APUSH Chaptor 9-12 Review Test!

Shays's Rebellion was provoked by foreclosures on the mortgages of backcountry farmers. This means that the rebellion was a response to farmers losing their land and property due to being unable to pay their mortgages. This economic hardship led to widespread discontent and rebellion among the farmers.

The most alarming characteristic of the new Constitution to those who opposed it was the absence of a bill of rights. This means that the Constitution did not include a specific list of individual rights and freedoms that would be protected by the government. Critics argued that without a bill of rights, the government would have too much power and could potentially infringe upon the rights of the people. This concern led to the eventual addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution, which explicitly protects individual liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, and the right to a fair trial.

The Land Ordinance of 1785 provided for the survey and sale of public lands in the Old Northwest. This means that the government established a system to measure and divide the land in the Northwest territory, and then sell it to individuals or companies. This helped to organize and develop the newly acquired territory, as well as generate revenue for the government.

In the years leading up to the American Revolution, all of the given statements were true except for the statement that the British withdrew most of their troops from the colonies. This means that the British did not reduce their military presence in the colonies during this time period.

The doctrine of "nullification" claimed that a state could nullify a federal law that violated the Constitution. This means that if a state believed that a federal law was unconstitutional, they had the right to declare it null and void within their own jurisdiction. This idea was based on the belief that the states had the ultimate authority to interpret the Constitution and could therefore reject any laws they deemed unconstitutional. This doctrine was most famously advocated by South Carolina during the Nullification Crisis of 1832, when they attempted to nullify a federal tariff law. Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled against nullification and affirmed the supremacy of federal law.

The Alien and Sedition Acts were a series of laws passed by the Federalist-controlled Congress in 1798. These acts were primarily aimed at silencing and punishing critics of the Federalists, particularly those who opposed their policies and criticized the government. The Sedition Act specifically targeted individuals who made false, scandalous, or malicious statements against the government, with the intention of suppressing dissent and maintaining the Federalists' hold on power. This explanation aligns with the historical context and purpose of the Alien and Sedition Acts.

The correct answer is that the British promised to evacuate the chain of forts in the Old Northwest. This refers to the provision in Jay's Treaty where the British agreed to withdraw their troops from the forts they had established in the Northwest Territory, which was a significant concession by the British. This was important for the United States as it helped to alleviate tensions and secure American control over the region.

The Constitution does not restrict slavery to certain states. In fact, it allowed for the continuation of slavery in the United States by not directly mentioning it and counting slaves as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of determining representation in Congress. Additionally, the Constitution allowed Congress to restrict the slave trade after 20 years and required fugitive slaves to be returned to their owners.

Madison believed that the clash of interest groups would help prevent the abuse of power in government. He argued that when different factions compete against each other, no single group would be able to dominate and oppress others. This system of checks and balances would ensure that power is distributed and no one group can abuse their authority. Madison saw this as a way to maintain a balance of power and protect individual liberties under the new Constitution.

The Articles of Confederation had a unicameral legislature where each state had one vote, so it did not require a unanimous vote in Congress to pass a law. Instead, it required a two-thirds majority vote. This allowed for a more efficient decision-making process compared to unanimity, which could have caused significant delays and disagreements among the states.