Deck 6: The Constitution and the New Republic

Question 1

The achievement of the "Great Compromise" of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was its resolution of the problem regarding

A) women and voting.
B) the definition of citizenship.
C) political representation.
D) states versus federal authority.
E) expansion of slavery into the territories.

Answer 1

political representation.

Question 2

James Madison's ideas regarding republican government

A) were drawn from the French philosopher Baron de Montesquieu.
B) reflected his fear that a large republic was more likely to result in tyranny.
C) assumed that political factions would help in preventing tyranny.
D) suggested that the state governments were ultimately sovereign.
E) All these answers are correct.

Answer 2

assumed that political factions would help in preventing tyranny.

Question 3

By the late 1780s, dissatisfaction with the Articles of Confederation included a belief that the national government

A) had grown too powerful.
B) was too closely tied to England.
C) was pushing America into another war with England.
D) was ineffective.
E) had sold too much western land to speculators.

Answer 3

was ineffective.

Question 4

Under the "checks and balances" system of the Constitution of 1787, federal judges

A) were appointed by Congress.
B) served for life.
C) were elected by state legislatures.
D) could not reverse state court rulings.
E) served at the pleasure of the executive.

Question 5

The Virginia Plan called for

A) retaining the Articles of Confederation, with the addition of a national executive.
B) a two-tier national legislature.
C) combining the three smallest states into one large state.
D) a Senate in which each state would have two members.
E) an end to the slave trade and gradual emancipation.

Question 6

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 came close to

A) abolishing slavery.
B) granting citizenship to slaves.
C) granting suffrage for free black males.
D) abolishing slavery and granting citizenship to slaves.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 7

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 recommended the document be ratified by

A) a direct vote of the people.
B) special state ratifying conventions.
C) another national convention.
D) state legislatures.
E) the Confederation Congress.

Question 8

At the Philadelphia convention, James Madison argued that the ultimate authority of the federal government came from the

A) individual states.
B) people.
C) Congress.
D) Constitution.
E) rule of law.

Question 9

At the start of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the delegates ruled that

A) their proceeding would be open to the public.
B) states would have proportional voting based on each state's population.
C) each state delegation would have a single vote.
D) slavery would have to be preserved within the United States.
E) the country needed a stronger army to prevent further popular uprisings.

Question 10

The core complaint of Antifederalists about the proposed Constitution of 1787 was that it

A) placed obstacles between the people and the exercise of power.
B) omitted references to God.
C) allowed the people to have too much direct influence on the choosing of politicians.
D) granted the states too much power.
E) failed to abolish slavery.

Question 11

The New Jersey Plan

A) proposed a legislature consisting of a House of Representatives and a Senate.
B) was chosen by the convention delegates to replace the Virginia Plan.
C) had the general support of the larger states.
D) expanded the taxation and regulatory powers of Congress.
E) was proposed by delegate Edmund Randolph.

Question 12

In the debate over the Constitution of 1787, Antifederalist opponents to the document

A) were better organized.
B) had the support of George Washington.
C) feared that poorly educated men would be elected to prominent political offices.
D) believed the new government was not strong enough to maintain order.
E) argued that the Constitution would put an end to individual liberty.

Question 13

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787

A) did not fear concentrated government power.
B) welcomed the possibilities of direct democracy.
C) were suspicious of wealthy property owners.
D) well represented the diversity of the national population.
E) were well educated by the standards of their time.

Question 14

Under the Constitution of 1787, the people would directly elect

A) members of the House of Representatives.
B) members of the Senate.
C) the president.
D) federal judges.
E) All these answers are correct.

Question 15

Who among the following was one of the authors of The Federalist Papers?

A) George Washington
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) Alexander Hamilton
D) George Mason
E) Samuel Adams

Question 16

Which event, more than any other, convinced George Washington that the Articles of Confederation needed to be revised?

A) the Spanish threat to take New Orleans
B) the British refusal to evacuate the forts of the Northwest
C) Shays's Rebellion
D) the Whiskey Rebellion
E) the Battle of Fallen Timbers

Question 17

In the Constitutional Convention of 1787, for the purpose of political representation, slaves were classified as

A) three-fifths of a free person.
B) non-taxable.
C) property.
D) equivalent to children.
E) citizens.

