Multiple Choice Question History

1.What was African slavery like before European contact? a.Slavery was generational-- if the mother was a slave, so was the child b.Kept potential slaves in cages until they were ready for transport c.Usually were captives of war or debtors; were not slaves for life d.Africa did not have slavery before European contact

2.Why did the Pueblo people impress the Spanish when they arrived? a.They had similar gender roles to the Spanish; women were not in charge of farming b.Their aqueducts were strinkingly similar to those of the ancient Greeks c.Their religion was similar to Catholicism, with an emphasis on sainthood and ritual d.They understood and appreciated the value of gold, and practiced slavery on a grand European scale

3.Before European contact, Africa had empires that could rival the most powerful in Europe. True False

4.Since Columbus didn't discover anything, which of the following did he actually do that changed history? a.Argued that the earth was actually round, not flat b.Inspired a global race to America and its colonization c.Introduced African slavery to the Americas d.Made his home country of Italy globally powerful and influencial

5.Which of the following allowed Hernán Cortés and his men to conquer the Aztec empire? a.Advanced weaponry b.An extremely debilitating disease c.Being able to fight while on horseback d.All of the above e.None of the above

6.Why were the Quakers so controversial for their time? a.They claimed that the Pope was corrupt and out for himself b.They inspired hundreds of people to leave Protestantism due to their relaxed attitudes regarding sin c.They encouraged individualism and relative social equality d.They believed that church and state should be kept separate

7.How was the encomienda system justified by the Spanish? a.The Spanish had a superior civilization based on a social hierarchy driven by God; those at the bottom (natives) were heathens and deserved to be at the bottom

b.In exchange for their conversion and their guidance in becoming "more civilized," the natives would pay them a tax c.The natives that proved themselves capable of assimilation deserved to be Spanish subjects, so mestizos were more or less encouraged d.The natives were ungrateful for their spiritual salvation, and should therefore be punished like disobedient children

8.What is a Republic? a.A nation ruled by the people, not a king b.A country that lacks a national religion c.A governmental body composed of religious and secular leadership d.A liberal state without slavery

9.The "political nation" that emerged in the late 17th century refers to the fact that more Americans were reading and writing about politics and British corruption than ever before during that period.

True False

10.How did the Negro Act of 1740 further entrench slavery into American slavery?

a.It punished slave owners that were too lenient in their punishments or too sympathetic to slavery b.It created a permanent militia specifically tasked with tracking down runaway slaves and punishing them c.It created a financial incentive for slave masters to buy more slaves at a frantic pace to increase profits quickly d.Finally removed the last remaining allowances that slaves had had, effectively segregating them from society completely

11.How did the British respond to the claim that the colonists were being taxed without representation?

a.Parliament pointed at the King as the tyrant, while the King claimed that Parliament was to blame b.They claimed that actually, Parliament DID represent them as British subjects, so shut up c.To stop the violence, Parliament invited the colonies to send three representatives to Britain but the colonists refused, saying that only sending three was insulting to the other ten colonies d.They ignored them; the colonists were crazy and ridiculous and not worth listening to

12.When the governor of Virginia promised freedom to any slaves that joined the Loyalist/British side, General Washington panicked and did the same thing, despite protests from the South.

True False

13.Why was the creation of the Declaration of Independence such a big deal and long-lasting?

a.Its language was universal-- it put to words the idea that freedom should include happiness, and government should be run by its people b.It specifically lists all of the grievances the colonists had against King George III, justifying independence c.Every member of Congress that signed it would become prominent political figures in the United States d.It inspired the mostly Loyalist colonies to come together for a single Revolutionary cause

14.Why did Washington and his buddy Tallmadge create the Culper Spy Ring?

a.To avenge Nathan Hale's death b.They were inspired when they learned that the British had their own spy network c.They needed to infultrate the British strongheld in New York to track their movements d.It was the only way to get supplies into British-controlled territories without directly confronting them in battle

15.Slave owners had a little loophole they could exploit regarding the draft system. How did it affect the relationship between them and the white rebels in the South?

a.Poorer whites couldn't afford to pay others to fight in their stead so robbery and crime drastically increased in the South b.White men that didn't own slaves had no choice but to report for duty, making them resent the upper classes c.It brought all southern whites together under a common cause regardless of class, something that had never happened before d.It pushed the lower classes of whites to quickly buy slaves so they could send one in their place

16.For the most part, African Americans were kept in segregated units within the Continental Army and used on the front lines almost exclusively.

