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History of the Americas
Explore questions in the History of the Americas category that you can ask Sparky!
- 36) Abraham Lincoln extended presidential powers during the Civil War in all of the following ways EXCEPT the A) arbitrary veto of congressional legislation. B) suspension of habeas corpus for southern sympathizers. C) removal of army generals. D) curtailment of freedom of the press.
- 46) "Despite the sacrosanct notion of states' rights, the Confederate Congress passed the first conscription act in American history in March 1862." A sacrosanct notion would be one that is A) regarded as sacred and inviolable. B) sacrilegious or heretical. C) outdated and inappropriate. D) customary and expected.
- 43) During the Civil War, the Republicans passed legislation to A) lower the tariffs on imported manufactured goods. B) require state financing of colleges and railroads. C) provide farmers access to the public domain. D) dismantle the national banking system.
- 37) The Civil War transformed American society as A) Americans became more parochial in their interests and concerns. B) women were forced to leave the work force to care for homes and families. C) wartime jobs and wages provided substantial increases in real income. D) economic dislocations reduced the standard of living for most civilians.
- 26) In contrast to the North, the South relied more heavily on the A) levy of direct taxes for war finances. B) issue of government bonds to borrow money. C) use of conscription to maintain their armed forces. D) imposition of government measures to control inflation.
- 27) The largest civil disturbance of the nineteenth century occurred in New York City in early July 1863, as A) workers opposed to the draft rioted for three days. B) blacks protested racial discrimination and segregation. C) peace activists demanded a negotiated end to the war. D) nativist mobs beat up Irish immigrants and destroyed their homes and businesses.
- 25) Southerners thought that European nations would recognize and support the Confederacy because of the Europeans' A) desire to upset the balance of power. B) dependence upon southern cotton. C) lack of economic ties with the North. D) wish to back the winning side.
- 39) For American women, the Civil War A) minimized their economic importance. B) promoted their domestic role. C) provided opportunities for government service. D) necessitated their military enlistment.
- 41) All of the following factors contributed to the victory of the North in the Civil War EXCEPT that A) General Grant refused to sustain heavy casualties. B) the South failed to meet production needs. C) southern political beliefs undermined united efforts. D) southern transportation systems proved woefully inadequate.
- 34) As commander of the Union armies, General Ulysses S. Grant recommended a A) strategy of naval and land blockades, causing economic deprivation and discontent. B) tactic of hit-and-run maneuvers, offsetting the defensive advantages of southern armies. C) policy of evasion and retreat, designed to lessen casualties and wear down the enemy. D) grim campaign of annihilation, using the North's superior might to destroy southern armies and resources.
- 28) The New York City draft riots of 1863 A) resulted from extreme northern antiwar sentiment. B) exposed the racial and class antagonisms of northern society. C) led to the passage of more fair conscription laws. D) caused little damage and produced only minor disturbances.
- 45) "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present...." Dogmas are principles A) dictated by one's religious beliefs. B) espoused by the founding fathers. C) considered to be absolute truth. D) upheld by the Supreme Court.
- 16) Lincoln's early actions as president indicated that he intended to A) rely heavily on his cabinet members' advice. B) act only with the sanction of Congress. C) take responsibility for running his own administration. D) respect the traditions and dogmas of the past.
- 18) The use of the new, longer-range rifles during the Civil War A) contradicted the training offered at West Point. B) led to more effective use of artillery. C) produced a ghastly crop of dead men. D) reduced the emphasis on infantry attack.
- 32) During the Civil War, the northern army A) was first to use black troops for combat duty. B) proved the effectiveness of Jomini's military theories. C) rejected the use of defensive earthworks and trenches. D) respected and protected the property of civilians.
- 21) Placed in command of the Union armies in 1861, General George McClellan A) wished to win the war "by maneuvering rather than fighting." B) gained a reputation for bold, almost reckless tactics. C) inflicted unnecessary and embittering loss of life and property. D) captured the city of Richmond during his Peninsula campaign.
- 15) For his cabinet, Lincoln selected A) only those men who agreed with his views. B) friends to whom he owed political debts. C) men of lesser political stature or ability. D) important Republicans from different factions of the party.
- 19) During the early years of the war in the East A) General Winfield Scott pushed for action and quick victory. B) the North inflicted a devastating blow at the Battle of Bull Run. C) the South followed an exclusively defensive strategy. D) a stalemate developed as decisive victory eluded both sides.
- 29) Political dissension in the South during the Civil War A) tended to be factional, petty, and often personal in nature. B) resulted in the establishment of party mechanisms to channel or curb criticism. C) produced an arbitrary and tyrannical expansion of presidential power. D) led detractors to offer programs in opposition to Democratic policies.
- 38) The Civil War transformed race relations in the South as A) slaves drew closer to their masters in fear of the unknown. B) blacks proved increasingly unwilling to play a subservient role. C) white violence toward blacks intensified with growing frustration over a losing war effort. D) whites gained greater appreciation of blacks with increased dependence upon them.