Deck 9: The Early Republic 1789-1824

Question 1

The chapter introduction tells the story of the controversial whiskey tax of 1791 to make the point that

A) most Americans at this time did not think that the new government under the Constitution would last.
B) there were underlying uncertainties about whether the new government could really unite such a diverse people.
C) such displays of violence were the most acceptable manner of influencing public opinion in the new country.
D) Federalists supported the Constitution, but Republicans opposed it.

Answer 1

there were underlying uncertainties about whether the new government could really unite such a diverse people.

Question 2

In the late 1700s, the white American population was doubling nearly every 20 years, primarily because of

A) accelerating immigration, increasingly from Ireland.
B) the longevity of women.
C) the absorption of new peoples as new territories were acquired.
D) an extremely high birth rate.

Answer 2

an extremely high birth rate.

Question 3

Which of the following divisions between Americans helps explain how they felt about the Constitution and what party they were more likely to identify with?

A) between semisubsistence farmers and those tied to a commercial economy
B) between mainstream religious groups and those professing dissenting faiths
C) between northern and southern states and territories
D) between eastern states and western territories

Answer 3

between semisubsistence farmers and those tied to a commercial economy

Question 4

In the semisubsistence economy that existed in the American backcountry, money was seldom seen and was used primarily to

A) pay taxes.
B) purchase imported goods.
C) pay taxes and purchase imported goods.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 5

A chief characteristic of a commercial economy was that it required

A) the availability of relatively cheap transportation.
B) the dominance of manufacturing over farming.
C) inequality in the distribution of wealth.
D) more materialistic and acquisitive values.

Question 6

Indian economies with which new Americans came into contact were primarily based on

A) hunting and gathering.
B) semisubsistence agriculture like that of whites.
C) trade with distant Indian tribes.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 7

As the new nation's first president, Washington lamented that nearly all of his actions while in office would

A) be distorted unfairly by the free press.
B) be examined by historians to find insight into his decision-making.
C) have no positive effect if the Senate and the House of Representatives did not concur.
D) establish a model for those that followed.

Question 8

Which of the following was one of the goals that underlay Alexander Hamilton's financial proposals?

A) stimulate the essentially virtuous nature of ordinary citizens, who could take advantage of new economic opportunities
B) stimulate commerce and manufacturing through the power and positive actions of the national government
C) win the loyalty of the agrarian class
D) make the U.S. as a whole dependent on Europe

Question 9

Hamilton proposed to define the national debt in a way that increased what the nation had to pay. What two pressing financial problems did this seek to solve?

A) bartering and localism
B) a trade deficit and a tax revolt
C) no central bank and no budget management
D) revenue and credit

Question 10

After organizing the government, the First Congress turned its attention to Alexander Hamilton's economic proposals and

A) enacted a tariff on England.
B) created a national bank.
C) approved a provision that the judiciary should decide the constitutionality of regulating the economy.
D) rejected a procedure whereby the national government should pay off both its own debt and the combined debt of the states.

Question 11

The first political parties arose

A) despite the fundamental hostility to the idea of English-style monarchial rule.
B) because of opposition to Washington's programs.
C) despite Americans' distrust of such institutions.
D) after John Adams became president.

Question 12

Which of the following was a charge raised by opponents to Hamilton's program?

A) It violated the idea of a broad or loose construction of the Constitution.
B) It clashed with the interests and values of industry and business.
C) It threatened to lead to the expansion of slavery.
D) It threatened to create a class of moneyed aristocracy.

Question 13

Which of the following contributed to the emergence of true popular political parties in the U.S.?

A) Because of widespread property ownership, the nation had a broad suffrage.
B) Politicians had to offer a program attractive to a broad voter public.
C) Political parties became the means by which a large electorate made its feelings known.
D) All these answers are correct.

Question 14

As war broke out in Europe, the Washington administration

A) used the war to foster closer economic ties with Britain.
B) honored the Treaty of 1778 by supporting France.
C) asserted the right to steer a path of neutrality.
D) placed an embargo on all goods to Europe.

Question 15

How did foreign policy issues accelerate the emergence of political parties in the U.S.?

A) The French schemed to set up a friendly faction within the U.S. government.
B) Divided over whether France represented republicanism or anarchy, the two sides came to suspect the worst intentions of the other and organized parties against each other.
C) Pinckney's Treaty so blatantly met the interests of the commercial areas against the interests of the semisubsistence sector that the leaders of agrarian America rallied around the treaty fight and founded a party.
D) With both sides violating American neutral rights, the party that exploited American anger and fought for American rights was able to win the election of 1800.

Question 16

Jay's Treaty

A) officially ended the alliance with France.
B) removed restrictions on American trade with British colonies.
C) was rejected by the Senate because it gave up too much to Spain.
D) secured the evacuation of British troops from the Northwest.

Question 17

Washington's farewell address

A) warned against the dangers of a powerful military.
B) warned against the dangers of parties and called for a restoration of unity in the national political system.
C) supported the political ideology of Jefferson and Madison.
D) called on Americans to assume responsibility for active world leadership.

