Deck 15: The Gathering Storm

Question 1

Congress never passed the Wilmot Proviso.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The idea of popular sovereignty:

A) solved the controversy over slavery's extension
B) would allow people in the territories to decide whether or not to permit slavery
C) guaranteed slavery would spread westward
D) allowed Oregon to enter the Union as a slave state
E) was adopted by the Whigs in the 1848 election

Answer 2

would allow people in the territories to decide whether or not to permit slavery

Question 3

The Pottawatomie Massacre was part of the conflict between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in Kansas.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

John C. Calhoun believed that the Wilmot Proviso:

A) would help keep the Union together
B) protected the interests of slaveholders
C) violated property rights guaranteed in the Fifth Amendment
D) blamed the South for the Mexican War
E) would never pass Congress

Question 5

The Free-Soil party opposed the Wilmot Proviso.

Question 6

Stephen Douglas was one of the most extreme pro-slavery and states' rights advocates in the Democratic party.

Question 7

The states of the Deep South did not secede from the Union until Lincoln took office.

Question 8

James Buchanan's great experience in public service helped him become one of the most successful presidents.

Question 9

Through his execution, John Brown became a martyr for the anti-slavery cause.

Question 10

All of the following might have joined the Free-Soil party EXCEPT:

A) supporters of the Wilmot Proviso
B) admirers of Martin Van Buren
C) "Cotton" Whigs
D) Liberty party members
E) "Conscience" Whigs

Question 11

The Republican platform in 1860 promised to end slavery in the southern states.

Question 12

During his senatorial run against Douglas, Lincoln stated his belief in racial equality.

Question 13

The Republican party was created in 1854 by the merging of several anti-slavery groups.

Question 14

The author of Uncle Tom's Cabin was Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Question 15

The Wilmot Proviso:

A) would prohibit slavery in any lands acquired from Mexico
B) passed both houses of Congress
C) was opposed in Congress by Abraham Lincoln
D) would extend the Missouri Compromise line to the Pacific
E) was clearly unconstitutional

Question 16

As a result of the Compromise of 1850, California entered the Union as a free state.

Question 17

In the mining frontier of the Far West, women often enjoyed greater opportunities than back East.

Question 18

The proposed Lecompton Constitution would make Kansas a free state.

Question 19

In 1857, the majority of the population in Kansas was anti-slavery.

Question 20

One fifth of the gold seekers who went to California in 1849 died within six months.

Question 21

In late 1849, Zachary Taylor proposed:

A) California's immediate entry as a free state
B) war against the Mormons in Utah
C) extension of slavery to the Pacific
D) abolition of slavery in Washington, DC
E) giving Texas back to Mexico

Question 22

Why did efforts by federal officials to return Anthony Burns to slavery following the 1854 passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act spark intense controversy and violence?

A) Anthony Burns was white.
B) The repeal of the Missouri Compromise inspired many northerners to actively oppose enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act.
C) The new law gave amnesty to any escaped slaves who took refuge in the North.
D) Anthony Burns had previously purchased his freedom.
E) Federal efforts violated the Compromise of 1850.

Question 23

Passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act was a victory for:

A) abolitionists
B) immigrant groups in America
C) the concept of popular sovereignty
D) southerners who wanted a transcontinental railroad to run west from New Orleans
E) the preservation of the Union

Question 24

Author Harriet Beecher Stowe's background was indicative of the abolitionist movement's:

A) weak moral compass
B) symbolic support of the Fugitive Slave Act
C) powerful religious underpinnings
D) willingness to accept slavery in some modified form
E) gradually weakening strength.

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT true of Zachary Taylor?

A) He owned more than 100 slaves.
B) He was a Mexican War hero.
C) He opposed the extension of slavery into the new western territories.
D) The "Conscience" Whigs were his strongest supporters.
E) He opposed the idea of secession.

