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American History Quiz

Total questions: 95

Worksheet time: 49mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What was the purpose of the Judiciary Act of 1789?

a)

This act strengthened the Supreme Court by establishing the principle of judicial review

b)

This act established the federal court system

c)

This act elected the members of the Supreme Court and determined that they would serve for life

d)

This act eliminated all local courts in favor of a regional court system in the United States

2.

Hamilton's financial plan included all of the following except

a)

Assume the debts of the states

b)

Establish the National Bank

c)

Impose a tariff

d)

Outlaw trade with Great Britain

3.

Pinckney's Treaty allowed the United States to

a)

Purchase what would become the state of Alaska

b)

Use the Mississippi River and trade in New Orleans

c)

Take over lands in Florida and Georgia

d)

Defend against British impressment of sailors

4.

Hoping to avoid war with Britain, Washington sent John Jay to Britain to negotiate what came to be called

a)

The Treaty of San Lorenzo

b)

The Virginia Resolution

c)

The Kentucky Resolution

d)

Jay's Treaty

5.

The theory advanced in the Kentucky Resolutions stating that if the federal government passed an unconstitutional law, the states had the right to declare it invalid is called the theory of

a)

Interposition

b)

States' rights

c)

Nullification

d)

State sovereignty

6.

Who led the expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory and search for a water route to the Pacific Ocean?

a)

Meriweather Lewis

b)

Zebulon Pike

7.

The Battle of New Orleans made this person an American hero.

a)

Andrew Jackson

b)

Zebulon Pike

c)

William Henry Harrison

d)

Tecumseh

8.

To stamp out Tecumseh's movement, William Henry Harrison gathered a force in 1811, marched towards Prophetstown and fought in what is known as the

a)

Battle of Lake Champlain

b)

Battle of Tippecanoe

c)

Battle of New Orleans

d)

Treaty of Ghent

9.

The war between Britain and France put President Washington in a difficult position because

a)

He opposed going to war, but most Americans wanted to supported Great Britain

b)

He opposed going to war, but most Americans wanted to support France

c)

A treaty required the US to defend France’s colonies in the Caribbean

d)

A treaty required the US to defend Britain’s colonies in the Caribbean

10.

Some leaders opposed the Bank of the United States because they believed

a)

The Constitution did not give the federal government the power to create a bank

b)

The paper money issued by the bank would soon be worthless

c)

Southern planters would own most of the stock because only they could afford it

d)

The Constitution expressly forbade the federal government from creating a bank

11.

The XYZ Affair concerned

a)

French demands for bribes from the US

b)

American demands for bribes from France

c)

British demands for bribes from the US

d)

American demands for bribes from Britain

12.

The US gained the Louisiana Territory by

a)

Buying it from France

b)

Buying it from Spain

c)

winning it in the War of 1812

d)

Winning it in the Quasi- War

13.

Francis Scott Key wrote the "Star Spangled Banner" after

a)

The burning of the White House

b)

The Treaty of Ghent

c)

The bombardment of Ft. McHenry

d)

The Battle of New Orleans

14.

Aaron Burr fought a duel with

a)

Alexander Hamilton

b)

Thomas Jefferson

c)

James Madison

d)

Elbridge Gerry

15.

What did George Washington consider a "grave danger" to the new nation?

a)

Settlers moving west

b)

National taxes

c)

France’s influence

d)

Political parties

16.

Between 1816 and 1824, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled in three important cases that established the dominance of the nation over the

a)

States

b)

Courts

c)

Europeans

d)

Church

17.

President Monroe declared in 1823 that the American continents were no longer to be considered for colonization by European powers in a proclamation later called

a)

The Monroe Doctrine

b)

Monroe’s Proclamation

c)

Quadruple Alliance

d)

Adams-Onis Treaty

18.

Communications improved when American inventor Samuel Morse perfected the

a)

Telegraph

b)

Interchangeable parts

c)

Steamboat

d)

Radio

19.

