Unit 3

Unit three

Essay Questions

During the period we have just studied, two opposing political parties arose. Both factions claimed to support the Constitution. If both felt that the Constitution created the best form of government, what was the basis for their disagreement?

(Hint: Compare and contrast the two parties, their goals, methods, and philosophies)

Compare and contrast the political, economic, and social philosophies of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Explain the sort of nation each wished created.

For the first decade under the Constitution, the Federalist Party held the nation together, started the government working on a day-to-day basis, and set precedents that are still held valid. Twenty years later, they had all but ceased to exist as a party. Why?

Unit 3 Test

Chapter 6, 7 and Constitution

Choose the letter of the response which best answers the question or completes the statement.

Chapter 6

1. By 1786, even defenders of the Articles of Confederation accepted the fact that which of the following needed to be strengthened?

A. The power to tax.

B. The executive.

C. The court system.

D. The army.

2. By the mid-1780's, advocates of a stronger central government included:

A. military veterans disgruntled by the refusal of Congress to fund their pensions.

B. American manufacturers upset with the imposition of high national tariffs.

C. creditors who demanded an inflation of the nation’s money supply.

D. investors who wanted Confederation debts repudiated.

3. Which of the following was not a characteristic of the men who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787?

A. They represented the great property interests.

B. They were relatively young.

C. They believed in democracy.

D. They were well educated.

4. The most significant division in the Constitutional Convention was between:

A. slave and free states.

B. large and small states.

C. eastern and western interests.

D. agricultural and manufacturing interests.

5. James Madison’s Virginia Plan proposed:

A. revision and strengthening of the Articles of Confederation.

B. larger influence within a new national government for the richer and more populous states.

C. a unicameral national legislature with equal representation for the states.

D. a bicameral national legislature with state representatives in both houses chosen by popular vote.

6. The most important issue left unaddressed when the Constitutional Convention adjourned was:

A. the question of counting slaves for representation.

B. whether to have an executive or not.

C. the absence of a list of individual rights.

D. the question of the power of the national government to tax.

7. The Constitution’s most distinctive feature was its:

A. "separation of powers" with "checks and balances."

B. system for the direction election of the executive.

C. lack of a national judicial system.

D. single house legislature.

8. Which of the following was not addressed by the first Congress under the new Constitution?

A. A Bill of Rights.

B. A federal court system.

C. An executive department.

D. The role of political parties in the election of a president.

9. To prevent an "excess of democracy" and the tyranny of mob rule, the Constitution restricted direct popular election to:

A. the president.

B. federal judges.

C. senators.

D. representatives.

10. Which of the following was not a belief of Alexander Hamilton?

A. The best leaders are those democratically elected.

B. A stable and effective government required an elite ruling class.

C. The new government needed the support of the wealthy and powerful.

D. A permanent national debt was desirable.

11. Small farmers, who comprised the majority of the population, opposed Hamilton’s plan on the grounds that it:

A. taxed them excessively.

B. favored a small, wealthy elite.

C. created tool many government offices.

D. put power in the hands of slaveholders.

E. achieved both A and B.

F. achieved both C and D.

12. President Washington helped stabilize the western frontier by:

A. putting down the Whiskey Rebellion.

B. allowing existing states to incorporate additional land claims.

C. refusing to bargain with Indian resistance leaders.

D. relieving General "Mad Anthony" Wayne of his command.

13. Jefferson and his followers believed the Federalists were creating a political party because they were:

A. using their offices to reward supporters and win allies.

B. forming local associations to strengthen their stand in local communities.

C. working to establish a national network of influence.

D. doing all of the above.

14. Which of the following was not a belief held by Jefferson and his followers?

A. The ordinary farmer-citizen could, if properly educated, be trusted to govern through elected representatives.

B. Urban people posed a danger to a republic, because they could easily become a lawless mob.

C. The best citizen was one who tilled his own soil.

D. Commercial activity was a danger to the republic.

15. Under the Constitution, the status of the western Indian tribes was:

A. not clearly defined.

B. that of independent nations.

C. that of conquered nations.

D. the same as states.

16. Although the treaty between England and the United States that John Jay negotiated in 1794 fell short of his instructions it did:

