Deck 13: A House Dividing, 1844-1860

Question 1

Prior to Perry's trip to Japan in 1852, which of the following statements most accurately reflects American opinion regarding Japan?

A)Americans were well educated on Japanese culture.
B)Japan would make a good refueling base for trade ships.
C)Americans encouraged the immigration of Japanese labor to the west coast.
D)Americans did not anticipate racial differences to be an issue.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Following his return from Japan, what did Perry envision for the future of the U.S.?

A)Americans would not be interested in Asian markets.
B)The U.S. needed to protect its commercial rights.
C)The power of the U.S. would never reach that of other more developed countries.
D)America's increasing world power would be detrimental to U.S. commerce.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What major issue did Americans face following the Mexican War?

A)How much territory should the U.S. attempt to acquire?
B)What would be the requirements for statehood?
C)Should new states be admitted as slave or free states?
D)Should Mexicans be naturalized as citizens?

Answer 3

C

Question 4

What issue of expansion was part of the 1844 presidential election?

A)statehood for California
B)statehood for Alaska
C)annexation of Texas
D)annexation of Oregon

Question 5

What year did the war with Mexico begin?

A)1838
B)1842
C)1846
D)1850

Question 6

What advantages did the U.S. have over Mexico in the Mexican War?

A)more troops
B)familiarity with the area
C)moveable artillery
D)experienced navy

Question 7

Why was the Mexican War popular in the U.S.?

A)Americans had an intense dislike of Mexicans.
B)Americans hoped it would lead to imperial domination.
C)American forces were victorious in all major battles.
D)It created a path to future South American conquests.

Question 8

The territory acquired by the U.S. through the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hildago increased the continental U.S. by

A)20%.
B)30%.
C)40%.
D)50%.

Question 9

Why were Americans especially happy to have acquired California?

A)Access to Asian markets
B)Fruit growing
C)All season growing climate
D)Fishing

Question 10

Polk's campaign of 1844 in part centered on the U.S. desire to acquire territory in which area?

A)California
B)Washington
C)Mexico
D)Texas

Question 11

As a result of the California gold rush of 1849?

A)most immigrant miners became wealthy.
B)international investors were reluctant to invest in California mining endeavors.
C)cultural diversity was more accepted in California than other areas of the country.
D)discourage Chinese and non-native immigrants from the mining business provisioning businesses often were more successful than mining.

Question 12

Why were the Comanche more successful than other tribes in retaining power in the southwest?

A)They were friendly with the settlers.
B)They offered settlers protection from other tribes.
C)They were the only tribes to engage in successful and lasting treaties with the U.S.
D)They learned how to meld new technologies with their existing customs and practices.

Question 13

What was the largest ethnic group that settled in California during the 19^th century?

A)Germans
B)English
C)Australians
D)Chinese

Question 14

How did the Chinese immigrants survive in California?

A)They worked in the gold mines.
B)They established themselves in service industries.
C)They assimilated into American culture.
D)They became involved in local politics.

Question 15

How did the concept of citizenship change during the mid 19^th century?

A)It became more inclusive.
B)Native-born Americans tried to narrow the definition.
C)Most immigrants chose not to become U.S. citizens.
D)The major political parties agreed on the requirements for citizenship.

Question 16

What motivated most Chinese who migrated to America during the mid 19^th century?

A)civil disturbances in China
B)economic hardships
C)promise of American gold
D)joining family members

Question 17

How did east coast immigration patterns change in the mid 19^th century?

A)Most immigrants did not remain in the port cities.
B)There were more immigrants from central and southern Europe.
C)Immigration slowed down.
D)Most immigrants were from England.

Question 18

Why did southerners shy away from massive industrialization projects?

A)They wanted to retain a separate identity from the north.
B)Agriculture was more profitable than industry.
C)The southerners lacked investors.
D)There was concern that large cities would hinder slave control.

Question 19

Residents of Louisiana who were of mixed decent were called

A)Creole.
B)Cajuns.
C)Mestizos.
D)high yellow.