Even though cities expanded in the Northeast during the early 1800s, what was the country’s leading economic activity

a)

Ship building

b)

Manufacturing

c)

Agriculture

d)

Mining

20.

The change from home based workshops to factories that often housed hundreds of machines and workers was one of several basic developments of

a)

Labor unions

b)

The Industrial Revolution

c)

The revolution in transportation

d)

Strikes

21.

What made river travel more reliable and upstream travel easier?

a)

Canals

b)

Steamboats

c)

Sails

d)

Iron horse

22.

The crop that played the greatest role in the South’s fortunes was

a)

Tobacco

b)

Cotton

c)

Sugarcane

d)

Rice

23.

Since the House of Representatives had a majority of Northerners in 1819, admitting any new state, either slave or free, would upset the balance in the

a)

Senate

b)

Judicial system

c)

City governments

d)

State governments

24.

A cotton gin

a)

Picks cotton

b)

Spins cotton into cloth

c)

Removes cotton seeds

d)

Bales cotton

25.

An effect of the cotton gin was

a)

The Civil War

b)

The expansion of farmlands in the South and an increase in slavery

c)

An increase in factory jobs for free people of color

d)

None of the above

26.

Which of the following is NOT true of trains in the early 1800s?

a)

They traveled much faster than coaches or wagons

b)

They were a clean and comfortable way to travel

c)

They helped settle the West

d)

They helped expand trade between the nation's different regions

27.

One of the most important parts of African American culture was

a)

Work

b)

Religion

c)

Language

d)

Music

28.

By 1850, some 238,000 free African Americans resided in the

a)

Mississippi River Valley

b)

North

c)

Southeast

d)

South

29.

The Era of Good Feelings refers to

a)

A time of health and wellness for most Americans

b)

A time without political parties and peace in the United States

c)

A time without a government in the United States

d)

Our current time in history

30.

What act did Congress pass in order to relocate Native Americans?

a)

Naturalization Act

b)

Relocation Act

c)

Alien Act

d)

Indian Removal Act

31.

Which president’s popularity with the “common man” changed politics?

a)

Martin Van Buren

b)

John Quincy Adams

c)

Andrew Jackson

d)

William Henry Harrison

32.

Which of the following showed that the federal government would not allow a state to go its own way without a fight?

a)

Suffrage

b)

Force Bill

c)

Bureaucracy

d)

Spoils system

33.

Which person was a favorite son candidate from Tennessee in the 1824 election?

a)

Henry Clay

b)

John Tyler

c)

Andrew Jackson

d)

Martin Van Buren

34.

The people who formed utopian communities believed that

a)

Society tended to corrupt humans

b)

government must be reformed

c)

Humans were basically bad

d)

People needed more faith

35.

In the North, people generally ______ the abolitionist movement.

a)

Supported

b)

opposed

c)

Were indifferent to

d)

Had a wide range of views on

36.

The largest group of immigrants, almost 2 million, came from

a)

Germany

b)

Italy

c)

Ireland

d)

Russia

37.

This movement encourages people to overcome the limits of their minds and let their souls reach out to embrace the beauty of the universe.

a)

Universalists

b)

transcendentalists

c)

Utopianists

d)

Nativists

38.

By the mid 1800s, especially in Northeastern states, the development of factories and other work centers separated the workplace from the

a)

Church

b)

reform centers

c)

Home

d)

Public school system

39.

The spirit of reform prompted Americans to consider ways to improve the

a)

Benevolent societies

b)

transportation systems

c)

Temperance movement

d)

Prison system

40.

Boston’s anti-slavery newspaper was known as the

a)

Liberator

b)

Anti-Slavery Times

c)

New Man

d)

Wisdom

41.

The rapid development of a large national abolitionist movement in the 1830s was largely due to the efforts of one man:

a)

Nat Turner

b)

Charles Finney

c)

William Lloyd Garrison

d)

David Walker

42.

