Final Sample Questions

Which of the following was not one of the four main groups that combined in the 1850s to form the Republican Party? A. a group led by moral fervor who demanded the prohibition of slavery B. a group that opposed slavery in the western territories, but would not interfere with it where it already existed C. a Catholic group that wanted to cleanse America of intemperance and immorality and that considered Protestantism part of that immorality D. a group that wanted the federal government to promote economic development and the dignity of labor

C. a Catholic group that wanted to cleanse America of intemperance and immorality and that considered Protestantism part of that immorality

The period of American history after the War for American Independence in which the United States was formally independent from England, but was still vulnerable to the actions of England and other European powers, is known as the period of ________. A. anti-aggression B. civil administration C. neo-colonialism D. postmodernism

C. neo-colonialism

The period of American history after the War for American Independence in which the United States was formally independent from England, but was still vulnerable to the actions of England and other European powers, is known as the period of ________. A. anti-aggression B. civil administration C. neo-colonialism D. postmodernism

C. neo-colonialism

Which of the following was *NOT* one of the three distinct types of cities that emerged during the years of rapid economic growth in the mid-1800s? A. commercial centers B. mill towns C. religious communities D. transportation hubs

C. religious communities

By 1840, the city of _____ had grown to become the third-largest industrial center in the United States, with a population of 40,382 and a variety of industries in a variety of stages of development.

Cincinnati

_____ laws required married women to transfer their property to their husbands.

Coverture

What country was the world's largest producer of cane sugar by 1840?

Cuba

Which of the following was not one of the justifications for slavery that was provided in the American South in the mid-nineteenth century? A. A biblical justification that was based in part on the curse that had fallen upon the son of Ham, one of Noah's children. B. A legal justification that rested on the Constitution's refusal to forbid slavery. C. A pseudo-scientific justification that argued that blacks had been created separately as an inherently inferior race. D. A historical justification that suggested that all of the great ancient civilizations had fallen because they did not have slavery.

D. A historical justification that suggested that all of the great ancient civilizations had fallen because they did not have slavery.

Which of the following was not among forms of black protest to slavery? A. breaking tools B. self-mutilation C. faking sickness and menstrual cramps D. All of the above were forms of black protest to slavery.

D. All of the above were forms of black protest to slavery.

Which of the following was an issue that reformers between the 1830s and 1850s prominently addressed? A. alcohol B. health C. sexuality D. All of the above were issues that reformers between the 1830s and 1850s prominently addressed.

D. All of the above were issues that reformers between the 1830s and 1850s prominently addressed.

Approximately what fraction of all free males between the ages of 15 and 59 served in the army during the Civil War?

1/3

Which of the following statements about slavery in Latin America is NOT correct? A. Among Latin American slaves, there was a preponderance of enslaved African women and a greater absence of men than in the United States. B. Slavery in Latin America emerged out of economic necessity to provide labor where the indigenous population of Indians could not be replaced. C. The conditions of work in places like Bolivia and Brazil were as harsh as in American cotton fields. D. Unlike in the United States, where natural births increased the slave population, Latin Americans used the African slave trade to replenish lost labor.

A. Among Latin American slaves, there was a preponderance of enslaved African women and a greater absence of men than in the United States.

Which of the following was NOT one of the four main issues that Zachary Taylor faced upon becoming president? A. California qualified for statehood, but would enter as a slave state and, thus, upset the slave-free state balance in the Senate. B. The status of Mexican cessation in the Southwest was unresolved. C. Slavery, including a huge slave market, existed within the nation's capital. D. Southerners resented the lax federal enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793.

A. California qualified for statehood, but would enter as a slave state and, thus, upset the slave-free state balance in the Senate.

The Ostend Manifesto from 1854 argued that what country "belongs naturally" to the United States? A. Cuba B. Haiti C. Mexico D. Panama

A. Cuba

The _______ was an agency that was established just after the Civil War to promote African Americans' economic well-being. A. Freedman's Bureau B. Liberty Caucus C. Lincoln Organization D. Trail of Tears

A. Freedman's Bureau

The _______ supposedly validated Spanish and Mexican land titles in the West, but it led to land disputes that took an average of seventeen years to clear up. A. Gwin Land Law B. Homestead Act C. Monroe Doctrine D. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

A. Gwin Land Law

Which of the following was not a characteristic of American cities in the early nineteenth century? A. Populations in urban places of more than 2,500 residents grew much more slowly than the national average population growth. B. The gap between richer and poorer inhabitants in Northeastern cities widened. C. Urban growth brought increasing congestion together with serious problems of public health and safety. D. Cities remained small enough that residents could stroll from one side of town to the other.

