Deck 6: The Constitution and the New Republic

Question 1

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 the answers are correct.

Answer 1

None of the answers are correct.

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

special state ratifying conventions.

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

a two-tier national legislature.

Question 4

The "Antifederalists"

A)saw themselves as defenders of the principles of the American Revolution.
B)feared that the new government would widely abuse its 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 5

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)children.
E)citizens.

Question 6

At the start of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 the delegates agreed that

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

Question 7

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 weaken the states.

Question 8

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 twenty years.
D)guarantee of the permanent continuation of slavery where it existed.
E)denial of suffrage to free black men.

Question 9

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 10

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 11

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.

Question 12

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 13

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 the answers are correct.

Question 14

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 15

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 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

The greatest complaint by opponents of the proposed Constitution of 1787 was the

A)absence of a specific listing of personal liberties.
B)omission of references to God.
C)creation of a federal military.
D)naming of the new federal district after Washington.
E)failure to abolish slavery.

Question 18

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.

Question 19

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 20

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 the answers are correct.

Question 21

The most sustained opposition to Alexander Hamilton's economic program came from

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

Question 22

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

Question 23

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

A)be capitalized largely by private investors.
B)facilitate the collection of taxes.
C)provide loans to private businesses.
D)act as a storehouse for federal deposits.
E)All the answers are correct.

Question 24

The first state to ratify the Constitution in 1787 was

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

Question 25

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 26

Opponents of Alexander Hamilton's proposed national bank argued

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 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

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 29

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 central government 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 30

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 31

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 32

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 33

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 34

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 35

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)Anti-Federalists won a convincing majority in the Senate.

Question 36

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 37

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 the answers are correct.

Question 38

In the Constitution, political parties were

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

Question 39

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 40

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 41

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

Question 42

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 43

Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were allied in their commitment to the need for a stronger federal government.

Question 44

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 45

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 46

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)had defined a precise legal standing for Indians and Indian nations.

Question 47

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

Question 48

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 49

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

Question 50

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 51

George Washington was greatly alarmed by Shay's Rebellion.

Question 52

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 53

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

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

Question 54

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 55

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 56

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 the answers are correct.

Question 57

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 58

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 59

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 60

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 accompany thousands of troops into the field.

Question 61

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

Question 62

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

Question 63

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

Question 64

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

Question 65

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

Question 66

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

Question 67

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

Question 68

The Republicans of the 1790s was institutionally related to the Republicans of the 1850s.

Question 69

The new Constitution made no reference to political parties.

Question 70

The Virginia Plan called for a two-house legislature.

Question 71

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

Question 72

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

Question 73

Jefferson favored an agrarian America, but he did not oppose industrial activity.

Question 74

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

Question 75

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

Question 76

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

Question 77

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

Question 78

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

Question 79

The most intense debates over Hamilton's economic program were on his proposal for a national bank.

Question 80

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