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unit 1 va/us studies

Total questions: 60

Worksheet time: 30mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Who was the proprietor of the colony of Maryland?

a)

William Penn

b)

Peter Stuyvesant

c)

King Charles II

d)

Lord Baltimore

2.

Which of the following New England colonies was the least successful as a trade center?

a)

Boston, because its harbor was not as good as Plymouth’s

b)

New Haven, because its harbor was not as good as Providence’s

c)

Plymouth, because its harbor was not as good as Boston’s

d)

Providence, because its harbor was not as good as New Haven’s

3.

What was one reason why the colony of New York had a diverse population?

a)

The colony was settled by Caribbean colonists and their enslaved workers.

b)

The colony was settled by Quakers, who were tolerant of other religions.

c)

The colony was settled by Catholics, who were tolerant of other religions.

d)

The colony was settled by people from several European countries.

4.

Why was the colony of Georgia established?

a)

to create an alliance with New Spain

b)

to give debtors from Britain a fresh start

c)

to make money from cash crops

d)

to make money from the timber trade

5.

What started the Yamasee War between settlers and American Indians in South Carolina in 1715?

a)

The Yamasee attacked Jamestown and burned it to the ground.

b)

Settlers allied with the Tuscarora Indians attacked the Yamasee.

c)

The Yamasee began to encroach on settlers’ land and were attacked.

d)

The Yamasee attacked white traders and their families in South Carolina.

6.

Which of the following occurred during Bacon’s Rebellion?

a)

Nathaniel Bacon joined the American Indians in attacking colonists.

b)

Governor William Berkeley started an armed conflict with American Indians.

c)

Nathaniel Bacon created a militia and attacked American Indians.

d)

Governor William Berkeley ordered Nathaniel Bacon to attack American Indians.

7.

During the early 1600s, most workers on Virginia tobacco plantations were

a)

debtors.

b)

indentured servants.

c)

enslaved Africans.

d)

enslaved American Indians.

8.

Both the colonies of Pennsylvania and Maryland were founded to provide

a)

aid to poor debtors.

b)

a refuge for Catholics.

c)

religious tolerance.

d)

a refuge for Quakers.

9.

Which colony split into two colonies in 1712?

a)

Florida

b)

Georgia

c)

Carolina

d)

Virginia

10.

The first English settler to grow tobacco successfully in Virginia was

a)

Captain John Smith.

b)

Hernando de Soto.

c)

John Rolfe.

d)

Sir Walter Raleigh.

11.

South Carolina’s leaders responded to the Stono Rebellion by

a)

organizing a new march toward Florida.

b)

ending the slave codes.

c)

enacting stricter slave codes.

d)

freeing the enslaved people who started it.

12.

The Mayflower Compact was named after

a)

the boat on which the Pilgrims sailed to New England.

b)

the boat on which the Puritans sailed to New England.

c)

the town in Holland from which the Pilgrims sailed.

d)

the town in Holland from which the Puritans sailed.

13.

American Indians who traded with the French during the 1500s wanted to obtain which of the following?

a)

furs

b)

fish

c)

land claims

d)

manufactured goods

14.

The Roanoke colony founded in 1587 was built on

a)

an island off the Atlantic coast.

b)

the Chesapeake Bay coast.

c)

the Atlantic coast of Virginia.

d)

a river off the Chesapeake Bay.

15.

In addition to founding the city of Quebec, Samuel de Champlain was the first European to

a)

explore the Great Lakes.

b)

sail up the St. Lawrence River.

c)

travel down the Mississippi River.

d)

claim Louisiana for the French.

16.

In Common Sense, Thomas Paine suggested that American independence from Britain was

a)

just a matter of time.

b)

not possible.

c)

uncertain

d)

against the law.

17.

Under the leadership of William Pitt the Elder,

a)

France won the French and Indian War.

b)

Britain won the French and Indian War.

c)

Britain gained control of the Louisiana Territory.

d)

France gained control of the Louisiana Territory.

18.

Who wrote the original draft of the Declaration of Independence?

a)

George Washington

b)

Benjamin Franklin

c)

Thomas Jefferson

d)

John Adams

19.

After Parliament passed the Stamp Act, Samuel Adams

a)

collected the taxes imposed by the Stamp Act.

b)

tried to stop the Stamp Act Riots.

c)

wrote the Declaration of Independence.

d)

led a revolt against the Stamp Act.

20.

