Deck 6: The Republican Experiment

Question 1

Even before achieving statehood,________ prohibited slavery in its constitution.

A) Connecticut
B) New Jersey
C) Massachusetts
D) Pennsylvania
E) Vermont

Answer 1

Vermont

Question 2

The Americans who wrote the first state constitutions were alike in that all ________.

A) totally rejected British traditions and ideas in creating them
B) demanded written documents
C) refused to include bills of rights
D) made the constitutions vague and imprecise where basic rights were concerned
E) followed the example of the British constitution

Answer 2

demanded written documents

Question 3

The controversy which delayed ratification of the Articles of Confederation involved ________.

A) slavery
B) the disposition of western lands
C) American relations with European countries
D) regulating trade with British manufacturers
E) boundaries between the states

Answer 3

the disposition of western lands

Question 4

The Society of the Cincinnati was formed by ________.

A) George Washington and fellow revolutionary officers
B) Samuel Adams and political contemporaries
C) John Adams and James Madison
D) Thomas Jefferson and George Washington
E) James Madison and John Jay

Question 5

The Northwest Ordinance ________.

A) defined the process by which a territory became a state
B) provided for a survey of the Northwest Territory
C) ignored the basic rights of settlers in the region
D) specifically allowed slavery to exist in the region
E) was one of the first acts passed under the Confederation

Question 6

The leading African-American scientist and mathematician in early America was ________.

A) John Woolman
B) Richard Allen
C) Benjamin Banneker
D) Sojourner Truth
E) Phillis Wheatley

Question 7

The most important result of the Annapolis Meeting of 1786 was ________.

A) that it added support for the Articles of Confederation
B) the establishment of new, more efficient trade regulations for the United States
C) the settlement of problems involving Spain's control of the Mississippi River
D) the nationalists' recommendation to Congress for a convention to revise the Articles of Confederation
E) the growing political power and influence of James Madison

Question 8

Under whose intellectual guidance did the Constitutional Convention form a new government?

A) Robert Morris
B) Alexander Hamilton
C) James Madison
D) Benjamin Franklin
E) Thomas Jefferson

Question 9

For Americans in the 1780s,they had formed a real republic by eliminating ________.

A) conflict
B) the monarchy and aristocracy
C) a hereditary legislature
D) a strong national government
E) sectionalism

Question 10

Negotiations between the states and Spain were opened as a result of what event?

A) Spain closed the Mississippi to U.S. citizens in 1784.
B) The U.S. failed to make good its obligations from the Revolutionary War.
C) The Spanish government was seriously weakened following the French Revolution.
D) Gold was discovered in California.
E) France and Britain declared war on Spain.

Question 11

Most new state constitutions after the American Revolution ________.

A) strengthened the power of the governors
B) weakened the power of the legislature
C) avoided written constitutions
D) included Declarations of Rights
E) affirmed the freedom of speech and press but not of religion

Question 12

An important procedural decision approved at the opening of the Constitutional Convention involved ________.

A) publicizing the convention's meetings and debates
B) refusing to allow the small states to present their plans for constitutional revisions
C) the decision to keep deliberations as secret as possible
D) the election of James Madison as chairman
E) the requirement of a plurality rather than a simple majority to implement changes

Question 13

The European philosopher whose ideas supported the theory of state sovereignty was ________.

A) Locke
B) Montesquieu
C) Voltaire
D) Machiavelli
E) Rousseau

Question 14

In the 1780s,nationalists were those who _______.

A) advocated the elimination of sectional differences
B) pushed to establish symbols such as the flag and a national anthem
C) supported states' rights
D) called for a strong central government
E) called for a firm stand against Britain

Question 15

The Articles of Confederation ________.

A) gave too much power to the central government
B) provided for state representation by population
C) jealously guarded state sovereignty at the expense of national power
D) created a powerful presidency
E) changed little from first draft to final document

Question 16

How many states did not have to draft new constitutions,since they already had republican governments as part of their colonial charters?

