U.S. History (1840-1860) Practice Test PDF

**U.S. History (1840-1860)** 1\. Which U.S. president , known for the phrase "54-40 or Fight!",served during the Mexican-American War ? \- A) John Tyler \- B) James K. Polk \- C) Zachary Taylor \- D) Millard Fillmore 2\. What was the main goal of the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848? \- A) To...

**U.S. History (1840-1860)** 1\. Which U.S. president , known for the phrase "54-40 or Fight!",served during the Mexican-American War ? \- A) John Tyler \- B) James K. Polk \- C) Zachary Taylor \- D) Millard Fillmore 2\. What was the main goal of the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848? \- A) To support abolition of slavery \- B) To advocate for women\'s rights \- C) To encourage westward expansion \- D) To promote temperance 3\. Which agreement resolved the boundary dispute between the United States and Britain (Canada) in the Pacific Northwest in 1842? \- A) Missouri Compromise \- B) Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo \- C) Compromise of 1850 \- D) Webster - Ashburton Treaty 4\. What concept promoted the idea that Americans were destined to expand across the North American continent? \- A) Sectionalism \- B) Manifest Destiny \- C) Isolationism \- D) Monroe Doctrine 5\. Which party was formed in the 1850s in opposition to the spread of slavery? \- A) Federalist Party \- B) Free Soil Party \- C) Democratic Party \- D) Know-Nothing Party 6\.. What was the main purpose of the Compromise of 1850? \- A) To resolve the Texas boundary dispute \- B) To settle issues between free and slave states \- C) To end the Mexican-American War \- D) To encourage westward expansion 7\. Which territory's potential statehood , leading to popular sovereignty, sparked \"Bleeding Kansas\"? \- A) California \- B) New Mexico \- C) Nebraska \- D) Kansas 8\. Which of the following groups was created to oppose the [spread] of slavery in new territories? \- A) Copperheads \- B) Free Soil Party \- C) Whig Party \- D) Union Party 9\. In what state did the Gold Rush begin in 1848, attracting thousands of settlers? \- A) Texas \- B) California \- C) Nevada \- D) Oregon 10\. The Fugitive Slave Act, part of the Compromise of 1850, was controversial because it: \- A) Allowed for the expansion of slavery into northern states \- B) Required citizens to assist in the capture of escaped slaves \- C) Ended the slave trade in Washington, D.C. \- D) Encouraged the Underground Railroad 11\. Which term best describes the violent clashes between pro- and anti-slavery factions in Kansas in the 1850s? \- A) Border Wars \- B) Bleeding Kansas \- C) Kansas War \- D) Missouri Conflict 12\. What compromise did the Missouri Compromise (1820) and the Compromise of 1850 attempt to achieve? \- A) The balance of power between slave and free states \- B) Equal rights for all states \- C) Equality in taxation \- D) Fair voting rights for all citizens 13\. Which of the following events led to the beginning of the Mexican-American War? \- A) Annexation of Texas \- B) Attack on Fort Sumter \- C) California Gold Rush \- D) Gadsden Purchase 14\. The term \"King Cotton\" refers to: \- A) The dominance of cotton in the Southern economy \- B) A government program to promote agriculture \- C) A pro-slavery political movement \- D) Northern industrialists' control of trade 15\. The Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842 resolved a border dispute between the U.S. and: \- A) France \- B) Mexico \- C) Britain (Canada) \- D) Spain 16\. What was the primary focus of the Know-Nothing Party? \- A) Abolition of slavery \- B) Restricting immigration and influence of Catholics \- C) Women's suffrage \- D) Economic reform 17\. Which of the following best describes the typical working conditions for slaves on Southern plantations? \- A) They worked in clean, safe environments with regular breaks. \- B) They worked long hours with little to no personal freedom. \- C) They had the choice of what tasks to complete each day. \- D) They worked part-time and were paid by the hour. 18\. In contrast to slaves, urban factory workers in the North: \- A) Worked fewer hours and were paid very well. \- B) Could often choose their place of work and negotiate pay. \- C) Were legally considered property of their employers. \- D) Were allowed to attend school instead of work. 19\. One major difference between plantation slaves and factory workers was that: \- A) Factory workers could earn wages, while slaves were not paid. \- B) Factory workers were legally enslaved, while slaves could quit anytime. \- C) Both groups were paid equally for their work. \- D) Slaves had better living conditions than factory workers. 