SAT II US History : Cause and Effect in U.S. Political History from 1790 to 1898
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II US History
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Example Questions
Example Question #21 : Cause And Effect In U.S. Political History From 1790 To 1898
The event that directly prompted the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 was the ___________________.
impeachment of President Andrew Johnson
assassination of President Abraham Lincoln
non-consecutive election of Grover Cleveland
assassination of President William McKinley
assassination of President James Garfield
assassination of President James Garfield
Charles Guiteau shot President James A. Garfield on July 2, 1881, at the Sixth Street Station as Garfield was boarding a train, because Guiteau was dissatisfied that he did not receive a job in the Garfield Administration. Garfield would survive for two more months, but in an incapacitated state, and was replace by his Vice President Chester A. Arthur. Although Arthur benefited and promoted the "spoils system," giving influential positions to political supporters, he encouraged the Congress to pass the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Acts in response to Guiteau's motivations. The Act required open applications and civil service exams for government positions.
Example Question #22 : U.S. Political History
Which of the following did not contribute to Andrew Jackson’s successful 1828 Presidential campaign?
Jackson’s insistence that he had lost the election of 1824 due to a “corrupt bargain” between Adams and Henry Clay
The extension of greater suffrage rights to the common man
Jackson’s status as a hero of the War of 1812
The growth of the population in the western and southern areas of the country
The unity of the Democratic-Republican Party
The unity of the Democratic-Republican Party
In the Election of 1824 Andrew Jackson garnered the majority of the popular vote, but not an electoral majority. As a result, the case was decided in the House and John Quincy Adams was chosen as President, due in large part to Henry Clay throwing his support behind Adams’ campaign. Adams promptly appointed Henry Clay to the position of Secretary of State. Jackson cried foul, declaring a “corrupt bargain” had been struck, and he issued a massive propaganda response. By the time of the election of 1828 the Democratic-Republican Party had all but fractured and this worked to Jackson’s advantage. He gained full support of the new Democratic Party. Additionally, it is important to understand that the suffrage rights of several western states had changed dramatically over the last decade and by the election of 1828, a much higher percentage of the “common man” had a direct say in the electoral process. Finally, Jackson was deeply popular in the South and the West for his role in the War of 1812 and for his standing as a man taken from their own ranks.
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