Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 4
Bill of Rights
Principles of the Constitution
100
How did geography influence the early economic development of New York, Boston, and Charleston?
A. Long coastlines offered abundant natural resources.
B. Proximity to flooding rivers limited development.
C. Natural harbors provided access to markets.
D. Extreme climates limited productive activity
100
The main disagreement between Patriots and Loyalists was whether or not —
A. the colonies should become independent
B. the colonies should have freedom of religion
C. the colonies should be able to own slaves or not
D. the colonies should have freedom of speech
100
Which of the following is an example of responsible citizenship?
A. serving on a jury
B. traveling to a foreign country
C. buying an apartment
D. caring for an elderly parent
100
Which of the following BEST completes the graphic above?
A. Desire to maintain isolationism
B. British impressment of sailors
C. Effects of the XYZ Affair
D. Independence movements in Latin America
100
King George III had quartered British soldiers in the homes of colonists. This abuse of royal power was listed as a grievance in the Declaration of Independence. Which of the following prohibited similar conduct?
A. the Declaration of Independence
B. First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
C. Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
D. Third Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
100
Only Congress can declare war on another country. This best illustrates-
A. republicanism
B. federalism
C. checks and balances
D. separation of powers
200
Which colony was first established for religious reasons as a home for Quakers?
A. Connecticut
B. Rhode Island
C. Massachusetts
D. Pennsylvania
200
Saratoga is considered a major turning point in the war because -
A. the Continental Congress finally removed General Washington from command after the defeat.
B. it helped convince France to form an alliance with the United States.
C. the British were forced to surrender and it put an end to the war.
D. it was the first time American forces received assistance from Spain.
200
At the Constitutional Convention (1787), the Great Compromise resolved the issue of congressional representation by -
A. limiting the terms of elected lawmakers
B. providing for direct election of senators
C. creating a two-house legislature
D. including the electoral college
200
Which of the following best describes the process of judicial review?
A. Congress can make laws affecting federal court powers.
B. The Supreme Court can overrule laws it believes are unconstitutional.
C. Two-thirds of Congress can override a President’s veto.
D. A majority of each house of Congress is needed to pass federal legislation.
200
If President Biden tried to stop us from getting together in a large group and criticizing the government, he would be going against which amendment?
A. First Amendment
B. Second Amendment
C. Third Amendment
D. Fourth Amendment
200
All of these situations illustrate the constitutional principle of checks and balances EXCEPT-
A. Congress overrides a presidential veto.
B. The House of Representatives votes to impeach the president.
C. The Supreme Court declares a law unconstitutional.
D. The president acts as the commander and chief of the armed forces.
300
Which sentence best completes this diagram?
A. The Puritans allowed women to participate in government.
B. The Puritans refused to obey the appointed governor.
C. The Puritans outlawed slavery in Massachusetts.
D. The Puritans developed a form of representative self-government.
300
Which best describes George Washington’s winter at Valley Forge in 1777–1778?
A. Washington spent the winter there because he was waiting for help from the French.
B. Washington spent the winter there to silence critics who feared he would surrender.
C. Washington used the winter there to launch surprise attacks against the British.
D. Washington used the winter there to train his soldiers and improve their discipline.
300
Why did the framers of the U.S. Constitution create the amending process?
A. to provide flexibility to the Constitution
B. to establish a way to protect individual rights
C. to develop a method for citizens to petition the government
D. to limit the power of Congress to pass laws
300
The formation of political parties in the United States can be traced back to a disagreement over whether-
A. the President has the power to create a Cabinet with the heads of the executive departments.
B. the Articles of Confederation should be revised to create a stronger national government.
C. Congress should create a national bank and raise tariffs.
D. the United States should purchase the Louisiana Territory from France.
300
Which headline below provides the best example of a First Amendment guarantee in action?
A. “Religious University Forced to Close by State”
B. “Mormons Gather to Hold State Convention Downtown”
C. “Congress Declares a National Day of Remembrance”
D. “Protesters Arrested at Anti-War Rally
300
Which of the following principles of government is best represented by the list above?
A. individual rights
B. federalism
C. checks and balances
D. separation of powers
400
Which statement best explains the significance of the Mayflower Compact?
A. It limited the power of future colonial governments.
B. It weakened the influence of religion in government.
C. It established a form of self-government based on a social contract.
D. It guaranteed liberties for colonists through local government.
400
Which set of events from the American Revolutionary War is listed in chronological order?
