1. What was the result of the Treaty of Kanagawa?
a. b. c. d. [b]
It gave Japan trading rights in the U.S.
Japan agreed to open ports to American whaling ships that were in distress. Japan opened its ports to all western nations.
The U.S. and Japan agreed to maintain peace between the two countries.
2. Following his return from Japan, what did Perry envision for the future of the U.S.?
a. Americans would not be interested in Asian markets.
b. The U.S. needed to protect its commercial rights.
c. The power of the U.S. would never reach that of other more developed countries.
d. America’s increasing world power would be detrimental to U.S. commerce.
[b]
3. What major issue did Americans face following the Mexican War?
a. b. c. d. [c]
How much territory should the U.S. attempt to acquire? What would be the requirements for statehood?
Should new states be admitted as slave or free states? Should Mexicans be naturalized as citizens?
4. What issue of expansion was part of the 1844 presidential election?
a. b. c. d. [c]
statehood for California statehood for Alaska annexation of Texas annexation of Oregon
5. What year did the war with Mexico begin?
a. 1838
b. 1842
c. 1846
d. 1850
[c]
6. What advantages did the U.S. have over Mexico in the Mexican War?
a. b. c. d. [c]
more troops
familiarity with the area moveable artillery experienced navy
7. Why was the Mexican War popular in the U.S.?
a. Americans had an intense dislike of Mexicans.
b. Americans hoped it would lead to imperial domination.
c. American forces were victorious in all major battles.
d. It created a path to future South American conquests.
[c]
8. The territory acquired by the U.S. through the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hildago increased the continental U.S. by
a. 20%.
b. 30%.
c. 40%.
d. 50%.
[c]
9. Why were Americans especially happy to have acquired California?
a. Access to Asian markets
b. Fruit growing
c. All season growing climate
d. Fishing
[a]
10. Polk’s campaign slogan of 1844 referred to the U.S. desire to acquire territory in which area?
a. California
b. Washington
c. Mexico
d. Oregon
[d]
11. What was the purpose of the 1852 Foreign Miner’s Tax?
a. b. c. d. [d]
keep all immigrants out of western mines
tax anyone east of the Mississippi who found gold in California discourage Catholics from settling in California
discourage Chinese and non-native immigrants from the mining business
12. Why were the Comanche more successful than other tribes in retaining power in the southwest?
a. They were friendly with the settlers.
b. They offered settlers protection from other tribes
c. They were the only tribes to engage in successful and lasting treaties with the U.S.
d. They learned how to meld new technologies with their existing customs and
practices.
[d]
13. What was the largest ethnic group that settled in California during the 19th century?
a. Germans
b. English
c. Australians
d. Chinese
[d]
14. How did the Chinese immigrants survive in California?
a. They worked in the gold mines.
b. They established themselves in service industries.
c. They assimilated into American culture.
d. They became involved in local politics.
[b]
15. How did the concept of citizenship change during the mid 19th century?
a. It became more inclusive.
b. Native-born Americans tried to narrow the definition.
c. Most immigrants chose not to become U.S. citizens.
d. The major political parties agreed on the requirements for citizenship.
[b]
16. What motivated most Chinese who migrated to America during the mid 19th century?
a. b. c. d. [c]
civil disturbances in China economic hardships promise of American gold joining family members
17. How did east coast immigration patterns change in the mid 19th century?
a. Most immigrants did not remain in the port cities.
b. There were more immigrants from central and southern Europe.
c. Immigration slowed down.
d. Most immigrants were from England.
[b]
18. Why did southerners shy away from massive industrialization projects?
a. They wanted to retain a separate identity from the north.
b. Agriculture was more profitable than industry.
c. The southerners lacked investors.
d. There was concern that large cities would hinder slave control.
[d]
19. Residents of Louisiana who were of mixed decent were called
a. Creole.
b. Cajuns.
c. Mestizos.
d. high yellow.
[a]
20. Ethnic conflicts in the east revolved around
a. old Protestant and new Catholic immigrants.
b. the Chinese and Americans.
c. protestant immigrants and native born immigrants.
d. the Chinese and Catholics.
