APUSH Unit 3 Progress Check: MCQ
"Today, two hundred and fifty years after the French and Indian War, most Americans are no more familiar with its events and significance than they are with those of the Peloponnesian War. Few know that George Washington struck the first spark of a war that set the British North American frontier ablaze from the Carolinas to Nova Scotia, then spread to Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, West Africa, India, and, finally, the Philippines. Historians call this immense conflict the Seven Years' War; . . . Winston Churchill described it as 'the first world war.'" Fred Anderson, The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War, 2005 The conclusion of the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War) had which of the following effects on Native American societies? A - Native Americans allied with Great Britain gained the right to become British citizens, angering the colonists. B - British and French officials agreed to force Native Americans to move to reservations west of the Mississippi River. C - Native Americans gained control of all of the western fur trade with British colonists. D - The British government attempted to restrict western settlement to reduce tensions between colonists and Native Americans.
Answer - D Explanation - In order to reduce conflicts between Native Americans and colonists, the British government passed but failed to enforce the Proclamation of 1763, prohibiting further westward settlement in the colonies.
The trend in the population percent increase from 1790 to 1800 most likely indicates which of the following? A - The rapid movement of migrants to newly settled states such as Kentucky and Tennessee B - The increased arrival of indentured servants in established areas in Virginia and Maryland C - The restriction of the international slave trade to North and South Carolina D - The growth of new industrial cities in Georgia
Answer - A Explanation - The significant percent population increase in the southern interior from 1790 to 1800—199 percent in Kentucky, 194 percent in Tennessee—can best be explained by the movement of settlers into areas with limited prior White settlement.
Which of the following best explains the depiction of George Washington in the painting? A - The development of a sense of American identity among Patriots B - The attempts of colonists to gain support for declaring independence C - The desire of colonists to commemorate conquests over Native Americans D - The tensions between northern and southern colonies during the Revolutionary War
Answer - A Explanation - As a hero celebrated for his leadership of the Continental Army, George Washington came to represent patriotism and American republican values for many Americans during the Revolutionary War and in the early United States. Images of Washington were reproduced throughout the country beginning in the later 1770s.
"Every British Subject born on the continent of America . . . is by the law of God and nature, by the common law, and by act of parliament, . . . entitled to all the natural, essential, inherent and inseparable rights of our fellow subjects in Great-Britain. Among those rights are the following . . . : ". . . Taxes are not to be laid on the people, but by their consent in person, or by [representatives]. ". . . I can see no reason to doubt, but that the imposition of taxes, whether on trade, or on land, or houses, or ships, . . . in the colonies is absolutely irreconcilable with the rights of the Colonists, as British subjects. . . . "The power of parliament is uncontrollable, . . . and we must obey. . . . Therefore let the parliament lay what burthens they please on us, we must, it is our duty to submit and patiently bear them till they . . . afford us relief by repealing such acts, as through mistake, or other human infirmities, have been suffered to pass, if they can be convinced that their proceedings are not constitutional." James Otis, The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved, pamphlet, 1764 By the 1770s, to which of the following groups would Otis' argument that the colonies "must obey" Parliament most appeal? A - Farmers in the New England colonies B - Loyalists in New York C - Enslaved people in the southern colonies D - Artisans in port cities
Answer - B Explanation - By the 1770s, Loyalists, many of whom were concentrated in New York, most supported the argument that the British North American colonies were bound to obey Parliament.
"Today, two hundred and fifty years after the French and Indian War, most Americans are no more familiar with its events and significance than they are with those of the Peloponnesian War. Few know that George Washington struck the first spark of a war that set the British North American frontier ablaze from the Carolinas to Nova Scotia, then spread to Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, West Africa, India, and, finally, the Philippines. Historians call this immense conflict the Seven Years' War; . . . Winston Churchill described it as 'the first world war.'" Fred Anderson, The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War, 2005 Which of the following best explains a result of the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War)? A - France sold the Louisiana Territory to Great Britain. B - Great Britain gained a claim to land extending to the Mississippi River. C - Great Britain and Spain established an alliance. D - British influence over its North American colonies decreased.
Answer - B Explanation - In the treaty that ended the Seven Years' War, France transferred its North American territorial claims east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain.
