History 7-12 Practice Questions w/ Rationales

21. In seventeenth-century North America, most British colonial settlements were located.. A. in the Piedmont region. B. in the Appalachian Mountains. C. along the Eastern Seaboard or near major rivers. D. on the Great Plains.

COMPETENCY 013 Option C is correct. In seventeenth-century North America, most British colonial settlements were located along the Eastern Seaboard or on navigable rivers (in places such as Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and along the Chesapeake Bay) because these areas were most accessible and most desirable for colonists who wished to trade with Britain. Option A is incorrect because the Piedmont — a hilly region between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the Appalachian Mountains — was not easily accessible to settlers from Britain in the early colonial period, and there were few settlements there by the end of the seventeenth century. Option B is incorrect because the Appalachian region was even less accessible to British settlers than the Piedmont region, and large-scale British settlement did not occur there until the mid-eighteenth century. Option D is incorrect because there were no British settlements on the Great Plains in the seventeenth century.

13. Which of the following ideas is contained in the Declaration of Independence? A. Citizens are entitled to petition the government B. Legitimate governments derive their power from the consent of the people being governed C. Economic conditions determine the course of history, making revolution inevitable D. Nations need a strong central authority to avoid discord and civil war

COMPETENCY 014 Option B is correct. The Declaration of Independence states "That to secure these rights [i.e., life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness], Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." Option A is incorrect because this idea is not expressed explicitly in the Declaration of Independence; instead it is in the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution. Option C is incorrect because this idea is not expressed in the Declaration of Independence; instead it expresses a Marxist view of history. Option D is incorrect because this idea is not expressed in the Declaration of Independence, which focused on the dangers of tyrannical governments, not the benefits of strong governments.

20. One significant finding of the data in the 1920 United States Census was that for the first time.. A. immigrants outnumbered native-born Americans. B. there had been a reverse migration among African Americans as large numbers of African Americans returned to the South. C. the number of people living in urban areas was greater than the number of people living in rural areas. D. the number of women in the workforce was greater than the number of women who stayed at home.

COMPETENCY 014 Option C is correct. According to the United States Census Bureau, the 1920 census marked the first time in which over 50 percent of the United States population was defined as "urban" (living in towns or cities with at least 2,500 people). The shift was largely the result of continuing industrialization of the United States economy. Option A is incorrect because at no point since the first United States census in 1790 have immigrants outnumbered native-born Americans. Option B is incorrect because an African-American reverse migration was not occurring in 1920; in fact, large numbers of African Americans were beginning to migrate from the South to the North. Option D is incorrect because, in 1920, men continued to outnumber women in the paid workforce.

1. The Punic Wars resulted in which of the following? A. Sparta emerging as the strongest of the Greek city-states B. Rome gaining full control of the western Mediterranean C. Augustus Caesar becoming the sole leader of the Roman state D. The Persian Empire trying and failing to conquer Greece

COMPETENCY 001 Option B is correct. The Punic Wars were fought between the Roman Republic and Carthage, a powerful state based in North Africa. By the early 200s B.C., Rome had achieved control of much of the Italian peninsula; Carthage had emerged as a formidable economic and military power in the western Mediterranean and had established territorial outposts very close to the Italian mainland. Between 264 and 146 B.C., Rome fought three major wars against Carthage. The best known of these is the Second Punic War, during which the Carthaginian general Hannibal crossed the Alps and invaded Italy from the north before eventually being forced to withdraw to North Africa. During the Third Punic war, Roman armies finally conquered and destroyed the city of Carthage itself, giving Rome uncontested hegemony over the western Mediterranean. Option A is incorrect. This answer choice describes the outcome of the Peloponnesian War (431-404) B.C. in ancient Greece. Option C is incorrect. This answer choice describes the result of the wars of the Second Triumvirate in Rome (32-30 B.C.) and the subsequent establishment of the Principate of Octavian Augustus. Option D is incorrect. This answer choice describes the result of the Greco-Persian wars of (492-449 B.C.).

7. The Taiping Rebellion in China (1850-1864) and the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) were similar in that the rebels in both cases attracted popular support for their cause mostly by promising.. A. agrarian reform. B. universal suffrage. C. freedom of all religions. D. a return to monarchical rule.

COMPETENCY 004 Option A is correct. Led by the messianic figure of Hong Xiuquan, the Taiping movement promised its followers a combination of heterodox quasi-Christian theology and communal or communist-like reforms, including an official ban on the private ownership of land and a promise of radical redistribution of agricultural land. Peasant land-hunger and dissatisfaction with high rates of indebtedness and abuse at the hands of large landowners were also major contributing factors to the events that brought down the Porfirio Díaz dictatorship in Mexico and launched the Mexican revolution of 1910. The post-Porfiriato Mexican government passed a land redistribution law (in 1915) and began transferring land from the rich landowners to the poor and/or landless peasants. Option B is incorrect. Universal suffrage was never part of the Taiping rebels' vision of society and, once established, the Taiping state (called the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom) was ruled by a theocratic dictatorship led by Hong Xiuquan, members of his extended family, and close associates. Option C is incorrect. Religious toleration was not an issue that could drive popular support for the Mexican revolution. Likewise, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom neither promised nor implemented any policy of religious freedom or religious toleration. Taiping subjects were required to follow the idiosyncratic version of Christianity preached by Hong Xiuquan. Also, Taiping policies banned or restricted established Chinese religious practices and aimed to eradicate Confucianism's influence in Chinese society. Option D is incorrect. Restoring a monarchical form of government was never seriously contemplated by the leaders of the 1910 revolution; on the contrary, they accused the aging dictatorial (but technically elected) President Porfirio Díaz of having corrupted the republican principles of independent Mexico, which they proposed to restore.