20\. Which of the following best describes a similarity between plantation slaves and immigrant factory workers? \- A) Both worked in Northern states. \- B) Both faced harsh, often dangerous working conditions. \- C) Both groups received an education as part of their employment. \- D) Both groups were able to vote. 21 Living conditions for slaves on plantations generally included: \- A) Large, comfortable homes provided by their owners. \- B) Small, poorly constructed cabins with minimal furnishings. \- C) Private houses they could buy and own. \- D) Dormitory-style housing that was regularly inspected for safety. 22\. How were the family lives of plantation slaves different from immigrant factory workers\' families? \- A) Slave families often lived far apart and could be separated at any time. \- B) Immigrant workers\' families were often required to live separately. \- C) Both groups were allowed to choose where their families lived. \- D) Both groups had no contact with their families. 23\. What was one similarity in the types of hardships faced by both plantation slaves and urban factory workers? \- A) Both groups were enslaved and had no personal freedom. \- B) Both were exposed to health risks due to unsafe working conditions. \- C) Both were able to organize and create labor unions. \- D) Both had access to medical care provided by employers. 24\. One difference between slaves and immigrant factory workers was that factory workers: \- A) Were free to leave their jobs and seek employment elsewhere. \- B) Had no legal rights or personal freedoms. \- C) Worked mostly on farms. \- D) Were considered the property of their employers. 25\. Which of the following statements best describes the housing situation of many immigrant factory workers in the North? \- A) They lived in well-furnished, comfortable apartments provided by the factory. \- B) They often lived in crowded, poorly built tenement housing with other workers. \- C) They had private homes in rural areas with large gardens. \- D) They lived in plantation-style homes with large families. 26\. Plantation slaves and immigrant factory workers in the 1800s both: \- A) Received equal opportunities for social mobility. \- B) Worked under conditions that offered little control over their daily lives. \- C) Had access to public education for their children. \- D) Lived primarily in the rural Southern United States. 27\. The idea of Manifest Destiny was the belief that: \- A) The United States should stay within its original boundaries. \- B) America was destined to expand across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. \- C) European nations should take control of North American lands. \- D) The U.S. should expand into South America. 28\. Which event directly resulted from the idea of Manifest Destiny? \- A) The Declaration of Independence \- B) The Louisiana Purchase \- C) The California Gold Rush \- D) The American Revolution 29\. The slogan "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!" was associated with which U.S. territorial goal? \- A) Acquiring Alaska from Russia \- B) Establishing control over Texas \- C) Expanding the U.S. border to the southern tip of California \- D) Claiming the Oregon Territory up to the 54°40\' latitude 30\. How did the idea of Manifest Destiny affect Native American populations? \- A) It allowed them to keep all of their land permanently. \- B) It led to increased trade and alliances with settlers. \- C) It resulted in forced relocation and loss of their lands. \- D) It encouraged them to move to urban areas in the East. 31\. The U.S. gained a large portion of southwestern land, including present-day California and New Mexico, as a result of: \- A) The Monroe Doctrine \- B) The Mexican-American War \- C) The Oregon Treaty \- D) The Civil War 32\. Which of these best describes the purpose of the Homestead Act of 1862? \- A) To provide free land to Native Americans \- B) To offer settlers free land in the western territories \- C) To build new railroads in the South \- D) To give land grants to former slaves in the South 33\. Which group of people traveled the Oregon Trail in the mid-1800s? \- A) Immigrants moving to Canada \- B) Miners searching for gold in Texas \- C) Settlers seeking new land in the West \- D) Slaves escaping to freedom in the North 34\. Which of the following was a key cause of the Texas Revolution? \- A) Mexico banned slavery, and many American settlers in Texas wanted to keep enslaved workers. \- B) Texans wanted independence to join Canada. \- C) Mexico tried to give Texas to the British. \- D) Americans wanted to trade freely with Native American tribes. 35\. What was the main motivation for many Americans to move west during the Manifest Destiny period? \- A) Access to free education \- B) The chance to gain land and a better life \- C) Higher-paying jobs in urban centers \- D) Religious freedom 36\. How did Manifest Destiny contribute to the growing tensions between Northern and Southern states? \- A) Northerners wanted slavery to expand into the West. \- B) The new western territories raised the issue of whether slavery would expand into those areas. \- C) Southern states were against any westward expansion. \- D) Western settlers wanted to separate from both the North and South.