Question 26

Stephen Douglas's proposed Kansas-Nebraska Act:

A) might allow slavery in Kansas and Nebraska
B) strengthened the Missouri Compromise
C) showed his enthusiastic support of slavery
D) strengthened his presidential prospects
E) would promote construction of a transcontinental rail line along a southern route

Question 27

The discovery of gold in California did all of the following EXCEPT:

A) spur a massive migration of gold seekers
B) inspire the production of Levi's blue jeans
C) encourage American dreams of a Pacific empire
D) reduce the size of the Indian population
E) create a population with an equal balance of men and women

Question 28

President Zachary Taylor wanted to admit California as a state immediately because he:

A) was anti-slavery, and California had voted on a free-state constitution
B) was pro-slavery, and California had voted on a slave-state constitution
C) wished to bypass the divisive issue of slavery in the territories
D) was afraid Mexico would make new claims on the area since gold had been discovered there
E) was persuaded to do so by his overwhelmingly northern cabinet

Question 29

Why did Uncle Tom's Cabin outrage slave owners?

A) It was authored by Harriet Tubman.
B) It presented slavery as an abominable sin.
C) It convinced many poor southern whites to oppose slavery.
D) It started the Civil War.
E) It was an objective description of life under slavery.

Question 30

What position did both the Democrats and Whigs support in the 1852 presidential election?

A) a ban on the expansion of slavery into the territories
B) support of the Compromise of 1850
C) women's suffrage
D) repeal of the Fugitive Slave Act
E) use of the popular vote rather than electoral college to determine the election's winner

Question 31

Why did the new Fugitive Slave Act outrage abolitionists?

A) It offered a strong temptation to kidnap free blacks in northern "free" states.
B) It required the licensing of slave catchers.
C) It guaranteed fugitive slaves a jury trial.
D) It allowed northern states to become slave states.
E) It reintroduced the legal international slave trade.

Question 32

The Compromise of 1850:

A) gave Texas more territory
B) admitted Utah as a slave state
C) postponed California statehood
D) ended slavery in Washington, D.C.
E) strengthened the fugitive slave laws

Question 33

What was the impact of President Taylor's death?

A) It strengthened the chance for compromise over slavery in 1850.
B) It put pro-slavery Franklin Pierce in the White House.
C) It put anti-slavery William H. Seward in the White House.
D) It prevented California from gaining admission into the Union.
E) It brought great relief to the nation, because he had started the current sectional crisis.

Question 34

Why did the Whig party collapse?

A) It no longer had sufficient numbers of people voting for it.
B) It opposed slavery.
C) The strain of the Kansas-Nebraska Act pushed northern and southern members toward joining different parties.
D) The Republican party defeated the major Whig candidates in the 1852 election.
E) Its economic policies were perceived as too socialist.

Question 35

The 1848 presidential election:

A) was won by Zachary Taylor
B) was won by Lewis Cass
C) was won by Martin Van Buren
D) was decided in the House of Representatives
E) broke up the Whig party

Question 36

The election of 1852:

A) saw both major parties denounce the Compromise of 1850
B) resulted in a second term for Millard Fillmore
C) saw the disappearance of the Free-Soil party
D) was dominated by the current economic depression
E) was won by Franklin Pierce

Question 37

Why did so many northerners, including the so-called Independent Democrats, oppose the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

A) They opposed the admission of both territories as states.
B) The act repealed the Fugitive Slave Law.
C) The act would bring about immediate abolition.
D) The act repealed the Missouri Compromise.
E) They opposed the law because it did not embrace "popular sovereignty."

Question 38

The Free-Soil party stance on slavery:

A) was endorsed by John C. Calhoun
B) attracted Abraham Lincoln into their ranks
C) led to the political downfall of Henry Clay
D) infuriated John C. Calhoun
E) opposed the Wilmot Proviso

Question 39

During the great congressional debate over the Compromise of 1850:

A) John Calhoun endorsed all of Henry Clay's proposals
B) President Taylor promised to veto any new legislation
C) Henry Clay pushed for the compromise and national harmony
D) Jefferson Davis emerged as a voice of moderation
E) Daniel Webster made an impassioned argument for secession

Question 40

Given the bitterness of the Congressional debate, why was Stephen Douglas successful in getting the Compromise of 1850 passed?

A) He dropped the question of the slave trade in the District of Columbia
B) He could depend on a sympathy vote from supporters of deceased President Taylor
C) His support for popular sovereignty allowed many abolitionist senators to vote with him
D) He split the issues into separate bills
E) He was in better health and was more charismatic than Clay

Question 41

John Brown's raid:

A) ended bloodlessly
B) succeeded
C) was of minor importance
D) terrified southerners
E) was condemned by abolitionists

Question 42

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was intended to:

A) start a civil war
B) unify the Republican party
C) provoke slave insurrections
D) prove John Brown was God's agent
E) provoke a fight with the U.S. Army

Question 43

On what legal basis did Dred Scott sue for his freedom?

