Deck 7: Creating a New Nation, 1775-1788

Question 1

Who proposed in Congress that "these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent?"

Answer 1

Richard Henry Lee.

Question 2

What contribution to the revolutionary movement did Thomas Paine make with Common Sense?

Answer 2

Paine made a compelling argument to the general public in favor of independence.

Question 3

Who drafted the Articles of Confederation for the consideration of Congress?

Answer 3

John Dickinson.

Question 4

Who surrendered British troops after the battle at Yorktown?

Question 5

Who represented the new American government during negotiations that resulted in England's recognizing American independence?

Question 6

What congressional action blocked the expansion of slavery in territory north of the Ohio River?

Question 7

Who suggested that delegates from Virginia and Maryland meet to resolve trade differences?

Question 8

Why did the Annapolis meeting fail to resolve the limitations of the Articles of Confederation?

Question 9

Those who favored ratification of the Constitution were called what?

Question 10

Who wrote the Federalist Papers?

Question 11

How did Abigail Adams manage her household economy during wartime?

A) She delegated all work to hired male managers.
B) She left the house to travel with her husband.
C) She created a diverse array of initiatives to supplement income.
D) She declared bankruptcy.

Question 12

Why did General Thomas Gage order British troops to march to Concord in April 1775?

A) As a show of force to intimidate colonial revolutionary leaders.
B) To arrest Sam Adams, John Hancock, and other radicals meeting in Concord to plan protests against the government.
C) As maneuvers to keep his men well trained and in good physical condition.
D) To seize military supplies stored there by colonial militia.

Question 13

What prompted 20,000 Massachusetts militia to assemble in Boston in the spring of 1775??

A) The planned defense of armories in Concord and Lexington.
B) The expulsion of Governor Gage and eviction of redcoats.
C) Revenge for the Battle of Bunker Hill.
D) The march northward toward Canada.

Question 14

What important lesson did the British learn from their experience in the battle on Breed's Hill?

A) British soldiers needed more training in night combat.
B) Colonials and their Indian allies did not use conventional tactics.
C) Do not make frontal assaults against fortified positions.
D) The greater number of troops always wins.

Question 15

What was the greatest challenge facing the Second Continental Congress when it met in Philadelphia?

A) Avoiding detection by British authorities.
B) Communicating with the leaders of colonial governments.
C) Maintaining consensus of purpose among the delegates.
D) Enduring the summer heat and humidity of a city located so near the seaboard.

Question 16

Moderates in the Continental Congress

A) Objected to any preparation for war.
B) Took comfort in the king's response to their Olive Branch petition.
C) Conceded that war preparations were indeed necessary.
D) Had come around to accept national independence on the eve of skirmishes at Concord and Lexington.

Question 17

In addition to his military experience, George Washington's appointment to lead the Continental army had what benefit?

A) It convinced ordinary colonists of Congress's firm commitment to liberal reforms.
B) It helped solidify the alliance between New England and the South.
C) It made Washington's wealthy southern friends more likely to support Congress.
D) It worried British leaders because they remembered Washington's decisive leadership during the French and Indian War.

Question 18

Why did Congress submit the Olive Branch Petition to King George?

A) To avoid war with England at any cost.
B) To preserve unity with the moderates.
C) To satisfy radicals who wanted to make the king aware of their unhappiness with Parliament.
D) They expected the king to overrule Parliament regarding taxation of the colonies.

Question 19

Which of the following best summarizes the Continental Army's expedition to Québec in Canada?

A) Canadians surrendered quickly to the forces of General Richard Montgomery.
B) The expedition would have ended in victory had winter not made the march from Montreal to Québec impossible.
C) The venture was foiled by the betrayal of Tom Arnold.
D) Although it was an unmitigated disaster, the failed attempt at capturing Québec only increased American resolve.

Question 20

How did Virginia's Governor Lord Dunmore intensify the crisis in the colonies in 1775?

A) He executed the local leaders of the rebellion.
B) He promised slave runaways from rebels freedom for military service.
C) He burned down the House of Burgesses.
D) He tried to bribe George Washington.

Question 21

By late spring of 1776, most members of Congress

A) Desired a declaration of independence or thought it inevitable.
B) Hoped for reconciliation with Parliament and the king.
C) Left Philadelphia believing that the Congress would never declare independence.
D) Thought the benefits of membership in the British Empire outweighed the negative impact of taxation without representation.

Question 22

Which of the following clauses did the Continental Congress delete from the Declaration of Independence?

A) The accusation of King George of Tyranny.
B) The promise of abolishing slavery.
C) The interstate commerce clause.
D) The claim that King George had forced African slaves on the colonists.

Question 23

According to the philosophy Thomas Jefferson expressed in the Declaration of Independence, what was the primary responsibility of government?

A) To defend the nation against all enemies, domestic and foreign.
B) To ensure domestic tranquility.
C) To maintain a stable economy.
D) To protect the natural rights of people.

