Politics & Documents
Which 1763 proclamation prohibited colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains?
The Proclamation of 1763
The Louisiana Purchase (1803) accomplished what major change to the United States?
It doubled the size of the United States.
Who was elected in 1860 and whose election immediately triggered Southern secession?
Abraham Lincoln.
The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 primarily accomplished what?
It connected the East and West coasts, facilitating transportation and commerce.
The United States entered World War II after which event?
The attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941).
What slogan expressed colonial opposition to being taxed by a Parliament with no colonial representatives?
"No taxation without representation" — colonists objected to being taxed by a Parliament in which they had no voice.
What 19th-century belief held that the United States was destined to expand across the continent?
Manifest Destiny.
What was Abraham Lincoln’s primary stated goal at the start of the Civil War?
To preserve the Union.
Which industry leaders are correctly paired: Morgan, Vanderbilt, Rockefeller — these families were known for building fortunes during which era?
The Gilded Age.
What policy did the Truman Doctrine (1947) pledge regarding communism?
Containment of communism — supporting nations resisting communist takeover.
Name the document that first officially declared American independence from Britain.
The Declaration of Independence.
Which act (1830) led to the forced relocation known as the Trail of Tears?
The Indian Removal Act of 1830.
The Emancipation Proclamation (1863) freed enslaved people in which areas?
It freed slaves only in rebelling Confederate states (areas in rebellion).
What federal law of 1890 aimed to break up monopolies and trusts?
The Sherman Antitrust Act.
The Marshall Plan (1947) had what primary objective in postwar Europe?
To rebuild Western Europe economically and politically to prevent the spread of communism and revive markets for trade.
Which compromise at the Constitutional Convention created a bicameral legislature balancing population and equal state representation?
The Great Compromise (also called the Connecticut Compromise) — created a bicameral legislature (House by population, Senate with equal state representation).
The Mexican-American War (1846–1848) resulted in the U.S. acquiring which regions?
The United States acquired California and the Southwest (e.g., territories from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo).
Which amendment abolished slavery throughout the United States? (Name the amendment number and its basic provision.)
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery throughout the United States.
List two major goals or reforms of the Progressive Era.
Examples: direct election of senators (17th Amendment later), women's suffrage (movement culminating in 19th Amendment), regulation of big business, prohibition (18th Amendment), labor protections, consumer protections.
What was the Zimmermann Telegram and how did it influence U.S. entry into World War I?
The Zimmermann Telegram was a secret German proposal to Mexico to join Germany against the U.S.; its interception and publication helped push the U.S. toward declaring war on Germany.
Identify criticism of the Articles of Confederation shown by Shays' Rebellion and its effects on federal power.
Shays' Rebellion showed the federal government under the Articles was too weak to maintain order, prompting calls for a stronger central government (led toward Constitutional Convention).
Explain why the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) reignited sectional conflict over slavery.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed popular sovereignty to decide slavery there, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise line and leading to violent conflict ("Bleeding Kansas").
Describe the Compromise of 1877 and its immediate political consequence for Reconstruction.
The Compromise of 1877 resulted in the removal of federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction and allowing Democratic "Redeemer" governments to regain control.
Explain why the Sherman Antitrust Act was considered necessary during the Gilded Age (connect to economic conditions of the period).
The Sherman Act was a response to powerful monopolies and trusts that limited competition and concentrated wealth during rapid industrialization.
Explain the strategic reason given for the U.S. decision to use atomic bombs on Japan in 1945.
The stated reason was to end the war quickly and avoid a costly invasion of Japan, thereby saving American (and Allied) lives and forcing a rapid Japanese surrender.