A. Populations in urban places of more than 2,500 residents grew much more slowly than the national average population growth.

_______ is the name for the era following the Civil War in which the states that had formed the Confederacy were reintegrated into the Union. A. Reconstruction B. Redetermination C. Reparation D. Reunionization

A. Reconstruction

The Gadsden Purchase consisted of _______. A. a strip of southwestern desert for a transcontinental railroad linking the Deep South with the Pacific Coast B. a tract of land in the Pacific Northwest that allowed for travel by foot around mountains within the United States border C. a small area of land that ran between the Rio Grande and Mississippi Rivers D. a line of coastal land that connected the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States to Alaska

A. a strip of southwestern desert for a transcontinental railroad linking the Deep South with the Pacific Coast

The Gadsden Purchase consisted of _______. A. a strip of southwestern desert for a transcontinental railroad linking the Deep South with the Pacific Coast B. a tract of land in the Pacific Northwest that allowed for travel by foot around mountains within the United States border C. a small area of land that ran between the Rio Grande and Mississippi Rivers D. a line of coastal land that connected the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States to Alaska

A. a strip of southwestern desert for a transcontinental railroad linking the Deep South with the Pacific Coast

Which of the following was not an effect that Northeastern agricultural patterns had on the environment in the mid-nineteenth century? A. increase in forestation B. disappearance of wildlife C. soil depletion D. All of the above were effects of Northeastern agricultural patterns on the environment in the mid-nineteenth century.

A. increase in forestation

Which of the following was not an effect that Northeastern agricultural patterns had on the environment in the mid-nineteenth century? A. increase in forestation B. disappearance of wildlife C. soil depletion D. All of the above were effects of Northeastern agricultural patterns on the environment in the mid-nineteenth century.

A. increase in forestation

Which of the following was a guiding principle of the presidential administration of Andrew Jackson? A. majority rule B. extended power of the national government C. emphasis on the interests of the monied aristocracy over the interests of the average people D. recognition of the sovereignty and claims to land of Native Americans

A. majority rule

Which of the following was NOT a role of the plantation mistress in Southern slavery? A. to develop her own educational faculties B. to improve her husband's morals C. to act as a chaste lady, though her husband had nearly unrestricted sexual access to slave women D. to serve as a resourceful, responsible manager of numerous plantation affairs

A. to develop her own educational faculties

By 1862, the length of the Civil War was contributing to significant political dissension both in the North and in the South. A. true B. false

A. true

In the early nineteenth century, the emergence of the new staple crop of _______ reinvigorated the economy of the Southern United States. A. corn B. cotton C. tobacco D. wheat

B. cotton

In his inaugural address in 1861, Abraham Lincoln stated that he would work to force all states in the United States to abolish slavery. A. true B. false

B. false

Most southern whites in the early nineteenth century were slaveholders. A. true B. false

B. false

The "free soil" position on slavery was that slavery should be extended only to new states that were below the state of Kansas. A. true B. false

B. false

On which of the following fronts did women see the development of more opportunities in the early nineteenth century? A. increased roles in Christian churches B. opportunities for education C. opportunities to hold elected office D. the right to vote

B. opportunities for education

In _______, individuals would receive seed, fertilizer, implements, food, and clothing in return for a landlord telling them what and how much to grow and taking a share of the harvest. A. multifarming B. sharecropping C. slavery D. tenant farming

B. sharecropping

Which of the following was not a factor in the economic growth that developed in the North in the mid-nineteenth century? A. abundant natural resources B. substantial population decline C. improved transportation D. capital investment

B. substantial population decline

Which of the following was not a crisis that the United States faced after the Civil War? A. The status of the former Confederate states was unclear. B. The South had been devastated by the war. C. While the Democratic Party dominated Congress, a former Republican slaveholder named Jefferson Davis occupied the Presidency. D. Resentment, bitterness, anger, and despair ran throughout both the North and the South.

