Chapter 17: Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy, 1841-1848

1. After President Harrison’s death, Vice President John Tyler 
carried on the strong Whig policies of leaders like Clay and Webster.
A. True				B. False

2. By the 1840s, the bitter memories of two Anglo-American wars had 
disappeared, putting an end to major British-American conflicts.
A. True				B. False

3. The “Aroostook War” over the Maine boundary was settled by a 
territorial compromise in the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. 
A. True				B. False 

4. A primary motive driving Americans to annex Texas was fear that 
the Lone Star Republic would become an ally or protectorate of 
Britain.
A. True				B. False

5. Because the two-thirds vote was necessary for a treaty of 
annexation could not be obtained in the Senate, Texas was annexed by 
a simple majority resolution of both houses of Congress.
A. True				B. False

6. In the dispute with Britain over Oregon, the United States 
repeatedly demanded control of the whole territory as far north 
as “fifty-four forty”.
A. True				B. False

7. In the election of 1844, Clay lost to Polk partly because he tried 
to straddle the Texas annexation issue and thus lost antislavery 
support.
A. True				B. False 

8. Polk’s victory in 1844 was interpreted as a mandate for Manifest 
Destiny and led directly to the annexation of Texas and a favorable 
settlement of the Oregon dispute.
A. True				B. False 

9. The Polk administration aimed to seize California by force and 
made no effort at peaceful purchase of the territory.
A. True				B. False

10. The immediate cause of the Mexican War was an attempt by Mexico 
to reconquer Texas.
A. True				B. False

11. Polk's primary objective in fighting the Mexican War was to 
obtain California. 
A. True				B. False
12. The overwhelming American military victory over Mexico led some 
Americans to call for the United States to take over all of Mexico. 
A. True				B. False

13. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave the United States a small 
slice of present-day southern New Mexico and Arizona. 
A. True				B. False

14. The outcome of the Mexican War became a source of continuing bad 
feeling between the United States and much of Latin America. 
A. True				B. False

15. The Wilmot Proviso prohibiting slavery in territory acquired from 
Mexico helped shove the slavery issue out of sight. 
A. True				B. False

16. The conflict between President Tyler and Whig leaders like Henry 
Clay took place over issues of 
A.  slavery and expansion. 
B. banking and tariff policy.
C. foreign policy.
D. agriculture and transportation policy.

17. Among the major sources of the tension between Britain and the 
United States in the 1840s was 
A. American involvement in Canadian rebellions and border disputes
B. British support for American abolitionists.
C. American anger at British default on canal and railroad loans.
D. American intervention in the British West Indies.

18. The "Aroostook War" involved 
A. a battle between American and French fishermen over Newfoundland 
fishing rights.
B. a battle between American and Canadian lumberjacks over the 
northern Maine boundary.
C. a battle between British and American sailors over impressment.
D. a battle between Americans and Mexicans over the western boundary 
of Louisiana.

19. During the early 1840s, Texas maintained its independence by 
A. waging a constant war against Mexico.
B. refusing to sign treaties with any outside powers.
C. relying on the military power of the United States.
D. establishing friendly relations with Britain and other European 
powers.



20. Which of the following was not among the reasons why Britain 
strongly supported an independent Texas? 
A. Britain was interested in eventually incorporating Texas into the 
British empire.
B. British abolitionists hoped to make Texas an antislavery bastion.
C. British manufacturers looked to Texas as a way to reduce their 
dependence on American cotton.
D. Britain planned to use Texas as a check on American southward 
expansion.

21. Texas was finally admitted to the Union in 1844 as a result of 
 A. the Mexican War.
 B. the Texans' willingness to abandon slavery.
 C. President Tyler's interpretation of the election of 1844 as 
a "mandate" to acquire Texas.
 D. a compromise agreement with Britain.

22. "Manifest Destiny" represented the widespread American belief 
that 
 A. Americans were destined to uphold democracy and freedom.
 B. there would inevitably be a civil war over slavery some time in 
the future.
 C. Mexico was destined to be acquired by the United States.
 D. God had destined the United States to expand across the whole 
North American continent.

 23. Britain eventually lost out in the contest for the disputed 
Oregon territory because 
 A. the rapidly growing number of American settlers overwhelmed the 
small British population.
 B. the British recognized the greater validity of American legal 
claims on the territory.
 C. superior American naval forces made the British position in the 
region untenable.
 D. an international arbitration commission ruled in favor of the 
American claims.

 24. Henry Clay lost the election of 1844 to James Polk because 
 A. his attempt to straddle the Texas annexation issue lost him votes 
to the antislavery Liberty party in New York.
 B. his strong stand for expansion in Texas and Oregon raised fears 
of war with Britain.
 C. he supported lower tariffs and an independent Treasury system.
 D. he lacked experience in presidential politics.

 25. The final result of the British-American conflict over the 
Oregon country in 1844-1846 was 
 A. an American success in winning the goal of a boundary at "fifty-
four forty."
 B. an agreement to continue the joint occupation of Oregon for 
twenty years more.
 C. a compromise agreement on a border at the forty-ninth parallel.
 D. an outbreak of war between the two nations.

 26. The immediate cause of the Mexican War was 
 A. American refusal to pay Mexican claims for damage to its citizens.
 B. Mexican refusal to sell California and a dispute over the Texas 
boundary.
 C. Mexican support for the antislavery movement in Texas.
 D. American determination to establish democracy in northern Mexico.

 27. The phrase "spot resolutions" refers to 
 A. President Polk's message asking Congress to declare war on 
Mexico "on the spot."
 B. the amendment introduced after the Mexican War declaring that not 
one new spot of land be opened to slavery.
 C. Congressman Abraham Lincoln's resolution demanding to know the 
exact spot of American soil where American blood had supposedly been 
shed.
 D. the congressional act determining which spots of Mexican land 
should be ceded to the United States.

 28. The main American military campaign that finally captured Mexico 
City was commanded by 
 A. General Stephen W. Kearny.
 B. Captain John C. Frémont.
 C. General Zachary Taylor.
 D. General Winfield Scott.

29. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ending the Mexican War provided 
for 
 A. a return to the status quo that had existed before the war.
 B. the eventual American acquisition of all of Mexico.
 C. American acquisition of about half of Mexico and payment of 
several million dollars in compensation.
 D. the acquisition of California and joint U.S.-Mexican control of 
Arizona and New Mexico.

 30. The major domestic consequence of the Mexican War was 
 A. the decline of the Democratic party.
 B. a sharp revival of the issue of slavery.
 C. a large influx of Hispanic immigrants into the southern United 
States.
 D. a significant increase in taxes to pay the costs of the war.