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Quiz about American History  18001850
Quiz about American History  18001850

American History : 1800-1850 Trivia Quiz


This history quiz will be focused on the events and people prominent in the period 1800-1850. It will cover a variety of topics and the questions are not in chronological order. Have fun and learn!

A multiple-choice quiz by trypanosome. Estimated time: 9 mins.
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  9. USA in the 19th.Century

Author
trypanosome
Time
9 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
118,119
Updated
Aug 06 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
3058
Last 3 plays: Guest 24 (10/10), Guest 5 (4/10), Guest 172 (3/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Prior to the election of 1800, members of the Federalist party held most of the prominent positions in the Federal Government. They had passed The Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798. These laws were viewed as a threat to individual liberties and were the basis of the campaign in the 1800 election. Who won the election and whom did the winner defeat? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. In 1802, then President Thomas Jefferson sent diplomat James Monroe to France in response to French activity in Louisiana. Napoleon had sent troops into New Orleans and the Caribbean, which threatened American use of the economically important port. What caused Napoleon to send troops to New Orleans? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In 1803, shortly after the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the U.S., France and Britain went to war against each other again (They had already been at war from 1793-1802). The British destroyed the French Navy, and outlawed U.S. trade with France. The British seized American ships and forced Americans to serve in the British Navy. The British subjects who were settled in Canada also provided support to the Native Americans, who resented the Westward Expansion into their lands expediated by the Louisiana Purchase. The Native American tribes in the Northwest organized in 1805 under the Shawnee leader Tecumseh. Then Governor of the Illinois Territory William Henry Harrison engaged and defeated the British-backed Native Americans in 1811 in what battle? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. The United States declared war on England in the summer of 1812. President James Madison asked Congress for the Declaration of War. Many of the New England States opposed the war with Britain, as they enjoyed a profitable trade relationship with that country. But British support of Indian attacks on frontier settlements and interference in the transport of Southern goods led the group of Congressmen known as the "War Hawks" to grant Madison his wish. The "War Hawks" were led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, a native of Kentucky. Who was he? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The period following the War of 1812 was called "The Era of Good Feelings". With the defeat of Napolean in 1814, Europe entered a period of relative peace, and the U.S. Government turned its attention to domestic concerns. The vast addition of area caused a rapid westward migration of settlers. The increasing population resulted some of the territories applying for statehood. One particular concern with westward expansion was the issue of slavery. The Northern states opposed slavery on moral grounds, the Southern states valued it as a vital aspect of their agriculturally based economy. When Missouri applied for Statehood in 1818, there was considerable tension and division over this issue. If Missouri were admitted as a "slave state", it would have been a blow to the Northern States. What was the reason for this concern? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The election of 1824 featured the "Favorite Sons", four Republican candidates with strong support from their home states: John Quincy Adams from Massachussetts, Andrew Jackson from Tennessee, Henry Clay from Kentucky and William Crawford from Georgia. Clay and Jackson had a history of contempt for each other. In 1824, Clay held the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives, a position that allowed Clay substantial influence among the rank and file, as it does today. Now, among the four candidates, none of them won enough electoral votes to gain a clear majority. Jackson led the candidates in the popular vote, followed by Adams, then Crawford, and Clay held up the rear. By constitutional procedure, the House of Representatives was tabbed to settle the matter by voting for their choice of the top three candidates from the popular vote. This eliminated Clay from contention. Clay, the most powerful person in the House, threw his support behind John Quincy Adams and lobbied his fellows in the House to vote for Adams. As it turned out, Adams won the election. This was frustrating for Jackson and his supporters. They disliked Adams, considered him an out-of-touch aristocrat. When Adams appointed Henry Clay to a prominent post in his Cabinet, Jackson's backers screamed that this was a "corrupt bargain". To which post was Clay named that caused all the discord? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The Industrial Revolution in Europe brought new technologies to America. One of those changes was in the production of cotton cloth. Samuel Slater and Francis Cabot Lowell brought British innovations to America and Lowell built the first complete textile mill in which northern state? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Prior to the election of Andrew Jackson in 1828, government offices were largely held by members of the upper classes. In Jackson's Administration, many offices were vacated and subsequently filled with "common people." Jackson reasoned that upper class citizens were not the only ones capable of holding government office, and that anyone with ample intelligence can perform the tasks that comprise a public duty. He also wanted to fill those positions with loyal party members. This common practice of giving government jobs to party backers is referred to as the_________________

Answer: (Two Words)
Question 9 of 10
9. The explosion of the cotton trade in the South created a desire to remove the Southeastern Native Americans from their native lands to Indian Territory, in what would eventually become Oklahoma. The Federal Government, including Presidenct John Quincy Adams, protected them from local attempts to swindle the tribes out of their land. Jackson reversed the stance and proposed to Congress to Indian Removal Act of 1830. Over the next several years, Native Americans were forcibly relocated west of the Mississippi River. The last nation to be forced out were the Cherokee, whose harsh journey in 1838 and 1839 was befittingly called the ______________

