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Founding A Nation (Foner) Student Quiz (A)

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 50mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What did the Virginia Plan call for?

a)

Proposed creation of one house legislature where state population determined representation

b)

Proposed creation of single house congress where state population determined representation

c)

Proposed creation of two house legislature where state population determined representation

d)

Proposed Creation of one house legislature where each state would cast one vote

2.

Which of the following is false about the constitution?

a)

Doesn’t mention slavery or race

b)

Contains the 3/5th’s clause

c)

Caused lots of disagreement between the delegates

d)

Approved the constitutional legitimacy of slavery

3.

Why did the delegates put together such a complicated system of indirect election?

a)

They wanted to avoid the development of an absolute monarchy.

b)

They didn’t trust ordinary voters to choose presidential candidates.

c)

They wanted to diversify the political parties of potential leaders to hold office.

d)

They couldn’t use a popular vote system because of the transportation complications which came with physically collecting ballots back in the 1780s.

4.

Which two basic principles of government were outlined in the U.S. Constitution?

a)

Individual rights and Republicanism

b)

Bicameral mode of Government and Suffrage

c)

Marxism and Leninism

d)

Federalism and Checks and Balances

5.

What was the motivation behind Alexander Hamilton's call for a constitutional convention?

a)

He wanted to develop a more centralized government.

b)

He wanted to give more voting power to the people.

c)

He wanted to develop a less centralized government.

d)

He wanted to set up an election for his own potential presidency.

6.

Which best describes the national government under the Articles of Confederation?

a)

An all powerful centralized government

b)

A one house Congress, where each state got one vote, and state’s individual freedom was great

c)

A bicameral government, where each state got votes dependent on their size

d)

A one house Congress where the national government was much more powerful than each state

7.

Which land ordinance prohibited slavery in the Northwest?

a)

Ordinance of 1785

b)

Ordinance of slavery abolishmentaranism

c)

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

d)

Adaptation of slavery of 1999

8.

Who was the Shays Rebellion named after and why?

a)

Daniel Shays: He was the governor of Massachusetts during 1780 and was making policies, like taxes on weaponry and punishment to debtors, that infringe on the colonists economic prosperity

b)

Daniel Shays: a leader and veteran of the War of Independence who lead men into the Springfield court to adjourn along with attacking the federal arsenal at Springfield

c)

Benjamin Shays: the first colonist to die in the shays rebellion while fighting against one of the richest men in Massachusetts, who had used his influence to create more taxes

d)

Benjamin Shays: Banded together a group of nationalists to overthrow the supreme court and force them to enact politics to protect debtors

9.

Which of the following state policies was NOT implemented as a response to the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

a)

Started trade with Asia, obtained silk, tea, and porcelain

b)

States began printing money to increase currency circulation

c)

States postponed debt collection

d)

Grew trade with the West Indies

10.

Which of the following was NOT a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

a)

Congress was allowed to declare war

b)

Congress was not able to regulate commerce

c)

All states had to unanimously agree to amend the articles of confederation if they wanted to do so

d)

Congress had no power to levy taxes

11.

During the Revolutionary Era, which of the following groups did the phrase “We the People” (as mentioned in the preamble of the Constitution) actually refer to?

a)

All people born or naturalized.

b)

All people except Native Americans.

c)

Free white people.

d)

Free whites and free blacks.

12.

Which of the following BEST describes the relationship between Americans and Native American tribes post-Revolution?

a)

Native Americans were included as American citizens

b)

They made many treaties, but Americans only used them to steal more land from the Native Americans

c)

Native Americans and Americans signed treaties to fairly divide the land

d)

Native Americans were guaranteed many rights

13.

Who was NOT entitled to American freedom under the Constitution?

a)

Jews

b)

Slaves

c)

Indians

d)

Slaves and Indians

e)

Jews, slaves, and Indians

14.

The Treaty of Greenville 1795...

a)

ended the Seven Years War

b)

ended the Revolutionary War

c)

Ended a war between the U.S. Government and the Miami Confederacy under Little Turtle in the Ohio Valley

d)

Ended the Mexican-American War

15.

In the Treaty of Greenville, the establishment of the annuity system was…?

a)

Pity money congress gave the Indian tribes

b)

The government’s way of legally justifying interference in Indian affairs by offering monetary reward

c)

A tax the Indians had to pay the government for the land they occupied

d)

None of the above

16.

Which of the following was included in the Constitution to solve the debate between northern and southern states about whether or not slaves should be counted as part of the population, when determining proportional representation.

a)

The Slave Clause

b)

The Fugitive Slave Clause

c)

Lord Dunmore's Proclamation

d)

The Three-Fifths Clause

17.

Why did Federalists believe ratifying the Constitution was important ?

a)

Believed in having a Bill of Rights

b)

Believed in a strong central government in order to unite the states and better handle challenges

c)

Believed in strong state governments

d)

Believed in a weak central government

18.

Anti-Federalist believed...

a)

A strong central government would strengthen Democracy

b)

Including a Bill of Rights in the Constitution was redundant and unnecessary

c)

Democracy worked best locally because political leaders had regular contact with their constituents

d)

The "well-born" should have more power in government

19.

Which of the following are true about the Bill of Rights? (Check all that apply)

a)

It persuaded many skeptics to support the ratification of the Constitution

b)

It protected essential civil rights and personal liberties

c)

It established the separation of powers as the structure of the U.S. government

d)

It only became highly valued and influential among the general public in the 20th century

e)

It was written by Alexander Hamilton

20.

Which of the following is an example of checks and balances?

a)

The President vetoes a law passed by Congress

b)

A judge nominated by the president can be rejected by Congress

c)

The president can be impeached by Congress

d)

All of the above

21.

How was the president elected, according to the Constitution?

a)

Citizens get one vote for president each, and the president is decided through popular vote

b)

Citizens vote for state electors (or they are chosen by the state legislature), who, in turn, vote for who becomes the president

c)

Citizens elect members of the Senate, who vote for who becomes the president

d)

Citizens cast two votes for president. The person with the most votes becomes president and the person with the second most votes becomes vice president

22.

Which important civil right under today’s Constitution was not included in the Bill of Rights ratified in 1791?

a)

The right to due process of law

b)

Equal protection under the law

c)

The right to free speech

d)

The prohibition against double jeopardy

23.

The Naturalization Act of 1790 specified that...

a)

All immigrants were welcome to the U.S.

b)

Immigrants with education and skills qualified to become U.S. citizens

c)

Only "free white" immigrants qualified for citizenship in America

d)

Only land-owning male immigrants could immigrate to the U.S.

24.

Which of the following was NOT a purpose of the Land Ordinances of the 1780's?

a)

Establish a clear policy for organizing Indian removal

b)

To establish guidelines for incorporating new western territories into the U.S.

c)

To establish a system for dividing and distributing land in western territories

d)

To provide guidelines for establishing self-governance in newly settled western territories

25.

Why did the Anti-Federalists argue against the Constitution?

a)

They thought the Constitution would raise federal taxes

b)

The Anti-Federalists did not read the Federalist Papers

c)

They instead wanted a strong central government with weakened state governments

d)

They believed a strong central government and a Constitution excluding the Bill of Rights was a recipe for disaster