6. Which of the following describes a position held by most Enlightenment thinkers? A. Organized religion is at the root of all social evils and should be abolished B. Social and political problems can be solved through the application of reason to practices and institutions C. Children are better human beings than adults because society has not corrupted children's natural instincts D. Separation of powers and a system of checks and balances are essential for the functioning of a democratic government

COMPETENCY 004 Option B is correct. Enlightenment thinkers generally believed that the principles of philosophical reasoning and scientific inquiry could and should be applied to the study of society and politics, in addition to the study of the natural world. Enlightenment thinkers questioned ideas and practices that were grounded in tradition or what they regarded as superstition, and they actively promoted the collection, systemization and dissemination of knowledge on all subjects. Political philosophers such as Locke and Rousseau explicitly based their prescriptions for improving society on a rational analysis of human nature and individuals' natural rights. Enlightenment-period works, such as Rousseau's Discourse on Inequality or Beccaria's On Crimes and Punishments, applied the principles of philosophical reasoning to specific social and political problems. Option A is incorrect. Some, but not all, Enlightenment figures criticized established religions and religious institutions for inhibiting scientific inquiry and spreading intolerance and superstition among the faithful. A well-known example is Voltaire, who often expressed vehement anticlerical positions, notably in his Treatise on Toleration. But while some Enlightenment figures were skeptical or critical of organized religion and of Christianity in particular, few saw it as the root of all evil or went as far as to advocate its abolition. Option C is incorrect. With the notable exception of Rousseau, whose famous work Emile or On Education was premised on a view of childhood similar to the one described in option C, Enlightenment thinkers generally did not share such idealized notions of children and childhood, nor did most Enlightenment figures accept the skeptical view of society or civilization as a corrupting influence. Option D is incorrect. The Enlightenment philosopher Baron de Montesquieu proposed a system of separation of powers between three branches of government (a version of which was subsequently enshrined in the United States Constitution), but his political ideas were not shared by most Enlightenment thinkers, and very few Enlightenment thinkers advocated the establishment of truly democratic governments.

8. Which of the following conditions allowed for the First Industrial Revolution to take place in Great Britain? A. The availability of oil and electricity to power factories B. The importation of slave labor from the American colonies C. The innovation of the assembly line for mass production of consumer goods D. The availability of easily accessible coal deposits and a well-developed transport infrastructure

COMPETENCY 004 Option D is correct. Central and northern England, southern Scotland, and southern Wales in particular had large, relatively shallow deposits of coal. Key inventions of the First Industrial Revolution, such as the steam engine and new blast furnaces, allowed these abundant coal reserves to be harnessed in mining and industry. Due to its flat terrain and high population density, England also had a relatively well-developed road system. As the process of industrialization unfolded in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the road system was augmented by the construction of canals and railroads. Option A is incorrect. Neither electricity nor oil was used to power factories during the First Industrial Revolution. The technologies to produce and/or harness electricity and oil for industrial use were first developed during the so-called Second Industrial Revolution of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Option B is incorrect. While some historians have argued that the profits from the West Indies colonies' lucrative sugar trade played an important part in the process of capital accumulation in Great Britain, and therefore contributed to industrialization, there was no large-scale importation of slave labor from the Americas to Britain. Due to its rapid population growth in the eighteenth century, Britain generally had sufficient labor reserves to meet the needs of the new factories on its own. Option C is incorrect. In some British industries (such as locomotive production), production processes resembling mass production and the assembly line were developed as early as the 1840s, but, in general, the full development of both mass production and the industrial assembly line is associated primarily with industrialization in the United States (in the 1860s and the 1890s through the 1900s, respectively).

4. In the period circa 1300-1500 A.D., Islam spread to Southeast Asia primarily through.. A. warfare. B. trade. C. migration. D. forced conversions.

COMPETENCY 005 Option B is correct. Islam first came to the island of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula as a result of the trade between South Asia and those regions. Muslim merchants from northern and eastern India, Persia and even Arabia, aided by occasional Sufi Muslim missionaries, are generally believed to have been the first agents of the spread of Islam in the region. By 1500, many rulers in Southeast Asia converted to Islam, partly in recognition of the already significant degree of Islamization among the local Malay population and partly to cement existing commercial connections with Muslim South Asia. Option A is incorrect. Warfare and conquest were rarely the vehicles of the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia during the period. Considering the region as a whole, the Muslim sultanates of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula made only limited incursions into neighboring non-Muslim territories and were, more often than not, on the defensive against the powerful Hindu Majapahit Empire, based on the island of Java. Option C is incorrect. Although some of the Indian, Persian and Arab merchants who first brought Islam to Southeast Asia may very well have settled there, no large-scale migration of Muslims from other regions to the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian islands took place during this period. Option D is incorrect. Forced conversions to Islam were generally not practiced in Southeast Asia. In fact, the Southeast Asian sultanates generally seem to have had a tolerant attitude toward their non-Muslim subjects, as evidenced by the migration of large numbers of people from China to the Muslim sultanate of Melaka and other Muslim territories in the region beginning in the fifteenth century.

9. In the second half of the twentieth century, the term "Green Revolution" was used to refer to.. A. a change in consumer preferences worldwide in favor of organic or locally grown foods. B. the intensification of violence between Catholics and Protestants over control of Northern Ireland. C. the development of new agricultural chemicals and drought- or diseaseresistant plant varieties to increase crop yields. D. the collapse of Communist governments in Eastern Europe in 1989 and the largely peaceful transition to democratically elected governments in the region.

COMPETENCY 005 Option C is correct. Beginning in the late 1950s and early 1960s, agricultural scientists began systematically developing new crop varieties that were better suited to tropical and subtropical climates where growing conditions were suboptimal and yields had been low. Because many countries with rapidly growing populations (for example, India, Mexico, Brazil, and many African countries) were located in traditionally low-yield zones for major crops such as wheat or corn, the development of new plant varieties provided a major boost to these countries' agricultural industries. Coupled with the development of new and improved pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, as well as with increasing rates of mechanization, this development allowed for a dramatic, and still continuing, expansion of agricultural production worldwide; it also prevented the midtwentieth-century predictions of massive food shortages and political upheavals from coming to pass. Option A is incorrect. This answer refers to the earlytwenty-first century trends in some developed countries of consumers turning to artisanal food and locavore-ism. These trends are, indirectly, a reaction against the mass-produced, pesticide-dependent type of agriculture associated with the Green Revolution. Option B is incorrect. The violence between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland in the decades before the signing of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 was not characterized by the term "Green Revolution," despite Ireland's traditional association with the color green. Option D is incorrect. With the exception of Romania, where the overthrow of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was a violent one, the end of communism in Eastern Europe was mostly peaceful. The term "Velvet Revolution" is used to describe the transition in Czechoslovakia and is occasionally extended to refer to the 1989 Eastern European revolutions collectively; the term "Green Revolution," however, is not used in that sense.