Answer: (Three words)
Question 10 of 10
10. Since the drafting of the Constitution, debate over the rights of the individual states has existed. In the 1830's and 1840's, political and economic differences erupted into hostilities between Congressional leaders from the Northeastern, Western, and Southern states over such issues as tariffs, sale of public lands, and internal improvements such as roads and bridges. These differences became known as sectionalism. When Congress passed a tariff bill that raised tariffs to an all-time high, South Carolina started to discuss leaving the United States. To reduce this threat, Vice President John C. Calhoun, also from South Carolina, proposed the idea that the individual states can rule a Federal Law unconstitutional on the grounds that it favors one section over another. This idea was referred to as ___________

Answer: (One Word)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Prior to the election of 1800, members of the Federalist party held most of the prominent positions in the Federal Government. They had passed The Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798. These laws were viewed as a threat to individual liberties and were the basis of the campaign in the 1800 election. Who won the election and whom did the winner defeat?

Answer: Thomas Jefferson; John Adams

The Alien Act stated that people coming into the United States needed to live here for 14 years before they could become citizens. The Sedition Act outlawed inflammatory speeches or article in the press against the Federal Government. They were targeted attempts to silence criticism of opponents of Federalist policy. Thomas Jefferson was an opponent of Federalist views and felt that the Federalist dominated government was harming individual liberties.

The final tally of the vote gave Jefferson a one vote victory over Aaron Burr, who, under the rules of elections at that time, became the Vice President. Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury under Washington, detested Burr.

They ran against each other in the New York Gubernatorial election in 1804. During the campaign, words were exchanged and Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel in which Hamilton lost his life.
2. In 1802, then President Thomas Jefferson sent diplomat James Monroe to France in response to French activity in Louisiana. Napoleon had sent troops into New Orleans and the Caribbean, which threatened American use of the economically important port. What caused Napoleon to send troops to New Orleans?

Answer: A slave rebellion in Hispaniola

The situation in the Caribbean and increasing tensions between France and England led Napoleon to decide to offer the entire Louisiana Territory to America. An interesting side to this was that Jefferson was not sure if his office had the constitutional power to make the deal that became known as the Louisiana Purchase.

The dilemma was solved when the Senate approved the transaction as an official treaty, which was within its constitutionally granted powers.
3. In 1803, shortly after the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the U.S., France and Britain went to war against each other again (They had already been at war from 1793-1802). The British destroyed the French Navy, and outlawed U.S. trade with France. The British seized American ships and forced Americans to serve in the British Navy. The British subjects who were settled in Canada also provided support to the Native Americans, who resented the Westward Expansion into their lands expediated by the Louisiana Purchase. The Native American tribes in the Northwest organized in 1805 under the Shawnee leader Tecumseh. Then Governor of the Illinois Territory William Henry Harrison engaged and defeated the British-backed Native Americans in 1811 in what battle?

Answer: The Battle of Tippecanoe

Harrison's victory against the Shawnee Alliance gave rise to his later campaign slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too!"
4. The United States declared war on England in the summer of 1812. President James Madison asked Congress for the Declaration of War. Many of the New England States opposed the war with Britain, as they enjoyed a profitable trade relationship with that country. But British support of Indian attacks on frontier settlements and interference in the transport of Southern goods led the group of Congressmen known as the "War Hawks" to grant Madison his wish. The "War Hawks" were led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, a native of Kentucky. Who was he?

Answer: Henry Clay

The War of 1812 ended with the Treaty of Ghent in December of 1814. However, neither side knew that the treaty had been signed and the war was over. The fighting came to close with the British defeat at the hands of an army led by Andrew Jackson in the famous Battle of New Orleans in January of 1815.

The New England States who had opposed the war held the Hartford Convention in 1814. They were to discuss seceding from the Union and making a seperate peace agreement with England. But the war ended in England's defeat and the Federalists were humiliated. That was it for the Federalist party in the U.S. Additionally, the four men mentioned above would all come to play in the near future, as "Favorite Sons".
5. The period following the War of 1812 was called "The Era of Good Feelings". With the defeat of Napolean in 1814, Europe entered a period of relative peace, and the U.S. Government turned its attention to domestic concerns. The vast addition of area caused a rapid westward migration of settlers. The increasing population resulted some of the territories applying for statehood. One particular concern with westward expansion was the issue of slavery. The Northern states opposed slavery on moral grounds, the Southern states valued it as a vital aspect of their agriculturally based economy. When Missouri applied for Statehood in 1818, there was considerable tension and division over this issue. If Missouri were admitted as a "slave state", it would have been a blow to the Northern States. What was the reason for this concern?

Answer: It would have broken the numerical equality between slave and free states in the Senate

The Northern States protested against the idea of slavery in the territories, and when Missouri applied as a slave state, it threatened the advantage the free states had in Congress. (They already had a strong majority in the House, being that there were higher populations in the Northern states).

