Quiz 10

Question 1

The idea of “manifest destiny” claimed that:

 men were destined to travel the high seas  

 American expansion westward across the continent was sanctioned by God  

 immediate war against the British would revitalize the American state  

 slavery was the result of divine intervention  

 joint British-American occupation of North America would “civilize” the continent  

Question 2

What effect did Mexico’s winning its independence from Spain have on American settlement in the Southwest?

 American settlement and expansion into the former Spanish territories increased after Mexico gained independence.  

 American settlers were immediately and forcibly removed from all Mexican territories.  

 Americans began to flee the former Spanish territories once Mexico gained independence.  

 The establishment of the new Mexican state made settlement in its territories more difficult.  

 Patterns of American settlement of the former Spanish, now Mexican, territories remained unchanged.  

Question 3

The Donner party became stranded on the Oregon Trail mainly because:

 their party was too small to survive the journey  

 of the succession of their own mistakes and poor decisions  

 of annihilation by the Indians  

 they became caught in the crossfire of the Mexican war for independence  

 a broken compass led them astray  

Question 4

Why was John Charles Frémont so influential in encouraging the mass migration of Americans to Oregon and California?

 He established the first sizable American settlement in California.  

 He rescued the Donner party.  

 He had led the largest wagon train along the Oregon Trail.  

 His reports of his western explorations gained wide circulation and became very popular.  

 He was already a famous mountain man.  

Question 5

Most of the American settlers in Texas went there because of:

 fertile, inexpensive lands  

 gold and other mineral deposits  

 furs  

 legal problems in the United States  

 trading opportunities with the Indians and the Mexicans  

Question 6

What was a main reason the Mexican government attempted to curtail American settlement of Texas?

 worry about the behavior and intentions of the Americans living there  

 the Spanish forcing them to exclude the Americans  

 a preference for Indian settlement of the land  

 the British claim to the territory  

 racism against Americans  

Question 7

Why did the Anglo Texans rebel against the Mexican government?

 to honor their alliance with the Comanche Indians  

 their opposition to taxation without representation  

 to preempt Mexican plans to attack U.S. territories east of Texas  

 out of fear that the Mexican government intended to free their slaves  

 at the request of Spain, which was trying to regain control of Mexico  

Question 8

The major factor that delayed Texas annexation until 1845 was:

 the desire of Texans to remain a republic  

 concern over Texas entering as a slave state  

 Britain’s support for Texas independence  

 fear of a possible Mexican attack on the United States  

 Calhoun’s incompetence as secretary of state  

Question 9

James Polk’s top priority as president was to:

 secure geographic expansion of the United States, especially through the acquisition of Texas, California, and New Mexico  

 commit the United States to protecting Texas independence in perpetuity  

 create a political consensus that saw the two major political parties merge into one  

 encourage European immigration as a means to fuel American industrialization  

 restore American prosperity through expanded trade relations with Canada  

Question 10

The Mexican-American War erupted when:

 Polk won the 1844 election  

 Mexico insulted the U.S. ambassador and ordered him to leave the country  

 the United States recognized Texas as independent  

 American settlers started a revolt in California  

 Mexican and U.S. troops clashed north of the Rio Grande  

Question 11

Among the vocal opponents of the Mexican-American War was:

 Thomas O. Larkin  

 John Slidell  

 Abraham Lincoln  

 John Tyler  

 John L. O’Sullivan  

Question 12

How did the Mexican-American War ultimately deepen sectional divisions in the United States?

 Southern states refused to recognize the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.  

 Slaves who fought in the war began rebelling for their freedom in the South.  

 All the territories acquired were immediately opened to slavery.  

 Slavery was prohibited in all the territories acquired.  

 The new territories acquired fueled a violent debate over the extension of slavery into them.  

Question 13

The Wilmot Proviso:

 was opposed in Congress by Abraham Lincoln  

 passed both houses of Congress  

 was clearly unconstitutional  

 would prohibit slavery in any lands acquired from Mexico  

 would extend the Missouri Compromise line to the Pacific  

Question 14

John C. Calhoun believed that the Wilmot Proviso:

 would help keep the Union together  

 protected the interests of slaveholders  

 would never pass Congress  

 blamed the South for the Mexican–American War  

 violated property rights  

Question 15

The idea of popular sovereignty:

 guaranteed slavery would spread westward  

 solved the controversy over slavery’s extension  

 allowed Oregon to enter the Union as a slave state  

 would allow people in the territories to decide whether or not to permit slavery  

 was adopted by the Whigs in the 1848 election  

Question 16

The discovery of gold in California did all of the following EXCEPT:

 hasten the demise of the Indians  

 create a population with an equal balance of men and women  

 encourage American dreams of a Pacific empire  

 spur a massive migration of gold seekers  

 result in an infusion of gold into the U.S. economy that led to a prolonged period of national prosperity  

