History 201

Question 1

James Madison/Presidency

Answer 1

Known as the “Father of the Constitution”
- Madison played a key role in drafting and promoting the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
- As the 4th U.S. president he oversaw the War of 1812 and dealt with issues like the expansion of the U.S. and foreign relations.

Question 2

Alexander Hamilton/Financial Plans

Answer 2

As the first Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton created a series of financial plans to stabilize the U.S. economy, including establishing a national bank, assuming state debts, and supporting manufacturing and industry.
Favored a strong central government and a capitalist economy.

Question 3

Virginia Plan

Answer 3

A proposal for the new Constitution that favored large states by suggesting a strong central government with a bicameral legislature where representation in both houses would be based on population.

Question 4

New Jersey Plan

Answer 4

A counterproposal to the Virginia Plan, advocating for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for all states, regardless of size, thus favoring smaller states.

Question 5

Connecticut (Great) Compromise

Answer 5

A resolution to the dispute between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans.
It created a bicameral legislature with the Senate (equal representation) and the House of Representatives (representation based on population).

Question 6

Slavery and the U.S. Constitution

Answer 6

3/5 Compromise: This agreement counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation and taxation.
1808 Ban on International Slave Trade: The Constitution allowed for the importation of slaves until 1808, after which Congress could prohibit the international slave trade.

Question 7

Checks and Balances in Government

Answer 7

A system that ensures no one branch of government (executive, legislative, or judicial) becomes too powerful.
Each branch has some measure of control over the others.

Question 8

What the Constitution Does

Answer 8

The Constitution established the framework for the federal government, outlined the powers of the branches, provided protections for individual liberties, and established the relationships between states and the federal government.

Question 9

Who Got ‘Left Out’ of the U.S. Constitution

Answer 9

Groups like women, enslaved people, Native Americans, and non-property-holding men were excluded from full participation in the political system and the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

Question 10

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

Answer 10

Federalists supported a strong central government and the new Constitution
Anti-Federalists feared that a strong federal government would infringe on individual and state rights.

Question 11

Federalist Papers

Answer 11

A series of essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay advocating for the ratification of the Constitution.
Includes the need for a strong central government to maintain order and protect liberty (Federalist No. 10)
The importance of a single, unified executive (Federalist No. 70).

Question 12

Bill of Rights

Answer 12

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, added to protect individual liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the right to a fair trial.

Question 13

Marbury vs. Madison/Legacy

Answer 13

A landmark 1803 Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, affirming the Court’s ability to declare laws unconstitutional.

Question 14

George Washington/Presidency

Answer 14

The first president (1789-1797)
Washington set many precedents for the presidency
Including the two-term limit,
Focused on strengthening the national government
Remaining neutral in foreign conflicts.

Question 15

John Adams/Presidency

Answer 15

The second president (1797-1801),
Adams dealt with foreign challenges like the Quasi-War with France
Domestic issues like the Alien and Sedition Acts, which were unpopular and seen as infringing on civil liberties.

Question 16

Federalists

Answer 16

Hamilton/Adams
More in favor of voting restrictions
Pro-British foreign policy
Want to expand industry / $ institutions
Greater federal powers
More urban / northeastern support

Question 17

Republicans

Answer 17

Jefferson/Madison
More democratic voting
Support Pro-French foreign policy
Support focusing on Westward expansion / small farms
Smaller federal power
Rural support / More in south and west

Question 18

Jefferson/Presidency

Answer 18

The third president (1801-1809)
Jefferson oversaw the Louisiana Purchase in 1803
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Barbary Wars.
Tensions with Adams marked his political career, especially over issues like the role of government.
Successfully undoes legal network that Federalists set up … except Supreme Court (and its judicial review)

Question 19

War of 1812/Causes and Outcomes

Answer 19

The war between the U.S. and Britain was caused by issues like
British interference with American trade
Impressment of American sailors, and support for Native American attacks on American settlers.
The war ended in a stalemate, but it fostered a sense of national pride.

Question 20

Westward Expansion in the 1800s

Answer 20

The U.S. expanded its territory westward through events like the Louisiana Purchase, the annexation of Texas, and the Oregon Trail, driven by the belief in Manifest Destiny.

Question 21

Market Revolution

Answer 21

A period of economic transformation in the early 19th century
Marked by the growth of factories, transportation systems (canals, railroads), telegraph, and a shift to a market-oriented economy.

Question 22

Trail of Tears/Indian Removal

Answer 22

The forced relocation of Native American tribes, particularly the Cherokee, from their ancestral lands to territories west of the Mississippi River, leading to the deaths of thousands.

Question 23

Andrew Jackson/Presidency

Answer 23

The seventh president (1829-1837),
Jackson is known for his
Populist policies
The Indian Removal Act
The Bank War
His opposition to elite political influence.

Question 24

Jacksonian Democracy

Answer 24

A political movement advocating for greater democracy, championing the rights of the “common man,” and promoting policies that expanded voting rights to more white men.

Question 25

Nullification Crisis

Answer 25

A confrontation between South Carolina and the federal government over tariffs in the 1830s. South Carolina declared the tariffs null and void, leading to a debate about states’ rights versus federal authority.

Question 26

Rise of Cotton as a Cash Crop

Answer 26

The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 spurred the growth of cotton as a major crop in the South, leading to the expansion of slavery.

Question 27

Antebellum Slavery Expansion (1820s-50s)

Answer 27

The spread of slavery into new territories and states, particularly with the cotton economy’s expansion, led to conflicts like the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850.

Question 28

Feminism/Reform Movements of the Mid-1800s

Answer 28

Movements advocating for women’s rights, abolition, temperance, and other social reforms.
Figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were instrumental in advancing these causes.

Question 29

Abolitionists (Including Frederick Douglass)

Answer 29

Abolitionists worked to end slavery.
Douglass, an escaped slave and eloquent writer, was one of the most prominent leaders of the movement.

Question 30

Dred Scott Decision/Case

Answer 30

A 1857 Supreme Court decision that ruled African Americans were not citizens and had no rights to sue, and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories.
It fueled tensions leading to the Civil War.

Question 31

Major Slavery-related Disputes Leading to Civil War

Answer 31

Missouri Compromise (1820)
Compromise of 1850
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
John Brown’s Raid (1859)
Election of 1860

Question 32

Missouri Compromise (1820)

Answer 32

Maintained the balance between slave and free states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.

Question 33

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

Answer 33

Allowed settlers in those territories to decide on slavery (popular sovereignty), leading to violence in Kansas.

Question 34

Election of 1860

Answer 34

Abraham Lincoln’s election, which led to Southern secession and the onset of the Civil War