OpenStax US History Ch. 5-8 Review Questions & Terms

Which of the following was a cause of the British National Debt in 1763?

Both the French and Indian War and the continued British military presence in the American Colonies

What was the main purpose of the Sugar Act of 1764?

a. It raised taxes on sugar.
b. It raised taxes on molasses.
c. It strengthened enforcement of molasses smuggling
laws.
d. It required colonists to purchase only sugar distilled
in Great Britain.

It strengthened enforcement of molasses smuggling laws

What did British colonists find so onerous about the acts that Prime Minister Grenville passed?

The Currency Act made British colonists use gold and silver instead of paper money. Since these resources were short in supply, it put strain on the financial resources of the colonies. The Sugar Act stopped smuggling of items, which led to belief that there was a loss of liberty without representation or jury.

Which of the following was not a goal of the Stamp Act?

To declare null and void any laws the colonies had passed to govern and tax themselves.

For which of the following activities were the Sons of Liberty responsible?

The hanging and beheading of a stamp commissioner in effigy

Which of the following was not one of the goals of the Townshend Acts?

Greater colonial unity

Which event was most responsible for the colonies' endorsement of Samuel Adams's Massachusetts Circular?

Lord Hillsborough's treat to dissolve the colonial assemblies that endorsed the letter

What factors contributed to the Boston Massacre?

Tensions between colonists and the redcoats had been simmering for some time. British soldiers had been moonlighting as dockworkers, taking needed jobs away from colonists. Many British colonists were also wary of standing armies during peacetime, so skirmishes were common. Finally, the Sons of Liberty promoted tensions with their propaganda.

Which of the following is true of the Gaspée affair?

Colonists believed that the British response represented an overreach of power.

What was the purpose of the Tea Act of 1773?

To help revive the struggling East India company.

What was the significance of the Committees of Correspondence?

It was a crucial means of communication. They also set the foundation for a colonial government by breaking away from royal governmental structures while promoting colonial unity.

Which of the following was decided at the First Continental Congress?

To boycott all British goods and prepare for possible military action

Which colony provided the basis for the Declarations and Resolves?

Massachusetts did.

Indirect Tax

A tax imposed on businesses, rather than directly on consumers

Loyalists

Colonists in America who were loyal to Great Britain

Proclamation Line

A line along the Appalachian Mountains, imposed by the Proclamation of 1763, west of which British colonists could not settle

Vice-Admiralty Courts

British royal courts without juries that settled disputes occurring at sea

Daughters of Liberty

Well-born British colonial women who led a non-importation movement against British goods

DIrect Tax

A tax that consumers pay directly, rather than through merchants' higher prices

No Taxation without Representation

The principle, first articulated in the Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions, that the colonists needed to be represented in Parliament if they were to be taxed

Non-Importation Movement

A widespread colonial boycott of British goods

Sons of Liberty

Artisans, shopkeepers, and small-time merchants who opposed the Stamp Act and considered themselves British patriots

Boston Massacre

A confrontation between a crowd of Bostonians and British soldiers on March 5, 1770, which resulted in the deaths of five people, including Crispus Attucks, the first official casualty in the war for independence

Massachusetts Circular

A letter penned by Son of Liberty Samuel Adams that laid out the unconstitutionality of taxation without representation and encouraged the other colonies to boycott British goods

Coercive Acts

Four acts (Administration of Justice Act, Massachusetts Government Act, Port Act, Quartering Act) that Lord North passed to punish Massachusetts for destroying the tea and refusing to pay for the damage

Committees of Correspondence

Colonial extralegal shadow governments that convened to coordinate plans of resistance against the British

Intolerable Acts

The name American Patriots gave to the Coercive Acts and the Quebec Act

Suffolk Resolves

A Massachusetts plan of resistance to the Intolerable Acts that formed the basis of the eventual plan adopted by the First Continental Congress for resisting the British, including the arming of militias and the adoption of a widespread non-importation, non-exportation, and non-consumption agreement

How did British General Thomas Gage attempt to deal with the uprising in Massachusetts in 1774?

He attempted to seize arms and munitions from the colonial insurgents

Which of the following was not a result of Dunmore's Proclamation?

A majority of slaves got their freedom.

Which of the following is not true of a republic?

It is governed by a monarch and the royal officials by he or she appoints.

What are the main arguments that Thomas Paine makes in his pamphlet Common Sense? Why was this pamphlet so popular?

-Rejection of the basis of a monarchy
-Creation of an American Republic based on republicanism and philosophy
-Appointed representatives in government must place the public good and community above themselves
-Appealed to people's "common sense"

Which city served as the base for British operations for most of the war?

New York did.

What battle turned the tide of war in favor of the Americans?