The percentages of White and African American populations in South Carolina shown in the table most directly suggest the... A - availability of land for settlement in the Deep South B - expansion of slavery in the Deep South C - growth of textile manufacturing in southern states D - reliance on immigrant labor in southern states
Answer - B Explanation - While the majority of South Carolina's population was White and the population was increasing in 1800, the growth of South Carolina's population was not driven by immigration at this time.
Which of the following best explains the spread of images of George Washington in the United States after the American Revolution? A - The republican belief that political power should be inherited B - The embrace of political party campaigning by electoral candidates C - The desire of Americans to develop a new national culture D - The refusal of former Loyalists to accept the outcome of the war
Answer - C Explanation - Following the American Revolution, many Americans desired to find ways to break away from dependence on British culture and to develop a new American national culture. The image and example of George Washington were used in such projects to define a new American nationalism.
"I have already intimated [warned] to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally. . . . The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension . . . is itself a frightful despotism. . . . "The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop. . . . Taking care always to keep ourselves by suitable establishments on a respectable defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies. "Harmony, liberal intercourse with all nations, are recommended by policy, humanity, and interest. But even our commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand; neither seeking nor granting exclusive favors or preferences; consulting the natural course of things; diffusing and diversifying by gentle means the streams of commerce, but forcing nothing." George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796 George Washington's suggestions about United States foreign relations reflect which of the following situations? A - The need to establish industries to export more goods B - The desire to encourage immigration from northern and western Europe C - The continued European colonial presence along United States borders D - The challenge of spreading American revolutionary ideals abroad
Answer - C Explanation - The excerpt reflects the continued presence of the British empire to the west and north of the current United States borders and of the Spanish empire to the south and southwest, as well as Washington's efforts to avoid conflicts with them.
"The Declaration of Independence, drawn up by the Continental Congress, was actually a declaration by 'thirteen united States of America' proclaiming that as 'Free and Independent States they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent States may of right do.' And the Articles of Confederation, for all the powers it theoretically gave to the Congress, did not in fact alter this independence. . . . Congressional resolutions continued to be mere recommendations which the states were left to enforce. . . . The Confederation was intended to be, and remained, a Confederation of sovereign states." Gordon S. Wood, historian, The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787, published in 1969 Which of the following evidence is used by the author to support his argument about state independence? A - The ability of state governments to nullify the laws of other states B - The ability of the central government to declare war C - The inability of state governments to collect taxes D - The inability of the central government to carry out many laws
Answer - D Explanation - The author cites the inability of the central government to enforce many laws as an example of the continued independence of the states.
"To understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man. "A state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another. . . . "The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it which obliges every one . . . that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions." John Locke, Two Treatises of Government, 1689 Interpretations of Locke's assertions regarding a "state of freedom" and a "state also of equality" most directly influenced which of the following? A - The grievances of American colonists during the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War) B - The political rhetoric of Patriots during the American Revolution C - The end of American involvement in the international slave trade D - The demands by colonists to settle beyond the current frontier boundaries
Answer - B Explanation - The grievances of the colonists during the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War) were not developed as political demands for natural rights.
"The preservation of the states in a certain degree of agency is indispensable. It will produce that collision between the different authorities which should be wished for in order to check each other. To attempt to abolish the states altogether, would degrade the councils of our country, would be impracticable, would be ruinous. [John Dickinson] compared the proposed national system to the solar system, in which the states were the planets, and ought to be left to move freely in their proper orbits. . . . If the state governments were excluded from all agency in the national one, and all power drawn from the people at large, the consequence would be, that the national government would move in the same direction as the state governments now do, and would run into all the same mischiefs [troubles]." John Dickinson, delegate from Delaware, summary of a speech at the Constitutional Convention from the notes of James Madison, 1787 The principle of federalism embodied in the United States Constitution had most in common with which of the following earlier aspects of British colonial government? A - The autonomy of colonial legislatures from Great Britain B - The absence of colonial representation in Parliament C - The enforcement of commercial regulations by British officials D - The authority of the king over his colonial governors
Answer - A Explanation - During the period of British salutary neglect of its North American colonies before 1763, colonial legislatures enjoyed relative autonomy from direct control by central authorities in London. This was similar to the relationship the framers of the Constitution hoped to establish between the state governments and the federal government under the Constitution.
