WorksheetsMr. Bills U.S. History Quiz
Total questions: 154
Worksheet time: 2hrs 15mins
What year was the colony of Jamestown founded?
1607
1620
1776
1787
Why was the colony of Jamestown founded?
Pilgrims wanted religious freedom
The English wanted to find gold
The Spanish wanted to conquer the Aztecs
The French wanted access to the fur trade
What year was the Plymouth colony founded?
1607
1620
1776
1787
What was the Mayflower Compact?
A peace treaty between the Pilgrims and the Indians
The treaty by which the United States gained Florida from Spain
A social contract, by which the Pilgrims agreed to work together as a community
The plan in which the Pilgrims placed tariffs on the export of timber
What was the House of Burgesses?
The homes of Virginia merchants who exported tobacco to England
An agreement in 1215 that established that the king is not above the law
The government of the Pilgrims in the Plymouth colony, established in 1620
The Virginia representative assembly, established in 1619, and the first effort at self-government in America
What is the economic idea that the colonies exist for the economic benefit of the “mother country”?
Mercantilism
Socialism
Capitalism
Communism
What was the economy of the New England colonies based on?
Growing cash crops on plantations with slave labor
Fishing, whaling, ship-building, and trade
Cottage industries such as carpentry and metalworking
Raiding Indian villages for gold and silver
Why were the Middle Colonies known as the “breadbasket”?
Lots of tobacco and cotton was grown there
It had to import grain from other colonies
A large amount of grain, wheat, and corn was grown there
Nobody really knows
What was the economy of the Southern colonies based on?
Fishing, whaling, ship-building, and trade
Banking and financial transactions
Growing cash crops like cotton and tobacco on plantations using slave labor
Mining iron and copper ore in the mountains
Who was the founder of Pennsylvania?
Anne Hutchinson
Thomas Jefferson
William Penn
Roger Williams
This president wanted to stay out of the fighting between the British and French, so he took neither side. He believed that by getting involved, it would only lead to trouble for the U.S. (hint: Farewell Address)
Jefferson
Monroe
Washington
J Adams
Wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Washington
Jefferson
Madison
Monroe
Known as the people's president.
J Adams
Jefferson
Washington
Jackson
A certain small town has many choices for people who want to attend religious services, including two churches, a synagogue, a cathedral, a mosque, and a temple. These choices are protected by the — 8.25(C)
First Amendment
Third Amendment
Sixth Amendment
Eighth Amendment
Disagreements between these two cabinet members led to — 8.5(C)
the creation of reservations for American Indians
a struggle to ratify the Bill of Rights
the establishment of the first U.S. political parties
a compromise over slavery in western territories
The decision in Marbury v. Madison was significant in U.S. history because it — 8.18(A)
reinforced federal authority over American Indian affairs
confirmed the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce
established the practice of judicial review by the Supreme Court
upheld the power of the Electoral College to choose the vice president
These acts contributed to the start of the Revolutionary War by — 8.4(A)
restricting colonial trade with American Indians
imposing regulations on colonial agriculture
angering colonists who believed that their civil liberties had been violated
punishing colonists for resisting the authority of Parliament
Which movement did Emerson lead? 8.26(A)
Temperance
Abolitionism
The Second Great Awakening
Transcendentalism
Which of the following correctly describes the Three-Fifths Compromise? 8.4(D)
A portion of the slave population was counted for legislative representation.
A federal law enforcing the return of fugitive slaves was passed.
The census bureau was established to help apportion representation.
The election of senators was delegated to state legislatures.
How did Samuel Morse’s best-known innovation contribute to U.S. growth and development? 8.27(B)
It enabled instantaneous long-distance transmission of information.
It allowed manufactured goods to be produced at lower costs.
It boosted the speed of cross-country mail delivery.
It increased national unity by reducing sectional differences.
Which group was among the first to call for an end to slavery? 8.24(A)
American Indians, because they viewed the plight of slaves as similar to their own
Quakers, because slavery contradicted their religious beliefs
British loyalists, because Great Britain had ended the slave trade
Puritans, because the New England economy did not rely on slavery
In the debate over the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, which point would have been made by a Federalist? 8.4(E)
“The existing national government lacks the ability to add new states to the union.”
