Deck 6: The Constitution and the New Republic Key

Question 1

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

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

Answer 1

Alexander Hamilton

Question 2

The Virginia Plan called for

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

Answer 2

a two-tier national legislature.

Question 3

In the debate over the new government,Antifederalist opponents to the document

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

Answer 3

argued that the Constitution would put an end to individual liberty.

Question 4

James Madison's ideas regarding republican government

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

Question 5

Under the "checks and balances" system,federal judges

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

Question 6

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

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

Question 7

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787

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

Question 8

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) had sold too much western land to speculators.
E) was ineffective.

Question 9

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

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

Question 10

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

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

Question 11

The New Jersey Plan

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

Question 12

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

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

Question 13

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

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

Question 14

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

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

Question 15

Under the federal structure first implemented in the Constitution,the people would directly elect

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

Question 16

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

A) failed to abolish slavery.
B) omitted references to God.
C) granted the states too much power.
D) lacked a bill of rights.
E) allowed the people to have too much direct influence on the choosing of politicians.

Question 17

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

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

Question 18

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

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

Question 19

The Antifederalists

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

Question 20

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 came close to

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

Question 21

As treasury secretary,Alexander Hamilton

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

Question 22

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

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

Question 23

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

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

Question 24

The two preeminent Republicans of the 1790s were

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

Question 25

In the first national elections in 1789,

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

Question 26

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

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

Question 27

In America,the French Revolution was generally praised by

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

Question 28

The first state to ratify the Constitution in 1787 was

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

Question 29

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

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

Question 30

Virginia and New York ratified the new Constitution under the assumption that

A) a provision would be added allowing for the direct election of the president.
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 31

As president,George Washington

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

Question 32

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

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

Question 33

In the Constitution,political parties were

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

Question 34

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

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

Question 35

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

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

Question 36

Alexander Hamilton's funding plan

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

Question 37

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

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

Question 38

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

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

Question 39

Alexander Hamilton recommended that the federal government raise revenue through

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

Question 40

Federalists controlled the new government under the Constitution for its first

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

Question 41

The "XYZ Affair"

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

Question 42

The election of 1796 saw

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

Question 43

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

Question 44

In the late 1790s,on the political scene,

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

Question 45

gave the United States

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

Question 46

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

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

Question 47

In the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions,it was asserted that

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

Question 48

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) was further complicated by the emergence of a third party, the Whigs.
D) saw leading Federalists in Congress attempt to engineer the election of Aaron Burr.
E) was decided by a newly elected Republican Congress.

Question 49

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

Question 50

The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

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

Question 51

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

Question 52

Jay's Treaty (1794)

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

Question 53

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

Question 54

was negotiated between the United States and

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

Question 55

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

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

Question 56

George Washington was greatly alarmed by Shays's Rebellion.

Question 57

The Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 saw

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

Question 58

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

Question 59

The Virginia Plan called for a two-house legislature.

Question 60

The Judiciary Act of 1801

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

Question 61

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

Question 62

What were the primary reasons the Articles of Confederation failed as a structure of government?

Question 63

The Constitution did little to resolve the place of Indian nations within the new United 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

Until the Twelfth Amendment was adopted,the Constitution provided for the candidate receiving the second highest number of electoral votes to become vice president.

Question 67

The Federalists fell victim to fierce factional rivalries after Washington's retirement.

Question 68

Why did states that initially opposed the proposed Constitution of 1787 ultimately ratify it?

Question 69

Explain how the structure of the central government,as defined under the Articles of Confederation,was intended to resolve many of the grievances colonists had with the British government prior to the Revolution.

Question 70

Why was there such opposition to the proposed Constitution of 1787?

Question 71

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

Question 72

Discuss the essential differences between Hamiltonians and Jeffersonians during the 1790s.

Question 73

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

Question 74

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

Question 75

The new Constitution made no reference to political parties.

Question 76

The "XYZ Affair" took place during the administration of President John Adams.

Question 77

Some Republicans were so upset by the Alien and Sedition Acts that they concluded that the states had the power to nullify acts of Congress.

Question 78

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 79

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

Question 80

A number of major compromises were made at the Philadelphia convention.Discuss three of them in detail.