)

expansion of opportunities for immigrants

c)

equality for African Americans

d)

Greater control of the government by the people

52.

In the late 1800s, free and unlimited coinage of silver was supported by farmers primarily because they hoped this policy would -

a)

make foreign crop prices less competitive

b)

allow farmers to grow a variety of crops

c)

increase crop prices and make it easier to repay loans

d)

bring about political equality between rural and urban residents

53.

Progressive Era reformers sought to expand voter participation in government by adopting -

a)

the initiative and referendum

b)

additional poll taxes

c)

tougher literacy tests

d)

a civil service system

54.

Which American author's works are closely associated with the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s?

a)

F. Scott Fitzgerald

b)

Upton Sinclair

c)

Langston Hughes

d)

John Steinbeck

55.

What was an important result of Prohibition during the 1920s?

a)

Respect for the law decreased.

b)

Woman's suffrage was restricted

c)

Racial prejudice increased

d)

Religious tolerance grew

56.

During the New Deal, how did the federal government attempt to improve conditions for farmers?

a)

by ending the practice of sharecropping

b)

by supporting the formation of farm worker unions

c)

by raising tariffs on farm imports

d)

by paying farmers for their crops

57.

During the New Deal period, Congress blocked President Franklin D. Roosevelt's attempt to -

a)

pay farmers not to produce crops

b)

decrease federal spending

c)

regulate the banking industry

d)

appoint additional Justices to the Supreme Court

58.

One difference between the administrations of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and President Herbert Hoover was that Roosevelt was -

a)

unwilling to allow government agencies to establish jobs programs

b)

unable to win congressional support for his economic program

c)

able to ignore economic issues for most of his first term in office

d)

more wiling to use government intervention to solve economic problems

59.

What was a major cause of the Great Depression?

a)

prior overproduction of manufactured goods

b)

a decrease in the supply of consumer goods

c)

an increase in demand for imported products

d)

an increase in the price of wheat on the world market

60.

The Spanish-American War (1898) marked a turning point in American foreign policy because the United States -

a)

developed a plan for peaceful coexistence

b)

emerged as a new world power

c)

pledged neutrality in future European conflicts

d)

refused to become a colonial power