“The states are in danger of losing the ability to raise revenue.”
“The existing national government lacks the power to perform essential functions.”
“The states are unable to protect the rights of the people.”
What was one major effect of the Second Great Awakening? 8.25(B)
Churches turned away from public politics and focused on internal religious issues.
People were inspired to join reform movements to address social problems.
Religious leaders petitioned legislatures to extend suffrage to women.
Politicians were encouraged to promote states’ rights rather than federal unity.
What was one result of the Treaty of Paris of 1783? 8.4(C)
Great Britain recognized the United States as an independent country.
Competing Seminole and Spanish claims in West Florida were resolved.
The British navy agreed to stop pressing American sailors into service.
British territory in eastern Canada was ceded to France.
How did the War of 1812 most affect the U.S. economy? 8.13(A)
Disruption in trade contributed to domestic industrial growth.
Small farmers benefited from higher export prices for grain crops.
The sale of treasury bonds to international companies was prohibited.
New trade alliances resulted in increased foreign investment.
Which of these occurred during early U.S. industrialization? 8.28(B)
Manufacturers instituted a five-day workweek.
Labor laws required factories to provide a safe working environment.
Workers were required to attend schools to develop technical skills.
Production of goods transitioned from homes to factories.
What was one reason James K. Polk won the presidential election of 1844? 8.6(B)
He was against removing American Indians from their native lands.
He favored the policy of popular sovereignty in the Kansas and Nebraska territories.
He was committed to fulfilling the goals of Manifest Destiny.
He opposed the extension of slavery west of the Mississippi River.
Which of the following was a major reason for the flow of the transatlantic slave trade shown on the map? 8.12(B)
The economic demands of the plantation system
The construction needs of the railroad
Increased textile manufacturing
Increased western migration
Which excerpt from the U.S. Constitution best illustrates the principle of popular sovereignty? 8.15(D)
“Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own
Members. . . .”
“The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year
by the People of the several States. . . .”
“The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore. . . .”
“The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives,
shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof.”
Between 1846 and 1855 the population of Ireland decreased by a third, including the approximately 1.5 million Irish immigrants who left for the United States. What was the primary reason for this migration? 8.23(A)
Massive unemployment resulting from British occupation
Political unrest during an economic recession
Famine caused by a major crop failure
Civil war between Catholics and Protestants
The first political parties in the United States formed mainly in response to disagreements over — 8.5(C)
taxation without representation
the doctrine of judicial review
territorial expansion to the west
the extent of federal power
The Hudson River School artists were influenced by the — 8.26(A)
success of social reform movements in the United States
migration of settlers to the U.S. frontier
natural landscape of the United States
environmental effects of U.S. industrialization
What was a major result of the Missouri Compromise? 8.21(C)
It increased the number of immigrants settling in northern states.
It provided financing for canal construction.
It rapidly expanded railroad construction in southern states.
It temporarily relieved sectional tensions.
Who was the founder of Rhode Island?
George Washington
King John
Roger Williams
Thomas Hooker
Who was the founder of Maryland?
King George III
John Adams
Anne Hutchinson
Lord Baltimore
Who won the French and Indian War?
The French
The Spanish
The Indians
The British
What did the Proclamation of 1763 do?
The federal government placed a tax on whiskey
The British closed the port of Boston to American trade
King George III banned American colonists from settling west of the Applachian Mountains
The British made the king's birthday a national holiday
What was the Boston Massacre?
American colonists destroyed several Indian villages
British soldiers killed five American colonists, raising anger against Britain
French soldiers killed five American colonists
British soldiers killed five American colonists, raising anger against the Sons of Liberty
Who was the leader of the Sons of Liberty?
Thomas Jefferson
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Benjamin Franklin
What was the Boston Tea Party?
An act of civil disobediance in which the Sons of Liberty threw British tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act
An act of brutal violence in which the Sons of Liberty drowned several British soldiers in Boston Harbor
When the House of Burgesses sent a petition to England demanding that taxes on tea be removed
A fashionable tea party hosted in Boston by John Hancock
Where did the first battle of the Revolutionary War take place?