Battle of Saratoga

Which term describes German soldiers hired by Great Britain to put down the American rebellion?

Hessians

Describe the British strategy in the early years of the war and explain whether or not it succeeded.

Isolation of New England Colonies; succeeded in taking Philadelphia and New York, but lost hold there after Saratoga

How did George Washington's military tactics help him to achieve success?

While most battles were fought during summer, he fought during Dec. 25-26, 1776 against the Hessians in Trenton as they celebrated Christmas. Same tactic used in the Battle of Princeton.

Which American general is responsible for improving the American military position in the South?

Nathanael Greene

Describe the British southern strategy and its results.

-Moved the military theater to South towards more loyalists, and hoped Slaves and Natives would increase military size
-They got Charleston, but Nathanael Greene came in the rule the Southern Continental Army, winning a lot
-Greene set foundation for final battle at Yorktown, VA
-British strategy failed

Which of the following statements best represents the division between Patriots and Loyalists?

Colonists were divided amongst those who wanted their independence, those who wanted the remain part of the British Empire, and those who were neutral.

Which of the following is not one of the tasks women performed during the Revolution?

They held government offices.

Dunmore's Proclamation

The decree signed by Lord Dunmore, the royal governor of Virginia, which proclaimed that any slaves or indentured servants who fought on the side of the British would be rewarded with their freedom

Mecklenburg Resolves

North Carolina's declaration of rebellion against Great Britain

Minutemen (militia)

Colonial militias prepared to mobilize and fight the British with a minute's notice

Popular Sovereignty

The practice of allowing the citizens of a state or territory to decide issues based on the principle of majority rule

Republicanism

A political philosophy that holds that states should be governed by representatives, not a monarch; as a social philosophy, republicanism required civic virtue of its citizens

Thirteen Colonies

The British colonies in North America that declared independence from Great Britain in 1776, which included Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, the province of Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, South Carolina, and Virginia

Yorktown

The Virginia port where British General Cornwallis surrendered to American forces

Confiscation Acts

State-wide acts that made it legal for state governments to seize Loyalists' property

Continental Currency

The paper currency that the Continental government printed to fund the Revolution

To what form of government did the American revolutionaries turn after the war for independence?

a. republicanism
b. monarchy
c. democracy
d. oligarchy

a

Which of the following was not one of Franklin's thirteen virtues?

a. sincerity
b. temperance
c. mercy
d. tranquility

c

What defined republicanism as a social philosophy?

Citizenship in a republic meant accepting certain rights and responsibilities, and cultivating virtuous behavior. It was based on the notion that success or failure of the republic depended on virtue or corruption of citizens.

Which of the following figures did not actively challenge the status of women in the early American republic?

a. Abigail Adams
b. Phillis Wheatley
c. Mercy Otis Warren
d. Judith Sargent Murray

b

Which state had the clearest separation of church and state?

Virginia

How would you characterize Thomas Jefferson's ideas on race and slavery?

-In Short: Contradictory
-Although he owned hundreds of slaves throughout his life, and even had children with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, he opposed slavery.
-Thought that Africans should be returned to Africa, as they couldn't live with whites without a race war

Which state had the most democratic constitution in the 1780s?

Pennsylvania

Under the Articles of Confederation, what power did the national Confederation Congress have?

a. the power to tax
b. the power to enforce foreign treaties
c. the power to enforce commercial trade agreements
d. the power to create land ordinances

d

What were the primary causes of Shays' Rebellion?

-Farmers w/ Daniel Shay in west MA rebelled against unresponsive gov.
-Veterans of Revolutionary War faced high taxes and debts
-Didn't feel as if they had a voice in gov.
-Wanted their debts to be forgiven
-Wanted MA constitution to be rewritten

Which plan resolved the issue of representation for the U.S. Constitution?

Connecticut Compromise

How was the U.S. Constitution ratified?

By each state at special ratifying conventions

Explain the argument that led to the three-fifths rule and the consequences of that rule.

South slaveholders wanted slaves to count towards representation, but North thought that it would give South too much power. So they decided on 3/5ths of the slave population as counted, but it still gave the South the balance of political power.