18. Which of the following established the practice of legally segregating White people from African Americans in the South after Reconstruction? A. Black Codes B. Jim Crow legislation C. The sharecropping system D. The Freedmen's Bureau

COMPETENCY 012 Option B is correct. The term "Jim Crow" refers to state and local laws established after Reconstruction ended in 1877 that mandated racial segregation in public facilities in Southern states. Option A is incorrect because Black Codes were Southern state laws created to limit the civil rights, civil liberties, and economic rights of African Americans immediately following the Civil War. Most of the Black Codes did not deal directly with segregation. These codes were quickly struck down by federal authorities during Reconstruction. Option C is incorrect because sharecropping is a system of agriculture whereby a landowner allows a tenant to use a plot of farmland in return for a share of the crop. Sharecropping became widespread after the Civil War as a way to maintain the economic domination of former plantation owners over former slaves in the postwar South. Option D is incorrect because the Freedmen's Bureau was a federal government agency that aided former slaves during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

3. Ancient Mesopotamia experienced frequent invasions that often resulted in the conquest or collapse of existing states. Which of the following factors was responsible for facilitating that tendency? A. The presence of an established network of paved roadways in Mesopotamia B. The ease with which potential invaders could sail down the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and attack settled societies in southern Mesopotamia C. The lack of major natural barriers between Mesopotamia and neighboring regions D. The vulnerability of Mesopotamia to seaborne invasions from India and Egypt via the Persian Gulf

COMPETENCY 005 Option C is correct. Unlike other civilizations of the ancient world (e.g., Egypt) whose geography afforded a degree of isolation and protection from foreign invasions, Mesopotamian civilizations developed in an area that was easily accessible to land-based invaders. Neither the Zagros Mountains to the northeast, nor the eastern Anatolian and Armenian highlands in the north were serious obstacles to invading armies, while the river valleys of the Tigris and the Euphrates and the coastal plains of Khuzestan in the southeast provided even easier ingress routes. Moreover, the mountainous and steppe regions surrounding Mesopotamia typically contained fairly large populations of warlike pastoralist peoples. Option A is incorrect. No such road network existed, and Mesopotamian societies in general had limited access to stone as a building material, thus making an extensive network of paved roads an impossibility. Option B is incorrect. Although many peoples, notably the Assyrians and the Mitanni (Hurrians), did invade the southern and central Mesopotamian heartland by following the course of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, they did so by marching on land, not by using the rivers. Option D is incorrect. As a matter of geography, Mesopotamia is indeed vulnerable to seaborne invasions from the Persian Gulf; however, in ancient times neither the Indus Valley civilization, nor Egypt (nor, indeed, any other early civilization) had the technological or military capability to launch such an invasion.

2. One important factor in the expansion of the Inca Empire in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries A.D. was the Inca's.. A. complicated system of hieroglyphics that allowed for advanced communication among various peoples. B. extensive system of roads that allowed for communication and travel through the Andean highlands and between the highlands and the lowlands along the Pacific coast. C. standardized monetary system, use of credit notes and other financial instruments that facilitated long-distance trade. D. extensive importation of foodstuffs from Mesoamerica to support the population of the less fertile highland regions of the empire.

COMPETENCY 007 Option B is correct. The Inca Empire is famous for its far-reaching and elaborate system of paved roads. Most were built and maintained through a system of labor obligations imposed by the Inca rulers on their subjects known as mit'a. The road system's original function was to move soldiers around the empire's mountainous terrain. However, the roads also played a crucially important commercial function and may have given the Inca state a measure of political and cultural cohesion by connecting the disparate patchwork of territories and ethnic groups that made up the empire. Option A is incorrect. The Inca did have a unique system of long-distance communications: quipu, which involved the use of knotted strings made of wool or cotton. But most scholars today agree that quipu was not a substitute for a fully developed written language (which the Inca lacked) but a system of sending relatively simple administrative or economic messages, with the knots probably serving as mnemonic devices for the specially trained messengers delivering the message. As such, quipu was probably not capable of conveying complex ideas or advanced communication. Option C is incorrect. The Inca economy was largely based on the barter of goods. There is little evidence that the Inca made wide use of currency (although some historians have suggested that a type of bronze artifact often found in Inca archaeological sites may have been used a means of exchange). Option D is incorrect. The Inca Empire probably had limited commercial contacts with Native American cultures of southern Central America and, more controversially, with Mesoamerica proper but such trade was typically limited in scope and confined to luxury materials or objects. No large-scale trade in foodstuffs between the Andean region and Mesoamerica took place and, in any case, Mesoamerican societies did not produce enough food surpluses to send to the Inca Empire, even if the trade networks between the two had been more fully developed.

5. By the mid-1400s, silver coinage had replaced copper coinage and paper money as the primary means of exchange in Ming China. The change had which of the following long-term effects on the world economy? A. Prices of gold relative to silver collapsed in Europe, leading to a worldwide economic depression B. Large numbers of Chinese silver prospectors immigrated to neighboring countries, such as Japan and Burma, where silver was mined C. Increasing demand for silver in China was eventually met by imports of silver produced in the newly opened mines of Spanish America D. The use of silver in jewelry and other decorative personal items was largely discontinued in East Asia

COMPETENCY 007 Option C is correct. After initially continuing the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty's practice of issuing paper money, but finding that it led to inflation, Ming Emperor Yongle initiated a policy of currency reform that was aimed at phasing out paper money. Silver, which is scarce in China, had traditionally been imported mostly from Japan. This continued until the mid-sixteenth century, when the discoveries of vast new silver deposits near Potosí (in modern-day Bolivia) and Zacatecas (in modern-day Mexico) allowed the Spanish to begin shipping silver across the Pacific Ocean to China (usually with a transshipment point in the Philippines.) The change had a profound effect on the world economy, as it increased Europe's overall long-distance trade and greatly stimulated the consumption of luxury items in Europe. This contributed to the development of some of the commercial and financial practices and institutions associated with European capitalism. Option A is incorrect. The increased availability of silver from the American mines in fact led the price of gold in Europe to rise relative to the price of silver. That process may have had some important disruptive effect on European economies, notably price inflation, but it did not cause a worldwide economic depression. Option B is incorrect. China did not have a strong indigenous silver mining tradition, and the mining of silver in Japanese mines for export to China was done using predominantly local Japanese labor. Option D is incorrect. The adoption of silver coinage in China did not cause people in East Asia to discontinue the use of silver in jewelry and other luxury items for personal use. Many Chinese luxury objects, such as various decorative vessels for storing liquids and jewelry items such as hairpins, continued to be made of silver after the Ming currency reforms.