Question 20

Ethnic conflicts in the east revolved around

A)old Protestant and new Catholic immigrants.
B)the Chinese and Americans.
C)protestant immigrants and native born immigrants.
D)the Chinese and Catholics.

Question 21

The Nativist Movement had its deepest roots in which city?

A)Philadelphia
B)Boston
C)Chicago
D)New York

Question 22

What was the significance of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854?

A)It provided for a policy of popular sovereignty.
B)It dictated whether a new state would be admitted as free or slave.
C)It reinforced the Missouri Compromise.
D)It allowed both Kansas and Nebraska to be admitted as free states.

Question 23

The main principle of the Republican Party was

A)its opposition to German immigration.
B)its opposition to the expansion of slavery.
C)its opposition to Catholicism.
D)its endorsement of states' rights.

Question 24

Slaveholders were constantly adjusting to the conditions of slavery due to

A)internal pressures from enslaved people.
B)external pressures from abolitionists.
C)internal and external pressures.
D)the increased number of freed slaves.

Question 25

Which of the following statements accurately represents the institution of slavery in the 19^th century?

A)As an economic strategy it was not successful.
B)It unified white southern society.
C)Southern slaves worked almost exclusively on plantations.
D)The southern economy relied on slave labor in part because they did not have a large immigrant population.

Question 26

In his book The Impending Crisis, Hinton Helper suggested that

A)white slaveholders and non-slaveholders unite in the promotion of slavery as part of the natural rule.
B)non-slaveholding whites destroy slavery by calling for the immediate freedom of all slaves.
C)the planter class should tighten its power over slavery so as to not lose control of the institution.
D)the planter class was purposely perpetuating class divisions within the white community.

Question 27

What was noteworthy to Americans about the British abolition of slavery in the West Indies?

A)It alarmed Americans because it caused a racial war.
B)It gave ex-slaves control over large tracts of land.
C)British slave owners were not compensated.
D)West Indian sugar production plummeted.

Question 28

What did the Supreme Court decision Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842) deal with?

A)It banned the Atlantic slave trade.
B)It gave federal protection to Southerners for reclaiming runaway slaves.
C)It allowed continued participation in the Atlantic slave trade by southern plantation owners only.
D)It upheld Pennsylvania state law regarding the capture of slaves.

Question 29

In 1860 the value of southern slave labor was approximately

A)$1 million.
B)$50 million.
C)$100 million.
D)$3 billion.

Question 30

Generally, the greatest tragedy encountered by slaves was

A)punishment.
B)overworking.
C)disruption of family life.
D)inability to marry.

Question 31

How did Americans view the Japanese culture in 1854?

A)as a highly civilized society
B)inferior to American culture
C)at the same level as American culture
D)with indifference

Question 32

American politics of the 1850s centered mainly on which of the following issues?

A)slavery
B)immigration
C)foreign commercial trade
D)imperialism

Question 33

Americans elected Democrat James Polk to the presidency in the election of

A)1836.
B)1840.
C)1844.
D)1848.

Question 34

Why was the Mexican government weakened between the years 1836-1847?

A)Mexico was suffering from an economic depression.
B)Mexico was involved in many rebellions.
C)Political instability.
D)Social upheaval due to immigration.

Question 35

What did the American troops use as a guide during their march in Mexico?

A)Cortez's conquest of Mexico
B)Travelogues from American explorers
C)Mayan maps
D)The Bible

Question 36

Who was the American general responsible for the fall of Mexico City in 1847?

A)James Polk
B)Zachary Taylor
C)Winfield Scott
D)Raphael Simmes

Question 37

What was the concern of some Americans, including Abraham Lincoln, regarding the War with Mexico?

A)origin of the war
B)treatment of Mexican soldiers
C)treatment of Mexican civilians
D)number of deaths

Question 38

Following the Mexican War, the U.S. acquired ____________ of pre-war Mexican land.

A)20%
B)35%
C)40%
D)55%

Question 39

What country prevented the U.S. from acquiring the Oregon Territory prior to 1844?