Lexington and Concord
Yorktown
Saratoga
Gettysburg
Name the man who famously said, "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!"
Thomas Paine
King George III
Patrick Henry
John Adams
Who wrote Common Sense, which raised support for independence during the Revolutionary War?
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Paine
Abraham Lincoln
George Washington
What English philosopher influenced the ideas of the Declaration of Independence?
King George III
John Locke
Charles de Montesquieu
Robert Adam
During the Revolutionary War, where did Washington’s army endure a terrible winter in 1777-78?
Valley Forge
Saratoga
London
Vicksburg
What American victory persuaded France to join the Revolutionary War on the American side?
Saratoga
Lexington and Concord
Yorktown
Gettysburg
What American victory marked the end of the Revolutionary War?
Saratoga
Lexington and Concord
Quebec
Yorktown
What was the plan of government before the Constitution called?
The Mayflower Compact
The Articles of Confederation
The Great Compromise
The "I Have a Dream" speech
When and where was the Constitutional Convention?
Jamestown in 1619
Philadelphia in 1776
Philadelphia in 1787
Washington D.C. in 1803
During the Constitutional Convention, what did the Great Compromise create?
A unicameral (one chamber) Congress, with each state getting one vote
A bicameral (two chambers) Congress, with each state getting an equal vote in both
A bicameral (two chambers) Congress, with representation determined by population in both
A bicameral Congress, with representation determined by population in the House, but having equal representation in the Senate
During the Constitutional Convention, what did the Three-Fifths Compromise decide?
Slaves would count as three-fifths of people for purposes of representation in the House
Each state would have to pay three-fifths of its income as federal taxes
The North would have three-fifths the representation of the South in Congress
Three-fifths of the United States army would be made up of Southern troops
Who were the authors of the Federalist Papers?
George Mason and Patrick Henry
James Madison, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington
Mercy Otis Warren and Abigail Adams
During the debate over the ratification of the Constitution, what did the Anti-Federalists believe?
Anti-Constitution, strong central government
Pro-Constitution, strong state governments
Anti-Constitution, return to British rule
Anti-Constitution, strong state governments
During the debate over the ratification of the Constitution, what group did George Mason and Patrick Henry belong to?
Federalists
Anti-Federalists
Loyalists
Monty Python's Flying Circus
During the debate over the ratification of the Constitution, what did the Anti-Federalists insist be added to the Constitution?
A clause outlawing slavery
A bicameral (two chamber) legislature
A bill of rights
A strong chief executive
What amendment protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures?
1st
5th
4th
8th
What amendment protects us from cruel and unusual punishment?
2nd
4th
8th
13th
What amendment guarantees that we will have an impartial jury and a lawyer to represent us during a trial?
4th
6th
10th
22nd
What amendment guarantees citizens to right to own guns?
1st
2nd
4th
8th
What amendment says that the government cannot quarter soldiers in private homes?
3rd
5th
7th
10th
What amendment guarantees citizens due process of law and protection against self incrimination?
1st
4th
5th
8th
What amendment says that if the Constitution doesn’t specifically give the federal government a certain power, that power is held by the states?
1st
4th
8th
10th
What is the principle by which citizens elect representatives to govern the country on behalf of the people?
Separation of Powers
Popular Sovereignty
Republicanism
Limited Government
Who was Washington’s Secretary of State?
George Mason
Alexander Hamilton
Thomas Jefferson
Henry Knox
Who was Washington’s Secretary of the Treasury?
John Adams
Alexander Hamilton
Thomas Jefferson
John Randolph
What is a “tariff”?
A tax on an imported good, designed to make foreign products more expensive
An economic boycott on a certain product
A tax on an imported good, designed to make foreign products cheaper
Public spending on infrastructure, such as railroads and canals
Why did Jefferson oppose Hamilton’s plan for a national bank?
He thought it would make the economy unstable
He thought it would tie America too closely to Britain
He believed in a loose interpretation of the Constitution
He thought it was unconstitutional and would only help the rich
What did President Washington do when war broke out between Britain and France in 1792?
He declared war on Britain
He declared neutrality and said that America would not take sides
He declared war on France
He raised taxes to pay for a new army
Who became President after George Washington?