[a]
21. The Nativist Movement had its deepest roots in which city?
a. Philadelphia
b. Boston
c. Chicago
d. New York
[d]
22. What was the significance of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854?
a. b. c. d. [a]
It provided for a policy of popular sovereignty.
It dictated whether a new state would be admitted as free or slave. It reinforced the Missouri Compromise.
It allowed both Kansas and Nebraska to be admitted as free states.
23. The main principle of the Republican Party was
a. its opposition to German immigration.
b. its opposition to the expansion of slavery.
c. its opposition to Catholicism.
d. its endorsement of states’ rights.
[b]
24. Slaveholders were constantly adjusting to the conditions of slavery due to
a. internal pressures from enslaved people.
b. external pressures from abolitionists.
c. internal and external pressures.
d. the increased number of freed slaves.
[c]
25. Which of the following statements accurately represents the institution of slavery in the 19th century?
a. As an economic strategy it was not successful.
b. It unified white southern society.
c. Southern slaves worked almost exclusively on plantations.
d. The southern economy relied on slave labor in part because they did not have a
large immigrant population.
[d]
26. In his book The Impending Crisis, Hinton Helper suggested that
a. b. c. d. [d]
white slaveholders and non-slaveholders unite in the promotion of slavery as part of the natural rule.
non-slaveholding whites destroy slavery by calling for the immediate freedom of all slaves.
the planter class should tighten its power over slavery so as to not lose control of the institution.
the planter class was purposely perpetuating class divisions within the white community.
27. What was noteworthy to Americans about the British abolition of slavery in the West Indies?
a. It alarmed Americans because it caused a racial war.
b. It gave ex-slaves control over large tracts of land.
c. British slave owners were not compensated.
d. West Indian sugar production plummeted.
[d]
28. What did the Supreme Court decision Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842) deal with?
a. b. c.
d. [b]
It banned the Atlantic slave trade.
It gave federal protection to Southerners for reclaiming runaway slaves. It allowed continued participation in the Atlantic slave trade by southern plantation owners only.
It upheld Pennsylvania state law regarding the capture of slaves.
29. In 1860 the value of southern slave labor was approximately
a. $1 million.
b. $50 million.
c. $100 million.
d. $3 billion.
[d]
30. Generally, the greatest tragedy encountered by slaves was
a. punishment.
b. overworking.
c. disruption of family life.
d. inability to marry.
[c]
1. How did Americans view the Japanese culture in 1854?
a. as a highly civilized society
b. inferior to American culture
c. at the same level as American culture
d. with indifference
[b]
2. American politics of the 1850s centered mainly on which of the following issues?
a. slavery
b. immigration
c. foreign commercial trade
d. imperialism
[a]
3. Americans elected Democrat James Polk to the presidency in the election of
a. 1836.
b. 1840.
c. 1844.
d. 1848.
[c]
4. Why was the Mexican government weakened between the years 1836-1847?
a. Mexico was suffering from an economic depression.
b. Mexico was involved in many rebellions.
c. Political instability
d. Social upheaval due to immigration
[b]
5. What did the American troops use as a guide during their march in Mexico?
a. b. c. d. [a]
Cortez’s conquest of Mexico Travelogues from American explorers Mayan maps
The Bible
6. Who was the American general responsible for the fall of Mexico City in 1847?
a. James Polk
b. Zachary Taylor
c. Winfield Scott
d. Raphael Simmes
[c]
7. What was the concern of some Americans, including Abraham Lincoln, regarding the War with Mexico?
a. origin of the war
b. treatment of Mexican soldiers
c. treatment of Mexican civilians
d. number of deaths
[a]
8. Following the Mexican War, the U.S. acquired ____________ of pre-war Mexican land.
a. 20%
b. 35%
c. 40%
d. 55%
[d]
9. What country prevented the U.S. from acquiring the Oregon Territory prior to 1844?
a. b. c. d. [d]
Russia
Spain France
Great Britain
10. With a few exceptions, western land in the U.S. differed from eastern land in the amount of _______________ it received or contained.
a. sunshine
b. snow
c. rain
d. drinkable water
[c]
11. The discovery of gold in California provided a significant population boost to which of
the following cities?
a. Los Angeles
b. San Diego
c. San Francisco
d. Santa Monica
[c]
12. In the 1850s, which of the following was a major obstacle to settlers traveling south from the Great Plains?
a. lack of water
b. Indians
c. weather
d. disease
[b]
13. Where were the Comanche located?
a. Utah
b. California
c. Northern Mexico
d. Arizona
[c]
14. What was the biggest threat faced by the Comanche in the 19th century?
a. b. c. d. [d]
American settlers Mexican government drought
loss of bison
15. Hard rock mines required the specialized techniques provided by
a. Cornish miners.
b. Chinese immigrants.
c. German engineers.
d. French surveyors.