A) He had married a free woman.
B) The physical abuse he suffered was illegal.
C) He argued that slavery was unconstitutional.
D) He claimed that living for an extended period in areas where slavery was forbidden made him free.
E) His father was a free man.

Question 44

Why did Kansas' Lecompton Constitution become so controversial?

A) It banned slavery even though an overwhelming majority of residents supported it.
B) It banned slavery but provided an exception to existing resident slave owners.
C) It allowed slavery even though a majority of residents opposed it.
D) It allowed each county in Kansas to vote on the legality of slavery.
E) It advocated for Kansas independence rather than statehood.

Question 45

The Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision:

A) gave Dred Scott his freedom
B) was applauded by the Republicans
C) implied that the Missouri Compromise had been unconstitutional
D) guaranteed the future admission of slave states
E) recognized that free blacks were U.S. citizens

Question 46

Abraham Lincoln:

A) opposed the further spread of slavery
B) supported black equality
C) would abolish slavery wherever it existed
D) was a military hero
E) was born in 1810

Question 47

Preston Brooks's caning of Charles Sumner:

A) took place in Kansas
B) ended Brooks's career in Congress
C) showed that both North and South rejected political extremists
D) was totally without motive or provocation
E) made Brooks a hero in much of the South

Question 48

What did the Supreme Court rule in Dred Scott v. Sandford?

A) Slaves who were taken to free states would be considered free.
B) Slaves who were taken to free territories would be considered free.
C) The Missouri Compromise was still legally binding.
D) Blacks did not have citizenship and therefore lacked legal standing.
E) State bans on slavery did not violate the property rights of masters.

Question 49

The Lincoln-Douglas debates:

A) saw Douglas abandon popular sovereignty
B) bolstered Lincoln's presidential prospects in 1860
C) clinched Lincoln's election to the U.S. Senate
D) saw Lincoln state his belief in racial equality
E) saw Lincoln endorse the Dred Scott ruling

Question 50

Why did President Buchanan support the Lecompton Constitution?

A) He opposed the spread of slavery, and the constitution banned it from Kansas.
B) He was born in Lecompton and always supported his hometown.
C) He was politically dependent on northern congressmen, who also supported the Constitution.
D) He was dependent on southern congressmen, who also supported the Constitution.
E) He had no strong position, but his advisors insisted he support it.

Question 51

John Brown targeted Harpers Ferry, Virginia, because:

A) it had a large slave population
B) it was the site of a federal arsenal
C) it was an important railroad center
D) many abolitionists lived in the area
E) it had banks with large deposits

Question 52

How did the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act impact the settlement of Kansas?

A) Vagaries left about the status of slavery discouraged settlement.
B) Popular sovereignty encouraged violence-prone supporters and opponents of slavery to flood Kansas.
C) It ensured that Kansas would be admitted into the Union as a free state with a population deeply committed to abolition.
D) It made Kansas a slave-state with a majority population of slaveholders.
E) This is a trick question. The act had no impact on settlement of Kansas.

Question 53

The Freeport Doctrine might be defined as the concept that:

A) slavery could not be prohibited in a territory until that territory became a state
B) slavery was immoral and ought to be abolished in all territories of the United States
C) whatever the Supreme Court said about slavery, it could not exist anywhere unless supported by local police regulations
D) if blacks were freed from slavery, they must be given full legal and social equality
E) the Dred Scott decision should be overturned

Question 54

In the 1856 election, the Democrats supported all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Kansas-Nebraska Act
B) vigorous enforcement of the fugitive slave law
C) religious liberty
D) the reinstitution of the Missouri Compromise
E) no Congressional interference with slavery in the states or territories

Question 55

The Panic of 1857:

A) was the worst depression in American history
B) ended sectional bickering
C) caused church attendance to decline
D) was triggered by the violence in Kansas
E) strengthened southern confidence in its cotton economy

Question 56

A major reason the Democrat James Buchanan won the 1856 election was that:

A) the Republicans were mired in political scandal
B) the Democrats were the only remaining national party
C) the northern Whigs threw their support to the Democrats
D) slavery and sectional divisions were not an issue in the election
E) the Republicans did not have a candidate to run against him

Question 57

The Republican party reflected a combination of all of the following groups EXCEPT:

A) Northern Whigs
B) Independent Democrats
C) Free-Soilers
D) Cotton Whigs
E) anti-slavery advocates

Question 58

Why were the religious revivals of 1857-1859 different from earlier awakenings?