400
George Mason refused to sign the Constitution and opposed its ratification because he believed it –
A. did not adequately protect individuals from potential government abuse.
B. did not give the executive branch enough power to oversee the military.
C. prevented the legislative branch from effectively governing the states.
D. prevented the judicial branch from using judicial review to overturn laws.
400
How did the War of 1812 lead to economic changes in the nation?
A. Americans became more dependent on importing manufactured goods from France.
B. New England lost its lead in shipbuilding after the destruction of the American fleet during the war.
C. The settlement of the West was slowed down because of the peace settlement with England.
D. Northern manufacturers greatly increased their production of textiles, which could not be imported from England during the war.
400
State's rights are protected by the _____ amendment.
A. 7th Amendment
B. 8th Amendment
C. 9th Amendment
D. 10th Amendment
400
Which statement is an example of the system of federalism?
A. Cabinet members are appointed by the president
B. Revenue bills must begin in the House of Representatives
C. The national government coins money, but the states cannot
D. The president negotiates treaties, but the Senate must ratify them
500
How did mercantilist policies create tension between Great Britain and the colonies?
A. by introducing indentured servitude to the middle colonies
B. by requiring colonists to enlist in the military
C. by limiting the amount of farmland each colonist could have
D. by preventing colonists from trading with most other foreign countries
500
The statement below is from the grievances of the Declaration of Independence.
“For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offences”
Which of the laws imposed by the King and Parliament is being referred to in the above grievance?
a. The Intolerable Acts- Allowed a colonist’s trial to be moved to another colony, or to England
b. The Writs of Assistance- Allowed soldiers to search colonists' homes
c. The Quartering Act- required that the colonists feed and house British Soldiers
d. The Stamp Act- required colonists to pay taxes on legal documents
500
Which of the following was the main effect of Shay’s rebellion?
A. It showed the flexibility of the Articles of Confederation to deal with regional problems.
B. It provided a strong argument that the central government should be not be allowed to tax the states.
C. It proved that state militias could not effectively maintain public safety.
D. It led to support for a stronger central government and the writing of a new constitution
500
One of the reasons President Madison asked Congress to declare war on Britain in 1812 was because-
A. The British had attempted to retake some of their former colonies in the Americas.
B. The British helped the French in keeping Americans out of the Louisiana Territory
C. The British supported Native Americans in their conflicts with the Americans in the Northwest territory.
D. The British placed a blockade on all U.S. trade at the Port of New Orleans.
500
The police cannot fine me $1,000,000,000 for a speeding ticket because of the _____ amendment.
A. 4th Amendment
B. 5th Amendment
C. 7th Amendment
D. 8th Amendment
500
- Congress votes on an Immigration Bill
- The Supreme Court hears a case on service animals in schools
- The president issues an Executive Order
Each of the situations above represents which constitutional principle?
A. Checks and balances
B. Separation of powers
C. Federalism
D. Individual Rights
600
Historians generally view the mercantilist system as one of the causes of the American Revolution because it demonstrated that —
A. the colonies would never be profitable to the mother country
B. the mother country and the colonists had different views of colonial trade
C. the colonies could not be successfully defended from the French
D. Britain’s earliest Navigation Acts were impossible to enforce
600
The Stamp Act (1765) placed a tax on every newspaper, book, and legal document in the British colonies. Which description of the Stamp Act is written from the viewpoint of a member of the British Parliament?
A. Britain has the right to tax the colonists to repay debts made in their defense
B. The Stamp Act was unfair since it was enacted without the consent of the colonists.
C. The colonists should not be forced to pay a tax that they strongly oppose
D. The Stamp Act is likely to provoke a war between Britain and its colonies
600
When census numbers show changes in a state’s total population, what is likely to be affected in the state?
A. boundary lines
B. number of counties
C. representation in the United States House of Representatives
D. number of senators in the United States Senate
600
This excerpt supports the conclusion that Jefferson disagreed with —
A. the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review
B. the states’ power to amend the Constitution
C. the presidential power to veto bills
D. the congressional power of impeachment
600
Which idea correctly replaces the question mark in this diagram?
A. Due Process
B. Federalism
C. Eminent Domain
D. Free Speech
600
Which action best reflects the principle of popular sovereignty in the United States?
A. Congress passing a new federal law
B. The President giving the State of the Union address
C. A group of citizens petitioning to change a local law
D. The Supreme Court ruling on a constitutional issue