A. little to improve commercial relations with England.

B. give America undisputed sovereignty over the entire Northwest.

C. end the impressment of American soldiers.

D. indicate that the United States and France were not going to war.

17. In the election of 1796:

A. Thomas Jefferson was the choice of southern Federalists.

B. the Federalist Party united behind Adams.

C. George Washington took an active role.

D. the Federalist Party divided when southern Federalists refused to support Adams.

18. Republicans pinned their hopes for a reversal of the Alien and Sedition Acts on the:

A. Supreme Court.

B. state legislatures.

C. House of Representatives.

D. Army of the United States.

19. Which of the following is not true of the campaign and election of 1800?

A. It was probably the ugliest in American history.

B. Parties and party organization played and important role.

C. It underscored problems in the method of electing a president.

D. It resulted in a clear victory for the winning candidate.

20. The Federalists made a last gasp attempt to maintain power by:

A. repealing the Alien and Sedition Acts.

B. supporting Aaron Burr for President.

C. creation new federal courts and judges.

D. plotting a revolution to prevent the election of Jefferson.

Chapter 7
21. In the Republican vision of America, education was essential because:

A. schools were the best place to teach children to be good party members.

B. an ignorant electorate could not be trusted to preserve democracy.

C. business leaders needed to be educated.

D. schools were where religious values were taught.

22. Early in the eighteenth century, religious traditionalists were alarmed over:

A. a decline in religious education.

B. the popularity of immoral literature.

C. demands of separate church and state.

D. the rise of "rational" religious doctrines.

23. The Second Great Awakening:

A. combined a more active piety with a belief in a God whose grace could be attained through faith and good works.

B. turned back the doctrine of predestination.

C. drew many converts to Unitarianism and Universalism.

D. led to the decline of slavery, for fewer workers were needed to process the cotton.

24. The work of Eli Whitney:

A. improved transportation in the South.

B. led to the expansion of the cotton culture and slavery.

C. made the South a major textile-producing region.

D. led to the decline of slavery, for fewer workers were needed to process the cotton.

25. During his administration, Thomas Jefferson:

A. used the Alien and Sedition Acts against the Federalists.

B. cut the national debt almost in half.

C. showed little interest in westward expansion.

D. made peace with Aaron Burr.

26. In the case of Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court:

A. affirmed its power to nullify an act of Congress.

B. upheld Adams’ right to make "midnight appointments."

C. confirmed the power of Congress to expand judicial authority.

D. ordered Madison to deliver Marbury’s commission.

27. The greatest accomplishment of Chief Justice John Marshall was that he:

A. Stopped the growth of Republican power.

B. Prevented a Federalist revival in New England.

C. Refused to expand the power of the judiciary.

D. Made the judiciary a coequal branch of government.

28. What possibility concerned Jefferson when he said, "we must marry ourselves to the British fleet and nation"?

A. An Indian uprising in the Ohio Valley.

B. The French occupation of New Orleans.

C. Increased Spanish strength in the Gulf of Mexico.

D. A war between England, France, and Spain.

29. Jefferson had reservations about buying Louisiana because:

A. He doubted his constitutional power to do so.

B. He feared it would upset western Indian tribes.

C. New Orleans had few Americans living there.

D. The Spanish claimed the territory as theirs.

30. Federalists were upset by the Louisiana Purchase because they believed.

A. It was unconstitutional.

B. More slaves states would come into the Union.

C. Western states would be Republican states.

D. The British were behind it.

31. The Essex Junto was:

A. A Federalist organization created to support Jefferson.

B. The anti-Burr coalition in New York.

C. A literary club in New England.

D. A group of radical Federalists who wanted to take New England out of the Union.

32. The apparent goal of the " Burr conspiracy" was to:

A. Make Burr "king" of the American Southwest.

B. Invade Mexico and take it form the Spanish.

C. Return Louisiana to France.

D. Force Jefferson to accept Burr back into the Republican Party.

33. Early in the nineteenth century, the American merchant marine could marine could be described as:

A. Weak and ineffective.

B. One of the most important in the world.

C. Unable to compete with Britain in the West Indian trade.

D. Of little consequence in the American economy.

34. Jefferson refused to ask for war after the Chesapeake-Leopard incident because he:

A. Believed "peaceable coercion" would work.

B. Felt the Britain were within their rights.

C. Did not want the Federalists to make it an issue.

D. Was against war in general.

35. The Embargo act hurt which of the following the most?

A. England.

B. France.

C. New England.

D. The South.

36. Jefferson told the Indians of the Northwest they could:

