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US History Test 1- Colonization to Civil War

Total questions: 60

Worksheet time: 43mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The oldest European City in North America

a)

St. Tenochtitlan

b)

St. Augustine

c)

St. Havana

d)

St. Savannah

2.

The first permanent English settlement in the New World was called:

a)

Philadelphia

b)

Washington D.C.

c)

Jamestown

d)

Massachusetts

3.
President Washington urged ratification of the Bill of Rights to strengthen the rights of individuals. Why did other politicians support ratification of the Bill of Rights?
a)
It reaffirmed the supremacy of federal laws over state laws
b)
It established a system of checks and balances among the three branches of government
c)
It calmed the fears of people who believed the federal government had been given too much power
d)
It provided a means by which corrupt government officials could be removed from office
4.
What best accounts for the unprecedented population growth in colonial America after 1700?
a)
Large families were a utilitarian response to the need for labor
b)
Heavy immigration caused urban growth on the eastern seaboard
c)
Birthrates rose in response to religious exhortations encouraging procreation
d)
Child morality rates improved due to advances in medicine 
5.
What was the main significance of Shay's Rebellion? 
a)
It exemplified the adverse impact of currency laws on the independence of small farmers
b)
It revealed the inability of the weak central government to maintain order
c)
It established paper currency as a solution to economic problems caused by unfair trade 
d)
It suggested merchants' interests were less significant than those of the agricultural class
6.
What commercial activities were most significant to the economy of colonial New England?
a)
Trading, shipbuilding, and fishing
b)
Tobacco, rice, and indigo farming 
c)
Manufacturing and finance 
d)
Lumber and mining 
7.
Why were large numbers of male indentured servants brought to colonial Virginia?
a)
They were needed to defend the colony against Powhatan attacks 
b)
Additional labor was needed to cultivate and harvest tobacco 
c)
Early settlers sought marriageable partners for their daughters
d)
Their skills were indispensable to the growing shipbuilding industry 
8.
Given that only seven people died in the Boston Massacre, why did Paul Revere characterize it as a "massacre"?
a)
British commanders ordered troops to shoot into a rioting crowd in an effort to restore order
b)
The victims were innocent bystanders who were caught in the barrage of gunfire
c)
The British response was disproportionate to the crowd's provocation 
d)
The incident was sensationalized to take advantage of heightened public tensions
9.
Given that only seven people died in the Boston Massacre, why did Paul Revere characterize it as a "massacre"?
a)
British commanders ordered troops to shoot into a rioting crowd in an effort to restore order
b)
The victims were innocent bystanders who were caught in the barrage of gunfire
c)
The British response was disproportionate to the crowd's provocation 
d)
The incident was sensationalized to take advantage of heightened public tensions
10.
The battles fought at Lexington and Concord are often characterized as "the shot heard around the world" for what reason?
a)
The use of such hyperbole in consistent with notions of American exceptionalism  
b)
Those conflicts began the fight that led to the creation of the United States and inspired revolutions elsewhere
c)
Historians sought to commemorate the significant role of those areas in which the conflicts occurred 
d)
The news of those events encouraged people in other countries to support the British
11.

In 1754, Benjamin Franklin printed the image in the Pennsylvania Gazette newspaper. For what purpose was Franklin’s image later used during the Revolutionary War?

a)

To encourage ratification of the Constitution

b)

To encourage work on a Declaration of Independence

c)

To promote unity against British tyranny

d)

To promote interest in a Bill of Rights

12.

Consider this statement from the ruling in the 1803 Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison: “Those who apply the rule to particular cases must, of necessity, expound and interpret that rule.” What fundamental principle of US government is expressed in that statement?

a)

Checks and balances

b)

Judicial Review

c)

Trial by Jury

d)

Popular sovereignty

13.
Which statement best describes the regional economic differences during the mid-nineteenth century?
a)
The North specialized in manufactured goods, and the South specialized in cotton.
b)
 The North specialized in tobacco, and the south specialized in food crops. 
c)
The North specialized in fishing, and the South specialized in textiles.
d)
The North specialized in agriculture, and the South specialized in mining. 
14.