Conservative Whigs

The politically and economically elite revolutionary class that wanted to limit political participation to a few powerful families

Democracy

A system of government in which the majority rules

Majority Rule

A fundamental principle of democracy, providing that the majority should have the power to make decisions binding upon the whole

Monarchy

A form of government with a monarch at its head

Radical Whigs

Revolutionaries who favored broadening participation in the political process

Coverture

The legal status of married women in the United States, which included complete legal and economic dependence on husbands

Manumission

The freeing of a slave by his or her owner

Checks and Balances

The system that ensures a balance of power among the branches of government

Unicameral

Having a single house (of legislative government)

Anti-Federalists

Those who opposed the 1787 Constitution and favored stronger individual states

Bicameral

Having two legislative houses, an upper and a lower house

Connecticut Compromise

Also known as the Great Compromise, Roger Sherman's proposal at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature, with the upper house having equal representation for all states and the lower house having proportional representation

Electoral College

The mechanism by which electors, based on the number of representatives from each state, choose the president

Federalists

Those who supported the 1787 Constitution and a strong central government; these advocates of the new national government formed the ruling political party in the 1790s

Proportional Representation

Representation that gives more populous states greater political power by allowing them more representatives

Three-Fifths Compromise

The agreement at the Constitutional Convention that each slave would count as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation

Which of the following is not one of the rights the Bill of Rights guarantees?

A. the right to freedom of speech
B. the right to an education
C. the right to bear arms
D. the right to a trial by jury

B

Which of Alexander Hamilton's financial policies and programs seemed to benefit speculators at the expense of poor soldiers?

A. the creation of a national bank
B. the public credit plan
C. the tax on whiskey
D. the "Report on Manufactures"

B

What were the fundamental differences between the Federalist and Democratic-Republican visions?

Federalists wanted a strong central government, Democratic-Republicans fears too much central power and thought that society should be based upon farmers and the people.

Which of the following was not true of Jay's Treaty of 1794?

A. It gave the United States land rights in the West Indies.

B. It gave American ships the right to trade in the West Indies.

C. It hardened differences between the political parties of the United States.

D. It stipulated that U.S. citizens would repay their debts from the Revolutionary War.

A

What was the primary complaint of the rebels in the Whiskey Rebellion?

A. the ban on alcohol

B. the lack of political representation for farmers

C. the need to fight Indians for more land

D. the tax on whiskey and rum

D

How did the French Revolution in the early 1790s influence the evolution of the American political system?

In the U.S. it caused the difference between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans to grow. Federalists didn't like the anarchy demonstrated in the rev. and worried that the Dem.-Rep. would bring it to the U.S. Dem.-Rep. sided with rev. ideas, but not means, and thought siding with Britain meant a return to monarchy.

What was the primary issue of Adams's presidency?

A. war with Spain

B. relations with the native population

C. infighting within the Federalist Party

D. relations with France

D

Which of the following events is not an example of partisan acrimony?

A. the jailing of Matthew Lyon
B. the XYZ affair
C. the Marbury v. Madison case
D. the Hamilton-Burr duel

B

What was the importance of the Louisiana Purchase?

A. It gave the United States control of the port of New Orleans for trade.

B. It opened up the possibility of quick trade routes to Asia.

C. It gave the United States political leverage against the Spanish.

D. It provided Napoleon with an impetus to restore France's empire.

A

How did U.S. relations with France influence events at the end of the eighteenth century?

France issues tied in strongly with U.S. political events. Federalists didn't like the revolution, but the Democratic-Republicans liked their ideals. Relations with France led to the passing of the Alien and Sedition act during Adams administration, which was in violation with the 1st amendment.

Why do historians refer to the election of Thomas Jefferson as the Revolution of 1800?

Because for the first time in U.S. History, political power shifted to another political part. Jefferson's election meant a shift from Federalist administrations that favored commercial class and urban centers to the Democratic Republican vision, which increased states rights and limited power of the federal government. Lower taxes and slashing of the military, which Adams built up, was part of it too.

What prompted the Embargo of 1807?

A. British soldiers burned the U.S. capitol.

B. The British supplied arms to Indian insurgents.

C. The British navy captured American ships on the high seas and impressed their sailors into service for the British.

D. The British hadn't abandoned their posts in the Northwest Territory as required by Jay's Treaty.

C

What event inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner"?

A. Betsy Ross sewing the first American flag raised during a time of war

B. the British bombardment of Baltimore

C. the British burning of Washington, DC

D. the naval battle between the Leopard and the Chesapeake

B

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, which guarantee individual rights

Democratic-Republicans

Advocates of limited government who were troubled by the expansive domestic policies of Washington's administration and opposed the Federalists

Citizen Genet Affair

The controversy over the French representative who tried to involve the United States in France's war against Great Britain

Impressment

The British practice of capturing sailors and forcing them into military service

Letters of Marque

French warrants allowing ships and their crews to engage in piracy

The Terror

A period during the French Revolution characterized by extreme violence and the execution of numerous enemies of the revolutionary government, from 1793 through 1794

Louisiana Purchase

The U.S. purchase of the large territory of Louisiana from France in 1803

Marbury v. Madison

The landmark 1803 case establishing the Supreme Court's powers of judicial review, specifically the power to review and possibly nullify actions of Congress and the president

Revolution of 1800

The peaceful transfer of power from the Federalists to the Democratic-Republicans with the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800