Question 18

In 1786, Alexander Hamilton found an important ally, in his push for a stronger central government, in

A) Thomas Jefferson.
B) James Madison.
C) George Washington.
D) Benjamin Franklin.
E) Thomas Paine.

Question 19

The Antifederalists

A) saw the power of the southern states as the chief obstacle to an effective new government.
B) feared that the new government would be too weak to enforce its new powers.
C) feared that the government too much favored common people over the "well-born."
D) saw themselves as defenders of the principles of the American Revolution and feared that the new government would widely abuse its powers.
E) saw themselves as defenders of the principles of the American Revolution and feared that the government too much favored common people over the "well-born."

Question 20

In the Constitutional Convention of 1787, a major concession to the pro-slavery delegates was the

A) agreement that half of all future states would allow slavery.
B) strengthened fugitive slave provision.
C) continuation of the slave trade for at least twenty more years.
D) guarantee of the permanent continuation of slavery where it existed.
E) denial of suffrage to free black men.

Question 21

The first state to ratify the Constitution in 1787 was

A) New Hampshire.
B) Delaware.
C) Connecticut.
D) New Jersey.
E) Rhode Island.

Question 22

In the Constitution, political parties were

A) not mentioned.
B) described as dangerous.
C) encouraged.
D) viewed as temporary factions.
E) specifically proscribed.

Question 23

The first secretary of the treasury under the new government of 1789 was

A) Alexander Hamilton.
B) Thomas Jefferson.
C) Robert Morris.
D) James Madison.
E) Henry Knox.

Question 24

As treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton

A) wanted to eliminate the national debt.
B) opposed the federal government's assumption of state debts.
C) supported the creation of a national bank.
D) encouraged the federal government to focus on the needs of the independent farmer.
E) All these answers are correct.

Question 25

The emergence of an alternative political organization to the Federalists was prompted by

A) a dispute over President Washington's policies for westward expansion.
B) fear that the Federalists were attempting to end free elections.
C) belief that the power of the Federalists needed to be restrained.
D) a growing debate over the national bank.
E) fear that George Washington would try to run for a third term.

Question 26

Nine of the first ten amendments to the Constitution placed limits on the

A) states.
B) new government.
C) rights of individuals.
D) courts.
E) presidential cabinet.

Question 27

Alexander Hamilton's plan for the federal government to assume state debts was passed by Congress after a deal was made to

A) give a pay increase to government employees.
B) appoint key Jefferson allies to the Washington administration.
C) create two new states in the West.
D) locate the nation's capital between Virginia and Maryland.
E) eliminate the national bank.

Question 28

In the first national elections in 1789,

A) all the presidential electors cast their votes for George Washington.
B) Thomas Jefferson was chosen to be vice president.
C) the presidential inauguration was held in Philadelphia.
D) John Adams campaigned against George Washington.
E) Antifederalists won a convincing majority in the Senate.

Question 29

Virginia and New York ratified the Constitution of 1787 under the assumption that

A) a provision would be added allowing for the direct election of presidents.
B) Thomas Jefferson would become the first president.
C) there would be a ban on the importation of slaves.
D) a bill of rights would be added later, in the form of amendments.
E) it would not be ratified by enough other states to become binding.

Question 30

Alexander Hamilton recommended that the federal government raise revenue through

A) an import tax and a personal income tax.
B) a sales tax and a property tax.
C) an excise tax and an import tax.
D) an excise tax and a sales tax.
E) a sales tax and a personal income tax.

Question 31

James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and other leaders opposed Alexander Hamilton's proposed national bank on the grounds that

A) Congress had no authority to create a national bank.
B) a national bank would lead to currency inflation.
C) a national bank would lead to rampant speculation.
D) Congress had no authority to create a national bank, and a national bank would lead to currency inflation.
E) a national bank would lead to currency inflation and rampant speculation.

Question 32

Federalists controlled the new government under the Constitution for its first

A) four years.
B) eight years.
C) twelve years.
D) sixteen years.
E) twenty years.

