Top 60 Essential Questions for US History EOC Test 1 (1) What was the underlying reason for the American Revolutionary War? British debt incurred from the French and Indian War (2) The Articles of Confederation was America s first government; what was the major weakness? Could not tax; could not regulate trade, had no executive branch to enforce the laws (3) What two factions are considered to be the first political parties and what did they represent? Anti-federalist supported strong state s rights and federalist supported a strong national government. The federalists were supported in a series of essays written by Hamilton, Jay, and Madison. A promise of the Bill of Rights was guaranteed to get the anti-federalist to ratify the new constitution. (4) Give some examples of Alexander Hamilton s financial plan. Pay off the nat. debt; imposing high tariffs to protect US goods; create a Nat. bank (5) What did George Washington talk about in his farewell address? Neutrality; no political parties; avoid sectionalism (6) What was the significance of the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions? States could attempt to nullify federal laws but this was only a debate that ended with the Civil War (7) What were the underlying causes of the War of 1812? US neutrality on the open seas (impressments) and trouble with British on the western frontier (8) What were some of the significant historical policies under James Monroe? Monroe Doctrine in Latin America and Missouri Compromise (9) What were some of the primary reasons for sectionalism in America? Slavery in the south and industrialization in the north (10) What are some of the significant policies during Andrew Jackson s presidency? Rise of the common man in politics; party nominating conventions; universal white suffrage; increase of spoils system (11) The Second Great Awakening help to what? It started a diversification of many different religions. (12) What did transcendentalist focus on? The individual and one s inner self. (13) What is meant by the cult of domesticity? Women were meant to handle the house chores, educate the children and work along side the men when needed. (14) What does manifest destiny mean in American history? Americans increasingly felt it was their Christian and ordained right to obtain all lands from coast to coast
2 (15) What did popular sovereignty mean towards the issue of slavery? It gave the new territories the right to decide the issue of becoming a slave state or a free state. (16) What was the historical significance of the following: Dred Scott; Harriet Tubman, and John Brown? Dred Scott decision showed the south what the north would try to do with runaway slaves so the fugitive slave law was installed to keep them pacified; Tubman set the under ground railroad to help escaped slaves to freedom in the north; John Brown s raid on Harper s Ferry caused the south to tighten controls on slaves (17) Lincoln s election to the presidency caused what? The direct secession of South Carolina followed by 6 more southern states (18) List the main advantages or disadvantages of the north and south at the beginning of the civil war? South did not have to win just fight a defensive war; the South had more experience generals; the North was far more industrialized; the North had a navy compared to the South; Lincoln had an established government and the South based policy on state rights. (19) Explain the differences between the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13 th amendment? Lincoln freed the slaves in all states in rebellion changing the cause of the war; the 13 th amendment was the legal part southern states had to ratify to rejoin the union after the war. (20) What were the two reconstruction plans following the civil war? Lincoln and Johnson s plans were lenient in allowing the southerners to rejoin the union but radical republicans wanted southerners to pay by dividing the south into 5 military districts that did not withdraw till the Compromise of 1877 (21) President Andrew Johnson was impeached over what issue? The tenure of office act, which accused him of giving people jobs without the authority to do so before the act was law. He survived a Senate hearing. (22) What were the Black Codes and sharecroppers? The Black Codes were used in the deep South to keep blacks from using their legal rights. Former slaves turned to sharecropping to survive. They worked the former slave owners land for a percentage of the crop. (23) Western expansion exploded onto the scene because of what developments? Transcontinental railroad; cattle needed for the East (24) The Dawes Act tried to accomplish what? Assimilation of Indians into American lifestyle and it failed (25) How did the Grange, farmers, and the Interstate Commerce Act correlate? Farmers formed the Grange wanting the government to take over railroads; instead the national government eventually regulated prices through the Interstate Commerce Act which regulated all commerce across the nation.
3 (26) The name of robber barons was give to whom and for what reason? The name was given to people such as Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Morgan for using unethical business practices to form monopolies. (27) What is the temperance movement? A movement primarily formulated by women to prohibit the sale, consumption, and manufacturing of all alcohol. They thought that the root of all evil was alcohol. (28) Why did labor unions spring up and what was the initial reaction to them? The initial movement was to bring about better working conditions, safer work areas, better wages, workers compensation and fewer hours; but they led to violent strikes associating then with the socialist movement. (29) What were some the problems that urbanization of cites brought to the US in the late 1800 s and early 1900 s? Sanitation, housing, infrastructure of cities, political machines controlling politics and jobs, corrupt politicians. (30) The period from 1877-1900 was called what and why? The Gilded Age because it referred to the superficial glitter of the new wealth so prominently displayed, yet the politicians ignored the problems of industrialization until it was too late. (31) What was one of the main issues that William Jennings Bryan s talk about? Backing the US dollar up not just by gold but also by gold and silver to help the economy with more currency. (32) During the late 1800 s and early 1900 s the US embarked on a foreign policy of what and why? Imperialism; expanding our boundaries and influence around the world in hopes of creating a larger consumer market for goods exported abroad. (33) The legacy of the Spanish American War : The US had become a world power with a world class navy with a new willingness to become involved in world affairs and a stronger national pride. (34) Why was the Panama Canal built? It was Teddy Roosevelt s dream to be able to get the US navy from the Atlantic to the Pacific and back if needed in a much faster method. (35) From 1901-1918 is a period noted by what movement and what were the reforms? The Progressive Era; reform govt. with secret ballot, direct primaries, direct election of senators, initiatives, referendum and recall elections, social responsibility to the people, control public utilities; trust busting and railroad regulation, consumer protection. (36) What political party rose up that mirrored political change across the world from 1900-1930 s? The Socialist Party with Eugene Debs in the US; Lenin and Stalin with the Communist Party in Russia; Mussolini with the Fascist Party; Japan with militaristic domination of the emperor.