Large numbers of Irish immigrants began leaving their homeland in the 1840s because

a)

They were seeking religious freedom

b)

They were fleeing political turmoil

c)

They were seeking better paying jobs

d)

They were fleeing famine in Ireland

43.

Which reason motivated industrialists in the North to favor tariffs in the early 1800s?

a)

Tariffs would increase the demand for American manufactured goods

b)

Tariffs would increase prices of raw materials from the West

c)

Tariffs would improve the quality of American made products

d)

Tariffs would result in more revenue for the federal government

44.

Why did President Jackson oppose renewing the charter of the Second Bank of the US?

a)

The bank restricted Jackson from raising tariffs

b)

The bank did not permit the use of gold and silver in currency

c)

The bank had too much power over the economy and favored the wealthy

d)

The bank had corrupt leadership that threatened foreign trade and domestic industries

45.

Which of the following was NOT an issue during the era of the Age of Jackson?

a)

The Civil War

b)

attempts to remove the Native Americans west of the Mississippi

c)

The Nullification Crisis

d)

the national bank crisis

46.

Normal schools were established in the early 1800s to

a)

Teach children how to read

b)

Train teachers

c)

Educate women

d)

Educate African American children

47.

All of the following were factors that helped Jackson win the presidency in 1828 EXCEPT:

a)

Jackson’s humble background and military heroism

b)

Expanded voting rights enabled many new people to participate

c)

Jackson appealed to the common people

d)

The new Whig party supported and funded Jackson’s campaign

48.

Which headline could have accompanied the election of Andrew Jackson as president?

a)

A Victory for the Common Man

b)

As Usual, No Change

c)

A Hero Leads the Republican Party

d)

Weak, Indecisive Leader Takes Power

49.

The Seneca Falls convention was about all of the following EXCEPT:

a)

Voting rights for women

b)

Protective laws for women whose husbands die

c)

Property laws for women

d)

Abolition of slavery

50.

Which group decided the presidential election of 1824?

a)

The Electoral College

b)

the House of Representatives

c)

The popular vote

d)

The Vice President

51.

Why was the removal of the Cherokee people from Georgia called the Trail of Tears?

a)

The Cherokee traveled mainly by water

b)

The Cherokee left a trail so other Native Americans could find them

c)

The Cherokee suffered and were unhappy when they left their homeland

d)

The Cherokee’s trail disappeared after they left

52.

Jackson’s ideas about political rights and equality included

a)

All men

b)

All white women and white men

c)

Everyone who lived in the US

d)

Only white males

53.

The increase in the number of voters in the 1820s and 1830s and the arrival of millions of new immigrants convinced many people of the need for

a)

Public education

b)

new transportation systems

c)

New voting laws

d)

Immigration laws

54.

The __________ was characterized by nativism and vowed to never vote for a Catholic candidate.

a)

Whig Party

b)

Know-Nothing Party

c)

Democratic Party

d)

Republican Party

55.

In December 1816, antislavery reformers founded the American Colonization Society to move African Americans to

a)

The Caribbean

b)

the North

c)

Africa

d)

The West

56.

Andrew Jackson supported the spoils system because he believed it

a)

Brought into government the country’s most educated people

b)

Opened the government up to ordinary people

c)

Encouraged good workers to stay in their government jobs

d)

Attracted young thinkers into public service

57.

Romanticism emphasized all of the following EXCEPT

a)

Feeling over reason

b)

Inner spirituality over external rules

c)

Society over the individual

d)

Nature over environments created by man

58.

In the 1840s and 1850s, Mormons led by Brigham Young settled in

a)

In present-day Utah.

b)

Along the Santa Fe Trail.

c)

In Illinois.

d)

Throughout present-day California and Oregon

59.

Manifest Destiny was the idea that the United States was meant to

a)

Work closely with Native Americans.

b)

Spread to the Pacific Ocean.

c)

Avoid military conflicts.

d)

Protect the environment

60.