"I have already intimated [warned] to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally. . . . The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension . . . is itself a frightful despotism. . . . "The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop. . . . Taking care always to keep ourselves by suitable establishments on a respectable defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies. "Harmony, liberal intercourse with all nations, are recommended by policy, humanity, and interest. But even our commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand; neither seeking nor granting exclusive favors or preferences; consulting the natural course of things; diffusing and diversifying by gentle means the streams of commerce, but forcing nothing." George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796 Washington most likely wrote about political parties for which of the following purposes? A - To warn the public that political parties result in national divisions B - To explain how political parties are good for the economy C - To assert that political parties only work in democratic republics D - To argue that political parties encourage foreign interference
Answer - A Explanation - In the excerpt, Washington warned that the continual "domination of one faction over another" would eventually result in strong political divisions among Americans.
"The United States [under the Articles of Confederation] has an indefinite discretion to make [requests] for men and money; but they have no authority to raise either, by regulations extending to the individual citizens of America. The consequence of this is, that though in theory their resolutions concerning those objects are laws, constitutionally binding on the members of the Union, yet in practice they are mere recommendations which the States observe or disregard at their option. "There is nothing absurd or impracticable in the idea of a league or alliance between independent nations for certain defined purposes . . . depending for its execution on the good faith of the parties. . . . In the early part of the present century there was an [enthusiasm] in Europe for [leagues or alliances]. . . . They were scarcely formed before they were broken, giving an instructive but afflicting lesson to mankind, how little dependence is to be placed on treaties which have no other sanction than the obligations of good faith. . . . "There was a time when we were told that breaches, by the States, of the regulations of the [Confederation's] authority were not be expected. . . . "In our case, the [agreement] of thirteen distinct sovereign wills is requisite, under the Confederation, to the complete execution of every important measure that proceeds from the Union. . . . The measures of the Union have not been executed. . . . Each State, yielding to the persuasive voice of immediate interest or convenience, has successively withdrawn its support." Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist paper number 15, published in 1787 Which of the following was a piece of evidence Hamilton used to support his argument in the excerpt? A - Earlier attempts to form associations of states in Europe had failed. B - The United States had the authority to mandate funding under the Articles of Confederation. C - Some people believed that the states would agree to follow the congressional directives. D - States sometimes needed to form alliances to achieve shared goals.
Answer - A Explanation - In the second paragraph of the excerpt, Hamilton discussed earlier European experience with confederations of sovereign states as evidence that a stronger governing authority was necessary to prevent the political dissolution of the United States.
"To understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man. "A state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another. . . . "The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it which obliges every one . . . that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions." John Locke, Two Treatises of Government, 1689 During the period of the American Revolution, Locke's purpose in the excerpt would most likely have been interpreted as promoting a form of government based on A - natural rights B - military rule C - hereditary privilege D - religious beliefs
Answer - A Explanation - Locke's statement in the excerpt that "we must consider what state all men are naturally in" and that men are bound by the laws of nature promoted the concept of a government based on natural rights.
"The Declaration of Independence, drawn up by the Continental Congress, was actually a declaration by 'thirteen united States of America' proclaiming that as 'Free and Independent States they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent States may of right do.' And the Articles of Confederation, for all the powers it theoretically gave to the Congress, did not in fact alter this independence. . . . Congressional resolutions continued to be mere recommendations which the states were left to enforce. . . . The Confederation was intended to be, and remained, a Confederation of sovereign states." Gordon S. Wood, historian, The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787, published in 1969 Which of the following does the author use to support his argument about the power of the states under the Confederation? A - Foundational political documents written during the American Revolution B - Journals written by leaders of the Continental Army C - Arguments eventually published as The Federalist papers D - Treaties signed with Great Britain and France
Answer - A Explanation - The author cites language from the Declaration of Independence as evidence of the states being established as independent sovereign governments, a situation that was unaltered by the Articles of Confederation.