A) none
B) one
C) two
D) three
E) four

Question 17

________ caused the most important changes in voting patterns in the immediate post-war years.

A) The tremendous loss of male lives
B) Western migration
C) The dramatically increased standard of living
D) The Articles of Confederation
E) The movement of state capitals to more central locations

Question 18

Shays's Rebellion involved ________.

A) discontented New England merchants
B) western settlers demanding Indian territory
C) supporters of freer trade with Great Britain
D) discontented farmers in Massachusetts
E) Continental Army officers who had been denied their pensions

Question 19

The most brilliant American political theorist of the post-revolutionary period was ________.

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

Question 20

The most important accomplishment of Congress under the Articles of Confederation was its ________.

A) disposition of the Florida border problem with Spain
B) passage of ordinances organizing the Northwest Territory
C) management of the nation's financial affairs
D) rejection of British demands for territory along the country's borders with Canada
E) set of rules for interstate trade and tariffs

Question 21

Why didn't William Paterson's New Jersey Plan appeal to most delegates of the Philadelphia Convention?

A) It failed to provide a solution to the Convention's most pressing issues.
B) It proposed a two-house national legislature, giving the federal government too much power.
C) It represented the wishes only of the large states, excluding small and weak states.
D) It was strongly supported by Madison and his colleagues, so most delegates rejected it on that basis alone.
E) It denied Congress power to tax or regulate trade, severely hampering its political and economic viability.

Question 22

How did the debate between public morality and private freedom inform political debate in the 1780s?

A) The Americans who preached public morality did not believe in political debate.
B) Because public morality and private freedom are in direct contrast, they mirror the political debates of the 1780s about tyranny versus republicanism.
C) Because public morality leads to private freedom, Americans believed that British tyranny would lead to American democracy.
D) Americans defended individual rights but believed that a society without virtue couldn't preserve liberty and independence.
E) Because English colonialism had imposed public morality, Americans rejected it for private freedom.

Question 23

The Federalist was a series of essays written by ________.

A) Washington and Adams
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) Madison, Hamilton, and Jay
D) Randolph and Franklin
E) Samuel Chase

Question 24

What did women gain as a result of the American Revolution?

A) Women gained voting rights and access to higher education.
B) Women gained little; their lives remained much the same.
C) Women could now become landowners, shopkeepers, and dress makers.
D) Women gained access to divorce, and some economic opportunities.
E) Women could travel freely, study widely, and find gainful employment.

Question 25

How did Shays's Rebellion help advance Madison's plans for reform?

A) Farmers throughout the United States began supporting Madison as a way of guaranteeing their rights.
B) Wealthy plantation owners feared slave rebellions on their own lands and wanted a strong government to protect their interests.
C) Madison was instrumental in calming the farmers and ending the rebellion, so people began to trust him.
D) Even Northerners were alarmed to see that African Americans could wield such power, and looked to Madison to establish a government to protect whites.
E) People throughout the United States realized that law and order were breaking down.

Question 26

What was the effect of the American Revolution on slavery?

A) Soon after the end of the war, slavery was abolished in northern states.
B) The war set a time limit to end slavery in the South.
C) The war had little effect on slavery.
D) Initially, the war led to African Americans' gaining freedom.
E) The war emancipated African Americans in several states.

Question 27

How could a territory become a state according to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?

A) First a territory had to raise enough money to buy their land from the European country that owned it, then the people could petition for statehood.
B) Once the people of the territory had successfully subdued the Native American population, they could become a state.
C) Territories had to elect officials and then write Articles of Confederation in order to become a full-fledged state.
D) Once population reached 60,000, residents could write a constitution and petition for statehood.
E) After a period of eighteen years, territories could petition the federal government for permission to become a state.

Question 28

Why did disagreements over western lands delay the ratification of the Articles of Confederation?

A) Britain still held claims on the western lands, so the Americans had to negotiate with Britain before they could ratify.
B) Several states made claims to western lands, which other states disputed.
C) Native Americans protested the Articles of Confederation in an effort to secure their land in the West.
D) A large percentage of Americans lived in the West, but travel and communication was poor, so it took a long time to receive their votes.
E) Most of the land in the West belonged to Spain and France, so the impoverished new America had to wait to raise money to buy it.

