Q&A Hero

Q: Which of the following was accomplished by the federal government under the Articles of Confederation? a. The Treaty of Greenville was signed. b. Ordinances were passed for establishing settlement of western territory. c. Trade agreements were signed with Spain and France. d. A moratorium on the importation of slaves was put into place. e. National currency was printed to control inflation of state currencies.

Q: Which of the following statements encapsulates Thomas Jeffersons idea of an empire of liberty? a. Those living in the western territories were to be treated as political equals. b. All Native Americans were to be granted the rights to vote and own property. c. Slaves living in America were to be freed and relocated to American colonies in Africa. d. The West was to be ruled as a colony until debts to Revolutionary War soldiers could be repaid. e. America was to provide military support to Canada in its own bid for independence from France.

Q: What was one of the terms of the Ordinance of 1785? a. It established guidelines for surveying, apportioning, and selling land. b. It prohibited the expansion of slavery throughout the West. c. It established stages of self-government for territories seeking to become states. d. It offered free land to anyone willing to establish a homestead in the West. e. It relocated Native American tribes to tracts west of the Mississippi.

Q: What did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 pledge in regard to Indian tribes in the Old Northwest? a. They were to be considered at war with America until they relocated farther west. b. They were granted only a tenth of the available land to govern as they saw fit. c. They were granted annual payments from the federal government. d. They were to be forcibly removed immediately and put to work as slaves. e. They were to be treated fairly and their land not taken without consent.

Q: Under President Washington, Secretary of War Henry Knox had hoped to pursue a more peaceful policy with the Indians. How did U.S. policy concerning the Indians unfold in the 1790s?

Q: How did the Articles of Confederation compare to the Constitution with regard to the economy? a. Under the Articles, states made more decisions about the economy than the national government. b. Under the Articles, states did not take an interest in their respective economies. c. Under the new Constitution, land distribution would benefit the poor. d. Under the new Constitution, current property holders were losing rights. e. Under both the Articles and the Constitution, the national government played a prominent role in economic decisions.

Q: In the aftermath of the Revolution, a common national identity and consciousness a. cemented immediately. b. never really developed. roots c. took time to sink deep. d. was required by law. e. existed only among poor people.

Q: What was Congress able to accomplish with its Native American policy under the Articles of Confederation? a. Nothing; Congress was so powerless under the Articles that nothing happened in this area. b. It negotiated treaties for the tribes to keep their lands, but Congress was so lacking in power that the treaties proved useless. c. Congress demanded and received surrenders of large amounts of Indian land north of the Ohio River and in the South. d. Congress backed away from any involvement when land companies requested that the government step aside and leave the Wests economic development in private hands. e. Congress recruited enough state militias to force the Native Americans off their land.

Q: How did Americans tend to describe their nation during the era of the Revolution? a. as an empire governed by force in the spirit of the most powerful European empires that had preceded it b. as a perpetual union that, although currently much smaller in size than Great Britain, Spain, and France, was united by ideas c. as a city upon a hill, with the American population consisting almost entirely of English Puritans d. as a rising empire, destined to populate and control the entire North American continent e. as a site of nationalism above all, defined by a national patriotism that no longer had any room for local loyalties

Q: Why did Congress claim that some Indians had forfeited their land rights in the aftermath of independence? a. because they did not farm it b. because the Indians never believed that they owned the land c. because they were racially inferior d. because they had no written title to the land e. because they had aided the British during the war

Q: Which of the following was an advantage possessed by the United States in the decades following the Revolution? a. an extensive system of roads and canals that almost entirely blurred regional differences in the new nation b. physical isolation from Europe that helped prevent American involvement in European wars during the period c. a relatively homogenous population that quickly created a strong, united sense of American identity d. a strong economy that dominated those of existing empires and almost immediately made the United States an imperial power e. a predominantly older population that had a mature perspective about the gradual changes that would make the new nation prosperous

Q: Which of the following was a challenge that America faced in the era of the Revolution? a. a predominantly urban population b. a drawn-out, ongoing war with the Indians in the Mid-Atlantic c. the fact that literacy rates and property ownership among white citizens were low d. the strength of local, as opposed to national, loyalties e. a series of fierce and bloody slave uprisings

Q: Explain the arguments of the Anti-Federalists. How did they define liberty and what role did they see government having in protecting that liberty?