Patrick Henry
John Hancock
John Adams
George Mason
What did French negotiators demand of the Americans during the XYZ Affair?
They demanded that the Americans pay them a bribe
They demanded that America declare war on Britain
They demanded that America turn over Georgia to France
They demanded that America lower its tariff rates
What powers did the Alien and Seditions Acts give to the President?
The power to declare war on other countries
The power to adjust tax rates and increase government spending
The power to declare areas of wilderness to be national parks
The power to expel foreigners and arrest people who criticized the government
Who became President after John Adams?
Thomas Jefferson
George Washington
Samuel Adams
Benjamin Franklin
What did President Jefferson do when the British and French attacked American ships?
He offered to surrender if the attacks stopped
He declared war on Britain
He declared war on France
He enacted an embargo and stopped all American trade
Who became President after Thomas Jefferson?
Patrick Henry
Abraham Lincoln
John Adams
James Madison
What treaty ended the War of 1812?
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
Treaty of Ghent
Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Appomattox
Who became President after James Madison?
Thomas Jefferson
Winfield Scott
Henry Clay
James Monroe
What was the name of the treaty by which America bought Florida from Spain?
Adam-Onis Treaty
Treaty of Paris
Jefferson-Burke Treaty
Treaty of Versailles
What did the Monroe Doctrine say?
The United States would intervene to promote democracy in Europe
The United States would not try to stop European colonization of Latin America
The United States would not allow European nations to intervene in the Western Hemisphere
The United States would make sure that Britain was forced out of Canada
What helped Andrew Jackson win the presidential election of 1828?
African-Americans were allowed to vote for the first time
White men without property were allowed to vote for the first time
Wealthy and educated people had their voting rights taken away
Women were allowed to vote for the first time
What was the system by which President Jackson gave government jobs to his friends and supporters?
The Tariff System
The American System
The Checks and Balances System
The Spoils System
Who was the senator from South Carolina who threatened secession during the Nullification Crisis?
Henry Clay
John C. Breckinridge
John C. Calhoun
Daniel Webster
What was South Carolina angry about during the Nullification Crisis?
The "Tariff of Abominations"
The rise of the abolitionist movement in the North
High taxes to pay for the navy
The lack of state control over infrastructure spending
What replaced cottage industries during the Industrial Revolution?
Plantation-style agriculture
Cooperative ownership of manufacturing
An economy based on fishing and whaling
The factory system
What is urbanization?
An increase in air and water pollution
Movement of people from rural areas into cities
An overall decline in a nation's population
A disproportionate number of women compared to men in a nation's population
Where was the first major womens’ rights convention held?
Woodstock, New York
Seneca Falls, New York
Washington D.C.
Charleston, South Carolina
Who was a major leader in the campaign for prison reform?
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Fredrick Douglass
James Garfield
Dorthea Dix
Who was a major leader in the campaign for education reform?
Horace Mann
Dorthea Dix
Abraham Lincoln
William Lloyd Garrison
What man escaped from slavery and became a prominent abolitionist speaker?
Harriet Tubman
John C. Calhoun
Frederick Douglass
Stephen Douglas
What abolitionist founded the newspaper “The Liberator” to spread the abolitionist message?
William Lloyd Garrison
Frederick Douglass
Jefferson Davis
Harriet Beecher Stowe
What book, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, increased support for the abolitionist cause in 1852?
The Lonely Slave
Huckleberry Finn
The Great Gatsby
Uncle Tom's Cabin
What was the name of the railroad that linked the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean?
The Flying Yankee
The Transcontinental Railroad
The Kelly Lane Express
The California-Ohio Railroad
Immigrants from what country played a key role in building the Transcontinental Railroad?
Russia
France
India
China
Who were the Loyalists?
Americans who supported independence during the Revolutionary War.
Americans who opposed independence during the Revolutionary War
Frenchmen who favored joining the war against Britain
British citizens who wanted to move to America
What is the constitutional principle that the government can only do what the constitution gives it the power to do?
Limited Government
Individual Rights
The Gettysburg Address
Federalism
What was the first written constitution in the colonies?
