US History and Government Flashcards
7 cards from real Regents practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 US History and Government flashcards as text
The Federalist Papers were written primarily to persuade Americans to do which of the following?
Answer: Support ratification of the Constitution
The Federalist Papers, written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay under the pen name 'Publius,' argued for ratification of the 1787 Constitution.
Which Supreme Court case established the principle of judicial review in the United States?
Answer: Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison (1803) established judicial review, giving the Supreme Court the power to strike down laws that violate the Constitution.
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 attempted to address which major national issue?
Answer: The expansion of slavery into new western territories
The Missouri Compromise drew a line at 36°30' latitude to limit slavery's expansion and tried to maintain the balance between free and slave states.
Which best describes the concept of 'Manifest Destiny' in 19th-century American history?
Answer: The belief that Americans were destined to expand across the entire North American continent
Manifest Destiny was the widespread 19th-century belief that American expansion from coast to coast was inevitable and divinely ordained.
The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Lincoln in 1863 declared freedom for enslaved people in which specific areas?
Answer: Confederate states that were in active rebellion against the Union
The Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people only in Confederate states in rebellion, deliberately excluding border states and Union-held Southern territory.
What was the primary purpose of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1868?
Answer: To guarantee equal protection and citizenship to all persons born in the US
The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the US and guaranteed equal protection under the law, overturning the Dred Scott decision.
Which event most directly led to the United States declaring war against Spain in 1898?
Answer: The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor and yellow journalism
The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, magnified by sensational yellow journalism, inflamed public opinion and led to the Spanish-American War.