A. Convert themselves to farmers.

B. Move to the West.

C. Continue to live as they always had.

D. Do both a. and b.

E. Do none of the above.

37. The Prophet, Tenskwatawa, was significant because he:

A. Brought Indians to the Christian faith.

B. Inspired an Indian religious revival that helped unite the tribes.

C. Advocated a religious war with southern tribes.

D. Convinced the Indians to accept Jefferson’s policies.

38. Tecumseh was important because he:

A. Advocated Indian unity to stop white expansion.

B. Allied the northwestern Indians with the British in Canada.

C. Was able to defect the Americans at Tippecanoe.

D. Helped his brother, the Prophet, in his religious work.

39. The congressional election of 1810 was important because it:

A. Added a number of young, western, anti-Britain representatives to the House.

B. Greatly increased the Republican part.

C. Brought in a number of peace advocates.

D. Gave rise to a new political party.

40. Apart from the British, the real losers in the War of 1812 were the:

A. Spanish in Florida and Mexico.

B. Canadians.

C. Indian tribes in the Southwest and the Great Lakes region.

D. Republicans in the West.

41. The Hartford Convention was held in an effort to:

A. Force republicans to address the grievances New England Federalists had against the Madison administration.

B. Forge an alliance between the Northeast and the West.

C. Convince Republicans in New England that the region should secede from the union.

D. Reorganize the federalist party and pick a candidate for the election of 1816.

United States Constitution

Test 1
42. Which act was passed by Congress while the Articles of Confederation was in force?

A. The Boston Port Bill

B. The Ordinances of 1787

C. The Proclamation of 1763

D. The Toleration Act

43. The federal Constitution gives the power to declare war to

A. The states only

B. Both the federal government and the states

C. The people only

D. The federal government only.

44. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are called the

A. Preamble

B. Great Compromise

C. Bill of Rights

D. Fundamental Orders.

45. All states of the United States have equal representation

A. In the Cabinet

B. On the Supreme Court

C. In the Senate

D. In the house of representatives.

46. The framers of the Constitution provided for a system of checks and balances in order to prevent

A. Any one branch of the government from becoming to strong.

B. The Federal government from obtaining too much power over the states.

C. The states from seceding

D. The United States

47. The Federalist was a

A. Newspaper in colonial New York

B. Series of articles explaining and urging adoption of the Constitution

C. Famous ship used in the Revolution.

D. Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine promotion the idea of independence.

48. The original purpose of the Constitutional Convention was to

A. Write a new Declaration of Independence

B. Revise the Articles of Confederation

C. Provide a government for the Northwest Territory

D. Draw up a Bill of Rights.

49. The number of members in the House of Representatives from each state is based upon

A. Wealth

B. Size

C. influence

D. Population

50. Federal laws are passed by

A. The President

B. Congress

C. The Cabinet

D. The Supreme Court

51. The preamble of the Constitution states the

A. Term of office of the President

B. Provisions of the Bill of Rights

C. Methods of amending the Constitution

D. Reasons for framing the Constitution

52. Presidential appointments of ambassadors and Cabinets members must be approved by

A. The senate only

B. The house of representatives only

C. Both houses of congress

D. The supreme court

53. Freedom of speech, press, and religion are guaranteed in the

A. Declaration of Independence

B. Original Constitution

C. Bill of Rights.

D. Articles of Confederation.

54. The Constitution became effective as soon as it was ratified by

A. The Constitutional Convention

B. A majority of the states

C. Nine states

D. All of the states

55. The Great Compromise of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 dealt with

A. Control of the slave trade

B. The election of the President

C. Regulation of commerce

D. Representation in Congress

56. The Constitution established the Supreme Court as

A. Part of the legislative branch

B. Part of he executive branch

C. Part of the judicial branch

D. an independent agency.

57. Which quotation is taken from the Constitution?

A. "We hold these truths to be self-evident.."

B. "... government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish form the earth."

C. "These are the times that try men’s souls."

D. "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union.

58. Step in the procedure by which amendments to the Constitution may be adopted is

A. A one-third vote in each house of Congress

B. Ratification by two-thirds of the state legislatures

C. Ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures

D. a majority vote of both houses of Congress

59. Most of the opposition to the federal Constitution in 1788 came from

A. Bankers

B. Small farmers

C. Lawyers

D. merchants.

60. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution chiefly because of the people’s distrust of A. A strong central government