4 (37) What two African Americans preached equality and what were their strategies during the 1900 s? W.E.B. Du Bois demanded equal rights immediately while Booker T. Washington stated that blacks needed education and economic progress to achieve equality. (38) The 19 th amendment finally did what? Gave women suffrage or the right to vote. (39) What were the main incidents that led the US into WWI? Armament shipments to France and Great Britain; sinking of the Lusitania with 128 Americans aboard; unrestricted U-boat attacks on US merchant ships and the Zimmerman Note trying to bring Mexico into the war against the US. (40) President Woodrow Wilson failed in his attempt to accomplish what after WWI? Ratification of the Treaty of Versailles and the US joining the League of Nations (41) What US attorney general began sweeping raids to stop communism? Palmer raids from 1919 to 1920 arresting socialist, and labor agitators. (42) What trial caused a stir in public education? Scopes trial accusing a teacher of teaching evolution in public schools (43) What two people were convicted of murder from circumstantial evidence simply because they were foreigners and atheists and anarchist? Sacco and Vanzetti (44) What did 64 countries sign and promised to never be the aggressor? Kellogg Briand Pact (45) What amendment actually caused crime to rise? 18 th amendment prohibiting the sale, consumption, and manufacture of alcohol (46) There were many causes of the Great Depression, but which one finally broke America s economic back? The stock market crash of 1929 (47) What were the main causes of the Great Depression? Uneven distribution of wealth, stock market speculation, excessive use of credit, overproduction of consumer goods, weak farm economy, government policies, global economic problems, and drought in the mid west. (48) What are some of the most important things one should know about Franklin Delano Roosevelt s presidency? New Deal policies that made attempts at ending the depression but only increased the size of the federal govt. and expanded the national debt; Social Security Act; and leadership during the depression and World War II (49) Important facts about WWII: Appeasement towards Hitler failed; Pearl Harbor attacked by Japan; strategy of fighting the Germans first; cash and carry v. lend lease to help Britain; Island Hoping strategy in the Pacific campaign; women s role increases during the war; Manhattan Project of developing the atomic bomb; Midway battle turning point in the Pacific; Battle of the Bulge last German offensive; holocaust and extermination of the Jews;
5 (50) During the 1950 s American s turned to consumerism by what means? Buying on credit; per capita income tripled; highest standard of living in the world (51) The GI Bill offered veterans what after the war? 15 million returning soldiers could get loans to return to school, build houses, or start businesses (52) Important facts about the Cold War: US-Soviet relations over eastern European countries; occupation of Germany after the war; the Berlin wall and the Berlin airlift; containment policy of the US; the Truman Doctrine; the Marshall Plan; NATO v. Warsaw Pact, build up of atomic weapons, Korean War with China involved; McCarthyism (53) Eisenhower s presidency: Kept the US out of war; ended the Korean War; prosperity; Eisenhower Doctrine pledging economic and military aid to any Middle Eastern country; given credit for highways systems; warned us in his farewell speech about military-industrial complex (54) The Civil Rights movement began with whom and from what court cases? Brown v. Bd. of Ed. stating that segregation was illegal for any reason; Rosa Parks started the Montgomery Bus Boycott; Martin Luther King and non-violent demonstrations. Civil Rights Act of 1964; Voting Rights Act of 1965 (55) Kennedy s presidency: New Frontier symbolism of changes to come; wins 1960 election because of TV debates; Peace Core; Bay of Pigs invasion; Cuban missile crisis (56) Important facts about the Vietnam War: LBJ s build up of forces after getting the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution; the Pentagon Papers showing that the government lied about Vietnam; TET Offensive proving we were losing the war; Nixon s vietnamization policy; rolling thunder campaign (57) Nixon s presidency: New Federalism shifting social issues to states; Watergate and Nixon s resignation; Nixon s foreign policy in visiting China and the Soviet Union; President s pardon of Nixon (58) Jimmy Carter s presidency: Giving away the Panama Canal; Camp David Accords achieving peace between Israel and Egypt; Iran hostage crisis and his inability to resolve it; gas shortage (59) Reagan s presidency: Rise of Conservatism; supply side economics; budget and trade deficits increase; military expenditures increase; Iran Contra Scandal (60) Bush presidency: Persian Gulf War; the Cold War ends (60) Clinton s presidency: Universal health care failed; North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); impeachment for lying under oath; elected twice by a minority of a minority of voters because of Ross Perot as a third party candidate