Deck 13: An Age of Expansionism, 1830-1861

Question 1

What was a significant characteristic of the Young America movement?

A) a restrictive foreign policy
B) territorial development over expansion
C) narrowing and consolidation of the economy
D) technological progress
E) appraisal of American values

Answer 1

technological progress

Question 2

Which novel was influenced by the ideals of Young America?

A) The Scarlet Letter
B) Moby Dick
C) Uncle Tom's Cabin
D) Pride and Prejudice
E) Jane Eyre

Answer 2

Moby Dick

Question 3

Mexican territory in North America in 1821 included________ .

A) Wyoming
B) Oregon
C) Idaho
D) Oklahoma
E) Nevada

Answer 3

Nevada

Question 4

After Mexico declared its independence from Spain, it lured American settlers to Texas with offers of

A) more freedoms for women
B) religious freedom
C) cheap, fertile land
D) money
E) abolition of slavery

Question 5

What was an important premise of Manifest Destiny?

A) God supports American expansion throughout all of North America.
B) Lands to the west belong to the Native Americans.
C) American expansion should only incorporate areas where American inhabitants are the majority.
D) Canada and Mexico are not to be targets of American expansion.
E) Diplomatic means should be used to acquire new territory.

Question 6

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo________ .

A) confirmed the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas
B) required Mexico to pay the United States $15 million in cash for war damages
C) guaranteed that slavery would not be allowed west of the Rio Grande
D) gave independence to California
E) agreed that Mexican residents of the ceded areas would return to Mexico

Question 7

The Wilmot Proviso was a proposal to________ .

A) annex all of Mexico as U.S. territory
B) prohibit slavery in any territories acquired from Mexico
C) grant voting rights to women in the western territories
D) encourage increased immigration from Mexico to the Unites States
E) give more southwestern territory to the Mexican government

Question 8

State and local governments aided the railroad by giving it________ .

A) money and land
B) the right to seize private property
C) free labor to lay tracks
D) legal immunity
E) tax breaks and investment advice

Question 9

What was an essential feature of the factory system?

A) all standardized parts manufactured in a single location
B) the workforce being separated into different locations based on job type
C) payment of cash wages
D) each product being produced by one worker
E) complex tasks that required training

Question 10

Elias Howe's invention of________ in 1846 revolutionized the garment industry.

A) the sewing machine
B) overalls
C) blue denim
D) the zipper
E) the iron to press clothing

Question 11

In 1860, the main source of livelihood for individuals and the biggest contributor to the gross national product was ------------------

A) ranching
B) gold mining
C) farming
D) the textile industry
E) the transportation industry

Question 12

John Deere's steel plow allowed farmers to________ .

A) plow up tough prairie soils
B) purchase the less expensive steel plows
C) plow loose soil in half the time of a cast-iron plow
D) plow by hand without the aid of a farm animal
E) plow more accurately than with a cast-iron plow

Question 13

The majority of Irish immigrants settled in the________ .

A) South
B) Midwest
C) Far West
D) Northeast
E) Gulf Coast region

Question 14

The majority of immigrants became________ .

A) yeoman farmers
B) small business owners
C) wage workers in factories
D) skilled craftsmen
E) prospectors

Question 15

John Tyler initiated the politics of Manifest Destiny________ .

A) to win the support of his fellow Whigs
B) to bring together the Whig and Democratic parties
C) with the aid of Henry Clay
D) to build a base for his reelection in 1844
E) in hopes of identifying himself with James Monroe

Question 16

James Polk went to war with Mexico to________ .

A) retaliate for the harsh Mexican treatment of Texans
B) protect the southern border of the United States
C) annex land in Texas, New Mexico, and California
D) prevent a Mexican attempt to reacquire Texas
E) distract Americans from other domestic issues

Question 17

The growth of American industry in the 1830s and 1840s was influenced by the________ .

A) lack of quality craftsmen
B) development of mass production
C) discovery of oil in Pennsylvania
D) rejection of agricultural jobs by youth
E) increase in immigrants from eastern Europe and Asia

Question 18

Most German immigrants came to the United States to escape________ .

A) European wars
B) tough economic times
C) catastrophic famine
D) political oppression
E) religious persecution

Question 19

German immigrants________ .

A) suffered less prejudice than the Irish
B) suffered more prejudice than the Irish
C) could not be assimilated easily into American society
D) possessed few agricultural or other skills
E) were extremely rare

Question 20

Which statement best describes how rural people adapted to industrial wage labor?

A) Most adjusted quickly because the high wages were worth the dangerous working conditions.
B) They adjusted quickly and enjoyed the shorter days and easier work.
C) They adjusted quickly because the factory schedule was similar to a farming schedule.
D) They adjusted slowly and resisted factory discipline through tardiness, absenteeism, and drunkenness.
E) Most adjusted slowly because labor unions worked to make the transition to full-time factory work a gradual one.

Question 21

According to historian Frederick Merk, the United States decided not to annex all of Mexico after its victory in the Mexican-American War due to________ .

A) the military's inability capture Mexico City
B) the administration's respect for Mexican culture and autonomy
C) the general public's focus on Canada rather than Mexico
D) the American government's inability to govern over a wide area
E) a combination of racism and anti-colonialism