DC HISTORY FINAL EXAM NEWEST
2026 FINAL ASSESSMENT | REPLICA
EXAM QUESTIONS | IN-DEPTH
EVALUATIONS | ELITE STUDENT
CHOICE | ERROR-FREE
The Creation of the Capital
Q: What was the Residence Act of 1790?
A: ✔✔ Passed on July 16, 1790, this act officially settled the "Residence
Question" by selecting a site along the Potomac River as the permanent seat of the
U.S. government.
The Compromise: It was the result of a famous dinner-table bargain
between Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.
The Deal: The North agreed to move the capital south to the Potomac; in
exchange, the South agreed to let the federal government assume the state
debts incurred during the Revolutionary War.
The Timeline: The government was given 10 years to build the new city.
During this time (1790–1800), Philadelphia served as the temporary capital.
Q: Where was the original capital located?
A: ✔✔ New York City. Under the new Constitution, the first Congress met at
Federal Hall in New York City (1789). However, Southern leaders like Jefferson
felt New York was too far north and too dominated by Northern commercial
interests. They wanted the capital in a more agrarian, central location.
The Framework of Federalism
Q: What is Federalism?
A: ✔✔ Federalism is a system of government where power is shared and divided
between a central national government and smaller local (state) governments. This
, "double security" was intended to prevent any one level of government from
becoming tyrannical.
Q: What are "Delegated Powers" (also called Enumerated or Expressed
Powers)?
A: ✔✔ These are powers specifically granted to the federal government by the
Constitution (mostly in Article I, Section 8).
Examples: Coining money, declaring war, regulating interstate commerce,
and raising an army.
Purpose: These powers allow the nation to act as a single, unified entity in
global affairs and national economics.
Q: What are "Concurrent Powers"?
A: ✔✔ These are powers held jointly by both the national and state governments.
Because these functions are necessary at every level, they overlap.
Examples: The power to tax, build roads, establish lower courts, and
borrow money.
Q: What are "Reserved Powers"?
A: ✔✔ Under the 10th Amendment, any power not specifically delegated to the
federal government is "reserved" to the states (or the people).
Examples: Creating public schools, issuing marriage licenses, and
managing local elections.
The DC Exception: Because D.C. is a federal district and not a state, it does
not have "Reserved Powers." Instead, it has "Home Rule" (via the 1973
Home Rule Act), which means Congress has delegated some local authority
to the D.C. Mayor and Council, but Congress retains ultimate "exclusive
jurisdiction."
Sojourner Truth -ANSWER✔✔United States abolitionist and feminist who was
freed from slavery and became a leading advocate of the abolition of slavery and
for the rights of women (1797-1883). Efforts helped achieve women's suffrage
across the nation.
2026 FINAL ASSESSMENT | REPLICA
EXAM QUESTIONS | IN-DEPTH
EVALUATIONS | ELITE STUDENT
CHOICE | ERROR-FREE
The Creation of the Capital
Q: What was the Residence Act of 1790?
A: ✔✔ Passed on July 16, 1790, this act officially settled the "Residence
Question" by selecting a site along the Potomac River as the permanent seat of the
U.S. government.
The Compromise: It was the result of a famous dinner-table bargain
between Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.
The Deal: The North agreed to move the capital south to the Potomac; in
exchange, the South agreed to let the federal government assume the state
debts incurred during the Revolutionary War.
The Timeline: The government was given 10 years to build the new city.
During this time (1790–1800), Philadelphia served as the temporary capital.
Q: Where was the original capital located?
A: ✔✔ New York City. Under the new Constitution, the first Congress met at
Federal Hall in New York City (1789). However, Southern leaders like Jefferson
felt New York was too far north and too dominated by Northern commercial
interests. They wanted the capital in a more agrarian, central location.
The Framework of Federalism
Q: What is Federalism?
A: ✔✔ Federalism is a system of government where power is shared and divided
between a central national government and smaller local (state) governments. This
, "double security" was intended to prevent any one level of government from
becoming tyrannical.
Q: What are "Delegated Powers" (also called Enumerated or Expressed
Powers)?
A: ✔✔ These are powers specifically granted to the federal government by the
Constitution (mostly in Article I, Section 8).
Examples: Coining money, declaring war, regulating interstate commerce,
and raising an army.
Purpose: These powers allow the nation to act as a single, unified entity in
global affairs and national economics.
Q: What are "Concurrent Powers"?
A: ✔✔ These are powers held jointly by both the national and state governments.
Because these functions are necessary at every level, they overlap.
Examples: The power to tax, build roads, establish lower courts, and
borrow money.
Q: What are "Reserved Powers"?
A: ✔✔ Under the 10th Amendment, any power not specifically delegated to the
federal government is "reserved" to the states (or the people).
Examples: Creating public schools, issuing marriage licenses, and
managing local elections.
The DC Exception: Because D.C. is a federal district and not a state, it does
not have "Reserved Powers." Instead, it has "Home Rule" (via the 1973
Home Rule Act), which means Congress has delegated some local authority
to the D.C. Mayor and Council, but Congress retains ultimate "exclusive
jurisdiction."
Sojourner Truth -ANSWER✔✔United States abolitionist and feminist who was
freed from slavery and became a leading advocate of the abolition of slavery and
for the rights of women (1797-1883). Efforts helped achieve women's suffrage
across the nation.