Question 29

Why did most first state constitutions include a bill of rights?

A) To remind future rulers of the exact limits of their authority.
B) To establish the rights of white male landowners.
C) To create a stronger central federal government.
D) To prevent weak state governments.
E) Because the federal constitution included a bill of rights.

Question 30

How were women affected by the political ideas of the American Revolution?

A) These ideas did not interest women very much.
B) The ideas brought dramatic changes and opportunities to their lives.
C) The ideas caused them to be more assertive about their roles in the family.
D) The end of the war allowed them to participate actively in government.
E) Revolutionary ideas brought them together to demand universal suffrage.

Question 31

The economic depression of the 1780s was caused by which of these?

A) the emergence of industrialization in the Northeast
B) a slump in cotton prices
C) a trade imbalance with Great Britain
D) poor tobacco harvests
E) an earlier European depression

Question 32

Why did the delegates at the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention vow to secrecy during the proceedings?

A) to keep their competition (Antifederalists) in the dark
B) so that James Madison could wield limitless power
C) to avoid the spread of rumors
D) to avoid a civil war between the North and the South
E) so that there would be a balance of power between state and federal governments

Question 33

Why did the Articles of Confederation give states more power than the central government?

A) The delegates believed that powerful state governments were dangerous.
B) The delegates were mostly state governors, so they wanted to preserve their own power.
C) The new central government had proven itself unworthy of power with corrupt officials and systematic abuses.
D) Articles of Confederation by definition must give power to the states as it is a state-wide document.
E) The delegates believed that powerful central governments were dangerous.

Question 34

Men that were called nationalists in the early 1780s were the ________ later in the same decade.

A) Whigs
B) Federalists
C) Antifederalists
D) Tories
E) Republicans

Question 35

In the 1780s,why did Americans disagree sharply over the relative importance of liberty and order?

A) Americans believed that in order to gain liberty, everyone should be given extensive civil rights.
B) Some Americans believed people should be free; others believed they should be well-mannered.
C) Americans who valued British traditions supported order; those loyal to the new American government supported liberty.
D) Religious leaders preached order while politicians advocated for liberty and religious freedom.
E) After British tyranny Americans valued liberty but recognized the importance of order.

Question 36

Why was there an uproar surrounding the formation of the Society of the Cincinnati?

A) The public feared that it amounted to an American aristocracy.
B) Many women were angry because membership was exclusively male.
C) Religious leaders felt the society was pagan in its rituals.
D) Parents feared allowing young men and women to meet without chaperones.
E) Southerners questioned the society's strong anti-slavery stance.

Question 37

Why was James Madison described as a political genius?

A) He wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.
B) He helped Americans think of republican government in radical new ways.
C) He used the teachings of Montesquieu to advocate for strong state governments.
D) He had fought bravely in the revolutionary war, leading his men with wisdom and courage.
E) He successfully governed his home state of Virginia in a socialist manner, giving all power to the people.

Question 38

The author of the original proposal for the Bill of Rights was ________.

A) Patrick Henry
B) George Washington
C) Alexander Hamilton
D) James Madison
E) Thomas Jefferson

Question 39

The three-fifths rule concerned the issue of ________.

A) whether or not to count slaves as part of the population
B) the number of branches in the national government
C) checks and balances
D) presidential power
E) the number of votes required in the House to pass legislation

Question 40

How was slavery an obvious contradiction to the principles of the American republic?

A) Slavery showed how poorly treated black women were.
B) Americans claimed to be fighting for freedom, but still enslaved others.
C) Slavery funded much of the Revolution, so it was part of the new republic.
D) Slavery was a British institution and had no place in an independent America.
E) People who fought in the war and enslaved others were too violent for a republic.

Question 41

Why was the phrase "We the people of the United States" in the new Constitution?

A) It was there to exclude women and African Americans from the rights described in the document.
B) The phrase recalled the Declaration of Independence and would help Americans approve the document.
C) The other delegates voted unanimously on the phrase, thinking it would help ensure ratification.
D) It was there to include women and African Americans in the rights described in the document.
E) It was there to avoid mention of the states because of uncertainty about how many and which states would ratify the document.