Question 24

The American Revolution succeeded because

A) British soldiers failed to achieve an early victory and English critics of the war undermined their efforts.
B) George Washington was a better commander than any of the generals sent to quell rebellion in the colonies.
C) God was on the side of right.
D) Moderates and radicals reversed previous attitudes toward class and political conflict and maintained an effective alliance.

Question 25

The Articles of Confederation, as envisioned by John Dickinson,

A) Gave the court system too much authority to make law rather than interpret and apply law.
B) Proposed a weak central government that could not lay taxes or regulate commerce between its constituent states.
C) Placed too much power in its executive branch.
D) Was unwieldy because the Senate and House of Representatives did not agree.

Question 26

Between 1775 and 1780, each of the 13 states had adopted a new written constitution. The constitutions tended to

A) Limit the powers of state governors.
B) Limit the governors' terms.
C) Restrict governors' appointment powers.
D) All of the above.

Question 27

How did the attitude of the generation of revolutionary Americans toward the centralized power of the English government affect their new state constitutions?

A) Legislatures received only limited authority over commerce and trade.
B) Powers of governors in the new states were reduced greatly.
C) State courts had greater authority within their jurisdictions than federal courts.
D) They decided that state governments should allow Congress to set policy on such matters as land sales, taxes, and trade.

Question 28

What was a significant change in governments in America produced by the Revolution?

A) Entitlement spending for medical care increased.
B) Greater participation was exercised by more ordinary men.
C) More women voted and exercised their property rights.
D) Taxes decreased but government service was maintained at previous levels through federal subsidies.

Question 29

What was England's strategy in the first part of the American Revolution?

A) To capture New York, the center of American communication and trade.
B) To control Charleston, the most prosperous city in America.
C) Not to count on assistance from Indian alliances or loyalists.
D) To punish and isolate Boston because England believed resistance to English policy was centered in New England.

Question 30

What was Washington's basic tactic during the Revolutionary War?

A) To avoid casualties and wait for the right opportunity to take the offensive.
B) To divide his army so the British could never defeat all of it at the same time.
C) To lead the British on chases because he lacked sufficient soldiers to confront them.
D) To use cavalry more than infantry because mounted soldiers had greater mobility.

Question 31

What strategy did Nathanael Greene pursue in his campaign against the British in the South?

A) Avoidance of direct engagements.
B) A wild chase interrupted by small Continental victories.
C) Drawing the troops of Cornwallis toward Yorktown.
D) Guerilla tactics and asymmetrical warfare.

Question 32

What enabled George Washington's victory over Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown?

A) Assistance from French soldiers and the French fleet.
B) Cornwallis's laziness in not preparing his defenses properly.
C) The failure of the British quartermaster corps.
D) Washington's brilliant leadership.

Question 33

England's use of mercenary troops was

A) A way for England to exploit her neighbors.
B) A new method for acquiring soldiers.
C) The norm rather than the exception.
D) None of the above.

Question 34

Who led Congress's diplomatic effort to secure recognition and assistance from France during the American Revolution?

A) Benjamin Franklin.
B) James Madison.
C) James Monroe.
D) Thomas Jefferson.

Question 35

Why did France become involved in the American Revolution?

A) Admiration for the "noble experiment" of democracy.
B) To advance the cause of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
C) To break up the British Empire and reestablish France as the most powerful nation in the world.
D) To end slavery in English colonies.

Question 36

What did the new government in America hope to gain besides independence?

A) Expansion of slavery to the Pacific Ocean.
B) Florida and the Southwest, because Spain was a British ally in the war.
C) Territory between the Appalachians and the Mississippi River and, if possible, at least a portion of Canada as well.
D) Trade agreements that permitted Americans to retain most favored nation status.

Question 37

How were loyalists treated after the American Revolution ended?

A) There was relatively little retribution after the war.
B) Loyalists were mostly ignored and not troubled in any way.
C) No stigma was attached to them in the new society under the Articles of Confederation.
D) They were tried as war criminals and some were hanged if convicted.

Question 38

How did the departure of 80,000 loyalists as a consequence of the Revolution affect America?

A) It eliminated opposition to forming a strong central government.
B) It enhanced democracy and reduced the conservative element in society.
C) It reduced the tax revenues of the new government.
D) It represented a great loss of wealth because most had been merchants.

Question 39

What was the most significant American failure in negotiating the Peace of Paris, 1783, which ended the Revolutionary War?

A) Commercial concessions allowing Americans to continue to sell products in England.
B) Compensation of slave owners whose slaves joined the British army.
C) Failure to convince England to return territory seized from France by the Peace of Paris, 1763.
D) Failure to secure a British guarantee not to attempt to reclaim American states as colonies.

Question 40

What offered the greatest opportunity for profit and prosperity once the Revolutionary War ended?

A) Construction of homes and highways.
B) Growing cotton.
C) Speculation in land and currency.
D) Trade with England.

Question 41

At the end of the Revolution in western Pennsylvania,

A) A third of the men were landless.
B) A third of the population had died during the conflict.
C) Indians had restored most of their land claims.
D) French trappers were challenging the American identity of the region once more.

Question 42

What happened to currency printed by Congress and state governments in the 1770s and 1780s?

