Deck 1: Introduction to Texas History and Politics

Question 1

Who won the battle that led to the independence of Texas from Mexico?

A) Steve Austin
B) James Fannin
C) Sam Houston
D) General Santa Anna

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The first modern European nation to lay claim to the territory of Texas was

A) France.
B) Spain.
C) England.
D) Portugal.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Southern Democrats were able to regain control of state government with the election of ________.

A) 1864
B) 1866
C) 1874
D) 1878

Answer 3

C

Question 4

What is the main reason why early petitions by the Republic of Texas to join the United States were rejected?

A) Texas residents favored monarchy, not republicanism.
B) Texas was composed almost entirely of Catholic Spanish speakers.
C) The American government feared sparking a war with Spain.
D) There was controversy over Texas becoming a slave state.

Question 5

Name the two major ideological groups in Texas during the era of Reconstruction.

A) Farmers Alliance and popular sovereigntists
B) Popular sovereigntists and true southerners
C) True southerners and Confederate sympathizers
D) Confederate sympathizers and Republicans

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of "luck" that limited Texas's exposure to the ravages of the Civil War?

A) Official French support of the Confederacy
B) The successful show of force by the Army of the Gulf
C) Native American occupation west of the Balcones Escarpment
D) Maximilian's long reign in Mexico

Question 7

What is a presidio?

A) a Catholic mission settlement
B) a fortified settlement
C) a "leader" in Spanish
D) a defensible spit of land

Question 8

Of the six flags flown over Texas,which represented republics?

A) Texas and Mexico
B) the CSA and France
C) Spain and France
D) France and Mexico

Question 9

Which of the following elements dominated the land-based economy of post-Reconstruction Texas and is/are still important today?

A) cattle only
B) cotton and oil only
C) oil and cattle only
D) oil, cotton, and cattle

Question 10

Which flag was the fifth to fly over Texas?

A) Spanish flag
B) United States flag
C) Confederate flag
D) Mexican flag

Question 11

Which of the following tribes was among those that eventually became part of the great horse cultures in North America?

A) Caddo
B) Creole
C) Comanche
D) Karankawa

Question 12

The Adelsverien Society promoted the immigration of _________ settlers in Texas.

A) French
B) Spanish
C) Mexican
D) German

Question 13

What was the primary use of land in Texas from the 1820s to the 1860s?

A) cattle
B) cotton
C) oil
D) Land use in the period was about equally divided among these three.

Question 14

Who led the Army of the Gulf in a show of force designed to discourage French support of the Confederacy?

A) Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing
B) Ulysses S. Grant
C) Alfred H. Terry
D) Nathaniel P. Banks

Question 15

Which tribe primarily settled in the eastern part of what we now call Texas?

A) Caddo
B) Creole
C) Comanche
D) Kiowa

Question 16

The war that led to the declaration of the Republic of Texas began

A) with the battle at the Alamo.
B) in 1835.
C) within months of the arrival of the first American settlers.
D) when the Spanish government imposed restrictions on American settlers.

Question 17

Mexican governments provided generous land grants to any family willing to settle in the state.The sitio or legua each family could receive was how large?

A) 40 acres and a mule
B) 640 acres or a section
C) 1,500 acres
D) more than 4,000 acres

Question 18

Approximately how long did one-party Democratic rule last in Texas?

A) 10 years
B) 50 years
C) 100 years
D) 150 years

Question 19

The first area settled by the Tejanos was

A) eastern Texas.
B) the Gulf Coast.
C) "Hill Country."
D) the Rio Grande Valley.

Question 20

The "carpetbagger's constitution" reversed which right of whites who had participated in the Civil War?

A) citizenship
B) suffrage
C) habeas corpus
D) assembly

Question 21

In terms of total land size,Texas ranks _________ in the nation in comparison to other states.

A) first
B) second
C) third
D) fourth

Question 22

Polls show that a Texan is MOST likely to identify as a

A) moderate.
B) liberal.
C) independent.
D) conservative.

Question 23

Texas A&M and the University of Texas at Austin are located in this region of the state:

A) Central Corridor.
B) Metroplex.
C) Plains region.
D) border area.

Question 24

Members of which of the following groups most overwhelmingly identify themselves as Republican?