C. While the Democratic Party dominated Congress, a former Republican slaveholder named Jefferson Davis occupied the Presidency.

Which of the following was NOT among the reasons that many Americans felt ambivalence toward economic and social changes that were occurring in the North and Old Northwest in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century? A. While supporting education as a means to economic growth, many Americans also firmly believed in its social value as a place to mold student character and promote virtuous habits. B. While Americans welcomed economic progress, many also feared its unsettling results. C. Many worried that rapid change undermined the American family and turned children into barbarians. D. Americans no longer followed Benjamin Franklin's message of hard work.

D. Americans no longer followed Benjamin Franklin's message of hard work.

Which of the following was NOT among the reasons that many Americans felt ambivalence toward economic and social changes that were occurring in the North and Old Northwest in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century? A. While supporting education as a means to economic growth, many Americans also firmly believed in its social value as a place to mold student character and promote virtuous habits. B. While Americans welcomed economic progress, many also feared its unsettling results. C. Many worried that rapid change undermined the American family and turned children into barbarians. D. Americans no longer followed Benjamin Franklin's message of hard work.

D. Americans no longer followed Benjamin Franklin's message of hard work.

Which of the following statements about the development of western cities in the mid-1800s is CORRECT? A. Cities were not integral to frontier life. B. Western cities always maintained their distinctiveness in terms of patterns of development. C. Young families looking to settle down made up a disproportionate share of their populations. D. Bustling commercial life offered residents a wide range of occupations and services.

D. Bustling commercial life offered residents a wide range of occupations and services.

Which of the following statements about the effect of the Civil War on women is NOT correct? A. With many men in the armies, women had to find jobs and sustain farms. B. Many women became nurses who aided soldiers. C. Many women gained administrative experience in the United States Sanitary Commission. D. Changes that women experienced during the Civil War tended to remain in effect after the war ended.

D. Changes that women experienced during the Civil War tended to remain in effect after the war ended.

Which of the following was a characteristic of the Mormon settlements in Utah in the mid-nineteenth century? A. Strong group identity was discouraged. B. Mormons focused on killing rather than converting Native Americans. C. There was very strict separation of Church and state. D. Most Mormons were farmers.

D. Most Mormons were farmers.

_______ was the United States' pronouncement that the Americas were closed to European colonization and that the United States would consider as dangerous to its peace and safety any attempts to extend Europe's political influence into the Western Hemisphere. A. The Emancipation Proclamation B. The Jeffersonian Accord C. The Manifest Destiny D. The Monroe Doctrine

D. The Monroe Doctrine

Which of the following was *not* one of the reasons why the North won the Civil War? A. The North's naval strategy paid off. B. The South had a woefully inadequate transportation system. C. Measures like conscription and taxes that were used to strengthen the South's ability to win the war were inconsistent with the ideas that helped to give birth to the Confederacy. D. The North focused only on destruction of the South's armies, recognizing that destruction of resources was a waste of time.

D. The North focused only on destruction of the South's armies, recognizing that destruction of resources was a waste of time.

The _______ was the removal of the Cherokee people from eastern lands to Oklahoma. A. Emancipation Proclamation B. Manifest Destiny C. Monroe Doctrine D. Trail of Tears

D. Trail of Tears

Led by the likes of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, the _______ movement urged Americans to look inward and to nature for self-knowledge and self-reliance. A. Abolitionism B. Know-Nothing C. Mormonism D. Transcendentalism

D. Transcendentalism

Which of following states did not stay in the Union during the Civil War? A. Kentucky B. Maryland C. Missouri D. Virginia

D. Virginia

Which of the following was not a part of the United States' policy toward Native Americans from 1790-1830? A. treaties in which Native Americans ceded land in return for trade goods, yearly annuity payments, and assurances that there would be no further demands B. regulation of the fur trade C. attempts to Christianize Native Americans and assimilate them into white society D. violent takeover of Native American lands

D. violent takeover of Native American lands

As a leader in the Tennessee militia, Andrew Jackson gained the nickname "Old _____."

Hickory

Upon its creation as a nation, the Southern Confederacy chose _______ as its provisional president.