"To understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man. "A state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another. . . . "The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it which obliges every one . . . that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions." John Locke, Two Treatises of Government, 1689 The excerpt from Locke's Two Treatises of Government could best be used as evidence by historians studying which of the following topics? A - The impact of the Enlightenment on Revolutionary political thought B - The use of Revolutionary pamphlets to mobilize colonial resistance to British policies C - The attempts by African Americans to seek freedom during the American Revolution D - The influence of the American Revolution on ideas about republicanism overseas
Answer - A Explanation - While many revolutionary ideas were transmitted by pamphlets, this excerpt does not give direct evidence of that process.
"Every British Subject born on the continent of America . . . is by the law of God and nature, by the common law, and by act of parliament, . . . entitled to all the natural, essential, inherent and inseparable rights of our fellow subjects in Great-Britain. Among those rights are the following . . . : ". . . Taxes are not to be laid on the people, but by their consent in person, or by [representatives]. ". . . I can see no reason to doubt, but that the imposition of taxes, whether on trade, or on land, or houses, or ships, . . . in the colonies is absolutely irreconcilable with the rights of the Colonists, as British subjects. . . . "The power of parliament is uncontrollable, . . . and we must obey. . . . Therefore let the parliament lay what burthens they please on us, we must, it is our duty to submit and patiently bear them till they . . . afford us relief by repealing such acts, as through mistake, or other human infirmities, have been suffered to pass, if they can be convinced that their proceedings are not constitutional." James Otis, The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved, pamphlet, 1764 Which of the following was a major purpose of Otis' pamphlet? A - To recruit foreign allies to support the claims of the colonists against Great Britain B - To encourage opposition to Parliament's regulation of colonial commerce C - To propose a plan to send colonial delegates to sit in Parliament D - To advocate for colonial independence from Great Britain
Answer - B Explanation - As Otis described in the excerpt, he believed parliamentary taxation of colonial trade to violate the principles of the British constitution. When Otis wrote the pamphlet in 1764, Great Britain was attempting to more strictly enforce the Navigation Acts in North America by halting smuggling, collecting customs duties, and passing new laws such as the Sugar Act.
"The preservation of the states in a certain degree of agency is indispensable. It will produce that collision between the different authorities which should be wished for in order to check each other. To attempt to abolish the states altogether, would degrade the councils of our country, would be impracticable, would be ruinous. [John Dickinson] compared the proposed national system to the solar system, in which the states were the planets, and ought to be left to move freely in their proper orbits. . . . If the state governments were excluded from all agency in the national one, and all power drawn from the people at large, the consequence would be, that the national government would move in the same direction as the state governments now do, and would run into all the same mischiefs [troubles]." John Dickinson, delegate from Delaware, summary of a speech at the Constitutional Convention from the notes of James Madison, 1787 The framers of the United States Constitution initially responded to abuses of executive authority by the British monarch in which of the following ways? A - They granted the Supreme Court the ability to veto treaties negotiated by the president. B - They established the separation of powers between the president and Congress. C - They provided for the popular election of the president by all voters. D - They guaranteed that basic rights could not be limited by the president.
Answer - B Explanation - Based on their experience of being unable to check the executive authority of the British monarch during the American Revolution, the framers of the Constitution established the separation of powers between the legislative and the executive branch, which enabled Congress to check the authority of the president.
"The preservation of the states in a certain degree of agency is indispensable. It will produce that collision between the different authorities which should be wished for in order to check each other. To attempt to abolish the states altogether, would degrade the councils of our country, would be impracticable, would be ruinous. [John Dickinson] compared the proposed national system to the solar system, in which the states were the planets, and ought to be left to move freely in their proper orbits. . . . If the state governments were excluded from all agency in the national one, and all power drawn from the people at large, the consequence would be, that the national government would move in the same direction as the state governments now do, and would run into all the same mischiefs [troubles]." John Dickinson, delegate from Delaware, summary of a speech at the Constitutional Convention from the notes of James Madison, 1787 Dickinson's desire to preserve "a certain degree of agency" for states is best explained by which of the following developments in the early United States? A - The popularity of George Washington B - The retention of regional cultural identity in conjunction with national unity C - The proposals of Alexander Hamilton to address the financial system D - The challenge of gaining support for infrastructure projects
Answer - B Explanation - Dickinson's concern for the continued existence of the states after the Constitutional Convention was most reflective of the continuation of local American cultures after the American Revolution. Americans such as Dickinson wanted to preserve the particularity of the states at the same time that the states would become united to protect the gains of the American Revolution.