[a]
16. How was the issue of slavery settled in California?
a. Without bloodshed
b. California entered as a slave state.
c. California entered as a free state.
d. California was split between free and slave.
[c]
17. As a result of California immigration practices, the Chinese
a. were given full rights as California residents.
b. were given educational opportunities but were not allowed to vote.
c. were classified as non-whites and denied most rights of California residents.
d. were socially but not legally discriminated against.
[c]
18. American officials were especially concerned about which of the following practices of the southwest Indians?
a. slave taking
b. continued spread of Indian diseases
c. overhunting of bison
d. expansion of Indian trading networks
[c]
19. What did leading critics of immigration feel about the Chinese in California?
a. b. c. d. [c]
Eventually they would be a welcomed addition to the California landscape. They provided a valuable service in the mining industry.
They did not belong in the west.
They were accepted because of their “exotic” ways.
20. Which of the following statements most closely reflects Americans’ prevailing view of race in the mid 19th century, compared to the views of Americans in the Revolutionary era?
a. Americans’ views on race had become more subtle.
b. Americans were more likely to articulate their feelings.
c. Americans were less likely to articulate their feelings.
d. The increasing diversity of America led to a greater acceptance of racial
differences.
[b]
21. What became the key battleground in religious conflicts?
a. b. c. d. [d]
state governments Congress factories
schools
22. Which of the following was NOT a goal of the American Party?
a. Forbid Bibles in the classroom
b. Extend the naturalization process
c. Restrict office-holding to native-born Americans
d. Support parochial schools
[a]
23. What made the Know Nothings political party of the 1850s unique?
a. They had no political agenda.
b. They were very successful for a newly formed political party.
c. They kept their agenda secret from the public.
d. The catered to the immigrant vote.
[c]
24.Which of the following provisions were included in the Compromise of 1850?
a. Entry of California as a slave state.
b. Tough fugitive Slave Act
c. Continuation of the slave trade in D.C.
d. Inclusion of slavery in all newly admitted southern states
[b]
25. Which
a. Whigs won their last election.
b. Democrats lost by a significant margin.
c. Republicans made a respectable showing.
d. The American Party received a substantial number of votes.
[c]
26. Southern slaves who worked outside the plantation system were more likely to
a. be treated more cruelly.
b. be under constant supervision by their masters or factory bosses.
c. experience a more difficult relationship with their overseer.
d. be accepted by fellow white workers.
[c]
27. Which of the South American countries was still committed to slavery during the mid-19th century?
a. Brazil
b. Mexico
c. Haiti
d. West Indies
[a]
28. How did the ownership of slaves change between 1830 and 1850? a. More people owned fewer slaves.
b. Fewer people owned more slaves.
c. Most southern households had at least one slave.
d. Slaveholding households employed at least 10 slaves. [b]
29. One of the largest and busiest markets for the internal slave trade in North America was in
of the following describes the presidential election of 1856?
a. Chicago.
b. Albuquerque.
c. New Orleans.
d. Boston.
[c]
30. Evidence regarding slave sales suggests that
a. most slaves were sold as families.
b. mothers were usually kept with children.
c. husbands and wives were usually sold together.
d. buyers and sellers made little effort to keep family units intact.
[d]
1. Why were Mexicans concerned about the U.S. Presidential election of 1844?
a. Whigs wanted to annex Texas
b. Democrats wanted to annex Texas
c. Both parties pushed for Texas statehood
d. Neither party was interested in having Texas as part of the U.S.