True False

17.What was Republican Motherhood?

a.The social expectation to raise politically and religiously savvy son b.The idea that women should be formally educated, which they hadn't been before c.The idea that women had the obligation to remain vocal and political d.To be true Republicans, women had to be humble, conservative, and complacent

18.Shay's Rebellion made the country's leaders fear true democracy.

True False

19.Why didn't the Constitutional Convention get rid of slavery when they wrote the Constitution?

a.The southern states threatened to leave the country if it were abolished c.The United States could not afford to get rid of slavery yet; it had a huge debt to pay after the war c.Southern delegates would not have ratified the Constitution had it gotten rid of their livelihoods d.All of the above e.None of the above

20.For the most part, the Electoral College has successfully elected the most popular president to the White House.

True False

21.How did President Washington respond to the Whiskey Rebellion? Why?

a.He supported it-- it was a healthy demonstration of American independence and political interest b.He supported it-- he tried to veto the whiskey tax when it went before Congress because he thought it was unconstitutional c.He crushed it-- Americans could no longer demand change with violence and would have to use the law to affect government d.He crushed it-- he saw the rebels as inconsiderate children who were only interested in drinking for free

22.How was the Louisiana Purchase an example of how hypocritical President Jefferson was?

a.Despite his promise to leave the natives alone, he ignored treaties and purchased the land anyway b.He stopped reading the Constitution word-for-word and gave himself the power to purchase more land c.During his campaign, he had promised not to get involved with the French and British war, but he did, to purchase the land d.All of the above e.None of the above

23.What did Tecumseh and the Prophet's revitalization movement have to do with the War of 1812?

a.Prophetstown and other similar communities were threatening American claims to land b.The British were secretly making deals with the natives to try and get them to fight against the Americans c.The movement encouraged natives to join together so it inspired white Americans to do the same, strengthening an "us verus them" mentality d.All of the above e.None of the above

24.How did the invention of the cotton gin affect the institution of slavery?

a.The mechanization of cotton picking greatly reduced the demand for more slaves since the machine could do most of the work b.The demand for slaves skyrocketed so the Atlantic slave trade was reinstated in 1808 c.Land that was previously unworkable could now be tilled, so slavery became further entrenched as more farmers demanded more labor d.Only plantations with plenty of slaves could afford the machine, so only the wealthy were allowed to benefit

25.Why did Americans despise Irish immigrants in particular?

a.They were Roman Catholic so they were incapable of thinking for themselves or controlling their sexual urges b.They openly campaigned against democracy and denounced the very popular U.S. president Monroe c.Because they were white, they acted entitled and ungrateful for the opportunity to live in the U.S. d.They tended to settle in very rich areas designated for the social elite, and Americans resented that

26.Why was the nullification crisis an actual crisis?

a.It could set a precedent for future relations between Native Americans and African Americans with the federal government, and nativists didn't like that b.It questioned the stability of the American System, putting the entire two-party system in potential jeopardy c.It could have sparked a civil war between the federal government and the states since no one could decide who's authority was strongest d.It threatened to tear the federal government apart down political lines, automatically strengthening the power of state governments

27.Why did President Jackson argue for and endorse the Indian Removal Act of 1830?

a.As a Democrat, his main goal was to gain more land for Americans to settle on b.Natives were naturally "on their way out"-- they were always impoverished and killing each other so they weren't going to survive in the U.S. anyway c.Natives were incapable of assimilating so they hindered civilized progress d.All of the above e.None of the above

28.For the most part, most white women wanted to reach middle-class status and practice the Cult of Domesticity.

