Exercises on US History in the 19th Century

(Fuvest-2001) The incorporation of new areas, between 1820 and 1850, which gave the United States its current territorial conformation, extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific, was due to if fundamentally:

a) to a natural advance towards the west, in view of the arrival of a huge contingent of European immigrants.

b) the agreements with indigenous, Sioux and Apache leaders, traditionally allied with whites.

c) victory in the war against Mexico, which, defeated, was forced to cede almost half of its territory.

d) the purchase of territories from England and Russia, which took a pragmatic stance in the face of the American advance to the west.

e) the purchase of territories from France and Spain, which were, at that time, going through serious economic crises in Europe.

(Fuvest-2009) “A house divided against itself will not stand. I believe that this government, half slave and half free, cannot last forever. I do not expect the Union to dissolve; I don't expect the house to fall. But I hope it stops being divided. It will become just one thing or just the other.” [Abraham Lincoln, in 1858].

This text expresses a:

a) President Lincoln's authoritative political stance.

b) Southern representatives perspective.

c) Lincoln's proposal to abolish slavery.

d) Northern proposition to prevent westward expansion.

e) Lincoln's concern about a possible civil war.

The process of territorial expansion of the United States, especially in the successive attacks against indigenous nations and the War against Mexico between 1848 and 1850, was ideologically justified by the United States from :

a) from the Monroe Doctrine

b) from the Big Stick Policy

c) McCarthyism

d) from Manifest Destiny

e) from the Marshall Plan

The Mexican-American War was fought by Mexico and the United States between 1848 and 1850 and guaranteed the United States a vast territory with access to the Pacific Ocean and which had large deposits of gold . The event that served as a precursor to the war was:

a) the Louisiana Purchase

b) the Texas Revolution

c) the approval of the Homestead Act

d) the signing of the Indian Removal Act

e) the Florida purchase

LETTER C

In the aforementioned period, the United States began to settle and colonize the Texas region. Subsequently, American colonists started a revolution that separated Texas from Mexico and linked it to the United States. Finally, the hostilities that arose from the Texan stalemate led to the conflict that took place between 1848 and 1850 and became known as the Mexican-American War. The US victory granted access to several new territories.

LETTER E

The phrase spoken by Abraham Lincoln (American president from 1861 to 1865) highlights the tension that existed between northerners and southerners on account of the issue of maintenance and extension of slave labor (or its abolition ) for the newly conquered territories in the west. These tensions had already given rise to small conflicts between militias on both sides in the Kansas region and, during this period, the separatist discourse of southerners strengthened. The southern states' declaration of secession started the conflict in 1861.

LETER D

The territorial expansion conducted by the United States during the 19th century and the arbitrariness committed against indigenous nations and against Mexicans were ideologically justified by Manifest Destiny. This ideology officially emerged in 1845 asserted that Americans were a people predestined to occupy and conquer the lands of the west. All the arbitrary acts committed were justified on the basis of a civilizing discourse.

LETER B

The Texas Revolution took place in 1836 when American settlers dissatisfied with the Mexican government started a rebellion that declared separation from Mexico. The rebellion of the American colonists generated a response from the Mexican government, and a war was fought, with the victory of the Americans. Some time later, the region was annexed to the territory of the United States and a great tension between the two nations (Mexico and the USA) arose. This tension added to other reasons led to the beginning of the Mexican-American War in 1848.