Question 42

Why did those who campaigned actively for ratification of the Constitution call themselves "Federalists"?

A) The term "Nationalists" had been used during the ratification of the Articles of Confederation and was now negatively viewed.
B) The term suggested that they stood for a confederation of states and not for a supreme national authority.
C) They wanted the public to know that they supported strong state governments that controlled the federal government.
D) The term "Antifederalists" was perceived as negative because of the root "anti."
E) The popular song "Federalists on the Shore" recalled the glories of the Revolutionary War.

Question 43

Analyze the Antifederalist critique of the Constitution.Have any of their warnings proven to be true?

Question 44

How did republican idealism challenge the traditional treatment of women and blacks?

Question 45

How did disagreements between Federalists and Antifederalists reflect the political climate of the 1780s and predict the climate of the 1800s?

A) The disagreement showed that Americans were strangers to the political process and had a lot to learn.
B) The disagreement threatened the young nation throughout the 1780s and well into the 1800s.
C) The disagreement was inconsequential as most Americans agreed about state, federal, and individual rights.
D) The disagreement was quickly cleared up, demonstrating that Americans were able politicians.
E) The disagreement showed how the country was divided and would be divided for the next several decades on state, federal, and individual rights.

Question 46

Why were Antifederalists concerned about the new Constitution?

A) They worried that public officials would scheme to increase their power.
B) They knew that preservation of liberty required no vigilance.
C) They saw that smaller republics were prone to political corruption.
D) They feared that the new national government would be too strong.
E) They believed that constituents reflect the character of their elected officials.

Question 47

How did the question of slavery impact the Constitutional Convention?

A) It caused few real problems.
B) It generally saw northerners willing to support southern concerns.
C) It threatened to disrupt and destroy the work of the convention.
D) It found the southern delegates eager to compromise on most significant arguments.
E) It was resolved, but left the South at a disadvantage.

Question 48

How does the modern Bill of Rights compare to that of 1789?

A) The modern one allows for freedoms despite ethnicity, race, gender, or sexual orientation-provisions that were not made in 1789.
B) The modern one allows for infringement on freedom of speech and privacy with technology laws-provisions that did not exist in 1789.
C) The 1789 bill led to political controversy whereas the modern one has not.
D) The modern bill has led to political controversy whereas the 1789 one did not.
E) The 1789 bill was longer; the modern one is a shorter rewriting of the same tenets.

Question 49

Why did the new Constitution of 1787 call for the election of a president by an Electoral College?

A) so that the people could directly vote for their president
B) because most voters were illiterate
C) so that the president would not be indebted to Congress for his office
D) so that no state would have more power than another
E) to prevent non-white males from voting

Question 50

How did the Philadelphia Convention delegates ensure ratification of the Constitution?

A) They called for electing 13 state conventions and requiring only nine state legislatures to ratify it.
B) They decided that a unanimous vote among the general public of all the states would ratify it.
C) They decided that a unanimous vote among the state congresses would ratify it.
D) They called for electing James Madison as president so he could ratify it instead of Congress.
E) They decided that three-fifths of all state legislators needed to ratify it.

Question 51

How did the struggle between large and small states and between northern and southern states influence the character of the government established by the 1787 Constitution?

Question 52

How did the Bill of Rights of 1789 provide only limited freedoms?

A) It did not allow for freedoms of speech, religion, press, or trial.
B) It excluded foreigners and poor Americans.
C) It protected the freedoms of speech, religion, press, trial, bearing arms, and searches but did not grant rights to non-white males.
D) It granted the states more power than the federal government.
E) It was comprised mostly of legal procedures for Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court.

Question 53

How did political reality cause Americans to modify their theories about republicanism during the 1780s? Why was balancing liberty and order so difficult?

Question 54

How did the Constitutional Convention affect slavery?

A) It allowed the slave trade to continue indefinitely.
B) It permitted Congress to outlaw the importation of slaves in 1808.
C) It provided for an immediate end to the importation of African slaves.
D) It declared slavery to be illegal as of 1808.
E) It declared that slaves could not be purchased in the United States after 1808.