SparkNotes: James K. Polk: Test

1. Polk was born in what North Carolina county?

(A) Mecklenburg County

(B) Yoruba County

(C) Wake County

(D) Hamilton County

2. Polk had an operation to remove what when he was fourteen?

(A) Appendix

(B) Gallstones

(C) Kidney stones

(D) Left foot

3. Polk's parents raised him to believe in what form of government?

(A) Federalism

(B) Jeffersonian Democracy

(C) Whiggery

(D) Jacobinism

4. Polk attended what University?

(A) Duke University

(B) William & Mary

(C) University of North Carolina

(D) Vanderbilt

5. Polk graduated where in his class in 1818?

(A) First

(B) Second

(C) Third

(D) Last

6. After college, he studied law under which great Tennessee lawyer?

(A) Andrew Jackson

(B) Abraham Lincoln

(C) Martin Van Buren

(D) Felix Grundy

7. The Panic of 1819 was caused by what?

(A) England's trade embargo

(B) The Second Bank of the United States

(C) Crop failure

(D) Rhode Island's loan defaults

8. What was Polk's nickname when he ran for Congress the first time?

(A) Young Hickory

(B) Old Rough and Ready

(C) Napoleon of the Stump

(D) Old Hickory

9. What "incident" rocked Washington soon after Polk's arrival?

(A) The XYZ Affair

(B) The Peggy Eaton Affair

(C) The Buchanan Affair

(D) The John Jay Affair

10. William Henry Harrison's term of office lasted how long?

(A) One week

(B) One month

(C) Three months

(D) One year

11. The Wilmot Proviso prohibited what?

(A) Trade with Mexico

(B) Slavery

(C) High tariffs

(D) Internal improvements

12. Polk reasserted the Monroe Doctrine in regards to what area in 1848?

(A) Texas

(B) Cuba

(C) Yucatan

(D) Alaska

13. Polk died of what disease?

(A) Cholera

(B) Yellow Fever

(C) Pneumonia

(D) Gout

14. How long did Polk serve in Congress?

(A) Two years

(B) Six years

(C) Ten years

(D) Fourteen years

15. What was Polk's campaign slogan?

(A) Old Hickory

(B) Fifty-Four Forty or Fight

(C) Tippecanoe and Tyler Too

(D) Manifest Destiny

16. Andrew Jackson lost to whom in the 1824 presidential election?

(A) Henry Clay

(B) William Henry Harrison

(C) John Tyler

(D) John Quincy Adams

17. Martin Van Buren and which politician both published letters in 1844 opposing the immediate annexation of Texas?

(A) Henry Clay

(B) James K. Polk

(C) Andrew Jackson

(D) John Tyler

18. Whom did Martin Van Buren select as his vice-presidential running-mate in 1842?

(A) James K. Polk

(B) R.M. Johnson

(C) John Bell

(D) John Tyler

19. What distinction did Polk have after been nominated for the presidency?

(A) He was the first dark horse candidate

(B) He was the first Protestant candidate

(C) He was the fourth consecutive Tennesseean to be nominated by the Democrats

(D) He was the first married Democratic candidate

20. Before Polk reformed the postal service, who had been responsible for paying postage?

(A) The Sender

(B) The Recipient

(C) The Government

(D) The Railroads

21. A faction of Tennessee Democrats wanted to run whom for president in 1836?

(A) Martin Van Buren

(B) James K. Polk

(C) Hugh Lawson White

(D) Felix Grundy

22. Polk opposed the Distribution Act because it did what?

(A) Made states liable to the government for the loans

(B) Paid for internal improvements

(C) Prohibited slavery in half the states

(D) Cut grain production depending on the per capita rates in each state

23. The Mexican War began when Zachary Taylor army exchanged fire with what Mexican town?

(A) Vera Cruz

(B) Matamoras

(C) Bueno Vista

(D) Colambio