"The petition of a great number of Blacks detained in a state of slavery in the bowels of a free and Christian country humbly showeth that your petitioners apprehend that they have in common with all other men a natural and inalienable right to that freedom which the Great Parent of the Universe hath bestowed equally on all mankind. . . . They were unjustly dragged by the hand of cruel power . . . from a populous, pleasant, and plentiful country and in violation of laws of nature and of nations. . . . ". . . Your petitioners . . . cannot but express their astonishment that it has never been considered that every principle from which America has acted in the course of their unhappy difficulties with Great Britain pleads stronger than a thousand arguments in favor of your petitioners. They therefore humble beseech your honors to give this petition its due weight and consideration and cause an act of the legislature to be passed whereby they may be restored to the enjoyments of that which is the natural right of all men—and their children who were born in this land of liberty may not be held as slaves after they arrive at the age of twenty one years." Petition to the Massachusetts state legislature, 1777 Which of the following describes an overall argument of the excerpt? A - Slavery is not economically important for the northern colonies. B - Slavery is contrary to the ideals of the American Revolution. C - Enslaved Africans should be rewarded for their loyalty to Great Britain. D - Enslaved Africans should be returned to Africa.
Answer - B Explanation - In the excerpt, the African American petitioners claim in the first paragraph that the ideals of the American Revolution apply to them as well as to White men, and in the second paragraph, they claim that their desire for freedom is similar to that of the American revolutionaries fighting Great Britain.
"The United States [under the Articles of Confederation] has an indefinite discretion to make [requests] for men and money; but they have no authority to raise either, by regulations extending to the individual citizens of America. The consequence of this is, that though in theory their resolutions concerning those objects are laws, constitutionally binding on the members of the Union, yet in practice they are mere recommendations which the States observe or disregard at their option. "There is nothing absurd or impracticable in the idea of a league or alliance between independent nations for certain defined purposes . . . depending for its execution on the good faith of the parties. . . . In the early part of the present century there was an [enthusiasm] in Europe for [leagues or alliances]. . . . They were scarcely formed before they were broken, giving an instructive but afflicting lesson to mankind, how little dependence is to be placed on treaties which have no other sanction than the obligations of good faith. . . . "There was a time when we were told that breaches, by the States, of the regulations of the [Confederation's] authority were not be expected. . . . "In our case, the [agreement] of thirteen distinct sovereign wills is requisite, under the Confederation, to the complete execution of every important measure that proceeds from the Union. . . . The measures of the Union have not been executed. . . . Each State, yielding to the persuasive voice of immediate interest or convenience, has successively withdrawn its support." Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist paper number 15, published in 1787 Which of the following claims did Hamilton make in the excerpt about the powers of the United States under the Articles of Confederation? A - The United States could not engage in diplomacy with foreign countries. B - The United States was not empowered to raise sufficient money for the government. C - The United States could act without the unanimous consent of the states. D - The United States was able to raise military forces sufficient to defend the country.
Answer - B Explanation - In the first paragraph of the excerpt, Hamilton claimed that while the United States under the Articles of Confederation could request money from the states, the states were not obliged to fulfill such requests to fund the national government.
"I have already intimated [warned] to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally. . . . The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension . . . is itself a frightful despotism. . . . "The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop. . . . Taking care always to keep ourselves by suitable establishments on a respectable defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies. "Harmony, liberal intercourse with all nations, are recommended by policy, humanity, and interest. But even our commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand; neither seeking nor granting exclusive favors or preferences; consulting the natural course of things; diffusing and diversifying by gentle means the streams of commerce, but forcing nothing." George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796 Which of the following best explains why Washington warned against foreign alliances? A - No nations attempted to sign commercial agreements with the United States. B - Britain and France were at war with each other, and both threatened United States interests. C - Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans forced the president to agree to a policy of neutrality. D - The power of European empires in the Americas had already begun to decline.
Answer - B Explanation - Several nations had already established commercial agreements with the United States, including the Jay Treaty (1794) with Britain.