Read the excerpt below from Bartolomé de Las Casas' A Short History of the Destruction of the Indies and answer the question that follows. Their reason for killing and destroying such an infinite number of souls is that the Christians have an ultimate aim, which is to acquire gold, and to swell themselves with riches in a very brief time and thus rise to a high estate disproportionate to their merits. It should be kept in mind that their insatiable greed and ambition, the greatest ever seen in the world, is the cause of their villainies. 10. Which of the following best describes Bartolomé de Las Casas' primary purpose in the excerpt above? A. Pardoning the excesses of conquistadors in the name of the king and queen of Spain B. Advocating for the rights of indigenous peoples C. Forgiving the actions of Spanish conquistadors who acted in the name of God D. Accepting the actions of the conquistadors as essential to gain riches

COMPETENCY 008 Option B is correct. De Las Casas' account was one of the first Spanish attempts to depict the unfair treatment that the indigenous people of the Americas (which he called the Indies) experienced in the sixteenth century. De Las Casas was a Dominican missionary sent to Spanish America who became horrified by what he witnessed there. Option A is incorrect because it is based on an interpretation of the excerpt, which ends by referring to the actions of the Christian conquistadors as "villainies." Option C is incorrect because nothing in the excerpt indicates that de Las Casas was advocating forgiveness for the conquistadors. Option D is incorrect because nothing in the tone or content of the excerpt suggests that De Las Casas was accepting of these actions.

11. Which of the following factors contributed most to population growth in the British North American colonies between 1700 and 1770? A. New laws that increased the attractiveness of indentured servitude B. An increase in the importation of enslaved Africans C. Immigration brought about by agricultural decline in Europe D. Natural increase driven by farm families' growing need for labor

COMPETENCY 008 Option D is correct. Historians estimate that between 1700 and 1770 the population of the colonies grew from about 250,000 to over 2 million. While many factors influenced this growth, the need for farm labor in the colonies in the eighteenth century was one of the most important factors. Most colonists lived on farms, and having more children to help them work the land allowed them to increase productivity, which in turn led to increased supplies of food to feed larger families. Demographers refer to population growth that occurs when the birth rate is higher than the death rate as natural increase. Option A is incorrect because changes in the laws and economic conditions related to indentured servitude during this time actually reduced the incentive to hire indentured servants. Option B is incorrect because, although the importation of enslaved Africans did increase in this period, the increase in the population of White colonists accounted for a much larger share of the total population growth. Option C is incorrect because immigration brought on by agricultural decline in Europe was more of a factor during the nineteenth century than it was during the eighteenth century.

12. The United States Constitution as written in 1787 included an explicit provision for which of the following? A. The abolition of slavery B. A bicameral legislature C. Universal male suffrage D. Judicial review of legislative and executive actions

COMPETENCY 009 Option B is correct. The Great Compromise (or Connecticut Compromise) settled a dispute between large states and small states about legislative representation by establishing a bicameral (two-chambered) legislature consisting of the House of Representatives, in which states were allotted representatives according to population, and the Senate, in which each state was allotted two senators regardless of its population. Option A is incorrect because the original Constitution did not abolish slavery. Slavery was not abolished until passage of the Thirteen Amendment in 1865. Option C is incorrect because the original constitution did not have a provision for universal male suffrage; rules about voting eligibility were left to the individual states, most of which had property qualifications on voting. Property qualifications for White men were gradually dropped in the early nineteenth century, and universal male suffrage, regardless of race, was not established until the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870. Option D is incorrect because the original Constitution, though it established the judicial branch, did not explicitly assert the principle of judicial review. The United States Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall first claimed the power to review legislative and executive actions in the case of Marbury v. Madison in 1803.

14. John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry and the Dred Scott decision similarly affected the United States because they both.. A. made sectional compromise more unlikely. B. contributed to the formation of the Whig Party. C. eased tensions between the North and the South. D. upheld the doctrine of popular sovereignty.

COMPETENCY 010 Option A is correct. The Dred Scott decision was a landmark 1857 Supreme Court decision that stated that a person of African ancestry was not a citizen of the United States and therefore had no rights and would not become free by moving to a free state. The raid on Harpers Ferry was an attempt by abolitionist John Brown to start an armed slave revolt in Virginia in 1859. Both events exacerbated tensions between the North and the South. Option B is incorrect. The Whig Party formed in late 1833, more than 20 years before the Dred Scott decision. Moreover, slavery was not a primary issue involved in the formation of the Whig Party. The party was formed in opposition to the policies and actions of President Andrew Jackson and the Democrats. The issue of slavery did come to play a critical role within the party over time, and disagreements among Whigs helped to bring about the demise of the Whig Party in the early 1850s. Option C is incorrect. Both of these events in fact led to greater sectional tension. The Dred Scott decision gave rise to Northern fears that slavery would in effect become legal in states that had outlawed it. John Brown's raid led to Southern fears that radical abolitionists in the North would continue to seek to destroy slavery by violent means if necessary. Option D is incorrect. The doctrine of popular sovereignty in this context refers to the idea that inhabitants of the western territories could decide for themselves whether to allow slavery. The issue was not before the court in the Dred Scott case, although the court raised it independently and ruled that people in the territories did not have the authority to prohibit slavery. The Dred Scott decision, therefore, contributed to sectional tension, not by upholding popular sovereignty but by striking it down. The doctrine played no clear role in the raid on Harpers Ferry, although John Brown's efforts just a few years earlier to have Kansas enter the Union as a free state were tied to popular sovereignty.

17. United States foreign policy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was primarily designed to.. A. protect the country from foreign invasion. B. extend United States military, cultural and economic power abroad. C. isolate the United States from involvement in foreign disputes. D. compete with European countries in establishing colonies in Africa.