Jefferson Davis

Mob violence in May 1856 in the city of _______ marked the beginning of the phenomenon that became known as "Bleeding Kansas" in which northern sympathizers and southern sympathizers enacted violence toward one another as they struggled for control of the state of Kansas.

Lawrence

Published by William Lloyd Garrison beginning on January 1, 1831, _____ became the leading antislavery journal in the United States.

Liberator

In the case of _____, the Supreme Court established the principle of judicial review, which meant that the Supreme Court had the authority to judge the constitutionality of congressional laws and executive actions.

Marbury vs. Madison

A speech by _______ at a women's rights convention in Akron, Ohio, in 1851 became famous for pointing out the combination of her childbearing and her backbreaking work as a slave.

Sojourner Truth

Nat Turner led the most famous slave revolt, which took place in 1831 in _____ County, Virginia.

Southampton

The first agreement between the Plains Indians and the United States government was the _______ Treaty.

Treaty of Fort Laramie

In what state did the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads meet, linking the nation by railroad from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean?

Utah

In the American South after the Civil War, _______ laws stated that black individuals who were not lawfully employed by a white employer could be arrested, jailed, fined, or hired out to a man who would assume responsibility for their debts and behavior.

Vagrancy Laws

_______ was the system of slavery utilized by wealthy white Southerners in which they claimed a privileged status as social "betters," insisted on being treated with deference by those below them, and provided for the necessities of slaves as if caring for those who were "inferior." A. Abolitionism B. Paternalism C. Republicanism D. Transcendentalism

B. Paternalism

The _______ of 1820 drew a line at latitude 36°309 dividing lands that would be open to slavery from those that would not. A. Kansas-Nebraska Act B. Missouri Compromise C. Monroe Doctrine D. Northwest Ordinance

B. Missouri Compromise

In the acquisition known as the _______, in 1853 the United States bought the land that currently constitutes the southern portions of the states of Arizona and New Mexico.

Gadsden Purchase

The _______ were laws passed in the South after the Civil War that qualified and reduced the rights of African Americans. A. Alien and Sedition Acts B. Black Codes C. Fugitive Slave Laws D. Redemption Statutes

B. Black Codes

_______ was a tactic based in the South's belief that the need for cotton would eventually force the English and French to recognize the Confederacy. A. Cotton Collusion B. Cotton Diplomacy C. Cotton Gin D. Cotton Warfare

B. Cotton Diplomacy

Which of the following statements about poor white southerners in the mid-nineteenth century is not correct? A. Many eked out an existence in isolated, inhospitable areas. B. Despite bad living conditions, they generally maintained good health. C. They gained a reputation as lazy, shiftless, and illiterate. D. They stayed poor partly because the slave system allowed the planter class to accumulate a disproportionate amount of land and political power.

B. Despite bad living conditions, they generally maintained good health.

The _______ Amendment to the Constitution prohibited denial of vote because of race, color, or previous servitude. A. Thirteenth B. Fifteenth C. Nineteenth D. Twenty-first

B. Fifteenth

_______ was an ex-slave who forged a free black man's papers to gain his freedom, then went on to work toward the antislavery cause, particularly by writing a narrative of his life that exposed the many evils of slavery. A. John Brown B. Frederick Douglass C. James Gadsden D. Eli Whitney

B. Frederick Douglass

Which of the following was not one of the distinctions between the Democrats and the Whigs in the Second American Party System? A. Democrats focused on state and local autonomy, while Whigs focused on national power. B. Immigrants tended to support the Whigs. C. Democrats supported low tariffs, while Whigs supported high tariffs. D. Democrats tended to be from the South and West, while Whigs tended to be from New England, the Middle Atlantic, and the Upper Midwest.

B. Immigrants tended to support the Whigs.

In 1855, _______ became a significant battleground as Northerners and Southerners sought to populate the state and control its legislature. A. Colorado B. Kansas C. Oklahoma D. Texas

B. Kansas

Which of the following states was not part of the dispute that produced the war with Mexico from 1846-1848? A. California B. Louisiana C. New Mexico D. Texas

B. Louisiana

The town of _______ became known in the mid-1800s as the "model" Massachusetts textile town. A. Amherst B. Lowell C. Northampton D. Springfield

B. Lowell

The first president to be impeached was _______. A. Bill Clinton B. Ulysses S. Grant C. Andrew Johnson D. Richard Nixon

C. Andrew Johnson

Which of the following was not a characteristic of free black communities in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries? A. By 1820, most black men and women in northern cities lived in autonomous households. B. Schools educated black children who were excluded from white academies. C. Black churches became less important to black community life. D. Mutual aid societies offered help to the poor.