24. What State Department official illegally signed the Mexican War peace treaty?

(A) Winfield Scott

(B) Nicholas Trist

(C) John Bell

(D) James Buchanan

25. As one of his final tasks in office, Polk announced the discovery of gold in which new territory?

(A) Oregon

(B) California

(C) Texas

(D) New Mexico

26. Polk served as chair of what committee in the House?

(A) Ways and Means

(B) Appropriations

(C) Foreign Relations

(D) Armed Services

27. Who headed the Second Bank of the United States during its fight to be rechartered?

(A) Nicholas Trist

(B) Henry Clay

(C) Nicholas Biddle

(D) John Tyler

28. What was Polk's nickname?

(A) Old Rough and Ready

(B) Young Hickory

(C) Old Hickory

(D) Tippecanoe

29. What profession was Polk's father?

(A) Shopkeeper

(B) Lawyer

(C) Farmer

(D) Doctor

30. Polk courted Sarah Childress while he held what job?

(A) Law student

(B) Legislative clerk

(C) Assemblyman

(D) Congressman

31. Polk left his post as Speaker to run for what office?

(A) Senator

(B) Governor

(C) Vice-President

(D) President

32. How much did Polk pay for New Mexico and California?

(A) Ten million

(B) Fifteen million

(C) Twenty million

(D) Twenty-five million

33. Who was Polk's troublesome Secretary of State?

(A) James Buchanan

(B) Robert Walker

(C) William Marcy

(D) John Mason

34. Polk prohibited his cabinet secretaries from doing what?

(A) Running for president

(B) Publishing editorials

(C) Proposing legislation

(D) Fighting in the Cabinet room

35. Polk ended the practice of handing out what to loyal Democratic supporters?

(A) Jobs

(B) Matchbooks

(C) Money

(D) White House trinkets

36. Who were the "The Immortal Thirteen"?

(A) Tennessee's Democratic Senators

(B) Polk's Cabinet

(C) General Scott's Regimental Commanders

(D) John Quincy Adam's electoral voters

37. What war hero succeeded Polk in the presidency?

(A) Zachary Taylor

(B) Winfield Scott

(C) William Henry Harrison

(D) James Buchanan

38. What famous frontiersman often argued against Polk in the House?

(A) Samuel Houston

(B) Daniel Boone

(C) Davy Crockett

(D) Santa Anna

39. Clay's Distribution Act gave what to the states?

(A) Surplus tax revenues

(B) Railroad subsidies

(C) Grain

(D) Specie

40. What financial tool did Martin Van Buren request? (Congress did not pass it until Polk's administration.)

(A) A sub-treasury

(B) A national bank

(C) Specie circulars

(D) The Federal Reserve Board

41. Which president died after only a month in office?

(A) John Tyler

(B) Zachary Taylor

(C) James K. Polk

(D) William Henry Harrison

42. Which president died only three months after leaving office?

(A) John Tyler

(B) Zachary Taylor

(C) James K. Polk

(D) William Henry Harrison

43. What federal department did John Tyler ask Polk to head?

(A) Treasury Department

(B) Navy Department

(C) War Department

(D) State Department

44. If John Tyler was the tenth president, what number was Polk?

(A) Nine

(B) Eleven

(C) Twelve

(D) Thirteen

45. Felix Grundy previously served as Chief Justice of which Supreme Court?

(A) Tennessee

(B) Kentucky

(C) Ohio

(D) The United States

46. What 134-foot long object fell and killed a Polk supporter at a Maryland rally?

(A) Hickory Tree

(B) Bandstand

(C) Inflatable balloon

(D) Billboard

47. How much was Polk willing to pay for California and New Mexico?

(A) Fifteen million

(B) Twenty million

(C) Thirty million

(D) Forty million

48. Whom did Polk defeat to become Speaker of the House?

(A) Hugh Lawson White

(B) John Quincy Adams

(C) John Bell

(D) John Tyler