Question 33

As president, George Washington

A) had never envisioned a strong central government.
B) considered it his duty to resolve political controversies.
C) sought to dominate national politics.
D) grew concerned that the federal government was gaining too much power.
E) avoided personal involvement with the deliberations of Congress.

Question 34

The dominant figure of George Washington's administration was

A) George Washington.
B) Thomas Jefferson.
C) Henry Knox.
D) Alexander Hamilton.
E) Aaron Burr.

Question 35

Alexander Hamilton's funding plan

A) was eventually passed by Congress essentially as Hamilton had desired.
B) was supported by James Madison.
C) was rejected by Congress.
D) called for paying all bondholders only a fraction of the value of the bonds.
E) called for dividing bonds between their original purchasers and speculators.

Question 36

The two preeminent Republicans of the 1790s were

A) Alexander Hamilton and James Monroe.
B) John Adams and James Madison.
C) John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
D) Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
E) Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr.

Question 37

Under Alexander Hamilton's plan, a new national bank would

A) have a monopoly on the government's banking business.
B) facilitate the collection of taxes.
C) provide loans to private businesses.
D) act as a storehouse for federal deposits.
E) All these answers are correct.

Question 38

According to the Judiciary Act of 1789, the Supreme Court was to be

A) composed of nine members.
B) the judicial power for interpreting the constitutionality of state laws.
C) directly elected by the people.
D) both composed of nine members and the judicial power for interpreting the constitutionality of state laws.
E) both composed of nine members and directly elected by the people.

Question 39

In the 1790s, those who were labeled Republicans envisioned developing a nation that would

A) be highly commercial and urban.
B) be largely agricultural and rural.
C) be a leading world power.
D) eventually control most of North America.
E) eventually grant political rights to women and minorities as well as white men.

Question 40

Which group opposed Alexander Hamilton's economic program on the grounds that they would bear a disproportionate tax burden?

A) creditors.
B) manufacturers.
C) the urban wealthy.
D) Federalists.
E) small farmers.

Question 41

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 greatly exceeded their instructions from Congress and the states.

Question 42

Jay's Treaty (1794)

A) avoided a likely war with England.
B) secured British compensation for recent attacks on American ships.
C) led to the withdrawal of British forces posted on the American frontier.
D) prompted England to send its first minister since the Revolution to the United States.
E) recognized the right of Americans to navigate the Mississippi to its mouth.

Question 43

In the 1780s, American manufacturers wanted to replace the various state tariffs with a uniformly high national duty.

Question 44

During the 1790s, regional support in the United States for Federalists was greatest in the

A) rural Deep South.
B) rural Far West.
C) Northeast.
D) Southwest.
E) mid-Atlantic region.

Question 45

Pinckney's Treaty (1795) gave the United States

A) the right to navigate the Mississippi River to its mouth.
B) the freedom to use the port at New Orleans.
C) a desired fixed northern boundary of Florida.
D) assurances that Indians in Florida would be prevented from launching northern raids.
E) All these answers are correct.

Question 46

The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

A) gave the federal government effective authority to stifle any public criticism.
B) were aggressively used by the Adams administration to suppress public criticism.
C) were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
D) gave the federal government effective authority to stifle any public criticism, and were aggressively used by the Adams administration to that effect.
E) were aggressively used by the Adams administration to suppress public criticism until they were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Question 47

In reference to Indians living in the United States, the Constitution

A) made no mention of Indian nations.
B) stated Indian tribes were entitled to direct representation in the federal government.
C) required the federal government to respect treaties negotiated under the Confederation.
D) declared Congress had no legal right to regulate commerce with Indian tribes.
E) defined a precise legal standing for Indians and Indian nations.

Question 48

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, each delegate voted as an individual.

Question 49

George Washington was greatly alarmed by Shays's Rebellion.

Question 50

The Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 saw

A) the federal government conduct itself much as it did during Shays's Rebellion.
B) violent clashes between urban merchants and American troops.
C) a briefly successful move by Pennsylvania to secede from the Union.
D) a failed attempt by Pennsylvania to secede from the Union.
E) President Washington lead thousands of troops into the field.