True False

29.Although utopian societies were unsuccessful in their attempts to perfect society, what does the sudden insurgence of utopian societies tell us about the time period?

a.Millions of escaped slaves had nowhere else to turn, so they flocked to utopian societies which brought them national attention b.Men and women from all backgrounds were struggling to adjust to a society that felt sinful and confusing c.Men were finding it difficult to socialize now that women were working and in public, so they created their own societies to preserve the idea of manhood d.Immigrants from Europe were starting to influence American society; they introduced the idea of creating a utopia to the United States

30.What was the real reason President James K. Polk wanted to declare war on Mexico?

a.He wanted California to be added to the United States, even if Mexico had refused to sell it b.He wanted revenge on Mexico for the Texas Revolt c.He declared war after Mexico attacked Americans at the Alamo d.Santa Ana and his soldiers built a fort in disputed territory and Polk saw it as an act of war

31.The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo promised Mexicans they could keep their land.

True False

32.Why did impoverished farmers, who were at the very bottom of the social caste system in the South, still advocate for slavery? They were obviously victims of the system too so what's going on here??

a.Many of their own relatives were wealthy plantation owners and those at the top always supported the farmers; if they lost their slaves, they wouldn't be rich anymore b.Black slavery made sure that poor whites didn't become slaves themselves c.They felt united as white people rather than as a different class; as long as blacks were still beneath them, they had hope d.They were mostly uneducated and were therefore unable to participate in politics enough to change their social standing

33.We all know how the South reacted to the abolitionist movement, but how about the North? How did the North react?

a.Violently b.Indifferently c.Enthusiastically d.Cautiously

34.How did the first wave of early feminists use the Cult of Domesticity in their arguments for women's rights?

a.Women are morally good and pure and they should be allowed to purify politics too b.Women gave birth so they were anything but weak and frail c.Their natural female roles as caretakers should extend into society d.All of the above e.None of the above

35.The Republican Party was created out of disappointed Know-Nothings, disillusioned Free Soilers and angry Whigs in the North.

True False

36.Why were the Irish working men in New York 1,000% against the Civil War draft?

a.They were worried that the country would become overrun with slave labor and rich plantations b.They were worried that once the North won the war, free blacks would come and take their jobs away c.They didn't want to be taken away from their jobs to fight a distant war, leaving their families behind to fend for themselves d.They believed that no one, not even the president, had the right to force them to do anything on the government's behalf

37.How did John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry lead to the Civil War?

a.John Brown's raid had nothing to do with the eventual Civil War b.It was clear to the South that there was a conspiracy going on to try and end slavery from within their own states c.Free black men joined in his raid, inspiring the North while infuriating the South d.White Southerners were killed in the name of abolition, and revenge had to be taken

38.How did the Presidential Election of 1860 lead to the Civil War?

a.Lincoln won, and he was a hardcore abolitionist that the South despised b.Douglas won, and during his campaign he had called African Americans "the intellectual equal of all whites" c.Lincoln won, and he was determined to not let slavery spread into the West d.Douglas won, and he had promised to create a national slave code that would protect slavery everywhere for decades to come

39.The federal government and the North made no move to try and prevent a Civil War; in fact, they welcomed the chance to finally end slavery once and for all.

True False

40.Why did President Lincoln insist that the Constitution had to be changed before the Civil War ended?

a.It did not expressly forbid slavery so when the South was admitted back, they could reinstate it b.It would make all future civil wars within the country illegal, thus bringing the war to an end c.A provision needed to be added that would forbid any future state from ever seceding from the Union d.The Constitution did not allow what were called "rebels" back into the Union since they were considered traitors to the country

41.Why was the all-black 54th Massachusetts regiment so famous during the Civil War?

a.The majority of the regiment was made up of runaway slaves, angering both the South and the North b.They were the very first all-black regiment to be commissioned c.Most of the regiment was brutally killed by Southerners after they had surrendered d.Their bravery proved racist stereotypes were inaccurate and false

42.Why had the Cherokee nation joined the Confederacy during the Civil War?

a.The American government, or the Union, was not to be trusted literally for anything b.The South had promised them that they would be able to keep their lands c.The South was fighting to maintain slavery d.All of the above e.None of the above

43.The federal government's power grew exponentially during the Civil War.