A)Russia
B)Spain
C)France
D)Great Britain

Question 40

With a few exceptions, western land in the U.S. differed from eastern land in the amount of _______________ it received or contained.

A)sunshine
B)snow
C)rain
D)drinkable water

Question 41

The discovery of gold in California provided a significant population boost to which of the following cities?

A)Los Angeles
B)San Diego
C)San Francisco
D)Santa Monica

Question 42

In the 1850s, which of the following was a major obstacle to settlers traveling south from the Great Plains?

A)lack of water
B)Indians
C)weather
D)disease

Question 43

Where were the Comanche located?

A)Utah
B)California
C)Northern Mexico
D)Arizona

Question 44

What was the biggest threat faced by the Comanche in the 19^th century?

A)American settlers
B)Mexican government
C)drought
D)loss of bison

Question 45

During the 1850s Americans were able to gain more control over the New Mexico territory due to the

A)decline of the Indian population.
B)increase in the "Americanization" of the Mexican population.
C)movement of Mexicans to South America.
D)acceptance by Americans of the importance of the Catholic Church in Mexico.

Question 46

How was the issue of slavery settled in California?

A)Without bloodshed.
B)California entered as a slave state.
C)California entered as a free state.
D)California was split between free and slave.

Question 47

As a result of California immigration practices, the Chinese

A)were given full rights as California residents.
B)were given educational opportunities but were not allowed to vote.
C)were classified as non-whites and denied most rights of California residents.
D)were socially but not legally discriminated against.

Question 48

American officials were especially concerned about which of the following practices of the southwest Indians?

A)slave taking
B)continued spread of Indian diseases
C)overhunting of bison
D)expansion of Indian trading networks

Question 49

What did leading critics of immigration feel about the Chinese in California?

A)Eventually they would be a welcomed addition to the California landscape.
B)They provided a valuable service in the mining industry.
C)They did not belong in the west.
D)They were accepted because of their "exotic" ways.

Question 50

Which of the following statements most closely reflects Americans' prevailing view of race in the mid 19^th century, compared to the views of Americans in the Revolutionary era?

A)Americans' views on race had become more subtle.
B)Americans were more likely to articulate their feelings.
C)Americans were less likely to articulate their feelings.
D)The increasing diversity of America led to a greater acceptance of racial differences.

Question 51

What became the key battleground in religious conflicts?

A)state governments
B)Congress
C)factories
D)schools

Question 52

Which of the following was NOT a goal of the American Party?

A)Forbid Bibles in the classroom
B)Extend the naturalization process
C)Restrict office-holding to native-born Americans
D)Support parochial schools

Question 53

What made the Know Nothings political party of the 1850s unique?

A)They had no political agenda.
B)They were very successful for a newly formed political party.
C)They kept their agenda secret from the public.
D)The catered to the immigrant vote.

Question 54

Which of the following provisions were included in the Compromise of 1850?

A)Entry of California as a slave state.
B)Tough Fugitive Slave Act
C)Continuation of the slave trade in D.C.
D)Inclusion of slavery in all newly admitted southern states

Question 55

Which of the following describes the presidential election of 1856?

A)Whigs won their last election.
B)Democrats lost by a significant margin.
C)Republicans made a respectable showing.
D)The American Party received a substantial number of votes.

Question 56

Southern slaves who worked outside the plantation system were more likely to

A)be treated more cruelly.
B)be under constant supervision by their masters or factory bosses.
C)experience a more difficult relationship with their overseer.
D)be accepted by fellow white workers.

Question 57

Which of the South American countries was still committed to slavery during the mid-19^th century?

A)Brazil
B)Mexico
C)Haiti
D)West Indies

Question 58

How did the ownership of slaves change between 1830 and 1850?

A)More people owned fewer slaves.
B)Fewer people owned more slaves.
C)Most southern households had at least one slave.
D)Slaveholding households employed at least 10 slaves.

