wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Washington's Presidency

Total questions: 45

Worksheet time: 23mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

George Washington was the only president to...

a)

Serve as a general

b)

Live in the White House

c)

Receive 100% of the votes

d)

Serve 2 terms as president

2.

What did Washington inherit when he became president?

a)

Mount Vernon, the presidential mansion

b)

All the problems that the Articles of Confederation had

c)

A strong volunteer militia

d)

A million dollars

3.

Which of these was NOT a problem at the beginning of Washington's presidency?

a)

Americans did not trust the government

b)

An ineffective postal service

c)

Lack of respect from European nations

d)

A LOT of debt from the American Revolution

4.

Which political party did Washington belong to?

a)

He did not belong to any

b)

He was a Federalist

c)

He was a Democratic-Republican

d)

He was a Whig

5.

What is the "cabinet" of the president?

a)

A place where the president keeps important documents

b)

Members of the president's political party

c)

A group of advisors who help the president make decisions

d)

People who oppose the decisions made by the president

6.

In Washington's cabinet, who often disagreed with his decisions?

a)

Alexander Hamilton

b)

Aaron Burr

c)

John Adams

d)

Thomas Jefferson

7.

Because Washington was the first president, he established several ________ that other presidents followed.

a)

Goals

b)

Precedents

c)

Consequences

d)

Alarms

8.

One of Washington's objectives was...

a)

To return the money to the French as quickly as possible

b)

To establish norms and find out what it meant to be president

c)

To gain as much power as he could

d)

To eliminate all taxes in the U.S.

9.

Which article of the Constitution describes the role of the president?

a)

Article 1

b)

Article 2

c)

Article 3

d)

Article 4

10.

What is another title that the president has?

a)

Your Excellency

b)

Supreme Ruler

c)

Commander in Chief

d)

Chief Justice

11.

Who created the national bank?

a)

Alexander Hamilton

b)

John Adams

c)

John Jay

d)

Thomas Jefferson

12.

Why did both Washington and Hamilton think a bank was necessary for the U.S.?

a)

It would instantly solve the debt problem

b)

It would help create financial stability

c)

It would keep the U.S. out of war

d)

It would allow the U.S. to trade with Europe

13.

What would the bank give the U.S. the ability to do?

a)

Store tax money and grant loans

b)

Finally pay soldiers for their service

c)

Eliminate the need for taxes

d)

Allow the U.S. to purchase territory in the west

14.

Who opposed the creation of the bank?

a)

George Washington

b)

Alexander Hamilton

c)

Thomas Jefferson

d)

John Adams

15.

Which party supported the bank?

a)

Federalists (the party of Hamilton)

b)

Democratic-Republicans (the party of Jefferson)

16.

Why did the Democratic-Republicans, like Jefferson, oppose the bank?

a)

Too much power for the national government

b)

State banks were better at managing money

c)

The bank could make bad investments

d)

It was unlikely anyone would use it

17.

What did Jefferson fear the government would do with the money in a national bank?

a)

Waste it

b)

Pay unimportant debts

c)

Invest it poorly

d)

Steal it

18.

Jefferson and other Democratic-Republicans felt there should not be a national bank because...

a)

A bank is what led to the downfall of the Articles of Confederation

b)

The Bill of Rights says banking is a power reserved to the states

c)

There is nothing about a bank in the Constitution

d)

Creating a bank would mean higher taxes

19.

What is an "excise" tax?

a)

A tax on the production and sale of an item (which is generally non-essential)

b)

A tax that is illegal

c)

A tax on essential items, such as food and water

d)

A tax specifically placed on goods imported from Europe

20.

During Washington's presidency, an excise tax was imposed on which item?

a)

Sugar

b)

Whiskey

c)

Bread

d)

Tea

21.

Who was angry about the whiskey tax?

a)

Members of the House and Senate

b)

Businessmen in New York and Boston

c)

Thomas Jefferson

d)

Farmers in Pennsylvania and Virginia

22.

People upset by the whiskey tax claimed that the tax was an example of...

a)

Quartering

b)

Taxation without Representation

c)

Stamping

d)

Congressional Overreach

23.

Who believed that Washington should use military force to stop a possible rebellion over the whiskey tax?

a)

Alexander Hamilton

b)

John Adams

c)

James Madison

d)

Thomas Jefferson

24.

Who believed that Washington should NOT use military force to stop a possible rebellion over the Whiskey Tax?

a)

Alexander Hamilton

b)

John Adams

c)

John Jay

d)

Thomas Jefferson

25.

