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History of the Americas
Explore questions in the History of the Americas category that you can ask Sparky!
- The Louisiana Purchase was Jefferson's greatest achievement as president and risky asA. it meant a political and military alliance with France.B. Napoléon had joined forces with Great Britain.C. it was not clearly constitutional.D. it quickly led to war with Great Britain.
- Which of the following MOST contributed to the development of a market economy in the United States?A. internal transportation and communication projects that increased the flow of goodsB. a general trend toward farming for consumption aloneC. a decreasing standard of living overall due to more limited job opportunitiesD. the decline of the lumber industry due to the growing scarcity of natural resources
- Which of the following was a result of the invention of the cotton gin?A. It meant that fewer slaves were needed.B. It made cotton a major export item.C. It spurred immigration to the South.D. It increased imports from Britain.
- Which of the following was an effect of the War of 1812?A. It caused Madison to do away with the national bank, in part due to wavering American patriotism and economic stability after the war.B. It strengthened the message of the Federalists and reaffirmed their attitudes from before the war.C. It led the United States to plan to rely more heavily on militiamen in future wars because the lack thereof had resulted in their hardest losses.D. It reaffirmed American independence but caused a reversal in attitudes among Republicans and Federalists.
- Which of the following statements accurately describes the delegates who met at the Constitutional Convention?A. They included many participants from the Revolution who engaged in active debate with one another.B. They tended to be elderly and out of touch with current events, prioritizing concerns from before the Revolution.C. They predominantly wanted a weaker central government and argued passionately for their case.D. They for the most part wished to rejoin the British Empire but negotiate better representation.
- Which of the following is true of the so-called Great Compromise?A. Southerners drafted it to protect slavery.B. It listed the explicit powers of Congress.C. It created a four-year term for a president.D. It settled the question of congressional representation.
- The British attack on Baltimore's Fort McHenryA. resulted in the destruction of the British fleet.B. made a national hero of Andrew Jackson.C. did not force the fort's surrender.D. resulted in an embarrassing American defeat.
- The convention, which assembled in May 1787, was supposed toA. write a new constitution.B. address the country's financial crisis.C. revise the Articles of Confederation.D. nominate someone for president.
- A major cause of Shays's Rebellion was thatA. farmland in the western territories was became increasingly expensive.B. slate legislatures gave tax incentives to slaveholders in Boston.C. the central government banned the use of the state militia.D. a new state constitution raised the property qualifications to both vote and hold office.
- The advantage clipper ships had over traditional merchant vessels was theirA. speed.B. ability to sail up rivers.C. comfort for passengers.D. durability.
- Which of the following statements accurately describes the United States between 1815 and 1850?A. The United States evolved into a transcontinental power and experienced a period of economic prosperity.B. The United States experienced a period of stagnation in that people mostly stayed in the same place.C. The United States decreased in size and power because several states left the Union.D. The United States successfully outlawed ethnic prejudices, making assimilation by immigrants rapid.
- Which of the following statements about steamboats is accurate?A. Steamboats were commercially profitable by the 1790s.B. Steamboats were only able to travel downstream.C. Steamboats brought cheaper and faster two-way traffic to the Mississippi Valley.D. Steamboats contributed to a widespread increase in the cost of shipping goods.
- Which of the following notable developments took place in Ohio between 1811 and 1818?A. the building of the first interstate roadway financed by the federal governmentB. the invention of the flatboat, which came to surpass the steamboat in efficiencyC. the virtual replacement of the outdated turnpike system with a railroad networkD. a major increase in transportation costs that limited the movement of goods and people
- Which of the following statements describes the minstrel shows between the 1830s and 1870s?A. Immensely popular, they often included the songs of Stephen Foster.B. They featured black performers made up as whites.C. They portrayed black characters positively.D. Primarily elite and educated audiences embraced them.
- What became a major problem in the Lowell mills by the middle 1830s?A. a shortage in cotton and other materials needed to create clothB. the growing dominance of textile mills in the SouthC. the long commute of workers from out of stateD. labor unrest due to working and living conditions
- Over the course of the nineteenth century, many regions of the United States experienced a shift from ________ agriculture to ________ agriculture.A. subsistence; commercialB. corporate-owned; government-ownedC. machine-based; labor-freeD. regulated; unregulated
- Shays's Rebellion was led byA. merchants.B. factory workers.C. bankers.D. indebted farmers.
- Which of the following statements accurately describes the Patriot militia?A. It favored conventional European tactics in battle.B. It frustrated Washington with its lack of discipline.C. It turned away all immigrants due to prejudice.D. It refused to allow poor farmers or shop owners to join.
- One striking aspect of the Lowell factories wasA. their ability to prevent the occurrence of strikes.B. their employment of young single women.C. their undemanding working hours.D. their minimal impact on natural surroundings.
- Which of the following occurred in part as a result of Shays's Rebellion?A. George Washington declared his support for the rebels.B. The social elite continued to promote the rebels' cause.C. England prepared for the possibility of resuming the war.D. There were numerous calls promoting a stronger central government.