Cambridge International AS Level · History (9489)

American option: The history of the USA, 1820–1941: Practice Questions

5 multiple-choice questions marked as you go, and 5 written questions with worked solutions. All on American option: The history of the USA, 1820–1941.

10 questions23 marksFree, no account

Question 1

1 mark

What did the 15th Amendment to the US Constitution provide for?

Question 2

1 mark

In the late 19th century, how did the growth of the railroads contribute to rapid industrialisation in the USA?

Question 3

1 mark

How did the 1857 Dred Scott decision impact the sectional tensions between the North and the South?

Question 4

1 mark

Which 1863 document changed the purpose of the Civil War from solely preserving the Union to also abolishing slavery in the Confederate states?

Question 5

1 mark

Which economic practice, common in the 1920s, involved investors purchasing stocks with a small down payment and borrowing the rest, contributing to the Great Crash?

Question 6

2 marks

What was the primary goal of the Missouri Compromise of 1820 regarding the balance of power between Northern and Southern states?

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Question 7

3 marks

Explain how the Fugitive Slave Act, resulting from the Compromise of 1850, contributed to the widening of sectional divisions in the United States.

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Question 8

5 marks

Explain how the implementation of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act and the concept of States' Rights contributed to the widening sectional divisions in the USA between 1850 and 1856.

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Question 9

3 marks

Explain why the Battle of Fort Sumter in April 1861 was a significant turning point in American history, and describe how the reactions to the 1860 presidential election results directly led to this conflict.

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Question 10

5 marks

Assess the effectiveness of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First Hundred Days in addressing the economic crisis of the 1930s. In your answer, include the following points:
(a) Identify two specific legislative actions taken during this period and their intended impact.
(b) Explain one reason why Roosevelt felt it was necessary to develop a Second New Deal by 1935.

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