True False

44.Despite the radicalism of the Reconstruction era, why weren't women able to achieve suffrage at this time?

a.Women could not agree on what to focus on-- women's health issues or women's social statuses b.The country was too busy repairing itself and dealing with racial issues c.Previous leaders of the movement, like Stanton and Anthony, were now in their late 60s and too tired to fully commit to the movement d.All of the above e.None of the above

45.Why was passing the 14th Amendment such a big deal to radical Republicans?

a.It made anyone born in the United States, regardless of race, an American citizen, guaranteeing them the protection of the Constitution b.It made it illegal for the South to deny citizens the right to vote based on race or legal status c.It allowed Congress to continue vetoing racist laws that the President kept endorsing d.It would finally establish voting rights to male African Americans, increasing their political voice and influence

46.The basic premise of the Lost Cause narrative is that the South had fought in the Civil War in order to defend a noble cause-- to preserve their southern way of life against powerful tyrannical bullies and to keep their happy slaves cherished and protected.

True False

47.How did President Grant contribute to the failure of Reconstruction?

a.He despised African Americans and like Johnson before him, preferred to focus on the plight of white people instead of black b.His presidency was riddled with scandal, making Americans question and distrust the Republican party c.He encouraged angry southerners to take control of their own governments so the federal government wouldn't have to d.He was indecisive and weak in his decision-making which forced a mostly Democratic Congress to do all the work

48.Even though the majority of politically active women during the Gilded Age were middle class white women, they fought hard for the rights of immigrants and black women and preferred the vote for them over white men.

True False

49.What is "Social Darwinism"?

a.The notion that society was determined by natural forces, and the only agent of change in that society is government, not the people b.The theory that government and capitalism were signs of "civilization" c.Charles Darwin's idea that human beings evolved over millions of years from ape-like creatures d.The idea that businesses naturally belonged at the top because they were strong, while "weaker" sections of society naturally belonged at the bottom

50.Why were the immigrants during the last decades of the 19th century called "new" immigrants?

a.It was the largest influx of immigrants ever seen in the U.S., prompting a new category of immigrants b.Statistically, the immigrants that arrived during this time were younger and had come with their families so the "new" literally means "young" c.They arrived from undesirable parts of the world and could not assimilate into American society d.They were not immigrants at all but the descendents of immigrants from previous generations

51.How did the buffalo almost go extinct?

a.A sudden interest in buffalo hides among settlers inspired profits and the mass slaughtering of the buffalo b.Since most Native Americans were pushed out of their native lands and into the Prairies, where the buffalo roamed, they had no choice but to survive by hunting the buffalo in enormous quantities c.Since Prairie land was extremely difficult to farm, settlers overreached their demand for buffalo meat d.The movement of settlers caused the environment to change, destroying the buffalo's natural habitat

52.What was American imperialism ultimately all about?

a.Adding more land to the country b.Spreading Christianity c.Grabbing more potential workers d.Gaining new customers to trade with

53.Both President Roosevelt and President Wilson were Progressives, but they didn't agree on everything. How did they differ?

a.Wilson had a general policy for reform (government, states, workers rights, etc.); Roosevelt's was more centralized and specific b.Wilson as president focused more on foreign affairs, while Roosevelt as president focused on domestic issues c.Wilson didn't want government to interfere with businesses; Roosevelt wanted government to regulate them d.Wilson didn't understand the women's suffrage movement; Roosevelt supported it

54.What did the Socialist Party stand for?

a.All means of production and products themselves (material goods, food, resources, etc.) should be shared equally among the people b.The class system, with robber barons at the top and the workers at the bottom, should be eliminated c.All of society, regardless of ethnicity or gender, should be allowed to unionize d.The people should control social institutions, top to bottom, through the government

55.What happened to the women that refused to obey the "unlawful protests" order and were thrown in jail?

a.They were thrown into solitary confinement b.They were beaten up by police c.They went on a hunger strike, but then were force fed d.All of the above e.None of the above

56.How did the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand create a global conflict?

a.Thanks to imperialism, countries swore alliegence to each other, so when a country was attacked, its allies had to intervene b.The U.S. was outraged since Ferdinand was a political ally c.His death was the first assassination that triggered global assassinations of political leaders, thus bringing the entire world into war d.After booming industrial revolutions around the world, resources were becoming scarce and therefore everyone had to fight for them

57.Corporations started welfare capitalism in the 20th century because they felt sorry for their workers.

