US History II Clep Exam UPDATED Study
Guide ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
Freedman's Bureau - CORRECT ANSWER Helped formerly enslaved people with
education, jobs, and housing after the Civil War.
Black Codes - CORRECT ANSWER Laws passed in Southern states to restrict the
freedom of Black people after the Civil War.
Radical Republicans - CORRECT ANSWER Congressmen who wanted harsh
punishment for the South and full rights for freedmen.
Sharecropping - CORRECT ANSWER Farming system where freedmen and poor
whites rented land and paid with a share of the crops—often led to debt.
Bloody Shirt - CORRECT ANSWER Phrase used by Republicans to remind voters that
Democrats started the Civil War.
13th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER Abolished slavery in the United States.
14th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER Granted citizenship and equal protection
under the law to everyone born in the U.S.
15th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER Gave Black men the right to vote.
Munn v. Illinois - CORRECT ANSWER Supreme Court case allowing states to
regulate businesses like grain storage.
,Wabash v. Illinois - CORRECT ANSWER Supreme Court case that limited states'
power to control railroads, leading to federal regulation.
Stalwarts - CORRECT ANSWER Republicans who supported the traditional patronage
system (giving jobs to supporters).
Panic of 1893 - CORRECT ANSWER Major economic depression caused by railroad
failures and bank collapses.
Sioux War - CORRECT ANSWER Conflicts between U.S. troops and Sioux tribes over
land in the West.
Nez Perce - CORRECT ANSWER Native American tribe led by Chief Joseph in a
famous retreat before surrendering in 1877.
Carlisle Indian School - CORRECT ANSWER School aimed at assimilating Native
American children into white culture.
A Century of Dishonor (Book) - CORRECT ANSWER Written by Helen Hunt
Jackson, exposed mistreatment of Native Americans.
Indian Reorganization Act - CORRECT ANSWER 1934 law that ended allotment and
aimed to restore tribal self-government.
Credit Mobilier - CORRECT ANSWER Scandal involving railroad insiders and
government officials stealing money from the public.
Morrill Act - CORRECT ANSWER Law that gave land to states to build agricultural
and mechanical colleges.
Agrarian Movement - CORRECT ANSWER Effort by farmers in the late 1800s to
fight railroad abuses and push for economic reforms.
, Oliver Kelley - CORRECT ANSWER Founder of the Grange, an early farmers'
organization.
Cross of Gold Speech - CORRECT ANSWER William Jennings Bryan's famous
speech supporting silver money to help farmers and workers.
Census of 1920s - CORRECT ANSWER Showed that, for the first time, more
Americans lived in cities than in rural areas.
Pendleton Act - CORRECT ANSWER Reform law that required government jobs to be
given based on merit, not political connections.
Anti-Combination Laws - CORRECT ANSWER Laws like the Sherman Antitrust Act
meant to break up monopolies and trusts.
Political Machines - CORRECT ANSWER City organizations that gained power by
helping immigrants in exchange for votes.
Upton Sinclair - CORRECT ANSWER Muckraker who wrote The Jungle, exposing
meatpacking industry horrors.
John Dewey - CORRECT ANSWER Progressive educator who promoted hands-on,
democratic learning.
Realism in Literature - CORRECT ANSWER Writing style focused on everyday life
and realistic characters.
William Dean Howells - CORRECT ANSWER Author who promoted realism and
wrote about middle-class life.
Guide ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
Freedman's Bureau - CORRECT ANSWER Helped formerly enslaved people with
education, jobs, and housing after the Civil War.
Black Codes - CORRECT ANSWER Laws passed in Southern states to restrict the
freedom of Black people after the Civil War.
Radical Republicans - CORRECT ANSWER Congressmen who wanted harsh
punishment for the South and full rights for freedmen.
Sharecropping - CORRECT ANSWER Farming system where freedmen and poor
whites rented land and paid with a share of the crops—often led to debt.
Bloody Shirt - CORRECT ANSWER Phrase used by Republicans to remind voters that
Democrats started the Civil War.
13th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER Abolished slavery in the United States.
14th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER Granted citizenship and equal protection
under the law to everyone born in the U.S.
15th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER Gave Black men the right to vote.
Munn v. Illinois - CORRECT ANSWER Supreme Court case allowing states to
regulate businesses like grain storage.
,Wabash v. Illinois - CORRECT ANSWER Supreme Court case that limited states'
power to control railroads, leading to federal regulation.
Stalwarts - CORRECT ANSWER Republicans who supported the traditional patronage
system (giving jobs to supporters).
Panic of 1893 - CORRECT ANSWER Major economic depression caused by railroad
failures and bank collapses.
Sioux War - CORRECT ANSWER Conflicts between U.S. troops and Sioux tribes over
land in the West.
Nez Perce - CORRECT ANSWER Native American tribe led by Chief Joseph in a
famous retreat before surrendering in 1877.
Carlisle Indian School - CORRECT ANSWER School aimed at assimilating Native
American children into white culture.
A Century of Dishonor (Book) - CORRECT ANSWER Written by Helen Hunt
Jackson, exposed mistreatment of Native Americans.
Indian Reorganization Act - CORRECT ANSWER 1934 law that ended allotment and
aimed to restore tribal self-government.
Credit Mobilier - CORRECT ANSWER Scandal involving railroad insiders and
government officials stealing money from the public.
Morrill Act - CORRECT ANSWER Law that gave land to states to build agricultural
and mechanical colleges.
Agrarian Movement - CORRECT ANSWER Effort by farmers in the late 1800s to
fight railroad abuses and push for economic reforms.
, Oliver Kelley - CORRECT ANSWER Founder of the Grange, an early farmers'
organization.
Cross of Gold Speech - CORRECT ANSWER William Jennings Bryan's famous
speech supporting silver money to help farmers and workers.
Census of 1920s - CORRECT ANSWER Showed that, for the first time, more
Americans lived in cities than in rural areas.
Pendleton Act - CORRECT ANSWER Reform law that required government jobs to be
given based on merit, not political connections.
Anti-Combination Laws - CORRECT ANSWER Laws like the Sherman Antitrust Act
meant to break up monopolies and trusts.
Political Machines - CORRECT ANSWER City organizations that gained power by
helping immigrants in exchange for votes.
Upton Sinclair - CORRECT ANSWER Muckraker who wrote The Jungle, exposing
meatpacking industry horrors.
John Dewey - CORRECT ANSWER Progressive educator who promoted hands-on,
democratic learning.
Realism in Literature - CORRECT ANSWER Writing style focused on everyday life
and realistic characters.
William Dean Howells - CORRECT ANSWER Author who promoted realism and
wrote about middle-class life.
