Question 1

Which European power practiced "plantation settlement" in the New World, a policy that required the removal of the indigenous populations?

Accepted Answer

As they began colonizing in the New World, the English practiced "plantation settlement," a policy that called for the removal of indigenous people from the area(s) to be settled. In contrast, the Spanish attempted to use the indigenous people as a workforce by making labor agreements that were vastly more favorable for the colonizers or by forcing them into slavery. The French primarily viewed the native tribes as potential partners for trade, and they looked for ways to exploit the natural resources without working the land so they didn't require vast tracts of land or work forces. (For example, the French built a vast fur empire in the St. Lawrence region.)

Question 2

What kept the American Indians from uniting in opposition to European colonists?

Accepted Answer

Political and linguistic differences between tribes kept the American Indians from uniting in opposition to European colonists. Some tribes were longstanding combatants, making alliances virtually impossible. Other tribes were simply divided by cultural differences, with language barriers making communication difficult. In the early period of European colonization, the tribes would have had the advantage: colonists were ill-prepared to meet their food, medical, and defensive needs and would have been vulnerable to attacks despite their superior weaponry. However, by the time the native tribes began to see how dire their circumstances might be, the Europeans had gained the advantage.

Question 3

Who was the first European explorer to reach mainland North America during the Age of Discovery and what country commissioned him?

Accepted Answer

In 1497 Italian explorer John Cabot, sailing on behalf of England's Henry VII, reached mainland North America. Most present-day historians agree that he likely landed on what is now Newfoundland. As a result of Cabot's success, England made an early claim to Canada, which allowed later English explorers easy access to the rest of North America, facilitating unprecedented growth to the English empire in the New World.

Question 4

What was the name for British colonies in North America that were founded by joint-stock companies?

Accepted Answer

North American colonies founded by British joint-stock companies were known as self-governing colonies because they selected their own governors. Rhode Island and Connecticut are examples of colonies that were originally founded by joint-stock companies. Royal colonies were owned exclusively by the British crown. Proprietary colonies were granted to proprietors outright by the monarch. Eventually, many self-governing and proprietary colonies ended up under total royal control, however.

Question 5

What was the primary motive for English colonization of North America?

Accepted Answer

Mercantilism compelled English colonization of North America as the crown looked to expand its economic outlets. The English hoped to harvest the plentiful natural resources of the New World for manufacturing and begin large-scale agricultural projects such as growing cotton and tobacco. They also hoped that they would be able to generate new markets for manufactured products by selling goods to colonists from other countries, English colonists, and natives.

Question 6

In 1676, Bacon's Rebellion took place in Jamestown, leading to the reduced use of:

Accepted Answer

In 1676 Bacon's Rebellion took place in Jamestown, leading to the reduced use of indentured servants. The armed uprising, led by Nathaniel Bacon against Virginia Governor William Berkeley, was a protest against the government's lax policy toward Indians. Bacon organized a band of indentured servants, and they launched attacks on nearby Indian tribes as well as Jamestown, the colonial capitol. As a result, the use of indentured servants fell out of favor, and the colonial government strengthened its commitment to outright slavery.

Question 7

Which of the following was NOT a result of the First Great Awakening?

Accepted Answer

The First Great Awakening did not lead to an increase in witchcraft trials. The Great Awakening increased the appreciation for religious experiences and expression, and it was accompanied by acceptance for an expanded range of denominations and religious practices. While that did not include an appreciation for witchcraft, people were adhering to a less formal and strict interpretation of religion, and they were less inclined to persecute people whose views differed from their own.

Question 8

What compelled Arthur Miller to write about the Salem witch trials?

Accepted Answer

Arthur Miller wrote about the Salem witch trials after being forced to testify to the House Committee on Un-American Activities, where he was accused of communist ties. The "Red Scare" of the 1950s, led by Congressman Joseph McCarthy, turned into a communist "witch hunt," which inspired Miller's play. He based the story on the actual historical record of the events, using the real names of the accused and their accusers.

Question 9

In what order were the following British taxes levied against the American colonists? I. Stamp Act
II) Townshend Acts
III) Sugar Act
IV) Intolerable Acts

Accepted Answer

The Sugar Act was levied first, in 1764. The Stamp Act was levied the following year, in 1765. The Townshend Acts were levied in 1767. And the Intolerable Acts, or Coercive Acts, were levied in 1774, immediately before the start of the American Revolution and in response to the Boston Tea Party. The taxes were all levied against the colonists without their input, inspiring the sentiment "no taxation without representation."

Question 10

What was the most significant factor in the United States' victory in the American Revolution?

Accepted Answer

Monetary and military aid from France was the most significant factor in the United States' victory in the American Revolution. The British had the opportunity to win the war on a couple of occasions, but strategic mistakes ultimately went in the Americans' favor each time. Eventual aid from England's longstanding foe France, including critical funding as well as the military tutelage of Marquis de La Fayette, proved instrumental in the former colonies victory.

Question 11

At the time the Founders created the new government, most Americans believed that sovereignty belonged in the hands of:

Accepted Answer

At the time the Founders created the new government, most Americans believed that sovereignty belonged in the hands of the people. The Founding Fathers ultimately created a government that placed some of the power in the hands of the people but also gave a substantial amount of direct power to government bodies that were directly elected by the people.