What did the colonists promise to do if King George III addressed their complaints in the Olive Branch Petition?

a)

lay down their weapons

b)

reopen the port of Boston

c)

help the king strengthen the British army

d)

volunteer to fight in future British wars

21.

A problem the Second Continental Congress faced in 1775 was

a)

how to pay for a war against Britain.

b)

where to put the capital of the colonies.

c)

how to gain allies in a war against Britain.

d)

whether to attack the British in the South.

22.

Which American Indian groups were allied with the French as the French and Indian War began?

a)

the Iroquois Confederacy and the Huron

b)

the Ottawa and the Huron

c)

the Iroquois Confederacy and the Algonquin

d)

the Algonquin and the Huron

23.

In Common Sense, Thomas Paine argued that

a)

America should be an independent nation.

b)

America should reconcile with Britain.

c)

America should submit to British regulations.

d)

America should have its own monarchy.

24.

Although the Albany Plan of Union was abandoned, it caused the American colonists to

a)

join the fight against the British in the French and Indian War.

b)

begin thinking of the colonies as separate from Britain.

c)

resent having to serve in the British military.

d)

understand the importance of housing British soldiers.

25.

Why might people exercise their First Amendment right to petition the government?

a)

to express dissatisfaction with the president

b)

to find a lawyer to represent them in court

c)

to get the government to help fix a problem

d)

to express satisfaction with the government

26.

During the Constitutional Convention, disagreement over how to count enslaved people was settled by the

a)

Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise.

b)

Great Compromise.

c)

Southern Compromise.

d)

Three-Fifths Compromise.

27.

What was the goal of the Boston Port Bill of the 1770s?

a)

to help Massachusetts create more trade

b)

to lower taxes on Boston Harbor

c)

to punish Massachusetts by closing Boston Harbor

d)

to reward Massachusetts by rebuilding Boston Harbor

28.

The Constitution establishes three branches of government that

a)

share identical powers.

b)

have different powers.

c)

are led by the legislative branch.

d)

are led by the judicial branch.

29.

When the full Continental Congress first voted on the Declaration of Independence, it

a)

passed unanimously.

b)

received 9 of 12 possible votes.

c)

was rejected so Congress could make changes.

d)

received six votes in favor and six votes against.

30.

Why did Parliament raise taxes on the American colonies in the 1760s?

a)

Britain was in debt from fighting the French and Indian War.

b)

British merchants had lost many ships in American waters.

c)

Britain needed money to gain more colonies in Africa.

d)

Britain wanted to build a new capital in the colonies.

31.

Beginning in colonial times, which groups led settlers into new territory in the United States?

a)

businessmen and traders

b)

presidents and political leaders

c)

soldiers and military leaders

d)

trappers and traders

32.

In the 1850s, the term “Bleeding Kansas” referred to

a)

fierce attacks by American Indians.

b)

battles during the Civil War.

c)

violence related to slavery.

d)

the forced relocation of American Indians.

33.

In the early 1800s, the empresario system was responsible for

a)

granting Texas independence from Mexico.

b)

stopping Americans from settling in Texas.

c)

banning all forms of slavery in Texas.

d)

more American colonists settling in Texas.

34.

Transcendentalism was a philosophy that stated

a)

people are basically evil.

b)

the United States should not continue to expand.

c)

true understanding comes from reason rather than feeling.

d)

society is corrupt and nature is pure.

35.

Which did the United States acquire through the Adams-Onís Treaty?

a)

Louisiana

b)

Florida

c)

Ohio

d)

Texas

36.

At the time of Washington’s presidency, which political party believed in states’ rights and opposed the national bank?

a)

Democratic

b)

Democratic-Federalist

c)

Democratic-Republican

d)

Federalist

37.

The main effect of the Second Great Awakening on American social values was that people

a)

tried to reform and improve society.

b)

tried to convert nonbelievers to Christianity.

c)

began to criticize others publicly for bad behavior.

d)

began to drink more alcohol.

38.

The tract of land the United States received at the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848 was called

a)

the Mexican Cession.

b)

the Republic of Texas.

c)

the Gadsden Purchase.

d)

the Louisiana Purchase.

39.

What put the United States in the middle of tensions between Britain and France in the early 1800s?

a)

land disputes

b)

trade disputes

c)

American Indian disputes

d)

tax disputes

40.

How did South Carolina respond to the election of Abraham Lincoln as president?

a)

It called for a state convention and demanded a recount.

b)

It seceded and called on Northern states to do the same.

c)

It declared independence from both the Union and the Confederacy.

d)

It called a state convention and voted to leave the Union.