True False

58.What was the difference between the Ku Klux Klan of Reconstruction and the KKK of the 1920s?

a.The group was no longer confined to the South and did not just target African Americans b.Reconstruction era KKK included women and children as members; in the 1920s, only men were allowed to join c.The modern movement did not host public lynchings d.There was no difference

59.What role did speculators play in causing the Great Depression?

a.Over-produced paper money in the era of abundance (1920s), causing its value to drop b.Sold real estate to foreign countries and businesses, taking commerce outside of the U.S. c.Fooled the public by advertising banks as "safehouses from the rich" d.Exploited the idea of credit and sold properties at higher rates than they were worth

60.What was Roosevelt's New Deal?

a.FDR's promise to the country: an end to poverty and the guarantee that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." b.FDR's plan to fix the economy and get America out of the Great Depression c.FDR's foreign policy agreement-- that we would remain isolationist and focused on the domestic economy d.FDR's way of communicating with the general public, also known as his "fireside chats."

61.How did the Federal Housing Policy of 1937 contribute to housing segregation?

a.You could only receive a mortgage if it specifically excluded certain groups of people from purchasing your home in the future b.New housing was only built in the poorest of neighborhoods and not in working class neighborboods, thus keeping the two sections of society separate c.Certain corporations could purchase contracts for nice, expensive housing while poorer, smaller businesses could only afford cheaper housing, causing a disparity depending on location d.The new houses were built quickly, poorly and with cheap material, so anyone who purchased them was automatically bumped down a level in economic status

62.Why were agricultural workers and domestic workers deliberately left out of the Social Security Act?

a.The majority of workers in those jobs were still young; the Social Security Act was specifically created for the elderly b.Because the government felt that immigrants and women were the least affected by the Depression and therefore didn't need relief c.Because agricultural workers and domestic workers were hit the hardest by the Depression and Congress knew they would need their own, more powerful relief Act d.So that it could pass in Congress; some Senators did not want to extend aid to foreigners or African Americans

63.Although women loved war work and participating in the military, they hoped that by the end of it all they could return home and settle down peacefully.

True False

64.What did FDR's Four Freedoms have to do with World War II?

a.They were propaganda tools used by the government to instill fear in the American public by describing the freedoms we would lose if we lost the war b.Propaganda that encouraged the belief that the 4 Freedoms were uniquely American; they were freedoms that the Axis powers were denying their people c.FDR was duplicating a similar ideology that the Soviet Union was using to inspire its soldiers to keep on fighting d.These were American values that were shared by all Americans-- freedom from taxation, prosecution, global conflict and financial depression

65. What was the outcome of the Korean War?

a.With our help, the South defeated the aggressive North and Korea became one of our political allies b.The political situation stayed exactly the same as before the war, except with more people dead on both sides c.North Korea absorbed South Korea into one large Communist country d.Neither the North nor the South was able to defeat the other, and the United States established Korea as another insular territory

66.Why was the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) initially created?

a.To ensure that the Marshall Plan was being carried out without greed or corruption b.They were the precursor to the Secret Service, a federal agency created to protect the President now that he was in charge of keeping the peace worldwide c.To keep an eye on struggling foreign countries that might turn or were planning to turn Communist d.To create a network of military bases that would help the North Atlantic Treaty Organization conduct its business overseas

67.How were urban ghettos created in the 1950s?

a.Populations living in the city did not want to leave their ethnic neighborhoods b.Poor families of color did not qualify for bank loans c.Middle class people of color could not afford houses in the clean suburbs d.All of the above e.None of the above

68.How did consumerism perfectly reflect American ideals during the Cold War?

a.Buying things for the home and for the family strengthened ideas of motherhood and fatherhood, and what's more important to Americans than family? b.We could afford to surround ourselves with things that made us comfortable, so clearly, capitalism is the way to go! c.Women in the U.S. embraced their roles as housewives through washing machines and electric irons, unlike Soviet women who thought women shouldn't be materialistic and wasteful d.The abundance of products we purchased kept our economy running, keeping us at the top as the world power over Russia

69.Female astronauts only existed in the Soviet Union's space program, RKA.