Q: What do you see as the chief contributions of the Bill of Rights to American life today?

Q: Which of the following was a characteristic of the federal government under the Articles of Confederation? a. Congress was a two-chambered body, with a House of Delegates and a Council. b. Congress could not levy taxes or regulate commerce. c. Congress could amend the Articles by a two-thirds vote. d. There were two branches of governmentjudicial and legislativebut no executive. e. The more populous a state, the more votes it cast in Congress.

Q: Using Letters from an American Farmer and Notes on the State of Virginia, discuss the reach of American citizenship. What did it take to be free and to have liberties in the new nation? According to Cr vecoeur and Jefferson, would there ever be a time when America might be a melting pot of more than just white Europeans?

Q: Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was able to a. establish national control over land to the west of the thirteen states. b. select a president to enforce the laws of the national government. c. create a new tax policy that would better fund the government. d. eliminate a provision giving judges power to reject congressional acts. e. block the passage of numerous constitutional amendments.

Q: As Benjamin Franklin left the room in which the Constitutional Convention was held, supposedly a woman asked him, What have you men given us in there? He replied, A republic, if you can keep it. What do you think Franklin meant by that statement? Certainly think back to the idea of a virtuous citizenry that all the founding fathers believed was essential. Your response should pull from the writings of The Federalist as well.

Q: How did the Articles of Confederation compare to the Constitution in regard to sovereignty? a. Under the Articles, states had more autonomy, while the Constitution gave no powers to the states. b. Under the Articles, states had more autonomy, while the Constitution gave some powers to the states. c. Under the Articles, states had no power to run the country, while the Constitution gave more powers to the states. d. Under the Articles, states had some power to run the country, while the Constitution gave more powers to the states. e. Under both the Articles and the Constitution, the states and national government had equal power to run the country.

Q: Indians and whites shared an understanding of freedom that included land ownership and the right to vote in the new American government.

Q: Who became full-fledged members of the American political community under the U.S. Constitution? Fully explain what criteria were used and who was excluded from membership.

Q: The U.S. Constitution of 1787 provided a clear definition of U.S. citizenship that excluded blacks.

Q: James Madison declared, Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty as well as the abuses of power. This statement reflected a concern that public liberty might endanger private liberty. Carefully analyze this concern. Why might some Americans take this view? Which liberty was more valued? How did the final Constitution reflect this concern?

Q: Cr vecoeurs Letters from an American Farmer described America as a melting pot of Europeans.

Q: Identify the three major ways that the U.S. Constitution addressed the institution of slavery. Would you say the Constitution was a proslavery or an anti-slavery document? Explain your answer.

Q: James Madison wrote and published the book Notes on the State of Virginia.

Q: So adamant was he about separating church and state that James Madison opposed the appointment of chaplains to serve Congress and the military.

Q: Jefferson believed that African-Americans could eventually achieve economic independence and practice effective self-government.

Q: The Bill of Rights was celebrated by Americans upon its authoring and soon became a staple of public school education for decades.

Q: George Washington made a significant statement about slavery when he freed his slaves before taking the presidential office.

Q: Battles over Indian territory continued after ratification of the Constitution.

Q: Compare the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution. Which document did a better job of protecting liberties? Running a government? Explain your answer with specific examples.

Q: Thomas Jefferson believed Indians could be the equals of whites if they abandoned their communal ideas of land ownership.

Q: How did the framers of the Constitution balance the competing claims of local self-government, sectional interests, and national authority?

Q: What served as a sort of school of political democracy for the members of the lower orders in the colonies-turned-states? a. the Protestant churches b. the lower houses of the state legislatures c. the taverns d. the militia e. the first public schools

Q: In the U.S. Constitution, the fugitive slave clause kept the condition of bondage for a slave even if he or she escaped to a free state.

