Chapter Seven: Democracy and Dissent: The Violence of Political Parties, 1788-1800

Practice Quiz:

1. Why did Jeffersonians’ fear strong financial institutions?
a. Most were simple farmers who did not understand banking policy.
b. They resented Federalists, who tended to have more money.
c. Most were anti-Semitic, believing that banks were controlled by Jewish interests.
d. They believed that banks were the root of corruption in the British government.

2. How was Washington’s election to the presidency different than every president since?
a. He was unanimously elected by the Electoral College.
b. He was elected by the public as there was no Electoral College yet.
c. He was not “elected” but rather appointed by Congress.
d. He is the only army general to become president.

3. The Judiciary Act of 1789
a. was primarily the work of Oliver Ellsworth.
b. set up a Supreme Court with one chief justice and five associate justices.
c. defined the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
d. established the power of judicial review.

4. Hamilton’s Report on the Public Credit recommended
a. the renunciation of all old government debts.
b. that the federal government assume remaining state debts.
c. that the states fund most government activities.
d. abolishing protective tariffs and industrial bounties.

5. Which of the following was NOT a Hamiltonian idea?
a. Private greed could be the source of public good.
b. The new central government would survive if the wealthiest people supported it.
c. France was the United States’ most important ally.
d. A national bank was necessary for the country’s economic health.

6. In the early 1790s, British actions toward the United States indicated
a. respect for the status of the new nation.
b. a desire to recruit the United States as a close ally.
c. disdain for American rights.
d. a willingness to join the French in taking advantage of the new country.

7. How were political parties formed in the United States?
a. Washington, seeing how divided the country was about slavery, proposed political parties as a way for people to disagree civilly.
b. They grew naturally out of Federalist and Anti-federalist groups.
c. Opponents who had disagreed on finances began to disagree on which country to support in the European war.
d. First Hamilton and then Jefferson met with their proponents and formally named their groups as political parties.

8.  As a result of the Battle of Fallen Timbers,
a. the Royal Navy continued to dominate the Mississippi River.
b. the United States asserted its authority on the western frontier.
c. Canada ceded Maine to the United States.
d. Spain was compelled to sign Pickney’s Treaty.

9. Which of the following statements about the Whiskey Rebellion is FALSE?
a. It took place in western Pennsylvania.
b. It lent credence to fears of political violence against the government.
c. It involved an attempt to prohibit the consumption of whiskey and other alcoholic beverages.
d. It increased Republican electoral strength along the frontier.

10. How are the Quasi-War and the XYZ Affair related?
a. The XYZ Affair was the most significant “battle” in the Quasi-War between the U.S. and France.
b. The XYZ Affair and the Quasi-War both involved disputes between the United States and France.
c. The XYZ Affair was a disagreement between England and the U.S., whereas the Quasi-War was a disagreement between France and the U.S.
d. The two are entirely unrelated.

11. Why did Congress pass the Naturalization Law?
a. To help immigrants assimilate into society.
b. To allow the government to deport undesirable aliens.
c. To allow the Federalists to maintain political control.
d. To create a heterogeneous society for America.

12. Why did the Sedition Act distress many Americans?
a. It threatened their political right to disagree with and speak out against the government.
b. It gave the Federalists too much power and reduced the Republicans’ power.
c. It suspended free elections, depriving all white males of their voting rights.
d. It allowed libel convictions without a jury trial, affecting people’s judicial rights.

13. According to the Kentucky Resolutions,
a. ultimate power always remained with the federal government.
b. states had the right to nullify federal law under certain circumstances.
c. the Sedition Act was worthy of enforcement by the states.
d. Kentucky chose to remain neutral in the contest between Hamilton and Jefferson.

14. As a result of the actions taken by President Adams in 1799,
a. he was overwhelmingly reelected in 1800.
b. the United States resolved its differences with France.
c. the Federalist Party remained the major party.
d. France compensated the United States for ships taken.

15. Each of the following is true of the election of 1800 EXCEPT
a. Alexander Hamilton intrigued to keep his own party’s candidate from winning.
b. the Federalist Party was hopelessly split.
c. the election was resolved by the electoral college.
d. it led to changes in the presidential electoral process.