[b]
2. What event in 1859 encouraged the settlement of mid-America?
a. b. c. d. [c]
end of the Mexican War
completion of the transcontinental railroad discovery of gold in Colorado
creation of a winter pass through the Rockies
3. Which of the following best describes the American “gold rush” of 1849?
a. It lured people from all parts of the globe.
b. It only attracted Americans.
c. Most participants profited directly from finding gold.
d. After the “rush” was over, prospectors left California.
[a]
4. How did Catholic immigrants hope to protect their religious heritage in America?
a. building more churches
b. state support of parochial schools
c. involvement in politics
d. push for conversions
[b]
5. What eventually happened to members of the Know-Nothing Party?
a. They joined the Whig Party.
b. They incorporated into the Democratic Party.
c. They were absorbed by the Republican Party.
d. They scattered and joined several different parties.
[c]
6. Policies promoted by the Know-Nothings included:
a. pro-slavery.
b. pro-immigration.
c. anti-temperance.
d. pro-Protestant.
[d]
7. By the 1860s the majority of slaveholders owned
a. fewer than 5 slaves.
b. more than 5 slaves but fewer than 10.
c. between 10 and 20 slaves.
d. more than 20 slaves.
[a]
8. In matters of religion it was most likely that
a. blacks had to embrace the religion of their masters.
b. most blacks did not participate in Christian religions.
c. blacks could choose what religion they wanted to practice.
d. slaves chose to keep the religious practices of their ancestors.
[c]
9. What concerned northerners the most about the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850?
a. b. c. d. [a]
It made northerners part of the slave system.
It reduced the number of runaway slaves.
It infringed on the rights of freed blacks.
It provided financial incentives to those judges who found runaway slaves guilty.
10. Which of the following pieces of legislation regarding slavery was voted on by Congress but never officially became a law?
a. Wilmot Proviso
b. Northwest Ordinance
c. Missouri Compromise
d. Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
[a]
11. In what year did the Supreme Court decide the Dred Scott case?
a. 1850 b. 1855 c. 1857 d. 1860 [c]
1. What pushed the U.S. to declare war on Mexico?
a. b. c. d. [b]
Mexico invaded North America.
U.S. troops were sent to occupy a border area. Illegal immigration
Dispute over trade agreements
2. How did western settlers attempt to handle the Indian situation?
a. They engaged in trade with the Indians
b. Settlers attempted to assimilate certain Indian customs.
c. Bounties were offered for Indian scalps.
d. Settlers ignored the Indians.
[c]
3. Slaves who worked in small households
a. usually had more autonomy.
b. slept in slave quarters.
c. did not have a lot of contact with their owners.
d. often worked side by side with members of the owner’s family.
[d]
4. What was the most controversial component of the Compromise of 1850?
a. b. c. d. [a]
a tighter Fugitive Slave Law assumption of the war debts of Texas California admitted as a free state reorganization of New Mexico Territory
5. According to recent evidence, which of the following statements most closely reflects the situation of slaves in the mid 19th century?
a. They were constantly punished.
b. They quietly accepted their situation.
c. They did not make any effort to escape or revolt.
d. Most slaves fashioned the best life they could given the situation.
[d]
6. What did the term “free soil” refer to?
a. b. c. d. [b]
land grants by the government
territories without slavery
settled land that was free from Indian interference tax-free land
7. What did the term “free labor” refer to?
a. b. c. d. [b]
working for no wages
the idea that working for wages was not a violation of one’s freedom tax-free wages
the idea that working as a laborer was the same as slavery
8. What kept investors from investing in a western commercial economy?
a. b. c. d. [a]
Lack of laws and organization.
They were concerned about the Indian uprisings.
The west did not offer investors a lucrative return on their investment. Lack of investment opportunities in the west.
9. How did evangelical Christians differ from Afro-Christians?
a. Evangelicals did not believe in an afterlife.
b. Evangelicals awaited salvation.
c. Afro-Christians tended to focus on the day of jubilee
d. Afro-Christians believed in a redemptive afterlife.
[d]
10. As the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, _____________ was read world-wide and helped gather support for the abolition of slavery.
a. Anthony Burns
b. Harriett Beecher Stowe c. James Fenimore Cooper d. Stephen Douglas
[b]