What happened to the Texan forces at the Alamo?

a)

They declared Texas independent

b)

They negotiated a truce

c)

They were defeated

d)

They won a major victory

61.

Which event, beginning in 1849, had a lasting effect on California's economy?

a)

Discovery of gold

b)

Growth of industry

c)

Shipping to the North

d)

Trade with Mexico

62.

What was the last country to challenge US control of Oregon?

a)

Mexico

b)

Britain

c)

Russia

d)

Spain

63.

Who controlled Texas at the time of its annexation?

a)

Mexico

b)

Spain

64.

The primary goal of manifest destiny was the

a)

Abolition of slavery

b)

Removal of European influence from South America

c)

Expansion of the US to the Pacific Ocean

d)

Creation of a Mormon state

65.

Which practice made the Mormons few friends in much of the United States?

a)

Bigamy

b)

Polygamy

c)

Cannibalism

d)

Racism

66.

Americans went West

a)

To discover the Indian Ocean

b)

To hire less expensive workers and expand industry

c)

To find new jobs in factories

d)

To farm and ranch where land was plentiful and fertile

67.

People who went to California in search of gold were called

a)

Fools

b)

Mountain men

c)

49ers

d)

Lakers

68.

Which of the following is a danger faced on the Oregon Trail?

a)

Diseases like typhoid and cholera

b)

Impressment

c)

Attacks by British soldiers

d)

Polar bear attacks

69.

A positive effect of Manifest Destiny is

a)

US gained more land

b)

US won more wars

c)

Slavery spread throughout the country

d)

Tensions regarding slavery increased

70.

What does the Lone Star Republic refer to?

a)

The state of Texas

b)

The territory gained by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

c)

The Republic of Texas

71.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo required all of the following EXCEPT:

a)

The US paid 15 million dollars to Mexico

b)

Mexico ceded the California to the US

c)

Mexico ceded most of the Southwest to the US

d)

Texas was returned to Mexico

72.

Which of the following was a result of the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850?

a)

The slave trade ended

b)

Slavery was declared unconstitutional

c)

Only slave states were admitted into the Union

d)

Political power was balanced between slave and free states

73.

How did the decision stated in the Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) case affect the lives of enslaved people?

a)

It restricted slavery to states alone and not territories

b)

It allowed enslaved people to sue for their freedom in state courts

c)

It confirmed enslaved people were property and cannot bring a case to a federal court

d)

It determined enslaved people could travel across state lines when seeking freedom

74.

How did many Southern slaveholders view the issue of slavery?

a)

As a source of labor, slavery was an economic issue.

b)

Slavery was considered immoral and should be abolished.

c)

Slavery was considered a historical tradition that should be maintained to keep cultural ties with the past.

d)

As a source of controversy, slavery was considered a political problem the federal government should solve.

75.

How did both the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850 contribute to differences between free and enslaved African Americans?

a)

The institution of slavery was allowed in some new states while other states allowed freedom for African Americans.

b)

Both compromises expanded rights for enslaved African Americans, but limited the rights of free African Americans in new free states.

c)

Free African Americans gained new rights to vote and hold office in new free states while enslaved African Americans lacked any rights.

d)

Both compromises limited the spread of slavery to east of the Mississippi River, allowing enslaved African Americans who escaped slavery to gain their freedom and political rights in free states.

76.

Chorus from "John Brown's Body," a folk song "John Brown's body lies a mouldering in the grave, but his soul goes marching on." Which of the following people would have been most likely to sing this song?

a)

a. a southern plantation owner

b)

b. a supporter of popular sovereignty

c)

c. an abolitionist

d)

d. a border ruffian

77.

When did differences regarding slavery begin between the North and the South?

a)

1789 - American Constitution

b)

1820 - Missouri Compromise

c)

1850 - Compromise of 1850

d)

1857 - John Brown's raids

78.

