AMERICAN HISTORY UNIT 5 TEST
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
Nullification - Answer-Doctrine that a state can cancel a federal law that, in the
state's opinion, violates the Constitution
Articles of Confederation - Answer-The nation's first constitution adopted in 1781; it
was weak because states held most of the power, and Congress lacked the power to
tax, regulate trade, or control coinage
Land Ordinance of 1785 - Answer-A major success of the Articles of Confederation;
it provided for the orderly surveying and distribution of western land belonging to the
U.S.
Shay's Rebellion - Answer-Conflict in Massachusetts, led by Daniel Shay, to prevent
courts from foreclosing on the farms of those who could not pay the taxes. Caused
many to criticize the Articles of Confederation and admit the weak central
government was not working
Constitutional Convention - Answer-Meeting of delegates in 1787 in Philadelphia to
revise the Articles of Confederation; instead they designed a new plan of
government, the US Constitution
James Madison - Answer-A member of the Constitutional Convention, he strongly
supported ratification of the Constitution and was an author of The Federalist
Papers. He was the 4th U.S. President.
Virginia Plan - Answer-Proposed the creation of a bicameral legislature with
representation in both houses proportional to population; favored the large states
New Jersey Plan - Answer-Proposal that called for equal representation of each
state in Congress regardless of the state's population
Great Compromise - Answer-The agreement by which Congress would have two
houses, the Senate (where each state gets equal representation-two senators) and
the House of Representatives (where representation is based on population)
Three-Fifths Compromise - Answer-The agreement by which the number of each
state's representatives in the House would be based on a count of all the free people
plus three-fifths of the states' slave population
Declaration of Neutrality - Answer-Issued by President Washington to announce
American neutrality in the war between Britain and revolutionary France (1793)
Jay Treaty - Answer-Treaty between Britian and the U.S.; agreed to British trade with
America and the British would leave forts in the Northwest Territory (1794)
, Pinckney Treaty - Answer-1795 - Treaty between the U.S. and Spain which gave the
U.S. the right to transport goods on the Mississippi River and to store goods in the
port of New Orleans (1795)
Treaty of Greenville - Answer-Treaty between the Americans and the Miami Indians
after their defeat in the Battle of Fallen Timbers. In exchange for some goods, the
Indians gave the United States territory in Ohio.
XYZ Affair - Answer-Officials of French foreign minister Talleyrand attempted to bribe
American diplomats who had come to speak to him for $250,000; led to anger and
call for war against France
Alien and Sedition Acts - Answer-Laws passed by the Federalists changing the
citizenship requirement and limiting free speech; tried to limit the power the
Democratic-Republicans (1798)
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions - Answer-Written to nullify the Alien and Sedition
Acts in those two states; claimed that the Alien and Sedition Acts violated the U.S.
Constitution and reaffirmed the principle of states' rights
Federalism - Answer-A system in which power is divided between the national and
state governments
Separation of Powers - Answer-The division of power among the legislative,
executive, and judicial branches of government
Legislative Branch - Answer-The branch of government that makes the laws
(Congress)
Executive Branch - Answer-The branch of government that carries out laws
(President)
Judicial Branch - Answer-The branch of government that interprets laws (Supreme
Court)
Checks and Balances - Answer-A system that allows each branch of government to
limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power
Electoral College - Answer-A group selected by the states to elect the president and
the vice-president, each state's number of electors is equal to the number of its
senators and representatives in Congress
U.S. Constitution - Answer-Document written in 1787 and ratified in 1788 that sets
forth the structure of the U.S. government and the tasks these institutions perform. It
replaced the Articles of Confederation.
Federalists - Answer-Supporters of the stronger central government who advocated
the ratification of the new constitution
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
Nullification - Answer-Doctrine that a state can cancel a federal law that, in the
state's opinion, violates the Constitution
Articles of Confederation - Answer-The nation's first constitution adopted in 1781; it
was weak because states held most of the power, and Congress lacked the power to
tax, regulate trade, or control coinage
Land Ordinance of 1785 - Answer-A major success of the Articles of Confederation;
it provided for the orderly surveying and distribution of western land belonging to the
U.S.
Shay's Rebellion - Answer-Conflict in Massachusetts, led by Daniel Shay, to prevent
courts from foreclosing on the farms of those who could not pay the taxes. Caused
many to criticize the Articles of Confederation and admit the weak central
government was not working
Constitutional Convention - Answer-Meeting of delegates in 1787 in Philadelphia to
revise the Articles of Confederation; instead they designed a new plan of
government, the US Constitution
James Madison - Answer-A member of the Constitutional Convention, he strongly
supported ratification of the Constitution and was an author of The Federalist
Papers. He was the 4th U.S. President.
Virginia Plan - Answer-Proposed the creation of a bicameral legislature with
representation in both houses proportional to population; favored the large states
New Jersey Plan - Answer-Proposal that called for equal representation of each
state in Congress regardless of the state's population
Great Compromise - Answer-The agreement by which Congress would have two
houses, the Senate (where each state gets equal representation-two senators) and
the House of Representatives (where representation is based on population)
Three-Fifths Compromise - Answer-The agreement by which the number of each
state's representatives in the House would be based on a count of all the free people
plus three-fifths of the states' slave population
Declaration of Neutrality - Answer-Issued by President Washington to announce
American neutrality in the war between Britain and revolutionary France (1793)
Jay Treaty - Answer-Treaty between Britian and the U.S.; agreed to British trade with
America and the British would leave forts in the Northwest Territory (1794)
, Pinckney Treaty - Answer-1795 - Treaty between the U.S. and Spain which gave the
U.S. the right to transport goods on the Mississippi River and to store goods in the
port of New Orleans (1795)
Treaty of Greenville - Answer-Treaty between the Americans and the Miami Indians
after their defeat in the Battle of Fallen Timbers. In exchange for some goods, the
Indians gave the United States territory in Ohio.
XYZ Affair - Answer-Officials of French foreign minister Talleyrand attempted to bribe
American diplomats who had come to speak to him for $250,000; led to anger and
call for war against France
Alien and Sedition Acts - Answer-Laws passed by the Federalists changing the
citizenship requirement and limiting free speech; tried to limit the power the
Democratic-Republicans (1798)
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions - Answer-Written to nullify the Alien and Sedition
Acts in those two states; claimed that the Alien and Sedition Acts violated the U.S.
Constitution and reaffirmed the principle of states' rights
Federalism - Answer-A system in which power is divided between the national and
state governments
Separation of Powers - Answer-The division of power among the legislative,
executive, and judicial branches of government
Legislative Branch - Answer-The branch of government that makes the laws
(Congress)
Executive Branch - Answer-The branch of government that carries out laws
(President)
Judicial Branch - Answer-The branch of government that interprets laws (Supreme
Court)
Checks and Balances - Answer-A system that allows each branch of government to
limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power
Electoral College - Answer-A group selected by the states to elect the president and
the vice-president, each state's number of electors is equal to the number of its
senators and representatives in Congress
U.S. Constitution - Answer-Document written in 1787 and ratified in 1788 that sets
forth the structure of the U.S. government and the tasks these institutions perform. It
replaced the Articles of Confederation.
Federalists - Answer-Supporters of the stronger central government who advocated
the ratification of the new constitution