C. Black churches became less important to black community life.

In the _______ Case, the Supreme Court ruled that black men were inferior, were not citizens and had no right to sue in court and that Congress had no power to ban slavery in a territory. A. John Brown B. Frederick Douglass C. Dred Scott D. Nat Turner

C. Dred Scott

Which of the following was not one of the motivations and causes of reform in America in the mid-nineteenth century? A. changes in relationships between masters and workers as a result of the market economy, growth of cities, and increasing immigration B. psychological anxieties caused by shifting class and ethnic relationships C. Enlightenment emphasis on putting individual interests before citizenship D. Puritan and Revolutionary traditions of the American mission to remake the world

C. Enlightenment emphasis on putting individual interests before citizenship

Which of the following was a consequence of the War of 1812? A. Andrew Jackson fell from national prominence. B. The war increased the threat of other nations interfering in the affairs of the United States. C. Europe entered what would prove to be nearly a century free of general war. D. The war resolved issues involving neutral rights and American access to Canadian fisheries.

C. Europe entered what would prove to be nearly a century free of general war.

Occurring on October 16, 1859, _______ attacked a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, and hoped to provoke a general uprising of slaves throughout the Upper South or at least provide arms for slaves to make their way to freedom. A. Bleeding Kansas Rebellion B. the Free Soil Party C. John Brown's Raid D. Popé's Revolt

C. John Brown's Raid

In the mid-1800s, the _______ Party promoted anti-Catholic sentiments while appealing to Protestant middle and lower class whites who were worried about their jobs and farmers and small-town Americans who were nervous about change. A. Democratic B. Freedman's C. Know-Nothing D. Socialist

C. Know-Nothing

Which of the following was a characteristic of mining towns in the West in the mid-nineteenth century? A. Most of the inhabitants of mining towns were married men and women with families. B. Unlike isolated farming communities, the mining communities took a long time to build up. C. Mining towns tolerated behavior that would have been unacceptable farther east. D. Racial discrimination was rare in mining towns.

C. Mining towns tolerated behavior that would have been unacceptable farther east.

Which of the following was not one of the features of Republican Rule in the decade following the Civil War? A. Diverse coalitions made up the new governments of the Southern states. B. The primary accomplishment of Republican rule in the South was to eliminate undemocratic features from prewar state constitutions. C. Republican governments denied all generous railroad and other capital investment bonds. D. The Republicans greatly increased tax rates and state debts.

C. Republican governments denied all generous railroad and other capital investment bonds.

The _______ was a wave of religious revivals that swept through the United States from the late 1790s to the late 1830s. A. Emancipation Proclamation B. Revolution of 1800 C. Second Great Awakening D. Trail of Tears

C. Second Great Awakening

Which of the following statements about the reasons why Americans went to the West in the mid-nineteenth century is not correct? A. Many emigrants believed that the West would offer rich opportunities. B. Some emigrants went west for health. C. Though government policies made it more difficult to get land, land owners were allowing people to rent cheaply. D. Some went west to establish a society built around their religious beliefs.

C. Though government policies made it more difficult to get land, land owners were allowing people to rent cheaply.

Which of the following statements about the reasons why Americans went to the West in the mid-nineteenth century is not correct? A. Many emigrants believed that the West would offer rich opportunities. B. Some emigrants went west for health. C. Though government policies made it more difficult to get land, land owners were allowing people to rent cheaply. D. Some went west to establish a society built around their religious beliefs.

C. Though government policies made it more difficult to get land, land owners were allowing people to rent cheaply.

Which of the following was *not* a characteristic of the class structure of cities in the United States in the middle decades of the nineteenth century? A. A new working and middle class took shape. B. Urban slums developed. C. Wealth became less concentrated. D. New expectations of male and female roles emerged within the middle class.

C. Wealth became less concentrated.

As the most significant achievement in canal construction of the 1820s and 1830s, the 363-mile-long _____ linked New York City to the Old Northwest.

Erie Canal