Question 18

Jefferson's Republican Party

A) appealed to workers in cities and others tied to the commercial economy.
B) sought to overturn the federal system and restore a unitary central government.
C) appealed to fears of commerce and urbanization.
D) articulated a conceptual framework that understood both the party in power and the loyal opposition as legitimate.

Question 19

The Federalist Party

A) wanted a weak government in order to promote economic individualism.
B) opposed a republican form of government.
C) wanted to aid subsistence farmers by printing paper money.
D) wanted to use government power to promote commerce and industry.

Question 20

In dealing with French insults and violations of American rights, President John Adams

A) conducted an undeclared naval war on the high seas.
B) resisted calls for war.
C) resisted calls for war, but conducted an unofficial naval war on the high seas.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 21

In the XYZ Affair,

A) England agreed to abandon forts in the Northwest.
B) French officials demanded a bribe to open negotiations with the United States.
C) Adams broke with his party and sent a new peace commission to France.
D) the United States agreed to end the Quasi-War.

Question 22

The Alien and Sedition Acts were used primarily

A) to weaken the Republican Party.
B) to criticize the president.
C) against immigrants and aliens.
D) against French- and Spanish-sponsored intrigue.

Question 23

At best, Jefferson considered government

A) the highest calling to which a person could aspire.
B) inherently good.
C) the domain of the privileged.
D) a necessary evil.

Question 24

Which of the following does NOT accurately state a principle that Jefferson espoused?

A) People may be trusted to make political choices based on correct principles.
B) Radical change is periodically necessary to make sure that equality and democracy continue to be extended to all men and women of all races and faiths.
C) Human reason is the powerful tool that will unlock the secrets of nature and improve human society.
D) The life of the independent farmer in a free market is an economically preferable and morally superior social condition.

Question 25

Jefferson believed that cities

A) were morally inferior to rural living.
B) were a necessary evil at best.
C) were the key in "the pursuit of happiness."
D) promoted equality.

Question 26

Jefferson's initial program sought to

A) counter British and Spanish threats to national security.
B) establish control over the judiciary.
C) slash federal spending and the national debt.
D) repeal Hamilton's bank and tariff acts.

Question 27

One of the more important results of the presidential election of 1800 is that it

A) convinced both Federalists and Republicans that a two-party system was preferable.
B) was won with no opposition candidate.
C) brought Washington to office for a third term.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 28

The individual most responsible for creating the notion of "judicial review"was

A) Thomas Jefferson.
B) John Marshall.
C) James Madison.
D) James Marbury.

Question 29

What larger social pattern helps explain the clashes between whites and Indians on the Ohio frontier and more specifically their resort to both religious renewal movements and abusive consumption of increased quantities of alcohol?

A) Neither tribal villages nor backcountry villages felt any cultural or economic need for the other.
B) Traditional cultural systems were breaking down, creating great cultural stress.
C) Birth rates in both groups were rising sharply, imposing great pressures on the land.
D) Both groups had abandoned their religious roots and rejected calls to return to traditional beliefs.

Question 30

Tenskwatawa (the Prophet) ________, while his brother Tecumseh ________.

A) allied with Great Britain during the War of 1812; tried unsuccessfully to follow the path of assimilation
B) led a religious revival among western tribes; led a military alliance among western tribes
C) encouraged his fellow Indians to adapt carefully and selectively from what whites had to offer; rejected all contact with whites and sought a return to traditional ways
D) had his greatest following among tribes of the upper Midwest; won widespread support among the southern tribes

Question 31

Once in power, Jefferson

A) fully dismantled Hamilton's economic program.
B) respected the independence of the judiciary.
C) eagerly launched a grand construction program for the national capital.
D) increasingly put pragmatic considerations above strict political principles.

Question 32

According to the doctrine established in the landmark Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison,

A) the high court could rule on the constitutionality of federal laws.
B) the high court could compel public officials to perform their duties.
C) the executive branch must defer to the rulings of the legislative branch.
D) the judicial branch should defer to the wishes of the legislative branch.

Question 33

The "Second Great Awakening"refers to

A) the Renaissance in America.
B) an intellectual movement similar to the Enlightenment.
C) a revivalist religious movement at the beginning of the 1800s.
D) a new technology that made the Industrial Revolution possible.

Question 34

The Louisiana Purchase was significant for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT that

A) Jefferson's constitutional scruples caused him to hesitate to act in the Republic's best interests.
B) it illustrated Jefferson's enthusiastic interest in the West.
C) it illustrated America's continued ties to world power politics.
D) it secured western access to the sea.

Question 35

Which of the following can be described as a standardized public activity, participated in by both blacks and whites, males and females, which brought emotional release, sociability, and moral order to the frontier after 1800?

A) the political "electioneering" rally
B) the slave auction
C) barn raising
D) the camp meeting

Question 36

What kind of vessel did the Barbary states use to plunder the cargo of enemy ships and enslave their crews if tribute was not paid?