Question 12

Before any amendments were added, the U.S. Constitution called for:

Accepted Answer

Before any amendments were added, the U.S. Constitution called for an Electoral College. George Washington informally created the first cabinet by appointing Secretaries of State, War, and the Treasury, and an Attorney General. The group of appointees grew during successive presidencies and became known as "the Cabinet" during the Jackson administration. Senators were not directly elected by the people until the Seventeenth Amendment was ratified in 1913. There is no legislative provision creating or providing for political parties, only legislation regulating them (which was not created until well after the Constitution was written).

Question 13

At the dawn of the republic, Alexander Hamilton created financial plans for all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

At the dawn of the republic, Alexander Hamilton's financial plans did not provide for nullifying private debts. Hamilton was a staunch Federalist, and he wanted the federal government to hold as much power as possible, which included assuming as much financial responsibility for the nation's affairs as it could. The federal government and the state governments were severely in debt to Dutch lenders and the French for money borrowed to finance the Revolutionary War. Hamilton persuaded his contemporaries-Thomas Jefferson and James Madison-to agree to part of his plan by ceding the fight over the location of the national capitol (New Yorker Hamilton wanted it to be in New York City; Virginians Jefferson and Madison wanted the capitol in a new district created on the Potomac). He achieved the rest of his plan by laying out his argument in a 15,000-word essay for President Washington, who was swayed by his Treasury Secretary to create the First Bank of the United States.

Question 14

George Washington issued the Proclamation of 1793 to declare neutrality in:

Accepted Answer

George Washington issued the Proclamation of 1793 to declare neutrality in the conflict between France and Great Britain. The President feared that becoming involved in international disputes could be the ruin of the fragile young nation, and he actively discouraged such involvement throughout his presidency. He continued to warn his successors about his concerns in his iconic Farewell Address at the end of this second and final term.

Question 15

What legislation is considered the biggest failing of John Adams' presidency?

Accepted Answer

The Alien and Sedition Acts are considered the biggest failing of John Adams' presidency. They were a collection of four bills, passed in 1798 during the Quasi-War (an unofficial naval war with France). Technically, the acts were designed to prevent anarchy and the overthrow of the federal government, but they were mostly used to punish Adams' political enemies. Adams' fellow Founders, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, authored the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions in opposition to Adams' bold move.

Question 16

What was the ultimate result of the Hartford Convention?

Accepted Answer

Ultimately, the Hartford Convention resulted in the humiliation and demise of the Federalist Party. The party was comprised of a group of Federalists unhappy with the War of 1812, who met in Hartford, Conn. from 1814-1815. The convention participants discussed a variety of measures intended to shift power from the Southern states, including removing the Three-Fifths Compromise from the Constitution. But when Andrew Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans immediately after the end of the war, allowing Americans to believe that the otherwise fruitless war effort had been successful, the convention backfired.

Question 17

What was the outcome of the War of 1812?

Accepted Answer

The War of 1812 was largely a stalemate between the Americans and British. The fighting lasted from 1812-1815 with none of the battles resulting in boundary changes (possession of land was generally the way "success" in war was assessed). However, when Andrew Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans immediately after the formal end of the war, the United States was buoyed by the technically too-late victory and viewed the war as a success. The war is barely remembered in Great Britain because they were simultaneously involved in the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, which had a more immediate impact on them.

Question 18

Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 to end a territorial dispute with:

Accepted Answer

Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 to end a territorial dispute with the Cherokee Indians. The dispute began with the Five Civilized Tribes: the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee-Creek, and Seminole tribes. However, the dispute between the Cherokee over their ancestral lands in Georgia was particularly hard fought, and it was the dispute that compelled Jackson to sign the act into law. This was the event that ultimately began the "Trail of Tears," the forced migration of Native Americans west of the Mississippi River, which ravaged the tribes forced to comply as thousands of American Indians died from the hardship of the journey, illness, or maltreatment.

Question 19

In the political cartoon above, what does the monster symbolize?

Accepted Answer

The political cartoon above (from 1832) depicts President Andrew Jackson fighting the National Bank, which is personified as a multi-headed monster. Jackson was a man of many hatreds and feuds, and he prided himself on his many enemies, some of which were not even people (as was the case the Bank). The Second Bank of the United States was chartered during James Madison's presidency and Jackson worked tirelessly to rescind the charter. He told his Veep, Martin Van Buren, "The Bank is trying to kill me, but I will kill it!" He succeeded in "killing" the Bank in 1832, but his subsequent financial acts were disastrous and threw the country into a terrible depression.

Question 20

The United States acquired California at the end of which war?

Accepted Answer

The United States acquired California at the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848. California was ceded to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in a land deal that also included present-day Nevada, Utah, Texas, and portions of Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. (Texas had already been admitted as a state in 1845, which was partly what precipitated the Mexican-American War to begin with.) The United States paid Mexico $15 million and assumed U.S. debt claims against Mexico in compensation for the aforementioned land. Only weeks before the treaty was signed, gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, which ultimately instigated the Gold Rush. So the acquisition was quite a boon for the Americans. California formally became a state in 1850.

Quiz 50: US History