COMPETENCY 011 Option B is correct. As an emerging world power the United States increasingly pursued its interests on a global scale. Although the country did not directly compete with the Europeans to establish colonies in Africa and Asia, it vigorously defended the role it had assumed under the Monroe Doctrine as protector of the Americas from European meddling, expanding that role through the Roosevelt Corollary. While historians may disagree whether U.S. policy was imperialistic or merely expansionistic, there is little question that such actions as building a navy, intervening in Latin America, going to war with Spain, annexing Hawaii and the Philippines, and aggressively pursuing economic policies abroad that favored U.S. businesses reflected an increasingly coherent policy to project U.S. power onto the world stage. Option A is incorrect. Part of U.S. foreign policy is to protect the country from foreign invasion but such security concerns were not paramount in the late 1800s and early 1900s, because the country was still relatively isolated geographically from potential enemies. Foreign policy concerns like rebuilding the navy and warning European nations to keep their distance were based more on protecting U.S. economic interests abroad than on preventing attacks on the homeland. Option C is incorrect. The United States was not isolationist at this time. A century earlier George Washington had advocated isolationism, or at least the avoidance of becoming entangled in European affairs, in his famous Farewell Address, and the U.S would again retreat to some extent following the World War I. But although there was a significant debate in the U.S. during the late 1800s and early 1900s over what its role in the world should be, those who believed in an expansion of U.S. power abroad were, by and large, the victors. Option D is incorrect. Although the United States did venture into ideological and economic imperialism, it did not engage in any colonial ventures in Africa in this period.

16. One Cold War policy initiated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration was.. A. sending American troops into any part of the world where communist forces were threatening an existing government. B. negotiating arms-reduction and trade agreements with the Soviet Union. C. increasing the United States nuclear arsenal to ensure a military advantage over the Soviet Union. D. making human rights the central focus of United States relations with the Soviet Union.

COMPETENCY 011 Option C is correct. Eisenhower's administration initiated a change to United States military force structure (known as the New Look) that involved a rapid increase in the number of nuclear weapons such as missiles and bombs. Nuclear forces were cheaper than conventional forces and potentially much more powerful, and Eisenhower and his advisors believed they would give the United States a significant advantage in a possible conflict with the Soviet Union. Option A is incorrect. Eisenhower, like other Cold War presidents, was selective in the areas where he chose to confront communism. He refused to intervene when the Soviet Union invaded Hungary and toppled an anti-Soviet government in 1956, but he did initiate military aid to South Vietnam when it came under attack by the communist Vietminh. Option B is incorrect. Arms reduction and trade agreements were characteristic of the policy of détente, which was initiated by President Richard Nixon. Option D is incorrect. Although Eisenhower, like all Cold War presidents, did criticize the abuses of human rights that were taking place in the Soviet Union, human rights were not the central feature of his policy. President Jimmy Carter is more commonly associated with an emphasis on human rights.

19. Which of the following leaders is best known for urging African Americans to concentrate their efforts on improving their education and economic status rather than on an immediate struggle to achieve political and social equality? A. Malcolm X B. W. E. B. Du Bois C. Martin Luther King, Jr. D. Booker T. Washington

COMPETENCY 014 Option D is correct. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Booker T. Washington argued that African Americans should pursue economic advancement as a first step prior to agitating for political and social equality. Although Washington believed that the social and political discrimination against African Americans in his time was wrong, he felt that African Americans should take a gradualist approach to combating it. Option A is incorrect because Malcolm X advocated immediate political action to achieve equality. Option B is incorrect because W. E. B. Du Bois rejected political and social inequality and advocated immediate political and legal action (albeit of a different type than Malcolm X) to achieve equality. Option C is incorrect because Martin Luther King, Jr., rejected social inequality and advocated immediate social and political action to achieve equality.

15. Which of the following statements best describes the impact that Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin had on large cotton plantations? A. A decrease in the number of slaves and an increase in the amount of cotton processed B. An increase in the number of slaves and an increase in the amount of cotton processed C. A decrease in the number of slaves on large plantations and in the Deep South overall D. An increase in the number of slaves and a decrease in the amount of cotton produced by each slave

COMPETENCY 015 Option B is correct. Whitney's cotton gin (a contraction of the word "engine") revolutionized the cotton industry in the South, making it a tremendously profitable business. Cotton production expanded from 750,000 bales in 1830 to 2.85 million bales in 1850. This increase in production created a demand for more slave labor. A single slave took about 10 hours to separate a single pound of short-staple cotton fibers from the seed, but a team of two or three slaves (using a cotton gin) could process about fifty pounds of cotton in a day. Production of cotton exploded in the Deep South (places like western Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi). Slaveholders from the upper South sold enslaved Africans to plantations in the Deep South to help meet the demand for cotton production. Option A is incorrect because the cotton gin led to an increase in both the amount of cotton produced and the demand for slave labor. Option C is incorrect because Southern plantation owners, especially in the Deep South where cotton was the main staple crop, increased the number of enslaved Africans in their workforces. Option D is incorrect because the cotton gin not only enabled each worker to produce more cotton but led to an increase in the number of slaves on large plantations.

22. José de Escandón played a different role than that of Francisco Hidalgo during the formation of early Spanish colonial Texas in that.. A. Escandón sought to convert American Indians to Catholicism by building missions, whereas Hidalgo insisted he must live among the Indians and teach religious practices. B. Escandón suppressed American Indian rebellions and established new colonies, whereas Hidalgo built missions throughout southeastern Texas to convert American Indians to Catholicism. C. Escandón advocated a policy of assimilation of American Indians through education, whereas Hidalgo showed American Indians how to employ advanced agricultural practices so they could remain independent. D. Escandón explored the southern Texas coastline and negotiated a colonial border with France, whereas Hidalgo built military forts in the Rio Grande valley from which to attack the French.

COMPETENCY 016 Option B is correct. After the successful pacification of an Indian uprising in Querétaro in 1727, José de Escandón was selected to colonize land in Texas. Although he met with American Indian resistance throughout his expeditions, Escandón found success in establishing over twenty settlements along the Rio Grande. Francisco Hidalgo was a Franciscan missionary who came to the Americas to found the missionary College of Santa Cruz de Querétaro. Hidalgo later traveled to an East Texas mission and, when the mission failed, he became an advocate for missionary efforts among the Caddo Indians. Option A is incorrect because Jose de Escandón was not a missionary, and Francisco Hidalgo did not live among the American Indians, although he did found missions to convert American Indians to Catholicism. Spain commissioned Jose de Escandón to explore and found new colonies along the Rio Grande. Francisco Hidalgo traveled to East Texas to spread religion among the Caddo Indians and establish new missions farther north. Option C is incorrect because José de Escandón was not an advocate for the education of the American Indians he encountered in his expeditions along the Rio Grande. Francisco Hidalgo, while known for his teachings among American Indian groups, did not instruct those groups in how to develop advanced agriculture. In most cases, the American Indian groups he encountered had already developed their own systems of agriculture. Furthermore, Hidalgo sought to bring American Indians into the Catholic church rather than have them remain independent. Option D is incorrect. José de Escandón was sent by the Spanish to colonize land along the southern Texas coastline in reaction to perceived French encroachments in the area. However, Escandón played no part in negotiating a border with France. Francisco Hidalgo was a Franciscan missionary who traveled to East Texas and beyond founding missions. Hidalgo was not a military strategist and did not establish military forts.