41.

The Supreme Court’s ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland, that federal law is superior to state law, directly influenced which case?

a)

Marbury v. Madison

b)

United States v. Stevens

c)

United States v. Simms

d)

Gibbons v. Ogden

42.

A political motive for the Alien and Sedition Acts was to

a)

increase the number of immigrants who voted.

b)

elect a Democratic-Republican president.

c)

keep the Federalists in power.

d)

motivate the country to support France.

43.

How did the Northwest Ordinance increase sectionalism in the United States?

a)

It put the territory under one government.

b)

It ensured religious freedom.

c)

It laid out a way for territories to become states.

d)

It made slavery illegal.

44.

Which best describes Daniel Webster’s views?

a)

He disagreed with slavery but supported compromise.

b)

He declared nullification a form of treason.

c)

He worked to create a system to improve the economy.

d)

He supported slavery, sectionalism, and states’ rights.

45.

A long-term effect of the election of 1800 was

a)

new duties for the vice president.

b)

the decline of the Federalist Party.

c)

an increase in John Adams’s power.

d)

stricter laws about campaigning.

46.

During the Civil War, what was one advantage the Confederacy had over the Union?

a)

It controlled Vicksburg and other forts.

b)

It had a fleet of armored gunboats.

c)

It outnumbered the Union troops.

d)

It had the support of European nations.

47.

The Emancipation Proclamation freed

a)

most enslaved people in the South and those in the North.

b)

all enslaved people everywhere in the United States.

c)

most enslaved people in the North and those in border states.

d)

enslaved people in the South but not those in border states.

48.

During Reconstruction, many Southerners became increasingly angry, which was demonstrated by

a)

the increase of white supremacist groups.

b)

the arrival and embrace of carpetbaggers.

c)

the mob violence committed by scalawags.

d)

the rise in Republican Party membership.

49.

Which statement best describes the military strategy of total war?

a)

All damage is contained on specific battlefields.

b)

All fighting occurs in cities and on battlefields.

c)

All military and civilian resources are attacked.

d)

All civilian resources are used to feed the army.

50.

As Union soldiers marched into Richmond in 1865, General Lee’s army

a)

began to receive reinforcements.

b)

had only 35,000 men and no food.

c)

planned to reclaim their capital city.

d)

headed for Atlanta in full retreat.

51.

In the late 1800s, the system of sharecropping in the South failed to

a)

reincorporate the South into the Union.

b)

prevent the South from using slave labor.

c)

return abandoned land to its former owners.

d)

help African Americans break a cycle of debt.

52.

A major result of the Civil War was that it

a)

reinvented the Northern economy.

b)

preserved the Union.

c)

enhanced trade with Europe.

d)

divided the country.

53.

After the Civil War, Southern governments passed laws called Black Codes that

a)

granted freedom to African Americans.

b)

supplied land to African Americans.

c)

banned slavery throughout the South.

d)

restricted the rights of African Americans.

54.

Why was the Union determined to capture Vicksburg during the Civil War?

a)

to end the war immediately

b)

to gain access to the West

c)

to support General Sherman

d)

to divide the Confederacy

55.

In the wake of the Civil War, the Thirteenth Amendment

a)

abolished slavery in the United States.

b)

allowed slavery in the United States.

c)

gave African Americans civil rights.

d)

enfranchised African American men.

56.

Who became president of the Confederacy in 1861?

a)

John C. Breckinridge

b)

Stephen Douglas

c)

Abraham Lincoln

d)

Jefferson Davis

57.

During the Civil War, African American military units

a)

were usually led by white officers.

b)

chose their own officers to lead them.

c)

formed in both the North and the South.

d)

included white Confederate soldiers.

58.

After the first day of fighting at Gettysburg, the arrival of reinforcements allowed

a)

the Union to avoid more casualties.

b)

the Union to hold the line and win.

c)

the Confederacy to break the lines.

d)

the Confederacy time to regroup.

59.

During the Civil War, the Union and the Confederacy battled in the West for control of

a)

major cities.

b)

West Virginia.

c)

key rivers.

d)

Texas.

60.

Some state governors in the South opposed the Confederate government after it

a)

ratified the Emancipation Proclamation.

b)

could not stop the draft riot of 1863.

c)

imposed a draft and raised taxes.

d)

announced a plan to rejoin the Union.