Question 51

Who described the election of 1800 as the "Revolution of 1800"?

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

Question 52

The presidential campaign in 1800

A) saw the Republicans win a decisive victory over the Federalists.
B) was notable for the sensational personal slandering of both candidates.
C) saw leading Federalists in Congress attempt to engineer the election of Aaron Burr.
D) was decided by a newly elected Republican Congress.
E) was further complicated by the emergence of a third party, the Whigs.

Question 53

The delegates who drafted the new Constitution were products of the American Revolution but had lost their fears of concentrated power.

Question 54

Pinckney's Treaty (1795) was negotiated between the United States and

A) Great Britain.
B) France.
C) Spain.
D) the Netherlands.
E) the Iroquois Confederacy.

Question 55

The Judiciary Act of 1801

A) was passed by the new Republican Congress.
B) increased the size of the Supreme Court by two seats.
C) was an attempt by Federalists to secure their hold on the courts.
D) resulted in the Federalists losing control of the judiciary.
E) was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Question 56

In America, the French Revolution was generally praised by

A) Federalists.
B) Republicans.
C) Federalists and Republicans.
D) Indians and slaves.
E) no one.

Question 57

The election of 1796 saw

A) a Federalist president and a Republican vice president take office.
B) the Republicans win the presidency for the first time.
C) the House of Representatives determine the presidential victor.
D) the Federalists reach their height of power and unity.
E) John Adams become president on the Republican ticket.

Question 58

In the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, it was asserted that

A) the Republicans had betrayed the spirit of the Constitution.
B) the federal government had the right to void state laws.
C) the Supreme Court had no constitutional authority to invalidate federal laws.
D) the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution was unjust.
E) states had the right to nullify federal laws.

Question 59

The "XYZ Affair"

A) involved foreign interference in an American presidential election.
B) involved secret foreign treaties with nearby Indian nations.
C) increased tensions between the United States and Great Britain.
D) was prompted by a feud between John Adams and Alexander Hamilton.
E) led to an undeclared war between the United States and France.

Question 60

In the late 1790s, on the political scene,

A) the United States was deeply and bitterly divided.
B) the republican form of government had won over most skeptics.
C) the power of the Republicans was declining.
D) the United States had developed a clear two-party system.
E) there was considerable agreement over most important foreign policy questions.

Question 61

The Virginia Plan called for a two-house legislature.

Question 62

Supporters of the new Constitution were better organized than were their opponents.

Question 63

Like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson's estate freed his slaves after his death.

Question 64

Hamilton's economic program had the general support of both manufacturing interests and small farmers.

Question 65

The Constitution determined that the number of justices on the Supreme Court would be nine.

Question 66

Hamilton favored a government that would benefit the entrenched aristocracy but not speculators.

Question 67

Under the new Constitution, the federal government would have the power to tax, regulate commerce, and control the currency.

Question 68

Before the new Constitution could go into effect, it had to be ratified by all thirteen existing states.

Question 69

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton served as secretaries of state and the treasury, respectively, under President George Washington.

Question 70

Under the new Constitution, federal judges were appointed by the president and confirmed by both houses of Congress.

Question 71

Once enacted, Hamilton's program failed to bring about many of the effects he had intended and quickly lost the support of the most influential segments of the population.

Question 72

The Federalists were most powerful in the commercial centers of the Northeast.

Question 73

The "Republicans" of the 1790s were institutionally related to the Republican Party of the 1850s.

Question 74

The new Constitution banned the slave trade, but it did not ban slavery.

Question 75

The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan were quite different, but each saw fit to give each state equal representation.

Question 76

The new Constitution made no reference to political parties.

Question 77

Ratification of the Constitution was given a big boost when New York and Virginia both approved the document early in the ratification process.

Question 78

Alexander Hamilton wanted state debts to be assumed by the federal government so that the entire debt could be paid off at once.

Question 79

Hamilton favored both a tariff on imports and a federal excise tax.

Question 80

The Constitution was submitted to the states for ratification with the Bill of Rights.