Q: How did the Revolutionary Wars radical potential play out in Pennsylvania? a. Benjamin Franklins departure for France left control of the state up for grabs, and the lower classes took over. b. The prewar elite had supported independence, then tried to negotiate with Great Britain, costing themselves the respect of the lower classes, who took power from them. c. Philadelphias artisan and lower-class communities took control and put a new emphasis on freedom and on more democratic politics. d. The Second Continental Congress had to take over the state when the people voted to abolish the position of governor, thereby showing how the new nations power dynamic would differ greatly from the old system. e. Just through the population retaining the old style of government, they demonstrated that major change was possible without uprooting the whole system.

Q: James Madison argued in The Federalist that the large size and diversity of the United States was a source of political stability, not a weakness.

Q: How did the prewar elite in Pennsylvania differ from that in other colonies? a. The prewar elite in Pennsylvania was equally split between support for Britain and support for American independence. b. The entire prewar elite in Pennsylvania was sympathetic to the revolutionary cause. c. Almost all prewar Pennsylvania elites supported the revolutionary cause in name only, while secretly passing information to the British. d. Prewar Pennsylvania elites were drastically more outspoken about their political position (patriotism) than other elite colonists. e. Nearly the entire prewar elite in Pennsylvania opposed independence.

Q: Anti-Federalists were concerned that the Constitution severely limited liberty.

Q: What development in Pennsylvania made it possible for men of modest wealth to gain significant political influence following the Revolution? f. the settlement of Philadelphia and smaller cities by Quaker dissidents g. a series of whiskey rebellions in the state in the 1770s h. the establishment of free public education for all males in 1745 i. the fact that almost the entire prewar elite there had opposed independence j. the ethnic diversity of the Pennsylvania population

Q: Two of the original thirteen states initially refused to ratify the Constitution.

Q: In Pennsylvania, new leaders like Thomas Paine and Benjamin Rush wanted to see what occur with regard to voting rights? a. They realized angry mobs could get out of hand, so voting had to be limited. b. They wanted every proposed law to be voted on by all citizens. c. Voting requirements needed to eliminate property qualifications. d. The votes of merchants should count double those of citizens who did not own property. e. They criticized the idea of equality in regard to voting.

Q: Which of the following statements accurately describes class stratification in the United States following the War for Independence? a. Due to British economic policies, there were virtually no wealthy people in America in the 1780s, and thus, the new nation already had many of the conditions that were ideal for bringing about true equality. b. The majority of the owners of large estates in America still resided in England, so most Americans after the Revolution were on equal footing economically and could identify with one another. c. The Revolution opened up opportunities in America for public debates and political and social struggles that enlarged the scope of freedom and challenged inherited structures of power. d. Because the Revolution had been so destructive and controversial, for several decades the new nation had fewer opportunities for freedom and equality than the American colonies originally had. e. Because the Revolution had been led predominantly by the lower classes with members of the upper classes remaining uninvolved, the ideas of Thomas Paine only went so far in the new nation.

Q: The Articles of Confederation employed the principles of federalism.

Q: Following the Revolution, what word became forever linked with freedom? a. power b. leadership c. obedience d. peace e. equality

Q: The Constitution is a lengthy, wordy document that outlines the structure of government in great detail.

Q: Which of the following definitions of democracy matches the ideal that dominated American thought following the American Revolution? a. a system in which the entire population was automatically granted a direct say in political decisions b. the principle that men and women served as equal heads of the household and should both have a role in government c. an aspiration for greater social equality and expanded political knowledge and political participation d. a return to the purity and simplicity of premodern societies in which there were fewer laws e. a system nearly identical to the British governing structure, but with the new states now enjoying representation

Q: The U.S. Constitution as written in 1787 does not use the words slave or slavery.

Q: Thomas Paine wrote that the essence of a republic was not the particular form of government but its object: the public good. Discuss how the various states structured their governments and how they believed those governments provided for the public good.

Q: How did the Revolution transform religion in the new nation? Consider especially issues related to religious toleration, religious liberty, and church-state relations.

