Liberty
What is the main job of the Constitution’s Preamble?
A. To list all of the nation’s official laws
B. To explain the goals of the new government
C. To spell out the rights of individual citizens
D. To reduce the president’s power
B. To explain the goals of the new government
How does “form a more perfect union” connect to the Mayflower Compact?
A. Both focused mainly on religious freedom
B. Both stressed unity and teamwork for shared goals
C. Both guaranteed people’s right to own land
D. Both gave individuals the power to make their own laws
Both stressed unity and teamwork for shared goals
How were free laborers different from servants and enslaved people?
A. They worked without pay and weren’t fed
B. They had contracts promising land after service
C. They couldn’t pass property to children
D. They could pick jobs and move for better opportunities
D. They could pick jobs and move for better opportunities
What is the definition of a "Constitution"?
A. The introduction to a set of goals.
B. A written plan explaining how a government is set up and how it works.
C. A list of laws and rules created by the colonies.
D. The government’s official goals or to-do list.
A written plan explaining how a government is set up and how it works.
Which goal of the Preamble is defined using the vocabulary term "peace inside the country"?
A. Establish Justice
B. Form a more perfect Union
C. Insure Domestic Tranquility
D. Promote the General Welfare
Insure Domestic Tranquility
In the Preamble, what does the phrase “establish justice” mean?
A. Forcing everyone to attend church services
B. Allowing states to act on their own separate from the nation
C. Ending all taxes for citizens
D. Creating fair laws and courts for the people
D. Creating fair laws and courts for the people
Why did diseases spread so fast among Native Americans after 1492?
A. They had no natural defenses against European illnesses
B. They refused medical treatment from European doctors
C. They were forced into unhealthy cities with lots of animals
D. The Americas always had plagues and this was just a coincidence
They had no natural defenses against European illnesses
A colonial assembly is debating whether to pass a law requiring colonists to pay taxes to fund militias. Which goal of the Preamble is this debate most directly attempting to fulfill?
A. Promote the General Welfare
B. Provide for the Common Defense
C. Establish Justice
D. Form a more perfect Union
Provide for the Common Defense
In the Preamble, the term "Posterity" refers to:
A. Leaders and respected chiefs
B. Future generations
C. Colonists who work in agriculture
D. Military protection from enemies
Future generations
In what significant way are the perspectives of Bartolomé de las Casas and Powhatan similar regarding the Europeans they encountered?
A. Both agree that the Europeans should have paid more taxes for defense.
B. Both accuse the Europeans of being driven by greed for land and riches.
C. Both believe that Europeans are willing to live peaceably once they understand Native culture.
D. Both describe how Europeans acted as obedient and loyal subjects to their king.
Both accuse the Europeans of being driven by greed for land and riches.
The Preamble starts with "We the People of the United States..." What is the main meaning of this phrase?
A. The new government’s power comes from the citizens, not a king
B. The Constitution’s only purpose was defense against France and Native allies
C. Only wealthy merchants had a voice in government
D. Earlier agreements failed because they ignored religion
A. The new government’s power comes from the citizens, not a king
The Pueblo people's use of irrigation systems to water their crops in a desert environment primarily demonstrates their ability to:
A. Successfully trade with neighboring tribes for water from local rivers.
B. Resist Spanish military conquest effectively by building a moat around their territory.
C. Adapt and innovate complex farming societies in challenging climates.
D. Rely solely on hunting and gathering for survival.
C. Adapt and innovate complex farming societies in challenging climates.
Why did some colonists oppose following Britain’s military orders during the French and Indian War?
A. They thought British commanders ignored local needs.
B. They believed Britain had the weakest army and would get defeated by Spain.
C. They wanted higher taxes to pay for soldiers.
D. They trusted Britain to keep them safe.
A. They thought British commanders ignored local needs.
How did free laborers differ from indentured servants and enslaved Africans?
A. They were forced to work without pay and were not allowed to eat while working.
B. They had contracts that promised land after service.
C. They could not pass land or skills to children.
D. They could choose jobs and move for better opportunities.
D. They could choose jobs and move for better opportunities.
Which negative outcome of the Columbian Exchange had the most devastating effect on the Native American population?
A. The forced labor in mines and plantations.
B. The introduction of diseases like smallpox, measles, and influenza, leading to up to 90% population loss.
C. The destruction of forests by European settlers.
D. The forced relocation of the Iroquois Confederacy.
The introduction of diseases like smallpox, measles, and influenza, leading to up to 90% population loss.
What does “colonization” mean?
A. Trading plants, animals, and diseases between Old and New Worlds
B. Working together to form a stronger union
C. One nation taking over land and people in another place for its own use
D. None of these
C. One nation taking over land and people in another place for its own use
The goal "Secure the Blessings of Liberty to Ourselves and Our Posterity" focuses on ensuring freedom for current and future generations. Which group was explicitly denied liberty for themselves and their children (Posterity)?
A. Quakers in Pennsylvania
B. Indentured servants
C. Merchants in New Amsterdam
D. Enslaved Africans
Enslaved Africans
What was the primary difference between an Indentured Servant and a person subject to chattel slavery regarding the length of their service?
A. Indentured servants worked only during harvest season, while enslaved people worked year-round.
B. Indentured servitude was voluntary, while chattel slavery was forced.
C. Indentured servitude lasted for a contractually set period (usually four to seven years), while chattel slavery meant service for life, passing the status to children.
D. Only enslaved people received "freedom dues" after their service ended.
Indentured servitude lasted for a contractually set period (usually four to seven years), while chattel slavery meant service for life, passing the status to children.
Two students argue about the Preamble. One says “promote the general welfare” is most important, the other says “provide for the common defense.” Which argument best supports the first student?
A. The government’s only job is to protect citizens with a strong military
B. Citizens need safety from enemies above all else
C. People thrive when the nation supports health and well-being
D. The government should not involve itself in public needs
People thrive when the nation supports health and well-being
The phrase "form a more perfect Union" most strongly suggests which idea about the governmental structure that existed immediately before the Constitution was written?
A. The previous system lacked adequate military defense.
B. The previous system was already perfect and needed only minor changes.
C. The states were not working together effectively as a unified country.
D. The government failed to provide justice for wealthy landowners.
The states were not working together effectively as a unified country.
The Mayflower Compact is cited as an agreement to "work as one group a 'civil body politic'". This agreement most directly addressed the issue of:
A. Securing Native alliances to fight the French.
B. Establishing a system of self-governance.
C. Mandating military service for all able-bodied men.
D. Collecting taxes to pay for common defense.
B. Establishing a system of self-governance.
By the late 1600s, plantation owners increasingly turned from indentured servitude to enslaved Africans because:
A. Improved opportunities in England reduced the supply of indentured servants, and Native American labor was unreliable due to disease and resistance.
B. Indentured servants began demanding pay and representation in colonial assemblies.
C. The Middle Passage became less expensive and less dangerous.
D. Chattel slavery was easier to manage than the encomienda system.
Improved opportunities in England reduced the supply of indentured servants, and Native American labor was unreliable due to disease and resistance.