The share of White and African American populations in the various states shown in the table most strongly suggests which of the following? A - African American migrants were moving from the southern to the northern states. B - Small subsistence farms dominated older, more established states such as Virginia and Maryland. C - Newly settled states such as Kentucky and Tennessee relied less on enslaved labor than did regions elsewhere in the South. D - The use of enslaved labor was declining throughout the South by 1800.
Answer - C Explanation - Fewer African Americans lived in newly established states such as Kentucky and Tennessee in part because White settlers in those states tended to have limited means and did not hold as many enslaved people as did farmers elsewhere. In addition, the climate and geography of Kentucky and Tennessee were less conducive to large plantations with large numbers of enslaved African Americans than were the climate and geography elsewhere.
"Today, two hundred and fifty years after the French and Indian War, most Americans are no more familiar with its events and significance than they are with those of the Peloponnesian War. Few know that George Washington struck the first spark of a war that set the British North American frontier ablaze from the Carolinas to Nova Scotia, then spread to Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, West Africa, India, and, finally, the Philippines. Historians call this immense conflict the Seven Years' War; . . . Winston Churchill described it as 'the first world war.'" Fred Anderson, The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War, 2005 Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War) had which of the following economic consequences for its American colonies? A - The British government granted certain American colonists a monopoly on the fur trade without French competition. B - The British government paid for the construction of canals to encourage trade between the Great Lakes region and the East Coast. C - The British government increased taxation of colonial goods to help pay off the debt created by the war. D - The British government forced American merchants to supply the British Royal Navy without payment.
Answer - C Explanation - Following the conclusion of the war, Great Britain increased its control and taxation of its colonies to help pay for the debt caused by the conflict.
"To understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man. "A state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another. . . . "The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it which obliges every one . . . that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions." John Locke, Two Treatises of Government, 1689 The ideas in the excerpt were most likely interpreted by American colonists in the 1770s as a call to reject which of the following? A - The holding of private property B - The establishment of representative democracy C - The acceptance of the divine right of kings D - The creation of political parties
Answer - C Explanation - Locke's ideas in the excerpt that men are in a "state of freedom" and not dependent upon the will of others correspond to the rejection of the concept of the divine right of kings, the belief that rulers had a god-given authority to rule.
"The petition of a great number of Blacks detained in a state of slavery in the bowels of a free and Christian country humbly showeth that your petitioners apprehend that they have in common with all other men a natural and inalienable right to that freedom which the Great Parent of the Universe hath bestowed equally on all mankind. . . . They were unjustly dragged by the hand of cruel power . . . from a populous, pleasant, and plentiful country and in violation of laws of nature and of nations. . . . ". . . Your petitioners . . . cannot but express their astonishment that it has never been considered that every principle from which America has acted in the course of their unhappy difficulties with Great Britain pleads stronger than a thousand arguments in favor of your petitioners. They therefore humble beseech your honors to give this petition its due weight and consideration and cause an act of the legislature to be passed whereby they may be restored to the enjoyments of that which is the natural right of all men—and their children who were born in this land of liberty may not be held as slaves after they arrive at the age of twenty one years." Petition to the Massachusetts state legislature, 1777 The first paragraph of the excerpt makes the claim that... A - slavery should encourage religious conversion to Christianity B - concepts of independence should apply only to White men C - all people should have the same inherent liberties D - the ideals of the American Revolution should also apply to other nations
Answer - C Explanation - The petitioners state in the excerpt that they "have in common with all other men a natural and inalienable right to that freedom which the Great Parent of the Universe hath bestowed equally on all mankind." This suggests that Black and White people share the same natural rights.
"The Declaration of Independence, drawn up by the Continental Congress, was actually a declaration by 'thirteen united States of America' proclaiming that as 'Free and Independent States they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent States may of right do.' And the Articles of Confederation, for all the powers it theoretically gave to the Congress, did not in fact alter this independence. . . . Congressional resolutions continued to be mere recommendations which the states were left to enforce. . . . The Confederation was intended to be, and remained, a Confederation of sovereign states." Gordon S. Wood, historian, The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787, published in 1969 The failure of the Articles of Confederation resulted in which of the following changes in the government of the United States? A - The immediate end to property qualifications for White male suffrage B - The ban on women's political participation under the ideas of republican motherhood C - The ratification of a constitution that established a stronger central government D - The enactment of the Northwest Ordinance, which outlined the admission process for new states
Answer - C Explanation - The ratification of the United States Constitution in 1787 led to the replacement of the Articles of Confederation and established a stronger central government that limited the sovereignty of the individual states.