Q: Thomas Jefferson claimed that no nation could expect to be ignorant and free. Explain what he meant by this. How did he define virtue, and how was that important to his vision?

Q: In regard to rights for women, Abigail Adams a. insisted that women accept their lower status in society. b. feared education would distract women from domestic chores. c. wanted women to be eligible to be president. d. believed laws should not ignore women. e. thought women should be tyrannical in demanding more rights.

Q: To what extent did Revolutionary-era Americans agree with Noah Websters statement that equality was the very soul of a republic? Your response should define what Americans meant by equality and should consider groups that seemed to enjoy equality as well as those groups that did not.

Q: Abigail Adams a. fought in the Continental army disguised as a man. b. criticized the absolute power that husbands exercised over wives. c. rejected the prevailing belief that a womans primary responsibility was to her family. d. believed that women should not be concerned with politics. e. petitioned for womens right to vote.

Q: The free black population increased from about 10,000 in 1776 to more than a million by 1800.

Q: How did Loyalists view liberty? How were they treated after the war? Why?

Q: As a result of the American Revolution, Americans rejected a. the idea that males should be the unchallenged heads of household. b. the principle of hereditary aristocracy. c. the establishment of a republic. d. the definition of liberty as a universal entitlement. e. all kinds of organized religion.

Q: To show gratitude for their invaluable contribution to the war effort, the Continental Congress awarded women universal suffrage.

Q: When Dr. Samuel Johnson, the British writer, asked how it was that we hear the loudest yelps for liberty from the drivers of negroes, he was pointing to a key irony of the American independence movement. What arguments did supporters of American independence use to justify retaining the institution of slavery? Did any of their contemporaries in America counter their arguments? How?

Q: How did the Revolutionary War change the meaning of freedom? a. It meant that all men now had a legal claim to an equal distribution of property. b. It challenged the inequality that had been fundamental to the colonial social order. c. It ended colonial societys legally established hereditary aristocracy. d. It ended coverture, under which husbands exercised full legal authority over their wives. e. It meant that, for the first time, men were free to pursue whatever occupations they wished.

Q: The idea of republican motherhood encouraged direct female involvement in politics.

Q: How did the Revolutions language of liberty affect slaves and slavery in the 1770s and 1780s? Be sure to include in your response information from Voices of Freedom.

Q: Already in the eighteenth century, there is evidence that society was beginning to move toward the idea of mutual dependency as the basis of an ideal marriage.

Q: How did women react to the language of freedom and liberty? Be sure to include in your response Abigail Adamss opinions that appear in Voices of Freedom.

Q: Freedom and an individuals right to vote became interchangeable in the wake of the Revolution. Describe how that transformation came about and how the various state constitutions dealt with voting qualifications.

Q: Not everyone supported the independence movement within the colonies. Explain who supported independence and who did not. Be sure to include a discussion about how socioeconomic standing, race, religion, and gender affected an individuals support for or opposition to independence.

Q: Freedom had not played a major part in Indians vocabulary before the Revolution, but after the war, freedom meant defending their own independence and retaining possession of their land.

Q: Britain eventually paid compensation to some Americans after the war who claimed they had been improperly deprived of their slave property.

Q: During the American Revolutionary War, the buying and selling of slaves was temporarily halted.

Q: In the Upper South, a considerable number of slaveholders emancipated their slaves.

Q: The word freedom began appearing in dictionaries of Indian languages for the first time in the early nineteenth century.

Q: After the war, abolition of slavery in the North was swift and applied to all slaves.

Q: Some British public figures were critical of Americans for demanding liberty while enslaving Africans.

Q: Thomas Jefferson was one of the few southern white elite men who did not own slaves.

Q: The view of economic freedom that became dominant in America after 1779 maintained that the interests of the community took precedence over the property rights of individuals.

Q: Slaves comprised less than 5 percent of the population in the American colonies at the time the Revolutionary War.

Q: In Canada, the Loyalist exiles were viewed as national founding fathers.

Q: During the American Revolutionary period, slavery for the first time became a focus of public debate.

Q: After the American Revolution, Nova Scotia and Quebec became part of the United States.