American History Homework Five Answers - Student Seventeen

Ruth L 10/16/2008 American History Andrew Schlafly

1\. (A) If someone named Joe Biden lived in 1858 was a part of the Know Nothing Party, he would not have welcomed immigrants into the united States.

Right answer, but unfortunately the wrong letter! I hate to deduct for this, but in a real exam this would be scored as wrong. You'll want to minimize those types of errors! (Minus 1)

2\. (1) The Whig Party was pro-tariffs. (2) The Whig Party was pro a national bank.

Excellent.

3\. The Beginning of the Mexican War: President James Polk had tried to negotiate with Mexico for land. However, when this failed, Polk looked for a reason to declare war on Mexico. This reason came when there was a battle by the Mexican border between the Mexicans and the American army. Although no one really knew who fired on whom and on which side of the border it happened, desperate for a reason to declare war, President Polk told Congress that the Mexicans had attacked the Americans on American soil. This outraged Congress which immediately gave President Polk the declaration of war on Mexico. The End of the Mexican War: Nicholas Trist was sent to Mexico to negotiate peace. But President Polk felt that the treaty Trist offered was too lenient towards Mexico, so President Polk fired Trist. However, Trist continued to negotiate with Mexico until a deal was made.

Good, could mention the treaty name or some dates.

4\. I believe that James Polk was the most important person from 1840-1860. This is because of the many achievements he had while being president. Among these achievements were reducing tariffs, settling a dispute with England and reestablishing an independent treasury.

Excellent.

5\. “Bleeding Kansas” was the product of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed each individual state to decide whether or not to allow slavery. This caused much fighting and division in the states. The state that experienced the most division was Kansas. Much property was destroyed there and a man was even killed.

Right, but there was far more than one man who was killed, and you could mention "popular sovereignty." Otherwise good. (Minus 1).

6\. In this cartoon, “Steve” is Steven Douglas. The woman spanking him represents America (Lady Liberty). The “that Nebraska Bill” is the Kansas-Nebraska Act that Douglas passed. The cartoonist is saying here that Douglas should have never passed the Act.

Right, but I think the spanking is for Steve's entire approach to slavery, not just that particular Bill.

7\. No, I do not think it was possible to avoid the Civil War. It probably could have been postponed a couples years, but avoided all together. That is because the Civil War not about slavery; it was about states’ rights. So, even if the problem with slavery had been resolved, the issue of states’ rights would have come up again.

but NOT avoid all together is what I think you mean. Ah, the missing "not"! Good answer.

Good work. Score: 68/70.--Aschlafly 19:12, 18 October 2008 (EDT)