How did Native Americans (Indians) originally get to North and South America?

a)

By boat from Europe to the Eastern seaboard

b)

By crossing the Beringia land bridge in Asia

c)

By boat from Africa to coastal Brazil

d)

By boat from Australia to the Southern Chilean Coast

15.

Who was the first explorer to 'discover' the Americas in 1492?

a)

Cortes

b)

Columbus

c)

Pizarro

d)

Vasco da Gama

16.

Which of the following are true about slavery in Colonial America?

a)

Slaves were brought by boat from Africa

b)

Slaves were mostly used to help farm in the Southern colonies

c)

Slaves were forced to work 6 day weeks with no pay

d)

All of the above

17.

During which event did colonists dress up like Indians and dump British tea in the Boston harbor river?

a)

Boston Massacre

b)

Boston Tea Party

c)

Tea Act

d)

Stamp Act

18.

What did the Great Compromise do?

a)

The House of Representatives was based on population

b)

Every state got two senators

c)

Slaves counted as 1/2 of a person for taxation and representation

d)

Both A and B are correct

19.
What activity was LEAST characteristic of Americans influenced by the Enlightenment?
a)
Questioning orthodox spiritual views 
b)
Learning scientific classifications 
c)
Supporting religious relativists 
d)
Studying astronomy and philosophy 
20.

What sixteenth-century event in Tenochtitlan proved most devastating to the Aztec empire?

a)

The military invasion launched by Francisco Pizarro

b)

The smallpox epidemic introduced by European invaders

c)

The arrival of zealous Jesuit missionaries

d)

The enslavement of native people on sugar plantations

21.
What was the primary demographic feature of the population of eighteenth century colonial America?
a)
A high unemployment rate 
b)
A strong urban character
c)
A low marriage 
d)
A young average age
22.
Consider these lines from a seventeenth-century ballad:
Come all you young fellows wherever you be, Come listen awhile and I will tell thee, Concerning the hardships that we undergo, When we get lagg’d to Virginia
Now in Virginia I lay like a hog, Our pillow at night is a brick or a log, We dress and undress like some other sea dog, How hard is my fate in Virginia.

Who was most likely the source of this ballad?
a)
A newly arrived slave
b)
An indentured servant
c)
A Powhatan Indian
d)
A Spanish missionary 
23.
In which of the following ways did the institution of slavery change in seventeenth-century colonial America?
a)
Laws against slavery were successfully challenged in court. 
b)
Miscegenation became a capital crime. 
c)
Only whites remained eligible for indentured servitude 
d)
Slavery became a hereditary function of race
24.

How did the development of the U.S. Constitution represent a response to the political problems Americans faced prior to independence?

a)

The states were granted more authority and protections than they had previously enjoyed.

b)

The ratification of the plan of government required unanimous approval by the states.

c)

The powers of the national government were reduced, and majority rule was enshrined as the supreme law.

d)

The economic powers of the national government were strengthened, and the rights of individuals were guaranteed.

25.

John Jay believed the Articles of Confederation needed changes that would “Let Congress legislate. Let others execute. Let others judge.” Jay’s words express what constitutional principle?

a)

Checks and Balances

b)

Democracy

c)

Federalism

d)

Separation of powers

26.

The infographic to the right shows the migration of _______________ peoples as they entered the North America.

a)

Spanish

b)

African

c)

Native

d)

English

27.

Which of the following is a theme in Early Antebellum US History?

a)

Westward Expansion

b)

Northern Agriculture

c)

Peace and Unity

d)

Religious Intolerance

28.

Who developed the steam engine?

a)

Henry Ford

b)

Eli Whitney

c)

Governor Clinton

d)

Robert Fulton

29.

Which memorable statement is associated with the Texas Revolution?

a)

Fifty-four forty or fight!

b)

Remember the Alamo!

c)

Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!

d)

I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.

30.

