Question 1

As a result of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850,

Accepted Answer

A)  sectional divisions eased. 
B)  Ralph Waldo Emerson counseled northerners to cooperate with federal authorities regardless of what their consciences told them. 
C)  the thousands of black refugees that sought safety in Canada challenged the image of the United States as an asylum for freedom. 
D)  only border states like Virginia and Kentucky were affected. 
E)  the Underground Railroad shut down for the next decade. 
A)  sectional divisions eased. 
B)  Ralph Waldo Emerson counseled northerners to cooperate with federal authorities regardless of what their consciences told them. 
C)  the thousands of black refugees that sought safety in Canada challenged the image of the United States as an asylum for freedom. 
D)  only border states like Virginia and Kentucky were affected. 
E)  the Underground Railroad shut down for the next decade.

Question 2

What argument was made by critics of the Dred Scott decision such as James McCune Smith and John McLean?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Supreme Court could not be considered an impartial judge in this case because most of the justices were southerners. 
B)  Citizenship implied the right to keep and carry arms. 
C)  All free persons born on American soil were automatically citizens. 
D)  The Republican platform of restricting slavery's expansion was unconstitutional. 
E)  The nation's founders had never intended for black people to have the rights of citizens. 
A)  The Supreme Court could not be considered an impartial judge in this case because most of the justices were southerners. 
B)  Citizenship implied the right to keep and carry arms. 
C)  All free persons born on American soil were automatically citizens. 
D)  The Republican platform of restricting slavery's expansion was unconstitutional. 
E)  The nation's founders had never intended for black people to have the rights of citizens.

Question 3

Which statement is true about the Confederacy?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Constitution of the Confederate States of America was drafted to be different in all ways from the U.S. Constitution. 
B)  The Constitution of the Confederate States of America explicitly guaranteed slave property in the states and in any newly acquired territories. 
C)  Confederate leaders planned to return lands to Indian tribes within the Confederate states that had been seized by the United States. 
D)  Confederate leaders opposed imperial expansion into Central America and the Caribbean. 
E)  Stephen Douglas became president of the Confederacy. 
A)  The Constitution of the Confederate States of America was drafted to be different in all ways from the U.S. Constitution. 
B)  The Constitution of the Confederate States of America explicitly guaranteed slave property in the states and in any newly acquired territories. 
C)  Confederate leaders planned to return lands to Indian tribes within the Confederate states that had been seized by the United States. 
D)  Confederate leaders opposed imperial expansion into Central America and the Caribbean. 
E)  Stephen Douglas became president of the Confederacy.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of the political impact of the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

Accepted Answer

A)  A strong, united Whig Party won the White House in the next presidential election. 
B)  Nearly half of northern Democrats joined the patriotic American Party. 
C)  The Whig Party collapsed, and many disgruntled northerners joined the new Republican Party. 
D)  Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln decided to become running mates for the presidential election of 1856. 
E)  The new Free Soil Party strongly endorsed the Act and won new congressional seats in several Upper South districts. 
A)  A strong, united Whig Party won the White House in the next presidential election. 
B)  Nearly half of northern Democrats joined the patriotic American Party. 
C)  The Whig Party collapsed, and many disgruntled northerners joined the new Republican Party. 
D)  Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln decided to become running mates for the presidential election of 1856. 
E)  The new Free Soil Party strongly endorsed the Act and won new congressional seats in several Upper South districts.

Question 5

Which is true of James K. Polk?

Accepted Answer

A)  He opposed annexation of Texas. 
B)  He defeated Martin Van Buren in the election of 1844. 
C)  He was a "benevolent" slave owner, who taught his slaves how to read. 
D)  He feuded with Andrew Jackson for most of his political career. 
E)  He is considered the first "dark horse" presidential candidate. 
A)  He opposed annexation of Texas. 
B)  He defeated Martin Van Buren in the election of 1844. 
C)  He was a "benevolent" slave owner, who taught his slaves how to read. 
D)  He feuded with Andrew Jackson for most of his political career. 
E)  He is considered the first "dark horse" presidential candidate.

Question 6

Stephen Douglas's motivation for introducing the Kansas-Nebraska Act was to

Accepted Answer

A)  boost efforts to build a transcontinental railroad. 
B)  spread slavery to as many regions as possible. 
C)  win the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
D)  pacify southerners who strongly supported the idea of popular sovereignty. 
E)  help Franklin Pierce win a second term as president. 
A)  boost efforts to build a transcontinental railroad. 
B)  spread slavery to as many regions as possible. 
C)  win the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
D)  pacify southerners who strongly supported the idea of popular sovereignty. 
E)  help Franklin Pierce win a second term as president.