True False

70.Why was it important for the United States to keep the American people informed about the space program?

a.The Republican government wanted to remain popular and important so they could remain in power b.If it's kept in the media, Americans care more about it, so they have no problem channeling more money into it c.Stimulating interest made manufacturers use the Space Race as a way to sell products d.It was yet another way to show our superiority when compared to the Soviets, since we were always winning the Space Race

71.Why did the KKK insist on participating in the Civil Rights movement?

a.The KKK felt threatened by the rising tide of white support, and public ridicule of the South b.They wanted to send a message to all black communities regarding their place in society c.They wanted to teach black (and white) kids that their actions would not be tolerated d.All of the above e.None of the above

72.Why was the Cuban leader Fidel Castro such a threat to President Eisenhower?

a.He organized a rebellion at the Bay of Pigs b.He began to negotiate with Communist Russia c.He inspired an Islamic revolt in Cuba d.He encouraged American Communists to inspire social rebellions

73.Why was the main goal of the Great Society to get rid of poverty?

a.Johnson believed that the impoverished could not live freely since they were enslaved by desparation and necessity b.Johnson wanted to follow in FDR's footsteps; poverty was the first issue Roosevelt addressed when the Great Depression had hit c.The majority of the poor were African American, so Johnson believed that by solving the poverty issue, he could solve the inequality and disconent among black communities d.It was the only social issue that seemed to affect children the most, and given his past as a school teacher, this issue was immensely important to him

74.How was the war in Vietnam different than World War II?

a.There was no clear cut enemy or sense of urgency in Vietnam b.Although they were still segregated, less African Americans fought in Vietnam than in WWII c.We needed help from other countries during WWII; in Vietnam, we were the military power of the world d.All of the above e.None of the above

75.The Mattachine Society's main goal was to change the status of homosexuality as a mental disorder.

True False

76.Why was the Native American policy of termination detrimental to the natives?

a.It required that social and cultural native practices be performed in secret and on certain days b.It removed important social services from the reservations in order to reallocate scarce resources c.They would no longer have governments that were run by natives for the natives of their specific reservations d.It disregarded any treaties that had been signed before the 20th century, so literally hundreds of treaties were nullified

77.War is tragic and violent and awful, and none of that is surprise, but why were reports of the Mai Lai massacre so devastating to Americans?

a.The brutal violence was not committed against enemy soldiers, but against innocent civilians b.It was authorized by war generals and it happened under their watch c.The incident was not reported until a year after it happened, indicating suppression of war crimes d.All of the above e.None of the above

78.Why did the overall feeling of the country go from liberal to conservative in the 1970s?

a.The war in Vietnam had ended in 1975, bringing an end to all of those angry protests in colleges and across the country, ushering in a relative time of peace b.Most of the demands that the Civil Rights movement had fought for in the 1960s had been more or less fulfilled by the 1970s c.Once women gained the right to safe abortions in 1973, women felt content to "return to normalcy" and stopped picketing d.All of the above e.None of the above

79.Why were those "special interests" that Reagan railed against so "detrimental" to the country?

a.They drained the government of money with their demands for government housing, social welfare, and legal proceedings to change laws b.They split the country apart along political lines instead of social ones, distracting from the real issues the country was facing c.They caused corruption in government since they worked closely with high officials to get tax breaks and political representation d.They seemed to only cause chaos, unrest and fear through their constant rioting

80.Why was the Iran-Contra affair such a big deal?

a.Congress had full knowledge of and authorized the exchange between the Contras and Iran, under Reagan's watch b.Reagan's administration secretly funded the Communist Contras by selling weapons to Iran c.President Reagan publically lied about his involvement in the exchange of weapons and hostages in Iran d.Members of the administration had disobeyed Congress and had conducted illegal negotiations in secret

81.Most of the Asian immigrants that arrived in the United States in the 1990s were college-educated and fairly well-off financially.

True False

82.How was the problem of school segregation manifested in the 1990s?

a.Schools that were situated in profitable communities were able to support their schools through property taxes; those that were located in not-so-valuable areas were left behind b.Urban communities had to rely on public support rather than government support, leading to an imbalance in scholastic opportunities c.Urban and suburban schools catered to different student bodies, which ultimately kept those student bodies away from each other d.All of the above e.None of the above