There was considerable wrangling in Congress on how to preserve this balance of power, which was resolved when Maine applied for statehood as a free state. This became a part of what would become the Missouri Compromise of 1820.
6. The election of 1824 featured the "Favorite Sons", four Republican candidates with strong support from their home states: John Quincy Adams from Massachussetts, Andrew Jackson from Tennessee, Henry Clay from Kentucky and William Crawford from Georgia. Clay and Jackson had a history of contempt for each other. In 1824, Clay held the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives, a position that allowed Clay substantial influence among the rank and file, as it does today. Now, among the four candidates, none of them won enough electoral votes to gain a clear majority. Jackson led the candidates in the popular vote, followed by Adams, then Crawford, and Clay held up the rear. By constitutional procedure, the House of Representatives was tabbed to settle the matter by voting for their choice of the top three candidates from the popular vote. This eliminated Clay from contention. Clay, the most powerful person in the House, threw his support behind John Quincy Adams and lobbied his fellows in the House to vote for Adams. As it turned out, Adams won the election. This was frustrating for Jackson and his supporters. They disliked Adams, considered him an out-of-touch aristocrat. When Adams appointed Henry Clay to a prominent post in his Cabinet, Jackson's backers screamed that this was a "corrupt bargain". To which post was Clay named that caused all the discord?

Answer: Secretary of State

The 'corrupt bargain' allegations resurfaced in 1828, when Adams and Jackson again ran for President in what would soon descend into one of the ugliest campaigns in American History. John Quincy Adams is widely considered to be one of the best Secretaries of State the U.S. has ever had.

But his Presidency was tarnished by similarities in policy to his Federalist father, his spending bills, and the scandal that contributed to his rise to the Oval Office. He lost the election of 1828 to Jackson.

It was the start of a change in American Politics that we still see today.
7. The Industrial Revolution in Europe brought new technologies to America. One of those changes was in the production of cotton cloth. Samuel Slater and Francis Cabot Lowell brought British innovations to America and Lowell built the first complete textile mill in which northern state?

Answer: Massachussetts

Lowell's factory was in Waltham, Massachussetts. His operators, mostly women, worked in decent conditions under Lowell's Waltham System. They lived in supervised dormitories, had healthcare, and were taught to read and write. High demands for production and the desire to increase profits eventually led factory owners to become less concerned for workers' safety and welfare, leading to the hazardous working conditions and long hours that resulted in the eventual development of organized Labor Unions.
8. Prior to the election of Andrew Jackson in 1828, government offices were largely held by members of the upper classes. In Jackson's Administration, many offices were vacated and subsequently filled with "common people." Jackson reasoned that upper class citizens were not the only ones capable of holding government office, and that anyone with ample intelligence can perform the tasks that comprise a public duty. He also wanted to fill those positions with loyal party members. This common practice of giving government jobs to party backers is referred to as the_________________

Answer: spoils system

The Jackson Administration's use of the spoils system is historically noteworthy because it is the first occasion where the hold of the upper class on government office was broken. It is one of the changes in American Politics for which "Jacksonian Democracy" is noted.
9. The explosion of the cotton trade in the South created a desire to remove the Southeastern Native Americans from their native lands to Indian Territory, in what would eventually become Oklahoma. The Federal Government, including Presidenct John Quincy Adams, protected them from local attempts to swindle the tribes out of their land. Jackson reversed the stance and proposed to Congress to Indian Removal Act of 1830. Over the next several years, Native Americans were forcibly relocated west of the Mississippi River. The last nation to be forced out were the Cherokee, whose harsh journey in 1838 and 1839 was befittingly called the ______________

Answer: Trail of Tears

Over 3000 of the 15,000 strong Cherokee Nation died on the Trail of Tears, mostly from exposure, sickness, and starvation.
10. Since the drafting of the Constitution, debate over the rights of the individual states has existed. In the 1830's and 1840's, political and economic differences erupted into hostilities between Congressional leaders from the Northeastern, Western, and Southern states over such issues as tariffs, sale of public lands, and internal improvements such as roads and bridges. These differences became known as sectionalism. When Congress passed a tariff bill that raised tariffs to an all-time high, South Carolina started to discuss leaving the United States. To reduce this threat, Vice President John C. Calhoun, also from South Carolina, proposed the idea that the individual states can rule a Federal Law unconstitutional on the grounds that it favors one section over another. This idea was referred to as ___________

Answer: nullification

When the South Carolina Legislature nullified the Tariff Bill, President Jackson was furious. He said that if any blood was shed over this, he would personally grab the first responsible man he could find and hang him from the first tree he could find. Fortunately, a compromise was reached when Congress repealed the Tariff Bill in exchange for the Southern States abandonment of nullification.

But the compromise was short-lived and eventually culminated in the Civil War.
Source: Author trypanosome

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