"Every British Subject born on the continent of America . . . is by the law of God and nature, by the common law, and by act of parliament, . . . entitled to all the natural, essential, inherent and inseparable rights of our fellow subjects in Great-Britain. Among those rights are the following . . . : ". . . Taxes are not to be laid on the people, but by their consent in person, or by [representatives]. ". . . I can see no reason to doubt, but that the imposition of taxes, whether on trade, or on land, or houses, or ships, . . . in the colonies is absolutely irreconcilable with the rights of the Colonists, as British subjects. . . . "The power of parliament is uncontrollable, . . . and we must obey. . . . Therefore let the parliament lay what burthens they please on us, we must, it is our duty to submit and patiently bear them till they . . . afford us relief by repealing such acts, as through mistake, or other human infirmities, have been suffered to pass, if they can be convinced that their proceedings are not constitutional." James Otis, The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved, pamphlet, 1764 In the excerpt, Otis was responding to which of the following developments? A - The publication of Thomas Paine's Common Sense B - The threat of a French invasion of British North America C - The introduction of widespread boycotts against imported British goods D - The British government's attempts to pay for the costs of the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War)
Answer - D Explanation - After the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763, Great Britain began to pursue new policies to raise revenue in its North American colonies, including the stricter enforcement of the Navigation Acts and the passage of new taxes for the colonies. Colonists such as Otis opposed these measures, claiming they violated the rights of colonists as British subjects.
"The preservation of the states in a certain degree of agency is indispensable. It will produce that collision between the different authorities which should be wished for in order to check each other. To attempt to abolish the states altogether, would degrade the councils of our country, would be impracticable, would be ruinous. [John Dickinson] compared the proposed national system to the solar system, in which the states were the planets, and ought to be left to move freely in their proper orbits. . . . If the state governments were excluded from all agency in the national one, and all power drawn from the people at large, the consequence would be, that the national government would move in the same direction as the state governments now do, and would run into all the same mischiefs [troubles]." John Dickinson, delegate from Delaware, summary of a speech at the Constitutional Convention from the notes of James Madison, 1787 Dickinson's concern for the "mischiefs" in the states is best understood in the context of which of the following? A - Popular support in the states for making George Washington king B - The extensive power of the executive in state governments C - Continued warfare between some states and Great Britain D - The threat to state governments from popular uprisings
Answer - D Explanation - At the time of the Constitutional Convention, delegates such as Dickinson worried that popular revolts in some states, such as Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts, stemmed from the policies of state legislatures and the powerlessness of the central government.
"The United States [under the Articles of Confederation] has an indefinite discretion to make [requests] for men and money; but they have no authority to raise either, by regulations extending to the individual citizens of America. The consequence of this is, that though in theory their resolutions concerning those objects are laws, constitutionally binding on the members of the Union, yet in practice they are mere recommendations which the States observe or disregard at their option. "There is nothing absurd or impracticable in the idea of a league or alliance between independent nations for certain defined purposes . . . depending for its execution on the good faith of the parties. . . . In the early part of the present century there was an [enthusiasm] in Europe for [leagues or alliances]. . . . They were scarcely formed before they were broken, giving an instructive but afflicting lesson to mankind, how little dependence is to be placed on treaties which have no other sanction than the obligations of good faith. . . . "There was a time when we were told that breaches, by the States, of the regulations of the [Confederation's] authority were not be expected. . . . "In our case, the [agreement] of thirteen distinct sovereign wills is requisite, under the Confederation, to the complete execution of every important measure that proceeds from the Union. . . . The measures of the Union have not been executed. . . . Each State, yielding to the persuasive voice of immediate interest or convenience, has successively withdrawn its support." Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist paper number 15, published in 1787 Which of the following overall arguments did Hamilton make about the Articles of Confederation? A - The United States should invite other countries to ally with it under the terms of the Articles. B - Americans should adopt the Articles as the constitution of the United States. C - Americans should donate money to Congress because of flaws in the Articles. D - The United States should abandon the Articles to form a stronger central government.