Following the War of 1812, what main push factor promoted the surge of settlers into the Old Northwest?

a)

Government policy encouraged the development of the natural resources.

b)

Land prices stimulated migration of those seeking new economic opportunities.

c)

Transportation routes enabled greater access to formerly isolated areas.

d)

Treaties with American Indians eliminated tensions on the frontier.

31.

Which statement best describes President Jefferson’s position on the Louisiana Purchase?

a)

He believed the United States had a destiny to expand to the West.

b)

He sought improved relations with Indians who occupied those lands.

c)

He was concerned the development might foster increased political opposition.

d)

He feared territorial expansion would encourage the extension of slavery.

32.

What official act(s) provided for the settlement of the land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River, its governance, and its eventual inclusion into the United States?

a)

Congressional authorization of the use of military force to remove squatters

b)

Federal and state laws against land speculation and slavery

c)

A pair of ordinances passed in 1785 and 1787

d)

A series of equitable treaties negotiated with Indians

33.

During the War of 1812, why did U.S. military leaders consider Canada an important front?

a)

French-Canadian hostility toward the United States required a strong and defensive posture.

b)

Control of Canada’s vast mineral and forest wealth would greatly benefit the developing U.S. economy.

c)

Canada was a base of British power and a refuge for American Indian tribes that had resisted westward expansion.

d)

Canadian military activity along the border region was limiting U.S. economic development.

34.
Many Northerners strongly objected to the 1846 was with Mexico because:
a)
most Yankees were outspoken pacifists
b)
the likelihood of unparalleled carnage was so great
c)
a U.S. victory could result in the expansion of slavery
d)
a U.S. defeat would mean the loss of Texas to Mexico
35.

Who was the subject of this 1820 obituary? He died at Charette village, on the Missouri, in the ninetieth year of his age. He was the first settler of Kentucky. He penetrated its wilderness in 1775; and in 1799 removed to and settled upon the Missouri. He was a keen huntsman and made many excursions in pursuit of game, in places far distant from the usual tread of white men.

a)

Daniel Boone

b)

Jim Bowie

c)

Davy Crockett

d)

Meriwether Lewis

36.

What does the shaded area of this map represent?

a)

The first state to enfranchise women

b)

The site of the completion of the transcontinental railroad

c)

The final destination of the Five Civilized Tribes

d)

The last slave state admitted into the Union.

37.

What was the strategic consequence of the U.S. victory over Britain in the Battle of New Orleans?

a)

It ended British interference with American commerce in the lower Mississippi River valley.

b)

It discouraged the British in their protracted fight against Napoleon’s forces.

c)

It enabled American negotiators to press the British to cede parts of Canada.

d)

It required the British to halt the impressment of American sailors on the high seas.

38.

What was the final major legislative effort to prevent the Civil War?

a)

The Compromise of 1850

b)

The Kansas-Nebraska Act

c)

The Missouri Compromise

d)

The proposed Crittenden amendments

39.
Which individual is most closely linked to the abolitionist movement?
a)
Horace Mann
b)
Ralph Waldo Emerson
c)
 Nat Turner
d)
Frederick Douglass
40.
Appearing in Boston in April 1851, a public notice bore the following:
CAUTION!! COLORED PEOPLE OF BOSTON, ONE & ALL, You are hereby respectfully CAUTIONED and advised, to avoid conversing with the Watchmen and Police Officers of Boston, For since the recent ORDER OF THE MAYOR & ALDERMEN, they are empowered to act as KIDNAPPERS AND SLAVE CATCHERS, And they have already been actually employed in KIDNAPPING, CATCHING,  AND KEEPING SLAVES. Therefore, if you value your LIBERTY and the Welfare of the Fugitives among you, Shun them in every possible manner, as so many HOUNDS on the track of the most unfortunate of your race. Keep a Sharp Look Out for KIDNAPPERS, and have TOP EYE open.
Who was most likely responsible for posting this warning?
a)
A Jacksonian Democrat
b)
 An indentured servant
c)
A Radical Republican 
d)
An abolitionist
41.