Question 59

One of the largest and busiest markets for the internal slave trade in North America was in

A)Chicago.
B)Albuquerque.
C)New Orleans.
D)Boston.

Question 60

Evidence regarding slave sales suggests that

A)most slaves were sold as families.
B)mothers were usually kept with children.
C)husbands and wives were usually sold together.
D)buyers and sellers made little effort to keep family units intact.

Question 61

Identify who, what, where, when, and/or why the following are important:
1. Compromise of 1850
2. Kansas-Nebraska Act
3. John Brown
4. Afro-Christianity
5. Abolitionists
6. Lone Star Republic
7. Hinton Helper
8. John Fremont
9. John C. Calhoun
10. Transcontinental Railroad

Question 62

Why were Mexicans concerned about the U.S. Presidential election of 1844?

A)Whigs wanted to annex Texas
B)Democrats wanted to annex Texas
C)Both parties pushed for Texas statehood
D)Neither party was interested in having Texas as part of the U.S.

Question 63

What event in 1859 encouraged the settlement of mid-America?

A)end of the Mexican War
B)completion of the transcontinental railroad
C)discovery of gold in Colorado
D)creation of a winter pass through the Rockies

Question 64

Which of the following best describes the American "gold rush" of 1849?

A)It lured people from all parts of the globe.
B)It only attracted Americans.
C)Most participants profited directly from finding gold.
D)After the "rush" was over, prospectors left California.

Question 65

How did Catholic immigrants hope to protect their religious heritage in America?

A)building more churches
B)state support of parochial schools
C)involvement in politics
D)push for conversions

Question 66

What eventually happened to members of the Know-Nothing Party?

A)They joined the Whig Party.
B)They incorporated into the Democratic Party.
C)They were absorbed by the Republican Party.
D)They scattered and joined several different parties.

Question 67

Policies promoted by the Know-Nothings included:

A)pro-slavery.
B)pro-immigration.
C)anti-temperance.
D)pro-Protestant.

Question 68

By the 1860s the majority of slaveholders owned

A)fewer than 5 slaves.
B)more than 5 slaves but fewer than 10.
C)between 10 and 20 slaves.
D)more than 20 slaves.

Question 69

In matters of religion it was most likely that

A)blacks had to embrace the religion of their masters.
B)most blacks did not participate in Christian religions.
C)blacks could choose what religion they wanted to practice.
D)slaves chose to keep the religious practices of their ancestors.

Question 70

What concerned northerners the most about the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850?

A)It made northerners part of the slave system.
B)It reduced the number of runaway slaves.
C)It infringed on the rights of freed blacks.
D)It provided financial incentives to those judges who found runaway slaves guilty.

Question 71

Which of the following pieces of legislation regarding slavery was voted on by Congress but never officially became a law?

A)Wilmot Proviso
B)Northwest Ordinance
C)Missouri Compromise
D)Fugitive Slave Law of 1850

Question 72

In what year did the Supreme Court decide the Dred Scott case?

A)1850
B)1855
C)1857
D)1860

Question 73

Why were native-born Americans concerned about the endorsement of universal white manhood suffrage?

Question 74

Why was there so much animosity against Roman Catholics?

Question 75

What did men like Martin Delaney envision for the future of American blacks?

Question 76

How did President Buchanan abuse his executive power in the Dred Scott case?

Question 77

How did the trans-continental railroad finally get congressional approval?

Question 78

Pioneers who migrated westward encountered many difficulties in their attempts to settle. Discuss the challenges that faced settlers during the push to settle the western territories in the 19^th century.

Question 79

President Polk's expansionary policy was often the subject of criticism. Summarize his policy and explain what actions he took during his term of office regarding the conflict in the Mexican territory.

Question 80

Identify who, what, where, when, and/or why the following are important:
1. Gunboat diplomacy
2. Anthony Burns
3. Levi Strauss
4. Charles Sumner
5. Harpers Ferry
6. Martin Delaney
7. Roger B. Taney
8. Franklin Pierce
9. Popular sovereignty
10. Prigg v. Pennsylvania