Free History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1What exception to the Thirteenth Amendment's prohibition of involuntary servitude is stated in the amendment?

   1. A.Compulsory service to satisfy a private debt without a criminal conviction
   2. B.Compulsory service as punishment after a person is duly convicted of a crimeCorrect answer: B
   3. C.Compulsory service to satisfy a tax debt without a criminal conviction
   4. D.Compulsory service based solely on a person's immigration status

   Explanation: "except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted" The exception concerns punishment following conviction; debt, taxes, and immigrant status do not themselves supply that exception.

   Reference: 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865) — Transcript, Amendment XIII, Section 1

2. 2Which combination helped drive the early twentieth-century Great Migration of African Americans?

   1. A.Southern farm hardship and demand for northern industrial laborCorrect answer: A
   2. B.Southern farm prosperity and reduced northern industrial demand
   3. C.Southern industrial expansion and northern agricultural decline
   4. D.Northern farm hardship and demand for southern plantation labor

   Explanation: "an agricultural depression and boo weevil infestation in the South, a demand for industrial labor in the North, and southern Jim Crow laws" The Park Service identifies both southern pressures and northern labor demand, not the reversed or compulsory patterns in the other choices.

   Reference: National Urban League (NUL) — Great Migration paragraph

3. 3Which combination characterized the early Great Depression in the United States?

   1. A.Falling industrial output and rising unemploymentCorrect answer: A
   2. B.Rising industrial output and falling unemployment
   3. C.Stable output and the disappearance of bank failures
   4. D.Sustained wage growth and rapid expansion of consumer credit

   Explanation: "Industrial production plummeted. Unemployment soared." The Depression combined a deep output contraction with sharply increased unemployment.

   Reference: The Great Depression — Introduction, paragraph on the Depression

4. 4Why did the 1957 launch of Sputnik 1 attract international attention?

   1. A.It was the first artificial satellite to orbit EarthCorrect answer: A
   2. B.It carried the first astronauts to the Moon
   3. C.It was the first American commercial communications satellite
   4. D.It completed the first mission to the surface of Mars

   Explanation: "when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1. The world’s first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball" Sputnik was the first artificial satellite, a milestone that began the space age.

   Reference: The Dawn of the Space Age — Historical Resources, introduction

5. 5What did the United States gain under the 1898 Treaty of Paris ending the Spanish-American War?

   1. A.Cuba, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic
   2. B.Canada, Newfoundland, and Greenland
   3. C.Hawaii, Samoa, and the Panama Canal Zone
   4. D.The Philippines, Puerto Rico, and GuamCorrect answer: D

   Explanation: "According to the provisions of the treaty, Spain ceded the Philippine Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States, and relinquished her sovereignty over Cuba." The treaty ceded the three named territories to the United States; it relinquished Spanish sovereignty over Cuba rather than ceding Cuba.

   Reference: Guide to House Records: Chapter 13 — Committee on Insular Affairs, paragraph 13.95

6. 6What principle did the Fourteenth Amendment impose on the states?

   1. A.A ban on poll taxes in federal elections
   2. B.A ban on discrimination in voting on account of sex
   3. C.Equal protection of the laws for persons within their jurisdictionCorrect answer: C
   4. D.Direct popular election of United States senators

   Explanation: "nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws" The Fourteenth Amendment imposes an equal-protection requirement on states. The other choices describe later amendments.

   Reference: 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Civil Rights (1868) — Transcript, Amendment XIV, Section 1

7. 7What was an early purpose of the National Urban League?

   1. A.To organize African American railway workers into a national labor union
   2. B.To assist African Americans resettling in northern citiesCorrect answer: B
   3. C.To lead nationwide lunch-counter sit-ins on university campuses
   4. D.To litigate voting-rights cases as a national legal-defense organization

   Explanation: "aiding African Americans’ resettlement in the North" The league began as a social-service organization helping migrants and later broadened its civil rights activity.

   Reference: National Urban League (NUL) — Organization history, third paragraph

8. 8What happened to the U.S. money supply during the banking collapse from 1930 to 1933?

   1. A.It doubled
   2. B.It fell by nearly 30 percentCorrect answer: B
   3. C.It remained unchanged
   4. D.It rose by nearly 30 percent

   Explanation: "the money supply fell by nearly 30 percent." The contraction contributed to falling prices and increased real debt burdens.

   Reference: The Great Depression — Paragraph on the money supply

9. 9What scientific discovery was associated with Explorer 1 in 1958?

   1. A.A previously unknown ring of dust surrounding Mars
   2. B.Radiation belts surrounding EarthCorrect answer: B
   3. C.A new comet orbiting the Sun
   4. D.A magnetic field on the surface of Venus

   Explanation: "showed the existence of the magnetic radiation belts around the Earth" Explorer 1's payload detected the radiation belts later named for James Van Allen.

   Reference: The Dawn of the Space Age — Background, Explorer 1 paragraph

10. 10Why did armed resistance to United States rule arise in the Philippines after the Spanish-American War?

    1. A.Filipino leaders sought restoration of Spanish colonial rule
    2. B.Filipino independence supporters opposed replacement of Spanish colonial rule by American ruleCorrect answer: B
    3. C.The United States attempted to return the Philippines to Spanish control
    4. D.The Philippines sought annexation by the United States

    Explanation: "Many in the islands were not eager to see one colonial power replaced by another. This desire for independence soon resulted in armed resistance against the United States." The cited desire for independence explains resistance to new U.S. rule, not support for either colonial government.

    Reference: Researching Service in the U.S. Army During the Philippine Insurrection — Origins of the Philippine-American War