The House of Burgesses
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
The Mayflower Compact
The Bill of Rights
People in which two groups immigrated to America in large numbers beginning in the 1840s?
Germans and Irish
Italians and Japanese
Russians and Norweigians
Brazilians and Poles
What was the name of the wife of John Adams?
Abigail
Elizabeth
Anne
Polly
What are the three "unalienable rights" mentioned in the Declaration of Independence?
Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood
Freedom from Want, Freedom from Fear, Freedom of Thought
Natural Rights, Independence, and Freedom
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
In 1775, who rode through the night to warn Massachusetts "Minutemen" that the British army was coming out from Boston?
John Adams
John Hancock
Paul Revere
Thomas Paine
Who commanded the American army at the Battle of New Orleans?
Winfield Scott
George Washington
Abigail Adams
Andrew Jackson
Henry David Thoreau wrote an essay in opposition to the Mexican-American War called what?
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Why I Don't Support the War
Common Sense
Civil Disobedience
In 1832 the Supreme Court ruled that Georgia did not have legal authority over the Cherokees living in the state. President Andrew Jackson responded to this decision by — 8.18(A)
filing another petition against the Cherokee Nation
ignoring the ruling and allowing Georgia to evict the Cherokee Nation
ordering state officials in Georgia to negotiate with the Cherokee Nation
asking Congress to pay reparations to the Cherokee Nation
Which type of economy is best described by these characteristics? 8.14(B)
Subsistence farming
Free enterprise
Mercantilism
Socialism
The Constitution describes two ways to propose an amendment. Which of the following gives an example of one way? 8.16(A)
The president officially requests that Congress propose the amendment.
Three-fourths of state governors sign a petition in favor of proposing the amendment.
A majority of citizens vote in favor of proposing the amendment.
Two-thirds of both congressional houses vote in favor of proposing the amendment.
The Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans emerged as separate political parties partly as a result of disagreement over — 8.5(F)
how the nation should develop economically
whether to enforce the Monroe Doctrine
how the nation should admit new states
whether to approve the Declaration of Independence
Which of the following was a primary reason France sought to colonize North America? 8.2(A)
To reduce overpopulation in Europe
To create communities founded on religious tolerance
To profit from trading in furs and other goods
To create joint ventures with other European powers
According to Alexander Hamilton, which action was necessary to ensure the stability of the nation’s economy? 8.5(A)
The passage of a trade embargo against Great Britain
The abolition of consumption taxes
The creation of a trade alliance with France
The establishment of a national bank
Which of the following should replace the question mark in this diagram? 8.4(D)
Direct democracy
Great Compromise
Checks and balances
Missouri Compromise
The primary goal of the American Temperance Society was to — 8.24(B)
ban the spread of slavery to new territories
decrease the consumption of alcohol
gain the release of mentally ill people from prisons
create a self-sufficient utopian society
The introduction of interchangeable parts led directly to the — 8.27(C)
formation of the patent system
creation of labor unions
use of mass-production techniques
eight-hour workday
In 1787, Congress awarded John Paul Jones the Congressional Gold Medal in honor of his “valor and brilliant services” during the Revolutionary War. Which accomplishment was Congress recognizing? 8.22(B)
Leading the evacuation of Washington, D.C., during the British invasion
Preparing the strategy for the American victory at Yorktown
Persuading France to provide military assistance to the Continental army
Commanding a victory at sea against the British navy
Which statement best explains the significance of the Mayflower Compact? 8.3(B)
It limited the power of future colonial governments.
It weakened the influence of religion in government.
It established a form of self-government based on a social contract.
It guaranteed liberties for colonists through local government.
Which of the following was a defining characteristic of the Era of Good Feelings? 8.1(A)
The United States ceded territory to Great Britain in an attempt to avoid war.
There was a renewed sense of nationalism.
Evangelical revivalists challenged religious traditionalists.
Many states called for a restructuring of the federal government.
How did the plantation system influence the economic development of the United States? 8.12(B)
It prevented the development of industry in the Northeast.
It turned the South into a major producer of the cotton used in northern mills.
It restricted agricultural expansion in the western territories.
It increased federal dependency on tariffs for revenue.
