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US History and Government - New York Regents January 2017 Exam

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1.
                                                  Part I
                                    Answer all questions in this part.
   Directions (1 - 50): For each statement or question, record on your separate answer sheet the number of the
word or expression that, of those given, best completes the statement or answers the question.
1 New England’s geographic features most directly
  influenced the region’s development of
  (1) industry              (3) large plantations
  (2) sugar mills           (4) tenant farming
Answer:

2.
2 • Colonists protest the Stamp Act.
  • Sons of Liberty groups are formed.
  • Crates of tea are thrown into Boston Harbor.
  • Parliament passes Coercive Acts.
  These events helped lead to the
  (1) French and Indian War
  (2) Revolutionary War
  (3) Whiskey Rebellion
  (4) War of 1812
Answer:

3.
3 Which heading best completes the partial outline
  below?
    I._______
      A. National government unable to levy
         direct taxes
      B. No single national currency
      C. Lack of an elected chief executive
  (1)   Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
  (2)   Strengths of the Continental Congress
  (3)   Provisions of the United States Constitution
  (4)   Influence of Treaties with European
        Governments
Answer:


4.
4 During the debate over ratification of the United
  States Constitution, Antifederalists argued that
  a bill of rights should be added to
  (1) preserve the interests of slaveholders
  (2) list the responsibilities of citizens
  (3) protect individual liberties
  (4) ensure federal supremacy
Answer:

5.
   Base your answer to question 5 on the passage
below and on your knowledge of social studies.
   Congress shall make no law respecting an
   establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
   exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
   speech, or of the press; or the right of the
   people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
   Government for a redress of grievances.
             - First amendment, United States Constitution
 5 What is one impact of this amendment on
   American society?
   (1) Congress cannot mandate a national religion.
   (2) Religious groups cannot lobby Congress.
   (3) Members of the press cannot hold public
       office.
   (4) The Supreme Court cannot limit free speech
       during wartime.
Answer:

6.
6 The Supreme Court can influence the actions of
  the other two branches of the federal government
  by
  (1) vetoing legislation
  (2) pardoning criminals
  (3) exercising judicial review
  (4) impeaching the president
Answer:

7.
7 In 1790, the first census of the United States was
  taken in order to
  (1) create immigration quotas
  (2) determine each state’s representation in
      Congress
  (3) establish the number of appointed federal
      judges
  (4) justify funding for public education
Answer:

8.
8 Which group benefited the most from the United
  States acquisition of the port of New Orleans?
  (1) farmers in the Ohio River valley
  (2) Native American Indians in the Southwest
  (3) fur trappers in the Hudson River valley
  (4) gold miners in northern California
Answer:

9.
9 A major reason for the issuance of the Monroe
  Doctrine (1823) was to
  (1) improve trade relations with Asia
  (2) gain new colonies in Latin America
  (3) acquire land to build a canal in Central
      America
  (4) limit European influence in the Western
      Hemisphere
Answer:

10.
10 A major reason for President Andrew Jackson’s
   policy toward the Cherokee Nation was to
   (1) provide Native American Indians with better
       farmland
   (2) enforce the United States Supreme Court
       decision in Worcester v. Georgia (1832)
   (3) obtain land from Native American Indians for
       white settlers
   (4) gain the political support of Native American
       Indians
Answer:

11.
11 Which quotation best represents the idea of
   Manifest Destiny?
   (1) “American interests are best served by strict
       isolationism.”
   (2) “The passage of protective tariffs will
       encourage industrial development.”
   (3) “Immigration is the key to the nation’s
       economic growth.”
   (4) “The United States has a duty to spread
       American ideals westward.”
Answer:

12.
12 . . .“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that
   all men and women are created equal; . . .”
                          - Seneca Falls Convention, 1848
    Which document most influenced the authors of
    this statement?
    (1) Mayflower Compact
    (2) Albany Plan of Union
    (3) Declaration of Independence
    (4) Articles of Confederation
Answer:

13.
13 The Homestead Act (1862) encouraged the
   settlement of the West because it provided
   (1) forty acres of land and a mule to formerly
       enslaved persons
   (2) land to people who would live on it for at least
       five years
   (3) mining claims for prospectors seeking gold
       and silver
   (4) land to companies to build transcontinental
       railroads
Answer:

14.
14 What was one major result of the North’s victory
   in the Civil War?
   (1) The power of the Supreme Court was
       limited.
   (2) Slave owners were compensated for their
       losses.
   (3) The influence of corporations on government
       was reduced.
   (4) The supremacy of the national government
       was upheld.
Answer:

15.
15 One way in which Andrew Carnegie and John D.
   Rockefeller are similar is that they both
   (1) served in the United States Congress
   (2) treated their workers with respect
   (3) gave large sums of money to charitable
       causes
   (4) made fortunes in the automobile industry
Answer:

16.
16 During the late 1800s, the use of child labor in
   United States factories was most opposed by
   (1) parents               (3) labor unions
   (2) nativists             (4) factory owners
Answer:

17.
17 In the late 1800s, an increased demand for
   raw materials and a desire for new markets
   contributed to the United States adopting a
   policy of
   (1) imperialism        (3) collective security
   (2) pacifism           (4) isolationism
Answer:

18.
18 “. . .You come to us and tell us that the great
   cities are in favor of the gold standard; we reply
   that the great cities rest upon our broad and
   fertile prairies. Burn down your cities and leave
   our farms, and your cities will spring up again as
   if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass
   will grow in the streets of every city in the
   country. . . .”
                           - William Jennings Bryan, 1896
   In the late 19th century, farmers attempted to
   address the issue raised by William Jennings
   Bryan by
   (1) supporting the Populist Party
   (2) demanding higher tariffs
   (3) providing jobs for the unemployed
   (4) lobbying Congress to cut income taxes
Answer:

19.
19 What was one result of the Supreme Court
   decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)?
   (1) Public schools were integrated nationwide.
   (2) Civil rights for African Americans were
       strengthened.
   (3) Northern states were forced to segregate
       public facilities.
   (4) The “separate but equal” doctrine was
       established.
Answer:

20.
20 One major result of the Spanish-American War
   was that the United States
   (1) formed an alliance with England
   (2) gained recognition as a world power
   (3) repealed the Monroe Doctrine
   (4) decreased the size of its navy
Answer:


21.
21 A common goal of Lincoln Steffens, Frank Norris,
   and Ida Tarbell was to
   (1) encourage government officials to decrease
       the regulation of business
   (2) publicize the achievements of the captains of
       industry
   (3) create a demand for new political parties to
       replace the two major parties
   (4) increase public awareness of social, political,
       and economic problems
Answer:

22.
22 During the Progressive Era, direct primary
   elections were adopted to
   (1) raise additional campaign funds for
       candidates
   (2) increase the power of voters in the political
       process
   (3) strengthen the role of political machines
   (4) expand the power of the federal government
Answer:

23.
23 President Theodore Roosevelt was called a
   trustbuster because he
   (1) directed the building of the Panama Canal
   (2) encouraged conservation of natural resources
   (3) supported legal action against business
       monopolies
   (4) resigned from the Republican Party
Answer:

24.
24 What was President Woodrow Wilson’s stated
   policy toward the warring nations of Europe prior
   to United States entry into World War I?
   (1) neutrality             (3) internationalism
   (2) containment            (4) dollar diplomacy
Answer:

25.
25 Which statement about the United States economy
   during the 1920s is true?
   (1) Federal regulation of business was
       strengthened.
   (2) The purchase of stocks steadily declined.
   (3) Mass production increased the supply of
       consumer goods.
   (4) Republican Party presidents supported
       unemployment insurance.
Answer:

26.
Base your answer to question 26 on the cartoon below and on your knowledge of social studies.
26 This cartoon is portraying a situation that resulted from the
   (1) public rejection of the New Deal
   (2) economic downturn of the late 1920s
   (3) failure of the Civilian Conservation Corps
   (4) opposition to the Treaty of Versailles
Answer:

27.
27 President Franklin D. Roosevelt believed that
   declaring a bank holiday and creating the Federal
   Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) would
   aid the nation’s banking system by
   (1) restricting foreign investments
   (2) eliminating government regulation of banks
   (3) restoring public confidence in banks
   (4) granting tax relief
Answer:

28.
   Base your answer to question 28 on the passage
below and on your knowledge of social studies.
   . . . I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad,
   ill-nourished.
   It is not in despair that I paint you that picture.
   I paint it for you in hope - because the Nation,
   seeing and understanding the injustice in it,
   proposes to paint it out. We are determined to
   make every American citizen the subject of his
   country’s interest and concern; and we will never
   regard any faithful, law-abiding group within our
   borders as superfluous. The test of our progress
   is not whether we add more to the abundance of
   those who have much; it is whether we provide
   enough for those who have too little. . . .
         - President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Second Inaugural
                                Address, January 20, 1937
28 President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the
   situation described in this speech by
   (1) reducing the influence of labor unions
   (2) supporting programs to aid the poor and
       unemployed
   (3) promoting the interests of big business
   (4) adopting the trickle-down economic theory
Answer:

29.
29 The Neutrality Acts of 1935 and 1937 were
   enacted by Congress to
   (1) help the United States recover from the Great
       Depression
   (2) stop Nazi Germany from conquering Europe
   (3) aid the Americans who fought in the Spanish
       Civil War
   (4) prevent the United States from being drawn
       into another world war
Answer:

30.
30 “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will
   live in infamy - the United States of America was
   suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and
   air forces of the Empire of Japan. . . .”
     - President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Address to Congress,
                                        December 8, 1941
   In this statement, President Roosevelt was
   addressing Congress about the
   (1) sinking of merchant ships in the Atlantic
       Ocean
   (2) D-Day invasion of France
   (3) bombing of Pearl Harbor
   (4) air raids on the Panama Canal
Answer:

31.
31 During World War II, the federal government
   was accused of violating constitutional rights by
   (1) signing the Yalta Agreement
   (2) implementing a draft to expand the armed
       forces
   (3) relocating Japanese Americans to internment
       camps
   (4) initiating the secret Manhattan Project
Answer:

32.
Base your answer to question 32 on the posters below and on your knowledge of social studies.
32 These World War II posters encouraged Americans to
   (1) demand higher wages               (3) purchase new automobiles
   (2) enlist in the armed services      (4) support home-front war efforts
Answer:

33.
33 Which standard of justice was applied to Nazi
   leaders who were tried at Nuremberg after World
   War II?
   (1) Military attacks on civilian populations are
       legal.
   (2) Individuals can be held personally responsible
       for war crimes.
   (3) Military officers are not accountable for
       crimes if they were obeying orders.
   (4) Only the League of Nations can determine
       international law.
Answer:

34.
34 What was the purpose of the Berlin airlift?
   (1) supplying West Berlin with necessities during
       the Soviet blockade
   (2) helping defeat the German military
   (3) assisting people trying to escape from East
       Berlin
   (4) forcing the Soviet Union to end its occupation
       of East Germany
Answer:

35.
35 During the 1960s, members of the Student
   Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
   used sit-ins primarily to
   (1) protest high college tuition costs
   (2) promote passage of clean air laws
   (3) support voting rights for 18-year-old citizens
   (4) challenge racially segregated public facilities
Answer:


36.
36 What was a major result of the Cuban missile
   crisis of 1962?
   (1) Fidel Castro was removed from power.
   (2) Steps were taken to relax Cold War tensions.
   (3) United Nations forces invaded Cuba.
   (4) Trade between Cuba and the United States
       increased.
Answer:

37.
37 President Kennedy created the Peace Corps in
   the 1960s to
   (1) fight revolutionaries in democratic nations
       with military force
   (2) improve economic conditions in developing
       countries
   (3) rebuild United States cities through urban
       renewal
   (4) overthrow Soviet control in Eastern Europe
Answer:

38.
38 Which statement about the Vietnam War is an
   opinion?
   (1) President Lyndon B. Johnson’s escalation of
       the war was a mistake.
   (2) United States forces withdrew from Vietnam
       during the presidency of Gerald Ford.
   (3) Disagreement over the war divided the
       American public.
   (4) The Vietnam War had been the longest
       military conflict in United States history.
Answer:

39.
39 The SALT I and SALT II agreements of the 1970s
   tried to improve Cold War relations between the
   United States and the Soviet Union by
   (1) encouraging space exploration
   (2) increasing cultural exchanges
   (3) lowering barriers to trade
   (4) limiting nuclear weapons
Answer:

40.
40 What was a major achievement of the presidency
   of Jimmy Carter?
   (1) uniting East Germany and West Germany
   (2) negotiating the peace accord between Egypt
       and Israel at Camp David
   (3) ending United States dependence on imported
       oil
   (4) rescuing United States hostages in Iran
Answer:

41.
41 President Ronald Reagan supported supply-side
   economics through reduced tax rates to
   (1) encourage economic growth
   (2) create more public-works jobs
   (3) increase government regulation of business
   (4) decrease defense spending
Answer:

42.
42 The North American Free Trade Agreement
   (NAFTA) and the General Agreement on Tariffs
   and Trade (GATT) were created primarily to
   (1) support environmentalism
   (2) maintain mutual defense
   (3) improve public health worldwide
   (4) promote economic interdependence
Answer:

43.
Base your answer to question 43 on the cartoon below and on your knowledge of social studies.
43 This cartoon illustrates that actions taken during times of crisis have sometimes led to
   concerns about the functioning of
   (1) federalism                             (3) checks and balances
   (2) salutary neglect                       (4) bicameral legislatures
Answer:

44.
44 The decisions of the Supreme Court under Chief
   Justice John Marshall and under Chief Justice
   Earl Warren demonstrate that
   (1) the Supreme Court can greatly influence
       economic and social change
   (2) chief justices have little influence over the
       rest of the Supreme Court
   (3) Supreme Court decisions must be approved
       by the president
   (4) states can overturn decisions of the Supreme
       Court
Answer:

45.
45 ‘‘. . . Under a government which imprisons any
   unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a
   prison. . . .’’
                                 - Henry David Thoreau
   Which leader’s reform efforts reflect the idea in
   this statement by Thoreau?
   (1) Booker T. Washington’s support for vocational
       education
   (2) Jane Addams’s establishment of Hull House
   (3) Rachel Carson’s books about the
       environment
   (4) Martin Luther King Jr.’s advocacy of civil
       disobedience
Answer:

46.
Base your answer to question 46 on the graph below and on your knowledge of social studies.
                                  Legal Immigration to the United States:
                                                1900 - 2005
46 Which statement is best supported by the information provided in this graph?
   (1) Each year since 1950, immigration has increased.
   (2) Quotas favored immigration from southern and eastern Europe.
   (3) Immigration declined during world wars and economic hard times.
   (4) Every year since 1920, at least one million people have come to the United States.
Answer:

47.
47 One way in which President Abraham Lincoln’s
   suspension of habeas corpus (1861), the Espionage
   Act (1917), and the USA Patriot Act (2001) are
   similar is that these actions
   (1) enforced international treaties
   (2) expanded political cooperation
   (3) encouraged economic development
   (4) restricted civil liberties during wartime
Answer:

48.
48 The Harlem Renaissance was influenced by the
   (1) migration of African Americans from the
       rural South to the urban North
   (2) passage of federal laws outlawing racial
       discrimination in public facilities
   (3) racial integration of the military during World
       War I
   (4) use of affirmative action after World War II
Answer:

49.
Base your answers to questions 49 and 50 on the graph below and on your knowledge of social studies.
                       Total United States Population by Region, 1900 - 2000
49 Which section of the country gained the most population in the years shown on
   the graph?
   (1) South                            (3) Northeast
   (2) Midwest                          (4) West
Answer:

50.
50 What is one effect the population changes shown in the graph have had on national
   politics?
   (1) reducing the number of senators from the Midwest
   (2) increasing the representation of the South and West in Congress
   (3) enhancing the chances for election of presidential candidates from the Northeast
   (4) strengthening the Democratic Party’s control of the South
Answer:


51.
           Answers to the essay questions are to be written in the separate essay booklet.
In developing your answer to Part II, be sure to keep these general definitions in mind:
        (a) describe means “to illustrate something in words or tell about it”
        (b) discuss means “to make observations about something using facts, reasoning, and
            argument; to present in some detail”
                                                   Part II
                                     THEMATIC ESSAY QUESTION
Directions: Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs addressing the task
            below, and a conclusion.
        Theme: Cultural and Intellectual Life - Influence of Mass Media
                 Since the earliest days of the nation, mass media have significantly influenced
                 the political, economic, and social life of the United States and American
                 society. These media include pamphlets, newspapers, books, magazines, posters,
                 photographs, radio, films, and television.
        Task:
                 Select two examples in which mass media have influenced the United States and
                   for each
                 • Describe the historical circumstances surrounding the issue addressed by mass
                   media
                 • Discuss positive and/or negative effects of this use of mass media on the
                   United States and/or American society
           You may use any example in which mass media have influenced the political, economic,
        and/or social life of the United States. Some suggestions you might wish to consider include:
        Common Sense - Thomas Paine
        Uncle Tom’s Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe
        yellow journalism - William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer
        How the Other Half Lives - Jacob Riis
        The Jungle - Upton Sinclair
        fireside chats - President Franklin D. Roosevelt
        photo journalism - civil rights protests
        televised nightly newscasts - Vietnam War
        Washington Post - investigation of the Nixon administration
                                You are not limited to these suggestions.
        Guidelines:
                In your essay, be sure to
                • Develop all aspects of the task
                • Support the theme with relevant facts, examples, and details
                • Use a logical and clear plan of organization, including an introduction and a conclusion that
                  are beyond a restatement of the theme
Answer:

52.
                                                Part III
                                 DOCUMENT-BASED QUESTION
    This question is based on the accompanying documents. The question is designed to test your
ability to work with historical documents. Some of these documents have been edited for the purposes
of this question. As you analyze the documents, take into account the source of each document and
any point of view that may be presented in the document. Keep in mind that the language used in
a document may reflect the historical context of the time in which it was written.
       Historical Context:
              Throughout United States history, presidents have made proposals to deal
              with important issues facing the nation. Members of Congress have not always
              agreed with these proposals. The outcomes of these situations have affected
              the United States and American society. These issues have included the Mexican-
              American War and President James K. Polk, Reconstruction and Presidents
              Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, and Supreme Court decisions and
              President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
       Task: Using the information from the documents and your knowledge of United States
             history, answer the questions that follow each document in Part A. Your answers to
             the questions will help you write the Part B essay in which you will be asked to
                Select two issues mentioned in the historical context and for each
                • Describe the president’s position on the issue
                • Describe congressional opposition to the president’s position
                • Discuss how the outcome of the situation influenced the United States and/or
                  American society
In developing your answers to Part III, be sure to keep these general definitions in mind:
       (a) describe means “to illustrate something in words or tell about it”
       (b) discuss means “to make observations about something using facts, reasoning, and
           argument; to present in some detail”
Part A
Short-Answer Questions
Directions: Analyze the documents and answer the short-answer questions that follow each document in
            the space provided.
Document 1
        . . . The grievous wrongs perpetrated by Mexico upon our citizens throughout a long period
        of years remain unredressed [uncorrected], and solemn treaties pledging her public faith for
        this redress have been disregarded. A government either unable or unwilling to enforce the
        execution of such treaties fails to perform one of its plainest duties. . . .
              Instead of this, however, we have been exerting our best efforts to propitiate [gain] her
        good will. Upon the pretext that Texas, a nation as independent as herself, thought proper to
        unite its destinies with our own she has affected to believe that we have severed her rightful
        territory, and in official proclamations and manifestoes has repeatedly threatened to make war
        upon us for the purpose of reconquering Texas. In the meantime we have tried every effort
        at reconciliation. The cup of forbearance [patience] had been exhausted even before the
        recent information from the frontier of the Del Norte [Rio Grande]. But now, after reiterated
        menaces, Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory
        and shed American blood upon the American soil. She has proclaimed that hostilities have
        commenced, and that the two nations are now at war.
              As war exists, and, notwithstanding [despite] all our efforts to avoid it, exists by the act of
        Mexico herself, we are called upon by every consideration of duty and patriotism to vindicate
        [justify] with decision the honor, the rights, and the interests of our country. . . .
                  Source: President James K. Polk, Special Message to Congress on Mexican Relations, May 11, 1846
 1 According to his message to Congress, what is one reason President James Polk supports war with
   Mexico?    [1]
Answer:

53.
Document 2
      . . . The prompt and overwhelming vote in Congress for war - 174 to 14 in the House and
      40 to 2 in the Senate - is deceptive. Aroused by the loss of American lives, all sections and
      all parties at first enthusiastically endorsed the conflict. Popular slogans were “Ho for the
      Halls of the Montezumas!” and “Mexico or Death!” But gradually considerable sentiment
      developed against fighting “Jimmy Polk’s War,” especially among the opposition Whig party
      and the antislavery men. One abolitionist Congressman denounced the conflict as “unholy,
      unrighteous, and damnable.” The distinguished Whig orator, Senator [Thomas] Corwin of
      Ohio, declared in a memorable speech [February 11, 1847] that if he were a Mexican he
      would say to the Americans, “Have you not room in your own country to bury your dead men?
      If you come into mine, we will greet you with bloody hands; and welcome you to hospitable
      graves.”
           Abraham Lincoln, who entered the House as a Whig some months after the war began,
      joined the dissenters. Through his famous “spot resolutions,” which caused him to be dubbed
      the “spotty Lincoln,” he demanded to know the precise “spot” on American soil where
      the shooting had begun. Certainly Polk would have been much nearer the truth if he had
      said that “American blood has been shed on soil in dispute between the United States and
      Mexico” - soil to which Mexico perhaps had a better technical claim than the United States. . . .
               Source: Thomas A. Bailey, A Diplomatic History of the American People, Prentice-Hall, 1974 (adapted)
2 According to Thomas A. Bailey, what was one reason members of Congress opposed war with
  Mexico? [1]
Answer:

54.
Document 3a
              United States Acquisitions from Mexico, 1848
Document 3b
       . . . But Congress itself was split over the question of slavery, and California’s statehood
       threatened that balance. Congress had once hoped that the issue of slavery’s extension had
       been settled forever by the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which barred slavery in most of
       the West. But the defeat of Mexico - and the sudden acquisition of so many hundreds of
       thousands of square miles - had changed everything. . . .
                  Source: Geoffrey C. Ward et al., The West: An Illustrated History, Little, Brown and Company, 1996
3 Based on these documents, what were two effects of the Mexican-American War on the United States? [2]
Answer:

55.
Document 4a
       . . . Abraham Lincoln believed the President should take the lead in peacemaking, and he was
       disposed to grant relatively mild conditions of peace. In 1863 he announced his willingness
       to pardon all rebels (except for certain of the leaders) who would lay down their arms and
       take an oath of future loyalty to the United States. He also proposed his “ten per cent plan”
       of reconstruction. According to this plan, ten per cent of the qualified voters (as of 1860)
       in a seceded state, upon taking the oath, could form a new state government and apply for
       readmission to the Union. They would have to accept the antislavery measures of Congress
       and the President, including the Emancipation Proclamation. Before the end of the war,
       the statemaking process had begun under Lincoln’s plan in Louisiana, Arkansas, and
       Tennessee. . . .
                                 Source: Richard N. Current, ed., Reconstruction [1865 - 1877], Prentice-Hall, 1965
4a Based on this document, what was one proposal made by President Abraham Lincoln concerning
   the readmission of the South to the Union? [1]
Answer:

56.
                                                                                                            Score
Document 4b
        . . . Although Johnson thundered against the Confederate leaders and called for their personal
        punishment, he believed the states they represented were, in fact, still part of the Union
        and therefore guaranteed representation in Congress. Thus he desired their immediate
        restoration - not readmission, because in his view they’d never left. He preferred that this
        restoration take place after each state had ratified the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing
        slavery, but he wasn’t inclined to insist on even this condition. Nor did he seek any safeguards
        for the freed people. . . .
                Source: Hans L. Trefousse, “Andrew Johnson,” in “To the Best of My Ability”: The American Presidents,
                                                               edited by James M. McPherson, DK Publishing, 2001
4b Based on this document, what was one position taken by President Andrew Johnson concerning the
   restoration of the South to the Union? [1]
Answer:

57.
Document 5a
                        Selected Events from the Era of Reconstruction
     1864 • Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee established governments loyal to Union under
            Lincoln’s plan
          • Wade-Davis Bill passed by Congress
     1865 •   Johnson tries to readmit rest of Confederate states to Union
          •   Southern States enact Black Codes
          •   Congress establishes Freedmen’s Bureau
          •   Congress reconvenes (December) and refuses to admit Southern representatives;
              creates Joint Committee on Reconstruction
     1866 • Congress approves Fourteenth Amendment; most Southern states reject it
     1867 • Military Reconstruction Act (and two supplementary acts) outlines congressional plan
            of Reconstruction
          • Tenure of Office Act and Command of the Army Act restrict presidential power
          • Southern states establish Reconstruction governments under congressional plan
     1868 • Most Southern states readmitted to Union under congressional plan
     1870 • Last Southern states readmitted to Union
     1877 • Congressional Reconstruction ends
                     Source: Richard N. Current et al., American History: A Survey, Alfred A. Knopf, 1987 (adapted)
5 Based on this time line and map, identify two ways Congress dealt with Reconstruction. [2]
Answer:

58.
  (1) _______
                                                                                                           Score
  (2) _______
                                                                                                           Score
Document 6
       The long ordeal of slavery came to an end in 1865 for 4 million African Americans. Suddenly
       the freedom they had longed for during two centuries of bondage was theirs. The world
       opened before them: they could freely visit loved ones, attend schools, or run for public
       office. Blacks soon realized, however, that chains other than slavery still held them. Penniless,
       they could not afford to buy farms; untrained, they could not move into better jobs. In the
       1870s and 1880s they lost many of the privileges they had gained when freed, including the
       right to vote. Booker T. Washington grew to maturity in years when blacks experienced both
       the exhilaration of freedom and the humiliation of segregation. He proved in his early life
       that an ex-slave could prosper by hard work. When in his later years he saw the cords of
       prejudice tightening around his people, he responded in the best way he knew, advocating
       self-help in the face of prejudice and segregation. . . .
        Source: J. William T. Youngs, “Beyond Emancipation,” American Realities: Historical Episodes, Longman, 2001
6 According to J. William T. Youngs, what were two ways African Americans were affected by the end of
  slavery and by Reconstruction? [2]
Answer:

59.
Document 7a
7a Based on this political cartoon, why is President Franklin D. Roosevelt upset with the Supreme Court? [1]
Answer:

60.
Document 7b
President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented a proposal to encourage more cooperation between the three
branches of government.
        . . . Last Thursday I described the American form of Government as a three horse team
        provided by the Constitution to the American people so that their field might be plowed. The
        three horses are, of course, the three branches of government - the Congress, the Executive
        and the Courts. Two of the horses are pulling in unison today; the third is not. Those who
        have intimated [suggested] that the President of the United States is trying to drive that team,
        overlook the simple fact that the President, as Chief Executive, is himself one of the three
        horses. . . .
             What is my proposal? It is simply this: whenever a Judge or Justice of any Federal Court
        has reached the age of seventy and does not avail himself of the opportunity to retire on
        a pension, a new member shall be appointed by the President then in office, with the approval,
        as required by the Constitution, of the Senate of the United States. . . .
                                                          Source: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, March 9, 1937
7b Based on this document, what is President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s proposal regarding the Supreme
   Court? [1]
Answer:

61.
Document 8
                                  THE JUDICIARY REFORM BILL
       . . . [President Franklin D.] Roosevelt’s “court-packing” proposal shocked many people, yet
       constitutionally Congress had the power to decide on the size of the Supreme Court. The
       President believed that since the Democrats had a majority, they would support him. Instead,
       however, the party split and many Democrats joined those who opposed the President. There
       were several reasons for the opposition. Perhaps the most important was that Roosevelt
       had “sprung” the plan upon his supporters without warning. Another was that, although
       Congress might be extremely annoyed by the Court, it could not bring itself to interfere with
       the separation of powers. And Congress, throughout its history, has reacted strongly against
       executive actions which it regarded as dictatorial. . . .
               Source: Leonard F. James, The Supreme Court In American Life, Scott, Foresman and Company, 1964
8 According to Leonard F. James, what is one reason Congress opposed President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s
  “court-packing” proposal? [1]
Answer:

62.
Document 9
       . . .The nasty fight over court packing turned out better than might have been expected. The
       defeat of the bill meant that the institutional integrity of the United States Supreme Court
       had been preserved - its size had not been manipulated for political or ideological ends. On
       the other hand, Roosevelt claimed that though he had lost the battle, he had won the war.
       And in an important sense he had: he had staved off the expected invalidation of the Social
       Security Act and other laws. More significantly, the switch in the court that spring resulted
       in what historians call “the constitutional revolution of 1937” - the legitimation of a greatly
       expanded exercise of powers by both the national and state governments that has persisted
       for decades.
            The 168-day contest also has bequeathed some salutary [beneficial] lessons. It instructs
       presidents to think twice before tampering with the Supreme Court. FDR’s scheme, said
       the Senate Judiciary Committee, was “a measure which should be so emphatically rejected
       that its parallel will never again be presented to the free representatives of the free people
       of America.” And it never has been. At the same time, it teaches the justices that if they
       unreasonably impede the functioning of the democratic branches, they may precipitate
       [bring about] a crisis with unpredictable consequences. In his dissent in the AAA case in
       1936, Justice Stone reminded his brethren, “Courts are not the only agency of government
       that must be assumed to have capacity to govern.” These are lessons - for the president and
       for the court - as salient [significant] today as they were in 1937.
             Source: William E. Leuchtenburg, “When Franklin Roosevelt Clashed with the Supreme Court - and Lost,”
                                                                                 Smithsonian Magazine, May 2005
9 According to William E. Leuchtenburg, what was one impact of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s attempt
  to pack the Supreme Court? [1]
Answer:

63.
Part B
Essay
Directions: Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs, and a conclusion.
            Use evidence from at least four documents in your essay. Support your response with relevant facts,
            examples, and details. Include additional outside information.
         Historical Context:
                Throughout United States history, presidents have made proposals to deal
                with important issues facing the nation. Members of Congress have not always
                agreed with these proposals. The outcomes of these situations have affected
                the United States and American society. These issues have included the Mexican-
                American War and President James K. Polk, Reconstruction and Presidents
                Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, and Supreme Court decisions and
                President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
         Task: Using the information from the documents and your knowledge of United States
               history, write an essay in which you
                  Select two issues mentioned in the historical context and for each
                  • Describe the president’s position on the issue
                  • Describe congressional opposition to the president’s position
                  • Discuss how the outcome of the situation influenced the United States and/or
                    American society
         Guidelines:
                In your essay, be sure to
               • Develop all aspects of the task
               • Incorporate information from at least four documents
               • Incorporate relevant outside information
               • Support the theme with relevant facts, examples, and details
               • Use a logical and clear plan of organization, including an introduction and a conclusion that
                  are beyond a restatement of the theme
Answer:

  Try the Quiz :     US History and Government - New York Regents January 2017 Exam


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