As a product of the Enlightenment thinking, Benjamin Franklin __________.
a. turned to organized religion for meaning in his life
b. devoted his life to his own personal religious views
c. rejected the practical pursuits of life in favor of contemplation, meditation, and
intellectual inquiry
d. pursued his curiosities until they yielded useful scientific ideas and ingenious
material inventions
e. sought to find true enlightenment by giving up most of his material possessions
How did the reform programs created during the New Deal eventually lead to its
demise?
a. They actually did very little to change the U.S. economic situation.
b. They required massive government spending and could not be sustained.
c. They were unpopular with Republicans who took control of Congress.
d. They were unpopular with the general public who began to speak out.
e. The progressive programs (like Social Security) could not outlast political changes.
How can Jefferson’s foreign policy best be characterized?
a. It allowed Madison (the next president) to return to domestic concerns.
b. It seriously damaged the British economy through conflict and embargoes.
c. It fostered a valuable alliance with France.
d. It did more harm than good for the United States.
e. It strengthened relations with Europe, despite the war.
The Ostend Manifesto was a memorandum that accused the Pierce administration of
__________.
a. accepting bribes from southern plantation owners
b. conspiring with northerners to make the United States a “free-soil wasteland”
c. wanting to punish the working class through taxation
d. wanting to create a “Caribbean slave empire” by annexing Cuba
e. discriminating against recent immigrants through unfair voting laws
The Sixteenth Amendment __________.
a. established civil rights guidelines
b. authorized the direct election of senators
c. gave women the vote
d. authorized an income tax
e. extended the franchise to 18-year-olds
An important procedural decision approved at the opening of the Constitutional
Convention involved __________.
a. publicizing the convention’s meetings and debates
b. its refusal to allow the small states to present their plans for constitutional revisions
c. the decision to keep deliberations as secret as possible
d. the election of James Madison as chairman
e. the requirement of a plurality rather than a simple majority to implement changes
The most important accomplishment of Congress under the Articles of Confederation
was its __________.
a. disposition of the Florida border problem with Spain
b. passage of ordinances organizing the Northwest Territory
c. management of the nation’s financial affairs
d. rejection of British demands for territory along the country’s borders with Canada
e. set of rules for interstate trade and tariffs
What was the New England version of the Glorious Revolution?
a. a year-long celebration of the overthrow of James II
b. the overthrow of Governor Andros
c. a year-long celebration of the crowning of William and Mary
d. a new Bill of Rights for all colonists
e. a new Bill of Rights for land-owning colonists
The Democratic party changed its tactics in the early 1990s and regained the White
House by __________.
a. becoming more liberal in order to differentiate itself from the Independent party
b. becoming more moderate and beginning to tailor programs to the middle class
c. ceasing to focus on the middle class and instead seeking upper-class support
d. abandoning the traditional Democratic goals such as health care reform
e. strengthening its focus on the importance of big government
What has been the most significant long-range effect of the New Deal on American
society?
a. Since the New Deal, Americans have tended to resist large-scale governmental
programs that seek directly to control aspects of economic and social life.
b. The economic initiatives and programs instituted by FDR’s administration during the
New Deal have continued to enrich the U.S. economy to this day.
c. Since the New Deal, presidents have continued to hold periodic “fireside chats”
during which they communicate important policy matters to the American people.
d. The immigration policies established during the New Deal continue to set quotas,
insulating American-born workers from foreign-born competition.
e. Certain key programs, such as Social Security, have become an integral part of
American life, providing essential benefits to millions of Americans today.
Martin Van Buren regarded a two-party system as essential to democratic government
because __________.
a. it provided a check on the temptation to abuse power
b. he believed governments could not operate effectively without parties
c. it was traditional in democracies
d. he saw two parties as a way to increase his personal power
e. three or more parties would cause too much voter confusion
Which statement best describes how Secretary of State Kellogg manipulated the
Kellogg-Briand Pact to fit American isolationism after World War I?
a. By refusing to sign the pact after it was created, Kellogg made it clear that the United
States was not interested in joining European wars.
b. By inviting all nations to sign the pact, Kellogg avoided an alliance with France that
could pressure the United States into aiding France in a European war.
c. By keeping the pact between America and France only, Kellogg avoided being allied
to other European nations in the event of war.
d. By keeping the pact between the two major American political parties, Kellogg
ensured that the United States would enter foreign wars only in self-defense.
e. By inviting all of Europe to sign the pact, Kellogg ensured that there would be no
more European wars.
In what ways was the War of 1812 strange?
a. It was fought on U.S. territory but between France and Great Britain.
b. The United States believed it could win with a decentralized government and little
money or military power against the most powerful nation in the world.
c. Great Britain was engaged in an expensive and taxing war with France but still found
resources to engage the United States on land and by sea.
d. It was a “paper” war of unenforced embargoes, wild rumors, and great lies.
e. It was mainly fought by merchants and pirates on the Atlantic Ocean rather than by
soldiers on land or naval officers at sea.
In what ways was Jefferson a powerful president?
a. He successfully reformed and controlled the judicial system.
b. He skillfully used diplomacy to steer the United States away from conflict with
Europe.
c. He created financial systems and solutions that most of the nation agreed with and
championed.
d. He developed close ties with Congress, working closely with legislators to reach
many of his political goals.
e. He successfully destroyed the Federalist Party, his political competition.
