Questions

Question 1

On the great seal of the US, what does the eagle, the branch, and the arrow represent? How many of each?

Answer 1

The eagle is the symbol of the US, the olive branch represents peace, the arrow represents war, there are 13 of each

Question 2

Why did we have a weak military in 1789?

Answer 2

We had no money and believed that the state militias could protect us from foreign militias

Question 3

What countries had land claims in North America in 1796?

Answer 3

Great Britain in Canada
Spain lands west of the Mississippi and into Central America
France from Mississippi to Rocky Mountains

Question 4

What policy did Washington announce Americans would take if war broke out in Europe?

Answer 4

The policy of neutrality, not choosing sides

Question 5

How did the Jay Treaty with Great Britain lead the French to begin attacking the ships bound to Great Britain?

Answer 5

John Jay convinced Great Britain to leave the Ohio Valley, thus avoiding war with Great Britain which made France believe we were Great Britain’s enemy

Question 6

What did agents XYZ of France demand?

Answer 6

A tribute for the French Foreign Minister

Question 7

What did this outrageous demand lead Adams to request from Congress?

Answer 7

To enlist 10,000 men into the Army and build 12 new war ships

Question 8

Congress then authorized US warships and privately owned ships called “privateers” to launch a “half war” on the seas. How successful were they?

Answer 8

The “privateers” captured more than 80 armed French vessels

Question 9

How did the half war affect Adams and the Federalists?

Answer 9

John Adams and the Federalists became very popular

Question 10

Who had taken control of France when Adams sent a peace mission to France?

Answer 10

Napoleon Bonaparte was the ruler of France

Question 11

What did both countries agree to in their treaty of 1800?

Answer 11

France broke the 1787 Alliance with the U.S. France would not pay for American ships it had seized. Thus our government would have to pay American ship owners for their losses

Question 12

How did choosing the olive branch affect Adams and the divided Federalists?

Answer 12

Adams lost his popularity and divided the Federalists in half
NOTE: This helped Adams lose the Presidential election of 1804.

Question 13

Who was at war again in 1803?

Answer 13

Great Britain and France were at war

Question 14

What did both countries do to us?

Answer 14

They started seizing ships

Question 15

Jefferson remained neutral until Great Britain started Impressment. Explain impressment.

Answer 15

Great Britain seized our ships and forced American sailors into serving in their Navy

Question 16

What were pirates along Barbary Coast doing to American ships?

Answer 16

Capturing them and then demanding ransom

Question 17

Although the US had secretly paid tribute to the pirates while Washington and Adams were President, what did the ruler of Tripoli demand?

Answer 17

He wanted more tribute

Question 18

Jefferson hated war. What did he hate even more?

Answer 18

Paying ransom and blackmail

Question 19

Who became a hero at Tripoli by leading a raiding party that set the “Philadelphia” on fire?

Answer 19

Stephen Decatur

Question 20

After a year the situation ended with a peace treaty. What was the agreement?

Answer 20

The crew of the “Philadelphia” was released for $60,000

Question 21

What did Great Britain and France continue to do between 1803-1807?

Answer 21

Great Britain seized 1,000 ships and France seized nearly 500 ships

Question 22

How successful was Jefferson’s embargo-forbidding trade with another country – against Great Britain and France?

Answer 22

55,000 American sailors lost their jobs and American businesses suffered

Question 23

Who became President in 1809?

Answer 23

James Madison

Question 24

Madison proposed a deal to end Great Britain’s and France’s harassment of our ships. What promise did Napoleon give, but he did not follow?

Answer 24

He said he would stop, but he gave secret orders to continue seizing our ships

Question 25

What did the British do?

Answer 25

They continued seizing and impressing our sailors

Question 26

Where else was the British stirring up trouble?

Answer 26

They were stirring up trouble among Native Americans in the states and other territories

Question 27

The Shawnees, led by Tecumseh and his brother, The Prophet, tried to untie Native Americans along the Mississippi into one nation in 1811. Although they failed at the Battle of Tippecanoe, what did the soldiers discover the Natives had?

Answer 27

They had British rifles

Question 28

List the reasons which contributed to the reasons for war?

Answer 28

Our losses at sea Our national pride was hurt The desire to make the American frontier safe

Question 29

Choosing to abandon isolationism, we declared war on Great Britain in 1812. Why was this bold move by Madison and Congress?

Answer 29

We had only 7,000 poorly trained troops and a navy of 16 ships

Question 30

Who was overjoyed when the war of 1812 began?

Answer 30

The “War Hawks” loved it

Question 31

Both the US and Great Britain found the war going tougher than expected. What success did Great Britain have in August in 1814?

Answer 31

The British invaded Washington, D.C. and burned the White House and other Buildings

Question 32

What did they do next and what was a “Key” moment?

Answer 32

The British attacked Baltimore and lost which led Francis Scott Key to write “The Star Spangled Banner”

Question 33

Great Britain, having surrendered to US forces after the Battle of Lake Champaign decided to target New Orleans. Who defended New Orleans, and what was the result?

Answer 33

General Andrew Jackson and his troops defended New Orleans killing over 2,000 British soldiers and losing only 20 of his own men

Question 34

Why was the Battle of New Orleans not necessary?

Answer 34

The War of 1812 had ended two weeks earlier at the Treaty of Ghent

Question 35

Summarize the 3 results of the War of 1812.

Answer 35

Native Americans would now be driven out of the Ohio Valley National Pride with victory “We spanked ‘em”! The Federalists were weakened and would never recover. Harrison and Jackson would become Presidents. War Heroes win elections

Question 36

Who became President in 1817?

Answer 36

James Monroe

Question 37

What Catholic priest led Mexico into a 10 year war for Mexico’s Independence from Spain in 1821?

Answer 37

Miguel Hidalgo

Question 38

By the end of what year were the Spanish driven out of South America?

Answer 38

1825

Question 39

Explain what the “Monroe Doctrine” is.

Answer 39

President James Monroe declared to the world in 1823 that the Western Hemisphere was no longer open to European colonization. The Monroe Doctrine still exists today.