A) It became the standard for business in America and England until the middle of the nineteenth century.
B) It lost its value because of a lack of confidence that it would be redeemed in specie.
C) Money collectors hoarded currency in case England regained control.
D) It was recalled at face value by the United States when the new government switched to dollars.

Question 43

Weakness of the central government in the Articles of Confederation

A) Made Americans-southerners in particular-worry that slavery was in jeopardy.
B) Made little difference because America was so isolated.
C) Meant that it could not address economic problems hurting most Americans.
D) Was exactly what George Washington had intended.

Question 44

How did farmers under the leadership of Daniel Shays hope to end the collection of debts?

A) They delivered petitions to the state capitol.
B) They shut down the courts.
C) They tarred and feathered tax collectors.
D) They petitioned the king for relief.

Question 45

What campaign pledge helped John Hancock win election as governor of Massachusetts?

A) Amnesty for those who protested foreclosures and debtor relief.
B) Lower taxes.
C) To stand in the schoolhouse door to ensure access to education for all.
D) Support of the rights of gun owners.

Question 46

In view of economic woes under the Articles of Confederation, what group of commerce-minded political leaders advocated a strong central government?

A) Anti-Federalists.
B) Nationalists.
C) Right-wing conspirators.
D) State's rights advocates.

Question 47

During the American Revolution, American women

A) Did not support the Declaration of Independence because the document's indictments of George III did not include his poor record on issues of interest to women.
B) Generally supported and participated in protests and boycotts.
C) Received permission to vote in all states.
D) Were hidden in caves in the mountains to prevent abuse by British soldiers.

Question 48

What legal principle denied women the right to vote in the new states?

A) Coverture.
B) Stare decisis.
C) Caveat emptor.
D) Eminent domain.

Question 49

Discussions about women's citizenship and intellectual capacities

A) Applied only to prosperous white women.
B) Indicated reluctance by most women to surrender preferential treatment in society.
C) Usually ended when women became emotional.
D) Were not a product of the revolutionary concept of liberty and equality.

Question 50

The Quaker _________ launched the first antislavery movement in 1754 when he condemned the institution on humanitarian and religious terms.

A) Benjamin Franklin.
B) John Dickinson.
C) John Woolman.
D) William Penn.

Question 51

What impact did revolutionary ideals have on African slavery in the former English colonies?

A) Every state north of Delaware banned slavery.
B) They had little impact, because rights to life, liberty, and property did not apply to slaves.
C) Slavery became more profitable because of the natural economic stimulus of war.
D) Slaves were permitted to vote in New England.

Question 52

How did Indians react to the American Revolution?

A) They were officially neutral but secretly formed an alliance with loyalists.
B) Overall, more Indians sided with England than with the rebels.
C) They remained allied with the French.
D) They supported the revolutionaries as a way to get rid of the English.

Question 53

When American settlers moved westward, they usually

A) Expected government to secure land for them and protect them from Indians.
B) Intermarried with Indian tribes and allowed kinship to overcome racial animosity.
C) Were intense individualists who only wanted to be left alone.
D) Worked well with most Indians to develop a new society.

Question 54

The _________ banned slavery from expanding in territory north of the Ohio River.

A) Emancipation Proclamation.
B) Northwest Ordinance.
C) Peace of Paris, 1783.
D) Proclamation of 1787.

Question 55

Generally speaking, after the American Revolution

A) The ardor of liberals dimmed when they became responsible for government.
B) Fewer Americans endorsed individualism and capitalism.
C) Moderates advocated nationalism and radicals favored local control.
D) State's rights advocates supported the movement to create a new government.

Question 56

Why was the selection of George Washington as presiding officer of the convention crucial to its success?

A) He was the tallest delegate and so could be seen easily from the back of the room.
B) Opponents of the new government were afraid of Washington.
C) Because Washington owned slaves, other slave owners had greater confidence in the convention's work.
D) Washington was the mostly widely respected person in the nation, and his leadership gave the convention credibility.

Question 57

What was the principal difference between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan for a new national government?

A) The method of selecting representatives to Congress.
B) The power of the judicial system.
C) The regulation of interstate commerce.
D) The relationships among executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.

Question 58

The conflict between large states and small states was resolved by the

A) Great Compromise.
B) Missouri Compromise.
C) Philadelphia Compromise.
D) Three-fifths Compromise.

Question 59

What were the Federalist Papers?

A) Bulletins released by a radical organization seeking to block ratification of the Constitution.
B) Commentaries on the Constitution written during the struggle for ratification.
C) The illegal publication of secret documents relating to military activities during the Revolution.
D) Pamphlets issued by the American Anti-Slavery Society to urge the nation to adopt emancipation.

Question 60

Ratification of the new constitution was

A) Supported by small states.
B) Dependent on the approval of nine states.
C) Initially opposed by the larger and more powerful states of Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia.
D) All of the above.

Question 61

What was England's strategy to conquer American revolutionaries?

Question 62

How did Americans win their war for independence against the biggest world power of their time?

Question 63

Contrast the views of Federalists and Anti-Federalists regarding the Constitution of the United States.