The colony of Pennsylvania was established as a religious sanctuary for __________.
a. Puritans
b. Catholics
c. Baptists
d. Quakers
e. Presbyterians
As a result of Cold War military reforms, the __________ became the dominant branch
of the American armed forces.
a. Navy
b. Army
c. National Guard
d. Marines
e. Air Force
When the Democrats endorsed silver in 1896, the Populists __________.
a. disbanded and merged with the Democrats
b. seconded the nomination of Bryan
c. disbanded and merged with the Republicans
d. seconded the nomination of McKinley
e. nominated Tom Watson of Georgia for president
The English takeover of New Netherland (which was subsequently renamed New York)
__________.
a. had little immediate effect on the colony
b. was followed by the expulsion of the Dutch
c. led to the prompt creation of a legislature
d. met with armed resistance by the Dutch
e. sparked a war between the English and the Dutch
What was the legacy of Reconstruction for most African Americans?
a. the benefits of freedom
b. poverty and discrimination
c. land ownership
d. skilled factory jobs
e. successful entry into politics
Which of the following revolutionized early Native American cultures?
a. the discovery of hunting
b. the development of agriculture
c. tribal political alliances
d. emergence of a written language
e. the domestication of the horse
What was a major consequence of the Seven Years’ War?
a. The war required the colonists create a Grand Council for intercolonial cooperation.
b. The war led to the creation of several new French colonies.
c. The colonies began working toward independence from Britain.
d. Britain admired the contributions of the colonists to their own defense.
e. The war made colonists more aware of America and its land.
Why were regional identities formed in the United States in the early nineteenth
century?
a. Transportation and communication were so limited that each region was isolated
from news and information about other regions.
b. Most regions had aggressive devotion to radical democracy, making the other regions
uneasy.
c. In order to control immigrant migration, the federal government designated certain
areas for immigrants from certain countries to live.
d. As immigration increased dramatically in the early nineteenth century, immigrants
tended to migrate to cities to live near people from their country of origin.
e. People wanted to defend their shared economic interests and maintain their distinct
regional subcultures.
The 1950s in America were characterized by __________.
a. a lower standard of living
b. migration from the suburbs to urban areas
c. unprecedented restraint on consumerism
d. a new affluence and a thriving economy
e. economic recession and inflation
How do the views of “new Western historians” contrast with Frederick Jackson Turner’s
thesis about the westward migration?
a. Turner viewed the migration as a fluid back and forth between the East and West, but
new historians point out that very few families who migrated west returned east.
b. Turner viewed the migration as a mix of cultures struggling to get along with Native
Americans, but new historians point out that many Native Americans were helpful to
the new settlers.
c. Turner saw the migration as a wave of white migrants who traveled west, but new
historians look at it as a set of various groups moving in many directions and interacting
with each other.
d. Turner saw the migration as a long process, but new historians have pointed out that
the entire wave of migration was very concentrated and took place over a relatively
short period of time.
e. Turner viewed the migration as a very negative experience for the travelers, but new
historians point out that the experience was both positive and negative.
Southern apologists claimed the master-slave relationship was more humane than
employer-worker relationships because it __________.
a. offered more opportunities for job training
b. was actually a freer relationship
c. emphasized cultural identities in a segregated environment
d. afforded greater long-term security
e. included women in the workforce
A central tenet of Reagan’s approach to foreign policy at the beginning of his
presidency was the belief that __________.
a. the Palestine Liberation Organization represented a serious threat to the United States
b. trading arms for hostages was an effective way to negotiate quietly with terrorists
c. the Middle East needed U.S. intervention to achieve freedom
d. the Soviet Union was a deadly enemy that threatened the United States
e. Israel could not be trusted to keep its word
Wilson hurt his chances to get the Treaty of Versailles ratified __________.
a. through his failure to ask for the American people’s support
b. because he was unwilling to compromise with opponents
c. by working too closely with isolationist opponents
d. because he did not work hard enough to convince opponents
e. through his vague and hostile demands of his supporters
In the 1780s, why did Americans disagree sharply over the relative importance of
liberty and order?
a. Americans believed that in order to gain liberty, everyone should be free to do what
he/she wanted.
b. Some Americans believed people should be free; others believed they should be
well-mannered.
c. Americans who valued British traditions supported order; those loyal to the new
American government supported liberty.
d. Religious leaders preached order while politicians advocated for liberty and religious
freedom.
e. After British tyranny Americans valued liberty but also valued an ordered society.
Regarding cotton agriculture in the pre-Civil War era, __________.
a. many planters sought to cultivate an alternative to cotton
b. cotton was the most famous crop in the South, but it was not the most profitable
c. cotton was a sure investment because cotton prices rarely fluctuated
d. many planters worked their land until it was exhausted
e. large plantation owners stopped growing cotton and turned to tobacco
Which one of the following states was part of the early movement to leave the Union,
before any shots were fired?
a. Missouri
b. Virginia
c. North Carolina
d. Tennessee
e. Texas
Until the 1890s, __________.
a. the presidency was weaker than Congress
b. the presidency was able to assert its power
c. Congress had little interest in national affairs
d. few presidents seemed committed to national affairs
e. power was equally divided between the president and Congress
What was one result of the election of 1892?
a. It brought disappointing results for the Populists.
b. It provided the Populists with a national forum.
c. It saw many voters switching to the Populist party.
d. It had little effect on national issues.
e. It brought Leonidas Polk to the presidency.