24. The provisions of the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 affected Texas by.. A. making Mexico, including Texas, independent from Spain. B. recognizing Texas as a territory free from Mexico. C. giving Florida to the United States in exchange for the United States relinquishing claims to parts of Texas. D. establishing the boundary between the United States and Mexico along the Rio Grande.

COMPETENCY 016 Option C is correct. The Adams‒Onís Treaty recognized the United States seizure of Florida from Spain and delineated a boundary with Spanish Mexico that clearly made Texas a part of Spanish Mexico (and not of the United States). This aspect of the treaty ended uncertainty between the United States and Spain over the boundary created after the Louisiana Purchase. Option A is incorrect. Mexican-born Spaniards, mestizos, and American Indians engaged in a war of independence from Spain from 1810 to 1821, ending with the Treaty of Córdoba based on the Plan of Iguala. Option B is incorrect. Texas became an independent nation following a military conflict between Mexico and Texan colonists. As a result of the Adams‒Onís Treaty, Texas was placed under the control of the Mexican government. The Texas War of Independence took place from 1835 to 1836. Option D is incorrect. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the United States-Mexican War (1846-1848), established the Rio Grande as part of the boundary between the United States and Mexico.

30. Which of the following graphic organizers is most useful for comparing and contrasting attributes of the North and the South in the period before the Civil War? A. Histogram B. Venn diagram C. Tree chart D. Flowchart

COMPETENCY 020 Option B is correct. Of those listed, a Venn diagram is the best graphic organizer to use to display the similarities and differences between the North and South. A Venn diagram can display possible logical relationships between different attributes. Option A is incorrect. A histogram is a type of graph used to organize continuous data by displaying the frequency in which certain ranges of data appear. This type of graphic organizer would not be useful in comparing and contrasting attributes of the North and South of the United States. Option C is incorrect. A tree chart is used to display the hierarchical relations of a structure in graphical form. This type of graphic organizer would best be used to display the relationships among, for example, the federal, state and local governments but not the similar and different attributes of the North and South. Option D is incorrect.. A flowchart is a type of chart that represents the steps of a process or algorithm. A flowchart would not be suitable to display the similarities and differences between the North and South.

23. One of the reasons that Mexico granted Stephen F. Austin permission to start a colony in Texas was to.. A. keep the French from encroaching on Mexican territory. B. establish a base for Mexican expansion into the southern United States. C. create a buffer between Mexico and American Indian groups living to the north. D. enable Mexico to levy a tax on cotton exported from Texas.

COMPETENCY 017 Option C is correct. Extensive land grants were given to families from the United States for two reasons. One was to protect northern Mexico from Native American attacks, particularly from the Comanche, and a second was to buffer northern Mexican states against the effects of westward expansion of the United States. Option A is incorrect. The French were no longer in the area by the 1820s because they had sold the Louisiana Territory, including the city of New Orleans, to the United States. Option B is incorrect. Mexico wanted the colony to help prevent the United States from expanding into Mexico but was not seriously considering trying to expand Mexican territory northward. Option D is incorrect. Mexico was not primarily concerned with cotton from Texas in the 1820s. The production of cotton in Texas did not become a large part of the economy until the mid-1800s. During the 1820s, Texas was one of the poorest regions of Mexico and was not seen as a likely source of significant tax revenue.

26. Which of the following contributed most to the eventual disappearance of long distance cattle drives in Texas? A. The withdrawal of Texas from the Union during the Civil War B. The construction of the Interstate Highway System C. The invention and popularization of barbed-wire fencing D. The destruction of land caused by the Dust Bowl of the 1930s

COMPETENCY 017 Option C is correct. Invented in the 1860s and introduced in the West in the 1870s, barbed wire transformed the landscape. It was used by farmers, railroad companies and others to protect land from cattle and, increasingly, by ranchers themselves. Eventually, as the use of barbed wire expanded, it became increasingly difficult for cattle to move freely across the plains. Combined with other developments such as the extension of railroad lines deep into Texas and fear of the spread of disease by cattle driven cross-country, barbed wire contributed to the end of the open range and cattle drives in Texas. Option A is incorrect. Texas' secession from the Union in 1861 may have had a temporary impact on cattle drives to the extent that the Confederacy became the primary market for Texas cattle and the Union Army sought to interfere with supplies moving to the Confederacy. But these restrictions ended with the war and the reintegration of the national market. Option B is incorrect. Construction of the Interstate Highway System began after passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act in 1956, and thus it took place more than half a century after the era of cattle drives had ended. Option D is incorrect. Although the Dust Bowl of the 1930s worsened an already bleak situation for the cattle industry, it had no impact on cattle drives, which had ceased several decades earlier.

25. Which of the following describes a major accomplishment of Oveta Culp Hobby? A. As a political reformer, she helped lead the fight for women's suffrage and ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment B. As a lawyer and politician, she was the first African-American woman elected to the United States Congress C. As head of the Women's Army Corps during the World War II, she organized women from across the country to fill roles left vacant by men fighting overseas D. As a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Texas, she fought for equal pay for African-American teachers and against the state's discriminatory white primary elections

COMPETENCY 018 Option C is correct. After serving as head of the War Department's Women's Interest Section, Oveta Culp Hobby became the Director of the Women's Army Corps. The first to serve in the Army in uniform, the women under Hobby's leadership were organized to fill the roles of men who had been sent into combat during the World War II. As Director, Hobby was the first women to receive the Distinguished Service Medal and was promoted to the rank of colonel for her efforts. Option A is incorrect. Written by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony in 1878, the Nineteenth Amendment was passed in 1920. Many other women worked for the ratification of the amendment for almost half a century, including Lucretia Mott, Ida B. Wells, and Isabella Beecher Hooker. Oveta Culp Hobby did not play a prominent role in the fight for women's suffrage, though her mother, Emma Hoover Culp, was active in the movement. Option B is incorrect. Although Oveta Culp Hobby studied law, served in the Texas House of Representatives, and eventually became the first female secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, she was not the first AfricanAmerican woman to serve in Congress. The woman described in this answer choice is Barbara Jordan. Option D is incorrect. Oveta Culp Hobby was not a leader of the NAACP, although over the course of her career she became an advocate of equal rights for African Americans.