Question 17

During the great congressional debate over the Compromise of 1850:

 John Calhoun endorsed all of Henry Clay’s proposals  

 Daniel Webster made an impassioned argument for secession  

 Henry Clay pushed for the compromise and national harmony  

 Jefferson Davis emerged as a voice of moderation  

 President Taylor died  

Question 18

Given the bitterness of the congressional debate, why was Stephen Douglas successful in getting the Compromise of 1850 passed?

 He could depend on a sympathy vote from supporters of deceased President Taylor.  

 He was in better health and was more charismatic than Clay.  

 His support for popular sovereignty allowed many abolitionist senators to vote with him.  

 He split the issues into separate bills.  

 He dropped the question of the slave trade in the District of Columbia.  

Question 19

Why did the new Fugitive Slave Act outrage abolitionists?

 It allowed northern states to become slave states.  

 It guaranteed fugitive slaves a jury trial.  

 It reintroduced the legal international slave trade.  

 It required the licensing of slave catchers.  

 It offered a strong temptation to kidnap free blacks in northern free states.  

Question 20

Why did Uncle Tom’s Cabin outrage slave owners?

 It showed how the brutal realities of slavery harmed everyone associated with it.  

 It was an objective description of life under slavery.  

 It convinced many poor southern whites to oppose slavery.  

 It started the Civil War.  

 It was authored by Harriet Tubman.  

Question 21

Stephen Douglas’s proposed Kansas-Nebraska Act:

 might allow slavery in Kansas and Nebraska  

 strengthened the Missouri Compromise  

 strengthened his presidential prospects  

 would promote construction of a transcontinental rail line along a southern route  

 showed his enthusiastic support of slavery  

Question 22

Why did so many northerners, including the so-called Independent Democrats, oppose the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

 The act repealed the Missouri Compromise.  

 They opposed the admission of both territories as states.  

 The act repealed the fugitive slave law.  

 They opposed the law because it did not embrace “popular sovereignty.”  

 The act would bring about immediate abolition.  

Question 23

The Republican party reflected a combination of all of the following groups EXCEPT:

 anti-slavery Democrats  

 northern Whigs  

 cotton Whigs  

 abolitionists  

 Free-Soilers  

Question 24

How did passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act impact the settlement of Kansas?

 The vagaries left about the status of slavery discouraged settlement.  

 This is a trick question. The act had no impact on settlement of Kansas.  

 Popular sovereignty encouraged violence-prone supporters and opponents of slavery to flood Kansas.  

 It made Kansas a slave state with a majority population of slaveholders.  

 It ensured that Kansas would be admitted into the Union as a free state with a population deeply committed to abolition.  

Question 25

What did the Supreme Court rule in Dred Scott v. Sandford?

 Slaves who were taken to free territories would be considered free.  

 The Missouri Compromise was still legally binding.  

 Blacks did not have citizenship and therefore lacked legal standing.  

 State bans on slavery did not violate the property rights of masters.  

 Slaves who were taken to free states would be considered free.  

Question 26

The Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision:

 recognized that free blacks were U.S. citizens  

 gave Dred Scott his freedom  

 guaranteed the future admission of slave states  

 implied that the Missouri Compromise had been unconstitutional  

 was applauded by the Republicans  

Question 27

As the election of 1860 approached, the Democratic party:

 was silent on the issue of slavery  

 condemned the Kansas-Nebraska Act  

 was dominated by southern extremists  

 renominated Buchanan  

 broke up into northern and southern wings  

Question 28

Lincoln won the election of 1860 by:

 sweeping the free states  

 massive voter fraud  

 changing his position on slavery  

 appealing to fear  

 carrying the biggest states in both North and South  

Question 29

The states of the Confederate States of America seceded after Lincoln’s election because:

 the southern secessionists were convinced that Lincoln would move against slavery despite his assurances otherwise  

 Lincoln was pushing for an invasion of the South  

 the southern secessionists planned to invade the North and impose slavery on the entire Union  

 Lincoln promised to abolish slavery immediately after taking office  

 the southern secessionists believed that Jefferson Davis had won the 1860 election but was denied the office through fraud  

Question 30

In response to secession, President Buchanan:

 did practically nothing  

 declared martial law  

 let Lincoln take office ahead of schedule  

 said he supported it  

 abandoned Fort Sumter