GED Social Studies : Other Historic Documents

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GED Social Studies

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Other Historic Documents

Who wrote the pamphlet, Common Sense?

Possible Answers:

John Jay

Thomas Paine

Thomas Jefferson

James Madison

Benjamin Franklin

Correct answer:

Thomas Paine

Explanation:

The revolutionary pamphlet, Common Sense, was written by Thomas Paine in 1776. It is considered to be the most important document for galvanizing public support for the cause of the Revolutionary War that was published in the early years of the American War for Independence.

Example Question #2 : Other Historic Documents

The pamphlet, Common Sense, primarily argued __________

Possible Answers:

against the revolutionary war and in support of the British Empire.

in favor of American involvement in the Spanish-American War.

that America needed to protect democratic and capitalist interest by intervening in World War Two on the side of the Allies.

that America should remain out of the Vietnam War.

in favor of American independence from the British Empire.

Correct answer:

in favor of American independence from the British Empire.

Explanation:

Common Sense was written by Thomas Paine during the early stages of the Revolutionary War with Britain. The pamphlet argued that America had both the right to seek independence from Britain and the means to achieve this goal. It was important for swaying countless individuals to side with the revolutionaries and for convincing common Americans that their goal could be achieved.

Example Question #3 : Other Historic Documents

The Gettysburg Address was delivered by __________

Possible Answers:

Alexander Hamilton.

Abraham Lincoln.

Robert E. Lee.

Andrew Jackson.

George Washington.

Correct answer:

Abraham Lincoln.

Explanation:

The Gettysburg Address was a speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, during the height of the Civil War conflict. It is generally considered one of the greatest speeches in American history.

Example Question #4 : Other Historic Documents

The Gettysburg Address speech primarily focused on __________

Possible Answers:

improving American morale in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack during World War Two.

arguing in favor of abolition, but also trying to avoid direct conflict and separation from the American states in the South.

outlining the benefits for increased American imperial action in the years immediately before the Spanish-American War.

arguing in favor of American independence from Britain and convincing skeptics that victory could be achieved.

reaffirming the American principles of universal equality and framing the Civil War as a conflict to preserve the unity of the American republic.

Correct answer:

reaffirming the American principles of universal equality and framing the Civil War as a conflict to preserve the unity of the American republic.

Explanation:

The Gettysburg Address was a speech given in the middle of the Civil War by President Abraham Lincoln. It is a very short speech, but one that focuses on reaffirming the ideas of universal equality that are espoused in the American Constitution, while also framing the Civil War as a conflict to protect these rights and to preserve the unity of the young American republic.

Example Question #5 : Other Historic Documents

The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions primarily asserted that __________

Possible Answers:

the states have the right to nullify Federal laws they deem unconstitutional.

America should remain out of any European conflict.

factionalism was the most dangerous threat to the maintenance of American democracy.

slavery should not be allowed to spread into newly acquired territories.

the United States government can make no law establishing an official state religion.

Correct answer:

the states have the right to nullify Federal laws they deem unconstitutional.

Explanation:

The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions were written, in secret, by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, in response to the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798 and 1799. What they essentially stated was that the states have the right to nullify Federal laws they deem unconstitutional. Many American politicians at the time, including George Washington, considered this to be a very dangerous precedent, and although the nullification issue continued to be problematic in the early years of the American republic, it is now considered not to be right reserved for the states.

Example Question #17 : Historic Documents And Court Decisions

The Federalist Papers were written to __________

Possible Answers:

undermine the Articles of Confederation.

encourage a declaration of war against Britain prior to the War of 1812.

demand an inclusion of a Bill of Rights in the United States’ Constitution.

advocate the ratification of the United States’ Constitution.

argue that states have the right to nullify Federal laws they deem unconstitutional.

Correct answer:

advocate the ratification of the United States’ Constitution.

Explanation:

The Federalist Papers is the name given to a collection of essays, written in 1787 and 1788, advocating the ratification of the United States’ Constitution. Many of the essays are considered of great historical importance, including Federalist No. 10 and Federalist No. 51.

Example Question #6 : Other Historic Documents

Which of these men did not contribute to the Federalist Papers?

Possible Answers:

All of these men contributed to the Federalist Papers.

Alexander Hamilton

James Madison

John Jay

Thomas Jefferson

Correct answer:

Thomas Jefferson

Explanation:

The Federalist Papers were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Thomas Jefferson, as a leading anti-federalist, cannot be expected to have contributed to the Federalist Papers.

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