27. Which of the following was one significant result of the Texas oil boom in the early twentieth century? A. Other industries in Texas, such as lumber and railroads, experienced a decline in profitability B. High school enrollment dropped in Texas because many teenagers left school to make money in the oil industry C. The city of Houston grew from a small commercial center into one of the largest cities in the United States D. The state legislature moved the capital from Houston to Austin to avoid being unduly influenced by newly enriched oil producers

COMPETENCY 018 Option C is correct. Houston became a center for refineries and petrochemical plants during the oil boom of the early twentieth century. Houston also benefited from the opening of a ship channel in 1914 that made the city attractive for industrial development. The town's population grew by over 500 percent between 1900 and 1930. Option A is incorrect because the oil boom helped promote other industries in Texas. Lumber production thrived because there was an increase in demand for railroads and refineries. Additionally, growing cities spurred a boom in housing, which also required lumber. Railroads grew in response to the growing need to transport supplies for and products of the oil industry in Texas. Option B is incorrect because there was a rapid influx of students into primary and secondary schools in boomtowns as people moved to those towns for work. Option D is incorrect. Houston was briefly the capital of Texas in 1837, but by 1839, long before the oil boom, the capital moved to Austin and has remained there.

31. Which of the following is an example of a primary source? A. An encyclopedia article on Chinese culture B. A novel set in medieval Scotland C. A Korean War soldier's letter to his family D. A textbook on African history

COMPETENCY 020 Option C is correct. Letters, legal documents, recordings and other sources of information that were created during the time period under study are considered to be primary sources. A Korean War soldier's letter to his family might contain information, such as personal statements about the war experience and eyewitness accounts of significant events, that cannot be obtained from secondary sources. Option A is incorrect. Encyclopedias are considered to be tertiary sources, or sources that contain a summary or analysis of many secondary and primary sources, and attempt to provide a broad overview or summary of a topic. Option B is incorrect. While novels written during the time period under investigation might be used as primary sources (e.g., Uncle Tom's Cabin for a study of the antislavery movement), modern novels, including historical novels, are not firsthand or contemporary accounts of historical events. Option D is incorrect. Textbooks are secondary sources used for educational purposes that contain information and interpretations usually vetted by committees of many historians and teachers. Textbooks summarize information from a large breadth of works and publications in order to provide a thematic or chronological presentation of a topic.

32. After a lesson on vocabulary words about the United States government, which of the following instructional activities would best facilitate students' understanding of the term "separation of powers"? A. A reading on the Madisonian form of government including separation of powers B. A lecture explaining the reason behind Madison's idea of separation of powers C. A nonlinguistic representation of the roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government D. A summative assessment on the roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government

COMPETENCY 022 Option C is correct. Displaying the working relationships of the three branches in a nonlinguistic representation, such as a graphic organizer or chart, would best facilitate students' understanding of the separation of powers because it would require them to process the information in a different mode. Option A is incorrect. Reading materials on the Madisonian form of government after a vocabulary lesson would not specifically facilitate students' understanding of the term "separation of powers." Such reading would be best used for a reading comprehension and historical analysis exercise. Option B is incorrect. A lecture on the Madisonian form of government would be best held after a deeper understanding of the vocabulary terms has been established. Option D is incorrect. A summative assessment on the roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government would not be appropriate after only an introductory vocabulary lesson on the term. Given the complexity of the concept and common student misunderstandings (e.g., confusing it with federalism), further reinforcement should come before a summative assessment.

28. A teacher who wishes to incorporate historiography into a history lesson should present students with a.. A. study of maps and mapmaking. B. study of legislative documents. C. variety of interpretive sources. D. collection of primary documents

COMPETENCY 022 Option C is correct. Historiography involves the study of the methodology and changing interpretations of history as a discipline. Studying a variety of interpretive sources would provide students with examples of the differing ways that historians study and write about certain topics. Option A is incorrect. A study of mapmaking would best suit a lesson on cartography or geography. Option B is incorrect. A study of legislative documents would best suit a lesson on law and government. Option D is incorrect. A collection of primary sources would best suit a lesson on historical inquiry or research.

Which of the following conquistadores unwittingly gave smallpox to the Indians and destroyed the Aztec empire in Mexico? A. Cortes B. Ponce de Leon C. Balboa D. De Vaca

The correct answer is A Hernando Cortes conquered the Mexican Aztecs in 1519. He had several advantages over the Indians, including horses, armor for his soldiers, and guns. In addition, Cortes' troops unknowingly transmitted smallpox to the Aztecs, which devastated their population as they had no immunity to this foreign illness. Vasco Nunez de Balboa was the first European explorer to view the Pacific Ocean when he crossed the Isthmus of Panama in 1513. Juan Ponce de Leon also visited and claimed Florida in Spain's name in 1513. Cabeza de Vaca was one of only four men out of 400 to return from an expedition led by Panfilio de Narvaez in 1528, and was responsible for spreading the story of the Seven Cities of Cibola (the "cities of gold"). Hernando de Soto led an expedition from 1539-1541 to the southeastern part of America.

Which of the following statements is not true regarding English expansionism in the 16th century? A. England's defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 brought a decisive end to their war with Spain B. King Henry VIII's desire to divorce Catherine of Aragon strengthened English expansionism C. Queen Elizabeth's support for the Protestant Reformation strengthened English expansionism D. Sir Francis Drake's voyages to and conquests of new territories were supported by Elizabeth

The correct answer is A It is not true that England's defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 ended their war with Spain. It did establish England's naval dominance and strengthened England's future colonization of the New World, but the actual war between England and Spain did not end until 1604. It is true that Henry VIII's desire to divorce Catherine of Aragon strengthened English expansionism. Catherine was Spanish, and Henry split from the Catholic Church because it prohibited divorce. Henry's rejection of his Spanish wife and his subsequent support of the Protestant movement angered King Philip II of Spain and destroyed the formerly close ties between the two countries. When Elizabeth became Queen of England, she supported the Reformation as a Protestant, which also contributed to English colonization. Sir Francis Drake, one of the best known English sea captains during this time period, would attack and plunder Spanish ships that had plundered American Indians, adding to the enmity between Spain and England. Queen Elizabeth invested in Drake's voyages and gave him her support in claiming territories for England.