Which issue is most closely associate with abolitionists?

a)

Women's Rights

b)

Religious Freedom

c)

Industrialism

d)

Temperance

42.
Northern states had what distinct advantage over Southern states at the onset of the Civil War?
a)
The value of Northern agricultural products exceeded the value of Southern agricultural products.
b)
The military command of the North was more effective than that of the South. 
c)
The North had more coastline than the South. 
d)
The North had a more extensive railroad network than the South. 
43.

Study this illustration rendered at the outset of the Civil War.What did the artist attempt to depict in this drawing?

a)

A water and land route to Missouri from Washington, DC

b)

A Union military strategy against the Confederacy

c)

The threat posed to the Union by the states in rebellion

d)

The disproportionate number of Confederate states

44.
With the statement "A house divided against itself cannot stand." President Lincoln directly addressed what issue?
a)
Civil Rights
b)
Political campaigns
c)
Secession
d)
Statehood
45.

What “peculiar institution” increased tensions between the North and South and brought them into conflict?

a)

Transportation

b)

Christianity

c)

Manifest Destiny

d)

Slavery

46.

What future state caused a controversy in 1850 when they decided to forbid slavery in their state’s Constitution?

a)

Missouri

b)

California

c)

Utah

d)

Texas

47.

Using the map below, which of the following states would be considered a border state?

a)

Tennessee

b)

California

c)

Florida

d)

Kentucky

48.

Who was elected president of the Confederacy?

a)

Abraham Lincoln

b)

Robert E. Lee

c)

John Calhoun

d)

Jefferson Davis

49.

What occurred at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861?

a)

Lincoln was inaugurated as President.

b)

The South announced its secession from the U.S.

c)

The first shots of the Civil War were fired.

d)

It was the single bloodiest battle of the war.

50.

What battle marks the single bloodiest day in American History?

a)

Battle of Antietam

b)

Battle of Shiloh

c)

Battle of Bull Run

d)

Battle of Cold Mountain

51.

What battle marked the turning point of the Civil War?

a)

Gettysburg

b)

Bull Run

c)

Chancellorsville

d)

Shiloh

52.

Who became president once Lincoln was assassinated?

a)

James Buchanan

b)

Franklin Pierce

c)

Andrew Johnson

d)

Rutherford B. Hayes

53.
Countries establish colonies for many reasons.  Which of the following is not a major reason for colonization?
a)
Religious Reasons
b)
Economic Reasons
c)
Political Reasons
d)
Militaristic Reasons
54.
John Rolfe was responsible for experimenting with the crop that ultimately saved Jamestown. It was:
a)
Indigo
b)
Cotton
c)
Tobacco
d)
Rice
55.
The primary author of the Declaration of Independence was
a)
Thomas Jefferson
b)
James Madison
c)
Ben Franklin
d)
Thomas Paine
56.
Which of the following was NOT a result of the War of 1812?
a)
Rapid growth of manufacturing in the United States
b)
Stability on the frontier for several years
c)
Return to an isolationist policy by the United States
d)
British resettlement of the Northwest Territory
57.
What best accounts for the unprecedented population growth in colonial America after 1700?
a)
Large families were a utilitarian response to the need for labor
b)
Heavy immigration caused urban growth on the eastern seaboard
c)
Birthrates rose in response to religious exhortations encouraging procreation
d)
Child morality rates improved due to advances in medicine 
58.
What was the primary demographic feature of the population of eighteenth century colonial America?
a)
A high unemployment rate 
b)
A strong urban character
c)
A low marriage 
d)
A young average age
59.
Which statement most accurately describes a significant characteristic of the population of the American colonies after 1700?
a)
Settlers confined themselves to the eastern seaboard below the tidewater
b)
The immigration rates of German, French, and Scots-Irish peoples declined 
c)
Increasing numbers of slaves contributed to racial and cultural diversity 
d)
Catholics comprised the majority of non-English newcomers
60.
Why were large numbers of male indentured servants brought to colonial Virginia?
a)
They were needed to defend the colony against Powhatan attacks 
b)
Additional labor was needed to cultivate and harvest tobacco 
c)
Early settlers sought marriageable partners for their daughters
d)
Their skills were indispensable to the growing shipbuilding industry 

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