B. Political parties

C. Banks and corporations

D. Strong state government

61. Our federal Constitution did not make provision for

A. Coinage of money

B. Separation of powers

C. Political parties

D. A systems of checks and balances.

Test 2
62. An important reason for the delay in the ratification of the Articles of Confederation was that

A. Some states laid claims to Western lands.

B. The Articles did not provide a Bill of Rights.

C. There was no provisions for an executive branch.

D. Each state delegation could cast only one vote.

63. The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution were alike in that both provided for

A. The separation of powers.

B. A strong executive.

C. A judicial branch.

D. A federal form of government.

64. All of the following are enumerated powers of Congress EXCEPT the power to

A. Establish post offices and post roads.

B. Build canals and improve harbors.

C. Coin money and regulate its value.

D. Establish rules for the naturalization of aliens.

65. According to the original Constitution, who was to be elected by a direct popular vote?

A. The Vice President.

B. Ambassadors.

C. Representatives.

D. Senators.

66. When Congress makes laws "necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers," it is using

A. The power of judicial review.

B. The elastic clause.

C. A concurrent power.

D. A reserved power.

67. The President’s veto of a bill passed by Congress is an example of

A. A reserved power.

B. Habeas corpus.

C. A bill of attainder.

D. Checks and balances.

68. Dissatisfaction with economic conditions under the Articles of Confederation was forcefully illustrated by

A. Shays’ Rebellion.

B. Leisler’s Rebellion.

C. The Ordinance of 1785.

D. Bacon’s Rebellion.

69. Which reinforced the principle established in the John Peter Zenger case?

A. The Declaration of Independence.

B. The Preamble to the Constitution.

C. The First Amendment to the Constitution.

D. The Articles of Confederation.

70. The Constitution prohibits the national government from

A. Taxing imports.

B. Taxing exports.

C. Setting up federal district courts.

D. Regulating interstate commerce.

71. All of the following are concurrent powers EXCEPT the power to

A. Levy taxes.

B. Borrow money.

C. Establish courts.

D. Make treaties with foreign nations.

72. Which is required for both houses of Congress to pass a bill over the Presidents’ veto?

A. A simple majority vote.

B. A two thirds vote.

C. A three-fourths.

D. A unanimous vote.

73. James Madison’s "Journal" was a

A. Biography of Madison

B. Record of money spent by Congress.

C. Newspaper supporting the constitution

D. Record of happenings at the Constitutional Convention.

The delegates who helped draw up the Constitution included

A. Samuel Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

B. Patrick Henry and John Hancock

C. Benjamin Franklin and Governor Morris.

D. William Penn and Roger Williams.

A famous New Yorker who helped write the Constitution and then worked hard to have it ratified by New York State was.

A. Alexander Hamilton.

B. Benjamin Franklin.

C. James Wilson.

D. William Paterson.

The delegate chosen to serve as president of the Constitutional Convention was

A. James Madison.

B. George Washington.

C. Benjamin Franklin.

D. Roger Sherman.

The members of the Constitutional Convention were mostly

A. Frontier settlers.

B. Small farmers

C. People of wealth and position.

D. Clergy.

The United States in NOT a

A. Republic.

B. Monarchy.

C. Nation.

D. Democracy.

Presidents can check the judiciary by their power to

A. Pardon convicted.

B. Veto judicial decisions.

C. Impeach judges.

D. Declare judicial acts unconstitutional.

The Bill of Rights guarantees to American citizens all of the following rights EXCEPT

A. Freedom of religion.

B. Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures of persons and property.

C. The right to overthrow the government by force.

D. Trial by jury.

A democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the

A. President.

B. Supreme Court.

C. Army

D. People.