Which conquistador discovered the Mississippi River? A. Coronado B. De Soto C. Cortes D. De Leon

The correct answer is B Hernando de Soto led an expedition of 600 men to southeastern America between 1539 and 1541, getting as far west as Oklahoma and discovering the Mississippi River in the process. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his men made an expedition to southwestern America between 1540 and 1542, traveling from Mexico across the Rio Grande and going to New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. In the process, they became some of the first European explorers to see the Grand Canyon. Hernando Cortes conquered the Aztecs of Mexico in 1519. Juan Ponce de Leon explored Florida looking for the Fountain of Youth and for gold in 1513. At the time, he also claimed Florida for Spain. Panfilio de Narvaez led an expedition to the Gulf Coast area of America in 1528. It failed, and only a few of the hundreds of men who participated in this expedition returned.

Which of the following is not true regarding the early colonization of New York? A. James, Duke of York, prohibited assemblies in New York as he was against representation B. Colonel Richard Nicols granted very few civil or political rights to the New York colonials C. New York colonial citizens, especially Puritans on Long Island, demanded self-government D. Dutch fur traders first created the New Amsterdam settlement on Manhattan Island in 1624

The correct answer is B It is not true that Colonel Nicols granted very few civil or political rights to New York colonials. In fact, he gave them as many civil and political rights as possible to make up for the fact that James, Duke of York, who conquered New Amsterdam with his brother King Charles II's authorization, was strongly against representation for colonists, and prohibited any representative assemblies in his renamed New York. Despite Nicols' allowing colonial citizens many other rights, they still wanted to govern themselves, especially Long Island's Puritans. James gave in to their demands in the 1680s, but upon his accession to the throne of England in 1685, he went back on his word. It is true that before the English conquered the New York territories, New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island was a trading settlement of the New Netherlands made by Dutch explorers to facilitate the Dutch West India Company's fur trade with the Indians.

Which of the following statements is true regarding New Spain in the 1500s? A. New Spain had not yet developed any kind of class system B. The Spanish originally imported Africans to use as slaves for labor C. Conquistadores experienced shortages of labor in the New World D. The hacienda system eventually gave way to the encomienda system

The correct answer is C The conquistadores had to deal with labor shortages during their colonization of America in the 16th century. This was attributable to the fact that Spain during this time did not suffer from overpopulation, so only about 200,000 Spaniards migrated to America, not 300,000. To address the shortage of labor, the Spanish first used Indian slaves. Only after the Indians were decimated by diseases brought from Europe and from being overworked did the Spanish begin to import slaves from Africa. The first system used by the Spanish was the encomienda system of large estates or manors, which was only later succeeded by the hacienda system, which was similar but not as harsh. It is not true that New Spain's society had no kind of class system. In fact, this society was rigidly divided into three strata. The highest class was Spanish natives (peninsulares), the middle class consisted of those born in America to Spanish parents (creoles), and the lowest class was made up of Mestizos, or Indians.

Which of the following statements is not true regarding the colony of Jamestown? A. The colony of Jamestown was established by the Virginia Company of London in 1607 B. The majority of settlers in early Jamestown died of starvation, disease, or Indian attacks C. Many settlers were English gentry who would not farm or explorers looking for treasure D. John Smith's governance helped Jamestown more than John Rolfe's tobacco discovery

The correct answer is D It is not true that John Smith's governance helped Jamestown more than John Rolfe's discovery that a certain type of East Indian tobacco could be grown in Virginia. Smith's strong leadership from 1608-1609 gave great support to the struggling colony. However, when Smith's return to England left Jamestown without this support, the future of the colony was again in question. In 1612, however, when John Rolfe found that an East Indian tobacco strain popular in Europe could be farmed in Virginia, the discovery gave Jamestown and Virginia a lucrative crop. Therefore, both Smith's time in office and Rolfe's discovery were beneficial to Jamestown. Jamestown was established by the Virginia Company of London in 1607, and it became the first permanent settlement by the English in North America. It is also true that Jamestown survived in spite of the fact that most of its early settlers died from starvation, disease, and Indian attacks. It is also true that many of Jamestown's settlers came from the English upper class and were unwilling to farm the land, while others came hoping to find gold or other treasures, and persisted in their search for these instead of working to make the land sustainable.

Which of the following is not a correct statement regarding the Pilgrims? A. The Pilgrims were led by William Bradford with a charter from the London Company B. The Pilgrims left England in 1620 on the ship known as the Mayflower and landed at Cape Cod C. The Pilgrims wrote and signed the Mayflower Compact on the ship before going ashore D. The Pilgrims were a group of Puritans who left England to escape religious persecution

The correct answer is D The Pilgrims were not Puritans seeking to escape religious persecution in England. They were actually English Separatists who believed there was no fixing the Church of England, and thus chose to separate from it. They did embark on the Mayflower in 1620, and storms drove the ship to land at Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Their leader was William Bradford, and they had been given a charter by the London Company to settle America south of the Hudson River. The Pilgrims knew that going ashore would leave them without any existing government, so while still on board the ship they created the Mayflower Compact so that their New World colony would have a basis for government from its inception.

Which of the following is true regarding the Treaty of Tordesillas? A. It moved a line of demarcation east B. It was executed during the 1500s C. It was initiated by the Pope D. It was between Spain and Portugal

The correct answer is D. The Treaty of Tordesillas was between Spain and Portugal. It was executed in 1491, not in the 1500s. The treaty did not set up a "Line of Demarcation"; this line was previously established 100 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands by the Pope in response to demands by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain to confirm their South American colonization. Since the line's division gave more territory to Spain than Portugal, but Portugal had a more powerful navy at the time, Spain and Portugal agreed through the Treaty of Tordesillas to move the Line of Demarcation farther west, not east. The treaty was not initiated by the Pope; he established the original Line of Demarcation. The treaty moved this line west, and Spain and Portugal agreed to this treaty.