Deck 6: The New Republic: an Age of Political Passion, 1789-1800

Question 1

What was the major reason why James Madison shifted his views on the need for a Bill of Rights in the Constitution?

A) He wanted to eliminate lingering Anti-Federalist suspicion of the new federal government.
B) He did not want Congress to give itself salaries while they were still in session.
C) Jefferson convinced him that including this list would guarantee safeguards for the people.
D) He wanted to further restrict the powers of the new central government.

Answer 1

He wanted to eliminate lingering Anti-Federalist suspicion of the new federal government.

Question 2

What was the reasoning behind James Madison's opposition to the policies of his former ally Alexander Hamilton?

A) Madison was shocked to learn about Hamilton's affair with a married woman.
B) Madison believed that Hamilton's economic plans would undermine republican values.
C) Madison believed that Hamilton's rigid Federalist views were encouraging partisanship.
D) Madison felt that the United States should not have a Treasury Department, let alone a powerful one.

Answer 2

Madison believed that Hamilton's economic plans would undermine republican values.

Question 3

What made Alexander Hamilton's plan to honor state- and Confederation-issued paper at face value so controversial?

A) Some of the paper notes may have been counterfeit.
B) It could lead to staggering levels of inflation.
C) It allowed foreign investors to stake a claim in the American economy.
D) It rewarded speculators with wealth.

Answer 3

It rewarded speculators with wealth.

Question 4

Why did Alexander Hamilton base the economy of the United States on Great Britain's economy?

A) Americans used British currency.
B) Britain was the United States' main trading partner.
C) The American economy was already similar to that of Britain.
D) Britain was a powerful nation with a diverse economy.

Question 5

Alexander Hamilton can best be described as a(n) .

A) self-made man who lacked aristocratic upbringings
B) native of New York
C) member of the Southern aristocracy
D) immigrant from Great Britain

Question 6

The statement that "while we have land to labour, let us never wish to see our citizens occupied at a work bench," supports Thomas Jefferson's vision of the United States as a nation of .

A) thriving industrial artisans
B) independent yeoman farmers
C) fiery revolutionaries
D) wealthy slave owners

Question 7

What message does the political cartoon The Times, A Political Portrait send about the situation facing the United States government during the 1790s?

A) The American army was strong enough to do battle with France and other European powers.
B) Political cartoonists used dignified techniques rather than crude ones to convey key messages.
C) Partisan animosities between Federalists and Republicans intensified during this decade.
D) Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were strong advocates of the Federalists in Congress.

Question 8

The Twenty-Seventh Amendment that was ratified over 200 years after it was originally introduced by Madison in 1789 called for .

A) allowing voters to directly elect the president
B) taxing religious institutions so that they could assist funding the federal government
C) preventing Congress from giving itself a pay raise while it is in session
D) providing the accused with speedy and public trials by jury

Question 9

In exchange for Thomas Jefferson's and James Madison's support of his economic program, Hamilton agreed to .

A) move the nation's capital from New York City to the banks of the Potomac River
B) drop his proposals supporting the promotion of industry
C) join the Republican party
D) travel to Britain as a diplomat

Question 10

How did Jefferson and Hamilton differ on their views about the Constitution?

A) Hamilton believed that most governmental power should rest with the states as opposed to Jefferson's view of a stronger central government.
B) Hamilton believed the Constitution should address the needs of an agrarian republic while Jefferson favored greater incentives for industrial production.
C) Jefferson believed in strict construction of the Constitution while Hamilton favored a broader interpretation of this document.
D) Jefferson favored additional constitutional rights for slave owners while Hamilton called for the abolition of slavery.

Question 11

Alexander Hamilton's major goal in issuing various reports on the new nation's economy was to .

A) create stronger trade relations with France
B) promote agrarian interests
C) encourage economic growth
D) give greater financial powers to the states

Question 12

According to the Constitution, how was the president chosen for office?

A) the House of Representatives
B) the electoral college
C) the direct vote of the people
D) the Senate

Question 13

How did Hamilton address the debt from the American Revolution in his "Report on Public Credit"?

A) He required the states to pay off their own accrued debts.
B) He had the federal government fund the national debt and assume states' debts.
C) He discontinued financial relations with Britain.
D) He had private citizens of all classes fund the debt.

Question 14

Why did Alexander Hamilton choose to be portrayed as a serene statesman in a plain brown suit instead of having symbols of his political life included in this 1792 painting?

A) He was proud of his aristocratic upbringing as a child.
B) He did not want to appear to be greater or more powerful than George Washington.
C) His political career had been steeped in controversy.
D) He wanted to be portrayed as a country gentleman in support of agrarian reforms.

Question 15

This cartoon shows Congress sailing toward Philadelphia in the ship Constitution. How does this image address Republican perceptions, such as those belonging to Jefferson and Madison, about cities like Philadelphia?