Answer - D Explanation - Hamilton's overall argument in Federalist 15 is that since the national government could not compel state support, the United States should replace the Articles of Confederation with a constitution that provided a stronger central government.
"The United States [under the Articles of Confederation] has an indefinite discretion to make [requests] for men and money; but they have no authority to raise either, by regulations extending to the individual citizens of America. The consequence of this is, that though in theory their resolutions concerning those objects are laws, constitutionally binding on the members of the Union, yet in practice they are mere recommendations which the States observe or disregard at their option. "There is nothing absurd or impracticable in the idea of a league or alliance between independent nations for certain defined purposes . . . depending for its execution on the good faith of the parties. . . . In the early part of the present century there was an [enthusiasm] in Europe for [leagues or alliances]. . . . They were scarcely formed before they were broken, giving an instructive but afflicting lesson to mankind, how little dependence is to be placed on treaties which have no other sanction than the obligations of good faith. . . . "There was a time when we were told that breaches, by the States, of the regulations of the [Confederation's] authority were not be expected. . . . "In our case, the [agreement] of thirteen distinct sovereign wills is requisite, under the Confederation, to the complete execution of every important measure that proceeds from the Union. . . . The measures of the Union have not been executed. . . . Each State, yielding to the persuasive voice of immediate interest or convenience, has successively withdrawn its support." Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist paper number 15, published in 1787 Hamilton claimed in the excerpt that state sovereignty... A - increased the unity of the United States B - guaranteed Americans the protection of their liberties C - encouraged Americans to pursue the common good in politics D - allowed states to ignore the requests of the central government
Answer - D Explanation - In the first and third paragraphs of the excerpt, Hamilton claimed that the sovereignty retained by states under the Articles of Confederation allowed them to disregard laws passed by Congress as voluntary requests.
"The petition of a great number of Blacks detained in a state of slavery in the bowels of a free and Christian country humbly showeth that your petitioners apprehend that they have in common with all other men a natural and inalienable right to that freedom which the Great Parent of the Universe hath bestowed equally on all mankind. . . . They were unjustly dragged by the hand of cruel power . . . from a populous, pleasant, and plentiful country and in violation of laws of nature and of nations. . . . ". . . Your petitioners . . . cannot but express their astonishment that it has never been considered that every principle from which America has acted in the course of their unhappy difficulties with Great Britain pleads stronger than a thousand arguments in favor of your petitioners. They therefore humble beseech your honors to give this petition its due weight and consideration and cause an act of the legislature to be passed whereby they may be restored to the enjoyments of that which is the natural right of all men—and their children who were born in this land of liberty may not be held as slaves after they arrive at the age of twenty one years." Petition to the Massachusetts state legislature, 1777 The second paragraph of the excerpt proposes that the Massachusetts legislature should... A - allow enslaved Africans to serve in the state's militia B - find a way to resolve its conflicts with Britain peacefully C - write a constitution explaining how natural rights apply to enslaved people D - abolish slavery and release enslaved African Americans upon adulthood
Answer - D Explanation - The request in the excerpt that "an act of legislature be passed whereby [the petitioners] may be restored to the enjoyments of that which is the natural right of all men" means that the African American petitioners are asking for their freedom. The following line calls for children born in the United States to be released from slavery at age 21.
"I have already intimated [warned] to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally. . . . The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension . . . is itself a frightful despotism. . . . "The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop. . . . Taking care always to keep ourselves by suitable establishments on a respectable defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies. "Harmony, liberal intercourse with all nations, are recommended by policy, humanity, and interest. But even our commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand; neither seeking nor granting exclusive favors or preferences; consulting the natural course of things; diffusing and diversifying by gentle means the streams of commerce, but forcing nothing." George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796 Supporters of Washington's comments would most likely have agreed with which of the following foreign policies? A - Forming a large military B - Expanding territorial control C - Establishing mutual defense alliances D - Maintaining economic relationships
Answer - D Explanation - Washington argues that maintaining good economic relationships is the best foreign policy for the United States.