A) evangelical Protestants
B) Protestants of the black church tradition
C) Roman Catholics
D) agnostics

Question 25

Between 1900 and 1950,what was the primary factor that accelerated the demographic shift from a rural society to an urban society in Texas?

A) oil
B) the Civil Rights movement
C) WWI and WWII
D) the automobile

Question 26

John believes that government's primary purpose is to defend the country and build roads.Additionally,he believes in low pay and term limits for political offices.John is demonstrating the beliefs of which political subculture?

A) traditionalistic
B) individualistic
C) moralistic
D) neoconservative

Question 27

In the years following the Civil War,________ became Texas's economic mainstay.

A) cattle
B) cotton
C) oil
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 28

Which political subculture was a natural extension of the practice of slavery?

A) traditionalistic
B) individualistic
C) moralistic
D) neoconservative

Question 29

How did the Democratic Party deal with the challenge presented by progressive groups around the beginning of the twentieth century?

A) by building up the Republican Party as a more moderate alternative
B) by coopting key progressive ideas
C) by banning the Populist Party
D) by encouraging law enforcement to jail progressive leaders

Question 30

As of 2012,white non-Hispanics made up about ___ percent of the state's population.

A) 34
B) 45
C) 54
D) 63

Question 31

A belief that government is a positive instrument for change and a means for promoting the general welfare of all citizens defines which political subculture?

A) traditionalistic
B) individualistic
C) moralistic
D) neoconservative

Question 32

Which region of the state is known primarily for its production of citrus fruits and vegetables?

A) Plains region
B) Gulf Coast region
C) border area
D) Central Corridor

Question 33

As of 2012,Hispanics made up about ___ percent of the state's population.

A) 19
B) 27
C) 38
D) 52

Question 34

Today,what industry dominates the Texas economy,employing about 76 percent of the private sector workforce?

A) oil and petrochemical processing
B) the service industry
C) agriculture and cattle
D) manufacturing and the high tech industry

Question 35

Currently,the top export of Texas is

A) machinery.
B) computers and electronics.
C) chemicals.
D) petroleum and coal products.

Question 36

Which group was forced to adopt the traditionalistic political subculture because of their subservient role?

A) Anglos
B) African American slaves
C) Mexicans
D) German and Midwestern settlers

Question 37

What state led the country in total value of exports to other countries in 2013?

A) New York
B) Texas
C) California
D) Washington

Question 38

What BEST explains why Texas turned from a Democratic stronghold in the 1930s to a Republican stronghold in the 2000s?

A) Texans on average became more conservative over time.
B) The Democratic Party paid little attention to recruiting strong candidates for political office.
C) The Democratic Party became more liberal over time.
D) The national Democratic Party just assumed it would always control Texas.

Question 39

In terms of population size,Texas ranks _________ in the nation in comparison to other states.

A) first
B) second
C) third
D) fourth

Question 40

From 2008-2012,Texas's unemployment rate

A) was the highest in the nation.
B) was among the highest in the nation.
C) was about the national average.
D) was lower than the national average.

Question 41

Why is the traditional political subculture a natural extension of the practice of slavery? Is the traditional political subculture in harmony with democracy? Why or why not?

Question 42

What is the history of the production of oil and petroleum products in Texas? How has it helped shape the state's economy?

Question 43

Prior to 1850,why were there so few Anglo settlers west of the Balcones Escarpment? What efforts were made by the U.S.government to encourage settlement?

Question 44

In what areas did the Tejanos principally settled in Texas? Give examples of how Spain's colonialism still influences Texas today.

Question 45

Compare and contrast classical and modern liberalism with an emphasis on how they view economics,government,and the individual.

Question 46

Describe and explain the changes in political party dominance in Texas from the end of the Civil War to the present.

Question 47

What have been recent patterns of immigration and in-migration to Texas,and what explains them?

Question 48

Classical liberalism focuses on the protection of

A) group rights.
B) large government.
C) judicial activism.
D) a generally free market economy.

Question 49

What was the principle cause of the Mexican-American War? How did the war end? What territorial gains were made because of the war?

Question 50

Why is the Democratic Party currently at a distinct disadvantage in Texas? What could possibly reverse the party's fortunes and bring them back to power in the state?