Question 7

Examine the aftermath of the Mexican War for Tejanos in the Texas borderland. What were the consequences for Mexicans, Indians, slaves, and free blacks in the newly acquired areas of not only Texas but also New Mexico and California? Think back to Thomas Jefferson's idea of an "Empire of Liberty." Did the newly acquired land from the Mexican War promote Jefferson's idea, or as with the Louisiana Purchase, was it an empire of liberty for only a few?

Accepted Answer

The aftermath of the Mexican War had sig

Question 8

By what means did the first Americans establish landholdings in Texas?

Accepted Answer

A)  illegal squatting in borderlands that were considered disputed territory 
B)  legal purchase of land, as long as they became Mexican citizens 
C)  land grants to Catholics from American Catholic missionaries in the region 
D)  management of ranches owned by absentee Mexican landlords 
E)  as terms of a treaty signed following the Texas revolt 
A)  illegal squatting in borderlands that were considered disputed territory 
B)  legal purchase of land, as long as they became Mexican citizens 
C)  land grants to Catholics from American Catholic missionaries in the region 
D)  management of ranches owned by absentee Mexican landlords 
E)  as terms of a treaty signed following the Texas revolt

Question 9

In the early 1840s, a large increase in the migration of American settlers west of the Mississippi River was sparked by

Accepted Answer

A)  the abolition of slavery in the Deep South. 
B)  Indian tribes regaining land east of the Mississippi River. 
C)  the economic depression that began in 1837. 
D)  a widespread rejection of the concept of manifest destiny. 
E)  Mexico's sale of California to the United States in 1840. 
A)  the abolition of slavery in the Deep South. 
B)  Indian tribes regaining land east of the Mississippi River. 
C)  the economic depression that began in 1837. 
D)  a widespread rejection of the concept of manifest destiny. 
E)  Mexico's sale of California to the United States in 1840.

Question 10

The Republican presidential candidate in 1856 was

Accepted Answer

A)  John Breckinridge. 
B)  Abraham Lincoln. 
C)  Charles Sumner. 
D)  John Frémont. 
E)  James Buchanan. 
A)  John Breckinridge. 
B)  Abraham Lincoln. 
C)  Charles Sumner. 
D)  John Frémont. 
E)  James Buchanan.

Question 11

Which statement is true about the effects and aftermath of the 1857 Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sanford?

Accepted Answer

A)  The decision in effect declared the Republican plan to restrict slavery's expansion unconstitutional. 
B)  President Buchanan declared that slavery was banned in all the territories. 
C)  Stephen Douglas praised the Court's affirmation of the doctrine of popular sovereignty. 
D)  Dred Scott remained enslaved until his death. 
E)  All people born in the United States were declared citizens, regardless of race. 
A)  The decision in effect declared the Republican plan to restrict slavery's expansion unconstitutional. 
B)  President Buchanan declared that slavery was banned in all the territories. 
C)  Stephen Douglas praised the Court's affirmation of the doctrine of popular sovereignty. 
D)  Dred Scott remained enslaved until his death. 
E)  All people born in the United States were declared citizens, regardless of race.

Question 12

Using the Lincoln-Douglas debates, explore how each man viewed freedom. What can their political debates tell us about American society on the eve of the Civil War?

Accepted Answer

The Lincoln-Douglas debates were a serie

Question 13

Analyze the arguments of the Free Soil Party. How did its members understand freedom? How did slavery fit into their platform?

Accepted Answer

The Free Soil Party was a political part

Question 14

American settlement of Oregon began well before the United States and Great Britain divided the territory at the forty-ninth parallel.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

In the first half of the nineteenth century, the United States gained the most territory through

Accepted Answer

A)  purchasing territory from Russia. 
B)  a treaty with Great Britain. 
C)  purchasing territory from France. 
D)  wars with Mexico. 
E)  purchasing territory from Spain. 
A)  purchasing territory from Russia. 
B)  a treaty with Great Britain. 
C)  purchasing territory from France. 
D)  wars with Mexico. 
E)  purchasing territory from Spain.

Question 16

The Democratic Party split in 1860 over the question of whether to

Accepted Answer

A)  renominate President James Buchanan for a second term. 
B)  protect slavery in the territories or allow popular sovereignty in them. 
C)  impeach Chief Justice Roger Taney for the Dred Scott decision. 
D)  endorse the acquisition of Cuba by the United States, thus increasing slave territory. 
E)  immediately bring Kansas and Nebraska into the Union as slave states. 
A)  renominate President James Buchanan for a second term. 
B)  protect slavery in the territories or allow popular sovereignty in them. 
C)  impeach Chief Justice Roger Taney for the Dred Scott decision. 
D)  endorse the acquisition of Cuba by the United States, thus increasing slave territory. 
E)  immediately bring Kansas and Nebraska into the Union as slave states.