A) Participants were largely uninterested in social reform.
B) Participants took strong stands on slavery.
C) Participants overwhelmingly supported the Democrats.
D) The revivals were spread by an unusually large number of charismatic ministers.
E) The revivals garnered little attention in the popular press.

Question 59

In 1856, the Republicans

A) declared their opposition to slavery
B) nominated William Seward for president
C) stood for states' rights
D) strongly condemned the nativist platform of the American party
E) campaigned vigorously all over the country

Question 60

All of the following about John Brown are true EXCEPT:

A) he led the "sack of Lawrence" in Kansas
B) he and his followers were responsible for the Pottawatomie Massacre
C) he had a history of mental instability
D) his son was killed during one of the raids he led
E) he was fanatically committed to fight to protect the institution of slavery

Question 61

"The Mexican War may accurately be blamed for causing the Civil War because it opened new wounds between the North and South as it spurred controversy over slavery in the territories acquired from Mexico." Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

Question 62

Discuss the election of 1852. Which were the major political parties, what were the central issues of the campaign, and what was the outcome?

Question 63

The Crittenden Compromise proposed to:

A) outlaw slavery in the United States after 1865
B) guarantee continuance of slavery in the states where it then existed
C) guarantee that all new territories would be open to slavery
D) give slaves full representation rather than allow them to count for only three fifths of a person
E) provide a federal slave code for the western territories

Question 64

Trace the Kansas-Nebraska crisis. What were the causes, issues, and results, and how did the country react to the crisis?

Question 66

In response to secession, President Buchanan:

A) said he supported it
B) declared martial law
C) abandoned Fort Sumter
D) did practically nothing
E) let Lincoln take office ahead of schedule

Question 67

Explain the issues that led to the Compromise of 1850 and show how the Compromise was fashioned and passed.

Question 68

All of the following were presidential nominees in 1860 EXCEPT:

A) William Seward
B) John Bell
C) Abraham Lincoln
D) John Breckinridge
E) Stephen Douglas

Question 69

Lincoln won the election of 1860 by:

A) appealing to fear
B) sweeping the free states
C) carrying the biggest states in both North and South
D) massive voter fraud
E) changing his position on slavery

Question 70

At what point (if any) did the Civil War become inevitable? If you could change historical events, what would you do at that point to avoid war?

Question 71

What various solutions were proposed to deal with the problem of slavery in the territories?

Question 72

The Republican party platform supported all of the following in 1860 EXCEPT:

A) a transcontinental railroad
B) a higher protective tariff
C) no further extension of slavery
D) John Brown's raid
E) free homesteads on federal lands

Question 73

Discuss the Dred Scott case and how effective it was in settling the conflict over slavery.

Question 74

What caused the Civil War? (Your answer should not be simply a detailed chronology of events.)

Question 75

Detail the Wilmot Proviso. What impact did it have on the debate over slavery?

Question 76

As the election of 1860 approached, the Democratic party:

A) renominated Buchanan
B) was silent on the issue of slavery
C) condemned the Kansas-Nebraska Act
D) was dominated by southern extremists
E) broke up into northern and southern wings

Question 77

The states of the Confederate States of America seceded after Lincoln's election because:

A) Lincoln promised to abolish slavery immediately after taking office.
B) Lincoln was pushing for an invasion of the South.
C) The southern secessionists were convinced that Lincoln would move against slavery despite his assurances otherwise.
D) The southern secessionists planned to invade the North and impose slavery on the entire union.
E) The southern secessionists believed that Jefferson Davis had won the 1860 election but was denied the office through fraud.

Question 78

Discuss the California gold rush and the mining frontier. How did these pioneers treat Mexicans and Indians as they settled in the West?

Question 79

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.