What was the main topic of the Lincoln Douglas Debates?

a)

Admission of Illinois to the Union

b)

Economic issues

c)

Slavery

d)

War with Mexico

79.

What did the Missouri Compromise primarily state?

a)

Missouri was north of the compromised line, so it was given special status as a slave state.

b)

Missourians would be able to vote on whether or not to allow slavery.

c)

Missouri would be admitted as a slave state as long as Maine could be a free state.

d)

Both Missouri and Kansas would be considered “sovereign states” in which they would vote yes or no for slavery.

80.

What did the Fugitive Act state?

a)

runaway slaves could be kept.

b)

runaway slaves had to be returned to their rightful masters.

c)

runaway slaves were granted freedom.

d)

runaway slaves had the right to beat their masters if they came after them.

81.

What did the Kansas-Nebraska Act state?

a)

they were to become free states

b)

they were to become slave states

c)

they were to choose for themselves

d)

it was to be decided by the government

82.

One reason Southerners were upset at the results of the election of 1860 is

a)

Lincoln promised war with the South

b)

Southern states were immediately to turn over all slaves

c)

Lincoln didn’t appear on the ballot in 9 states, yet was elected president

d)

Breckinridge had won the popular vote

83.

Lincoln was largely unknown prior to the

a)

1856 presidential election

b)

1858 Senate election

c)

1860 presidential election

d)

1860 Senate election

84.

What were the importance/goals of the Underground Railroad?

a)

Was responsible for moving fugitive slaves by using a secret local network of individuals.

b)

To move goods from the East to the West.

c)

The Underground Railroad created jobs in a suffering economy in the South.

85.

Why was slavery important in the South?

a)

Plantation owners needed slaves to cook their meals.

b)

The land in the South provided farmers with good soil to grow cash crops but the land was so large that the Plantation owners needed more farm hands to work on the land.

c)

Factories began to spread and there was a greater need for free labor.

86.

Why was the Battle of New Orleans significant for Andrew Jackson's political career?

a)

It was his first military defeat

b)

It showcased his leadership and boosted his national fame

c)

It led directly to his presidency

d)

It was the last battle he fought

87.

As Americans moved west, tensions increased with the Native Americans. A Shawnee chief named ________ built a confederacy among Native American nations.

a)

Sacagawea

b)

Tecumseh

c)

Sitting Bull

d)

Geronimo

88.
What is the name given to the belief that the United States had the right and duty to expand across the North American continent?
a)
Manifest destiny 
b)
Monroe Doctrine 
c)
Great Awakening 
d)
Louisiana Purchase
89.

What group of politicians felt that Pres. Lincoln was going "too soft" on the South?

a)

Southern Republicans

b)

Demonstrative Democrats

c)

Radical Republicans

d)

None of the above

90.

Black Codes were put into place for what purpose?

a)

Assist Black citizens

b)

Oppress Black citizens

c)

Identify Black citizens

d)

Remove Black citizens

91.

What years were the Reconstruction Era?

a)

1865-1877

b)

1850 - 1900

c)

1863-1879

d)

1877-1890

92.

After General Robery E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House, the main priority United States was to-

a)

elect a new president and vice president

b)

complete construction of the Capitol

c)

establish Union forts in the former Confederate states

d)

implement a plan to bring Confederate states back into the Union.

93.

What was the primary reason for the construction of canals in the early 19th century?

a)

To facilitate faster passenger travel

b)

To improve trade and transportation of goods

c)

To provide irrigation for agriculture

d)

To enhance military defense capabilities

94.

Which invention most significantly boosted the cotton industry in the South?

a)

The mechanical reaper

b)

The steam engine

c)

The cotton gin

d)

The spinning jenny

95.

Which early American political party was known for its strong opposition to the First Bank of the United States?

a)

The Federalist Party

b)

The Whig Party

c)

The Democratic-Republican Party

d)

The National Republican Party