Question 17

What do the authors of South Carolina's Declaration of the Immediate Causes of Secession present as the cause of their leaving the Union?

Accepted Answer

A)  the federal government's refusal to respect states' rights 
B)  the election of a president who received no votes from the southern states 
C)  the federal government's refusal to endorse the Ostend Manifesto 
D)  the North's increasing opposition to slavery 
E)  the Supreme Court's hostility to the interests of slave owners 
A)  the federal government's refusal to respect states' rights 
B)  the election of a president who received no votes from the southern states 
C)  the federal government's refusal to endorse the Ostend Manifesto 
D)  the North's increasing opposition to slavery 
E)  the Supreme Court's hostility to the interests of slave owners

Question 18

Which was a factor in the rise of the Republican Party?

Accepted Answer

A)  a decline in immigration from Europe 
B)  a shift of the northern population to large cities. 
C)  the opening of the major ports in San Diego and San Francisco 
D)  integration of the northern economy following the completion of the railroad network 
E)  a decline in coal mining and iron manufacturing 
A)  a decline in immigration from Europe 
B)  a shift of the northern population to large cities. 
C)  the opening of the major ports in San Diego and San Francisco 
D)  integration of the northern economy following the completion of the railroad network 
E)  a decline in coal mining and iron manufacturing

Question 19

The development of railroads and the economic integration of the Northeast and Northwest created the groundwork for the political unification of the Republican Party.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

Why did President James K. Polk initiate military action against Mexico in April 1846?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mexico had invaded Louisiana. 
B)  Polk claimed God had instructed him to free his "brethren to the south." 
C)  He sought to end slavery in New Mexico. 
D)  Polk wanted to purchase California, but Mexico refused to negotiate. 
E)  The United States was helping Spain to reconquer lost colonies. 
A)  Mexico had invaded Louisiana. 
B)  Polk claimed God had instructed him to free his "brethren to the south." 
C)  He sought to end slavery in New Mexico. 
D)  Polk wanted to purchase California, but Mexico refused to negotiate. 
E)  The United States was helping Spain to reconquer lost colonies.

Exam 13: A House Divided, 1840-1861

As a result of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850,

What argument was made by critics of the Dred Scott decision such as James McCune Smith and John McLean?

Which statement is true about the Confederacy?

Which of the following is an example of the political impact of the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

Which is true of James K. Polk?

Stephen Douglas's motivation for introducing the Kansas-Nebraska Act was to

By what means did the first Americans establish landholdings in Texas?

In the early 1840s, a large increase in the migration of American settlers west of the Mississippi River was sparked by

The Republican presidential candidate in 1856 was

Which statement is true about the effects and aftermath of the 1857 Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sanford?

Using the Lincoln-Douglas debates, explore how each man viewed freedom. What can their political debates tell us about American society on the eve of the Civil War?

Analyze the arguments of the Free Soil Party. How did its members understand freedom? How did slavery fit into their platform?

American settlement of Oregon began well before the United States and Great Britain divided the territory at the forty-ninth parallel.

In the first half of the nineteenth century, the United States gained the most territory through

The Democratic Party split in 1860 over the question of whether to

What do the authors of South Carolina's Declaration of the Immediate Causes of Secession present as the cause of their leaving the Union?

Which was a factor in the rise of the Republican Party?

The development of railroads and the economic integration of the Northeast and Northwest created the groundwork for the political unification of the Republican Party.

Why did President James K. Polk initiate military action against Mexico in April 1846?

A New World

Beginnings of English America, 1607-1660

Creating Anglo-America, 1660-1750

Slavery, Freedom, and the Struggle for Empire to 1763

The American Revolution, 1763-1783

The Revolution Within

Founding a Nation, 1783-1791

Securing the Republic, 1790-1815

The Market Revolution, 1800-1840

Democracy in America, 1815-1840

The Peculiar Institution

An Age of Reform, 1820-1840

A New Birth of Freedom: the Civil War, 1861-1865

What Is Freedom: Reconstruction, 1865-1877

Americas Gilded Age, 1870-1890

Freedoms Boundaries, at Home and Abroad, 1890-1900

The Progressive Era, 1900-1916

Safe for Democracy: the United States and World War I, 1916-1920

From Business Culture to Great Depression: The Twenties, 1920-1932

The New Deal, 1932-1940

Fighting for the Four Freedoms: World War II, 1941-1945

The United States and the Cold War, 1945-1953

An Affluent Society, 1953-1960

The Sixties, 1960-1968

The Conservative Turn, 1969-1988

From Triumph to Tragedy, 1989-2004

A Divided Nation

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