A) corvair
B) cutter
C) corvette
D) corsair

Question 37

The Embargo

A) especially hurt New England's port cities.
B) was widely evaded and thus had little impact on the U.S. economy.
C) led Napoleon to repeal his economic decrees-but too late.
D) was a last resort after undeclared naval war had failed.

Question 38

The influential leaders of the younger Republicans, known as the "War Hawks,"

A) came mostly from New England shipping states.
B) were aggressively nationalistic, especially those from frontier districts.
C) militantly opposed any federal economic development program.
D) militantly opposed further territorial expansion.

Question 39

The Hartford Convention (1814) was

A) a meeting of New England literary figures.
B) a diplomatic agreement concerning Oregon.
C) the business conference where the first American insurance company was organized.
D) a protest meeting of antiwar New Englanders.

Question 40

The Monroe Doctrine

A) proclaimed that the U.S. would be a continental nation.
B) warned Europe not to interfere in the Americas.
C) guaranteed the independence of Spain's former colonies.
D) laid claims to the Oregon Country.

Question 41

The War of 1812

A) demonstrated how well-prepared Americans were to fight on land.
B) ended in a treaty that granted generous concessions to the U.S.
C) produced no significant American victories.
D) was followed by a surge of American nationalism.

Question 42

The Federalists viewed themselves as

A) the last stand against the excesses of democracy.
B) the new chapter of English rule in the New World.
C) the last defense of traditional living, including slave ownership.
D) founders of the republican ideology.

Question 43

John Adams was

A) an ally to England.
B) an ally to France.
C) an ally to Spain.
D) engaged in an unofficial war with France.

Question 44

Republican motherhood included

A) education for women and girls, including civic participation.
B) support of Jeffersonian ideals by women.
C) radicalism and protest.
D) education and literacy for all minorities, including slaves.

Question 45

________ was the man who symbolized the republic as it was launched-a man embittered by criticisms he felt were undeserved.

Question 46

________ was the man with a practical vision for strengthening the republic by winning the support of its wealthy elites for the national government.

Question 47

Though Thomas Jefferson was the symbolic head of the Republicans, ________ was the man who orchestrated the Republican strategy and lined up the Republicans' voting bloc in the House.

Question 48

________, at the cost of his political future, steered the nation away from war by reopening negotiations with France.

Question 49

________, rather accidentally, was elected vice president in 1796.

Question 50

Beginning with the famous case of Marbury v. Madison, Chief Justice ________ stamped his views of the independent power of the courts on the nation's constitutional understanding.

Question 51

The principle established in the case of Marbury v. Madison regarding the role and power of the courts in relation to the other two branches is known as ________.

Question 52

Thomas Jefferson was succeeded by his brilliant friend and political ally, ________, who had served as his secretary of state.

Question 53

The Jefferson administration bought Louisiana from the government headed by ________, whose efforts to dominate the European continent would later infringe on U.S. neutral rights.

Question 54

For strategic and economic as well as geographic purposes, Jefferson commissioned Lewis and Clark to lead an expedition up the ________ River.

Question 55

The ________ Act was Jefferson's initiative to defend America's rights against the actions of Britain and France.

Question 56

What social and economic groups in American society tended to support the Federalist Party? Why did each do so? Why did commercial groups generally support the Federalists?

Question 57

What is semisubsistence farming? Describe and discuss it in terms of both its economic and social aspects. What attitude did most semisubsistence farmers take toward government?

Question 58

List three ways Hamilton's program strengthened the federal government. How did each of these specifically strengthen the government? Which do you think was the most important, and why?

Question 59

Name three events that contributed to worsening relations between the United States and France in the 1790s. How did each event you name strain relations between the two countries?

Question 60

How did events during the administration of John Adams weaken the Federalist Party? Why did the events you cite hurt the party?

Question 61

Why did the election of 1800 mark a milestone in the history of the United States? Describe the election, its outcome, and its significance.

Question 62

What were the most important causes of the Federalist Party's ultimate defeat?

Question 63

How did Federalists and Republicans differ on economic issues? Were economic issues the most important factor in the emergence of political parties in the 1790s?

Question 64

Thomas Jefferson commented, "If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go at all."Yet political parties did develop during the 1790s. Why were Federalists and Republicans suspicious of parties?

Question 65

Give several examples of political violence in the 1790s. How was this behavior different from what we expect in politics today?

Question 66

Discuss the major differences between the principles of the Federalists and the Republicans. How was each difference reflected in disputes over specific policies in the 1790s? Of the differences you note, which do you think was the most important, and why?

Question 67

How did political divisions in the early Republic follow social divisions? Why was this the case?

Question 68

In what ways did the Federalists and Republicans look back to the Revolution in their ideologies? In what ways did they look ahead to the nineteenth century?

Question 69

Explain the religious movement in America. Be sure to mention the Mormon wave and the Great Awakening. What is the significance of the religious movement?