A) Cities nurtured the growth of the republic.
B) Cities were dangerous for democracy.
C) Cities provided safe havens from the threat of the frontier.
D) Cities welcomed the democratic process.

Question 16

The one area in Hamilton's economic reports that Jefferson fully supported was .

A) creation of a federal mint
B) increased trade with Great Britain
C) incentives for industrial development
D) establishment of a national bank

Question 17

How did Congress address Senator William Maclay's concerns about the broad appellate jurisdiction held by the federal courts?

A) They established district courts only in largely populated states.
B) Appeal cases were restricted to just the circuit courts.
C) Cases between citizens of different states were banned in federal courts.
D) They created a three-tiered system of district and circuit courts along with the Supreme Court.

Question 18

Thomas Jefferson felt that the creation of the Bank of the United States was unconstitutional because .

A) banking powers were delegated to Congress, not to the secretary of the treasury
B) state banks and not a federal bank had the power to mint money
C) banking powers had to be shared between the federal government and the states
D) the Constitution did not specifically give the federal government the power to create banks

Question 19

How did the size of the federal government during Washington's presidency contradict the fears that Anti-Federalists had about the government?

A) Anti-Federalists feared that the government would be large and expensive, but it was quite small at that time.
B) Anti-Federalists feared that the government would be small and weak, but it employed thousands.
C) Anti-Federalists feared that the government would be weak, and under Washington, the United States was defeated in various wars by European powers.
D) Anti-Federalists feared that the government would be weak, but under Washington, the United States projected a powerful image.

Question 20

Who were the first secretaries of state and treasury in Washington's cabinet?

A) James Madison and Thomas Jefferson
B) Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton
C) Edmund Randolph and Alexander Hamilton
D) John Jay and John Adams

Question 21

By the end of the 1790s, riots often broke out in cities like Philadelphia if citizens sported the "wrong" type of ornament on their hats, thus reflecting their .

A) frivolity
B) intense interest in fashion
C) fervent political partisanship
D) extreme violence

Question 22

During the Whiskey Rebellion, Republicans blamed the protest and resulting violence on an economic policy initially proposed by _.

A) Alexander Hamilton
B) George Washington
C) John Adams
D) Thomas Jefferson

Question 23

John Beckley and other professional politicians began employing as a tool when creating grassroots organizations during the rise of partisan politics in the 1790s.

A) electoral fraud
B) libel
C) bribery
D) gossip

Question 24

Which word best describes the sentiment behind this cartoon supporting the Whiskey Rebellion?

A) sorrowful
B) vengeful
C) triumphant
D) cowardly

Question 25

The three key ideals that emerged from the French Revolution were .

A) liberty, equality, and fraternity
B) life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
C) freedom, fear, and fortitude
D) freedom of speech, religion, and of the press

Question 26

The Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania came to an end when .

A) the rebel leaders were hanged for treason
B) the conflict was settled peacefully between the rebelling farmers and the federal government
C) tax collectors gave into the demands of the rebels and stopped collecting the whiskey tax
D) Washington dispatched the militia against the rebels

Question 27

The objects in the foreground presented by the kneeling creative muse of The Ladies' Magazine to the goddess of liberty are all symbols promoting .

A) a greater emphasis on women's education
B) women's suffrage
C) the abolition of slavery
D) the ideals of republican motherhood

Question 28

What do the symbols and human figures portrayed in the painting Liberty Displaying the Arts and Sciences reveal about the sentiments that artist Samuel Jennings felt toward African Americans?

A) African Americans depicted in the painting are shown as active participants in democracy.
B) African Americans are responsible for being the agents of their own freedom.
C) The broken chains in front of the goddess of liberty reflect his support for the abolition of slavery.
D) Objects such as the telescope and the selections from classical literature reveal that African Americans were responsible for many cultural achievements.

Question 29

British seizure of American ships in 1793 and 1794 resulted from their desire to .

A) demonstrate their naval superiority
B) engage the United States in another war
C) stop American trade with France
D) acquire ships for their naval fleet

Question 30

In this image depicting former slaves taking their revenge on their French oppressors in Saint-Domingue, the black rebels are portrayed as .

A) rash
B) incompetent
C) cowardly
D) brutal

Question 31

The Battle of Fallen Timbers and the Treaty of Greenville that followed it resulted in

A) reorganization of the War Department
B) the decisive defeat of the Ohio Indians
C) a public humiliation for the Washington administration
D) the forcible removal of Indians to lands west of the Mississippi

Question 32

How did this commemorative plate depicting the execution of King Louis XVI during the French Revolution affect American views of this uprising?

A) American support for the French Revolution cut across partisan allegiances.
B) Republicans found this uprising too violent and withdrew their support.
C) Federalists believed that the violence associated with the French Revolution was a small price to pay for liberty.
D) Federalists desired to have a stronger alliance with Britain as a result of this violence.