What did Washington's handling of the Whiskey Rebellion show?

a)

That compromise is easy

b)

The power of the Supreme Court

c)

That taxes were always a bad idea

d)

The power of the president

26.

After Washington used force to stop the Whiskey Rebellion, what happened?

a)

Congress eliminated the tax

b)

The farmers paid the tax

c)

Washington agreed to tax more items

d)

Washington used force to solve all problems

27.

During Washington's presidency, which country interfered with U.S. trade?

a)

Spain

b)

France

c)

Mexico

d)

Great Britain

28.

How was Great Britain interfering with U.S. trade?

a)

Paying other countries not to trade with the U.S.

b)

Kidnapping American sailors, goods, and sinking merchant ships

c)

Issuing an embargo (refusing to trade)

d)

Hiring pirates to raid U.S. ports and steal goods

29.

Who did Washington send to Great Britain to try to reach an agreement to stop British interference in U.S. trade?

a)

John Adams

b)

Thomas Jefferson

c)

John Jay

d)

Abigail Adams

30.

Which country ended up at war with Great Britain during Washington's presidency?

a)

France

b)

Ireland

c)

Canada

d)

Spain

31.

Why did France think the United States should support them in their war with Great Britain?

a)

They promised to stop the British from interfering with U.S. trade.

b)

Because the King of France and Washington were good friends

c)

Because they helped the U.S. and the U.S. never paid the debt

d)

They would pay the U.S. for war damages from the French and Indian War

32.

Did the United States ally with France?

a)

Yes

b)

No

33.

In the conflict with the British and French, the U.S. was...

a)

Secretly on the side of the French

b)

Sending money and weapons to Great Britain to help them defeat the French

c)

Helping both sides indirectly

d)

Neutral (which means they did not choose a side)

34.

Why did Washington not want to get involved in the war between France and Great Britain?

a)

The United States did not have an army and could not afford to help

b)

He hated both the French and the British

c)

Both countries refused to help the United States during the Revolution

d)

The United States army was busy patrolling the Northwest Territory

35.

How did France feel when the United States refused to help them?

a)

They understood

b)

They were angry, but got over it quickly

c)

They were angry

d)

They declared war on the United States

36.

What did the Jay Treaty resolve?

a)

Stopped Britain from interfering with U.S. trade.

b)

Resolved the issue of U.S. debt.

c)

Established a plan to pay France.

d)

The controversy over the bank.

37.

Who got the better deal in Jay's Treaty?

a)

The United States

b)

Great Britain

38.

In the Jay Treaty, what was good for the United States?

a)

Great Britain handed over the Northwest Territory to the U.S.

b)

Great Britain paid for the ships they damaged

c)

Great Britain paid war damages to the U.S.

d)

Great Britain prevented France from interfering with U.S. trade.

39.

In the Jay Treaty, what was good for the British?

a)

The U.S. returned some lands they lost in the American Revolution

b)

The U.S. agreed to quarter British soldiers

c)

The U.S. paid pre-war debt and granted them "most favored nation" status

d)

The U.S. sent a representative to France to resolve the war

40.

Did Congress ratify the Jay Treaty?

a)

Yes

b)

No

41.

Who thought the Jay Treaty was a bad idea?

a)

George Washington

b)

Alexander Hamilton

c)

John Jay

d)

Thomas Jefferson

42.

Why did Jefferson think the Jay Treaty was a bad idea?

a)

He did not believe the United States needed to trade

b)

He believed the United States should have focused on an alliance with France

c)

He felt that Washington should have negotiated the treaty himself

d)

He believed it would lead to an increase in taxes

43.

Although Congress approved Jay's Treaty, what did they not like about it?

a)

The Most Favored Nation status was not something real

b)

The treaty would economically harm the U.S.

c)

It said nothing about the forced recruitment (impressment) of sailors

d)

It meant we would go to war the next time Britain went to war

44.

Why did Washington support the Jay Treaty?

a)

It meant he could abolish the excise tax on whiskey

b)

It was good for the U.S. economically because it gave us a trading partner

c)

It meant the U.S. could finally expand west of the Mississippi River

d)

It meant the debt with France was resolved

45.

Washington felt that one of the most important precedents he established was...

a)

Resigning from power after serving 2 terms as president

b)

Allowing states to choose which laws to follow

c)

Using military force whenever possible

d)

Expanding the power of the president