Question 33

What is one key idea found in this political cartoon addressing the partisan rancor promoted by the press that was caused by William Cobbett, who was also known as "Peter Porcupine"?

A) Americans were pleased with the political attacks in the press.
B) The Republicans under Cobbett were successful in attacking the Federalists in the press.
C) Britain was the chief catalyst in urging Federalists to attack Republicans in the press.
D) Thomas Jefferson supported the attacks made by Cobbett in the press.

Question 34

Political conflict between the Federalist and Republican parties of the 1790s can best be described as the result of .

A) a modern political two-party system
B) a proto-party system not yet evolved into a modern political party system
C) one dominant political party with a loyal opposition
D) two political parties sharing power

Question 35

What factor in the 1790s best supports Madison's idea that "all power has been traced to public opinion"?

A) the expansion of the press
B) the creation of a modern two-party political system
C) the effects of the French Revolution
D) the results of effective grassroots organizing by new types of politicians

Question 36

Federalists tended to believe that the attitude of citizens toward their elected representatives should be one of .

A) disinterest
B) cooperation
C) fear
D) deference

Question 37

How did the creation of Democratic-Republican societies in 1793 and 1794 transform political life in the United States?

A) American citizens began to rally behind the Federalist Party.
B) Many Americans became interested in national politics.
C) The Republican Party split into two factions.
D) Americans were easily taken in by propaganda.

Question 38

This map shows that as a result of Pickney's Treaty with Spain in 1795, the United States

A) gained control of the southwestern territory disputed with Spain
B) settled the boundary between its southwestern region and Spanish Florida
C) acquired the city of New Orleans
D) received Florida from Spain

Question 39

How was partisan politics evident in the presidential election of 1792?

A) Republicans directly challenged George Washington by running Thomas Jefferson against him.
B) Federalists carried the South but lost other regions of the United States.
C) Republicans launched a series of personal attacks against Washington in the press.
D) Republicans ran George Clinton for vice president against John Adams.

Question 40

One unresolved issue with Britain stemming from the Treaty of Paris (1783) that was finally attended to under Jay's Treaty of 1794 was Britain's agreement to .

A) set the Mississippi River as the western boundary of the United States
B) vacate its forts in the Northwest Territory
C) cede lands in Florida to the United States
D) compensate the United States for cargoes seized during the American Revolution

Question 41

What was the major significance of the election of 1800?

A) This was the first time that presidential power was peacefully passed on from one political party to another.
B) This was the first time that the electoral college determined the winner of the presidential election.
C) This was the first time that a president served more than two terms in office.
D) This was the first time that the president and vice president ran together on the same ticket.

Question 42

Events in the 1790s such as the French Revolution, the struggles between Federalists and Republicans, and the uprising in Saint-Domingue all influenced Gabriel's Rebellion in Virginia because they each promoted ideas about in American society.

A) political partisanship
B) violence
C) isolationism
D) liberty

Question 43

What precedent, which was not broken until 1940 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, did George Washington set when he left the presidency after the 1796 election?

A) a two-term limit on holding the presidency
B) having a member of the same political party run for vice president on the same ticket
C) not visiting a foreign country
D) avoiding alliances with foreign nations

Question 44

As envisioned by the Founders, how was the vice president chosen in 1796?

A) The vice president was elected by the people rather than the electoral college.
B) The vice president was elected by Congress.
C) The vice president was selected by the president.
D) The vice president was the runner up in the presidential election.

Question 45

How is Thomas Jefferson portrayed in this image drawn by a Federalist political cartoonist?

A) as someone who hates the French
B) as a traitor to American interests
C) as a pious and moralistic leader
D) as a heroic figure

Question 46

In his Farewell Address, what did President Washington advise Americans with regard to foreign policy?

A) remain an isolated nation
B) avoid permanent foreign alliances
C) go to war with France
D) take on a belligerent attitude toward every foreign nation

Question 47

How does the imagery of the rainbow in Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington contradict the political situation in the United States after Washington left office?

A) The United States was preparing for war with Britain after it began to seize American ships.
B) Violent slave rebellions modeled on the one in Saint-Domingue became frequent in the South.
C) Partisan politics between Federalists and Republicans became even more contentious.
D) Washington became extremely ill when he left office and died shortly afterward.

Question 48

Who led the slave uprising in Saint-Domingue?

A) Edmund Genét
B) Napoleon Bonaparte
C) Gabriel Prosser
D) Toussaint L'Ouverture

Question 49

James Madison and Thomas Jefferson believed that the best judge to determine the constitutionality of the Sedition Act and other such acts was .

A) the federal courts
B) Congress
C) the states
D) the president

Question 50

Aside from the fact that the French Directory had five members, why might the "monster" in the political cartoon "The Paris Monster" have been portrayed as having five heads?

A) to represent the French as deceitful and dishonest
B) to represent the conflicting ideologies of the French leadership
C) to represent the superior intelligence of the French
D) to represent the overwhelming power of the French government