WI Forward - Wisconsin Forward Social Studies: History/Government Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What was the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation (1863)?
- Ended the Revolutionary War
- Declared enslaved people in Confederate states were to be free (Correct answer)
- Granted women the right to vote
- Established the first national bank
Correct answer: Declared enslaved people in Confederate states were to be free
It declared freedom for enslaved people in Confederate states, shifting the war's purpose.
Issued January 1, 1863, it transformed the Civil War into a fight for freedom, prevented European support for the Confederacy, and allowed African Americans to enlist.
Question 2: What is federalism?
- Power held only by national government
- Power shared between national and state governments (Correct answer)
- Power held only by states
- Power held by the United Nations
Correct answer: Power shared between national and state governments
Federalism divides power between the federal and state governments.
Federal handles defense, interstate commerce, foreign policy. States manage education, local law enforcement. The 10th Amendment reserves non-delegated powers to states.
Question 3: Which amendment abolished slavery?
- 1st
- 13th (Correct answer)
- 19th
- 26th
Correct answer: 13th
The 13th Amendment (1865) abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.
The 13th was the first of three Reconstruction Amendments (13th, 14th, 15th). The 19th gave women suffrage; the 26th lowered voting age to 18.
Question 4: What was Wisconsin's role during the Civil War?
- Remained neutral
- Fought for the Confederacy
- Contributed over 91,000 troops to the Union Army (Correct answer)
- Was not yet a state
Correct answer: Contributed over 91,000 troops to the Union Army
Wisconsin contributed over 91,000 soldiers to the Union cause.
Wisconsin organized 53 infantry regiments and 4 cavalry regiments. The famous Iron Brigade included Wisconsin regiments among the most distinguished Union units.
Question 5: What is the purpose of the Electoral College?
- To educate voters
- To count the popular vote
- To formally elect the president and vice president (Correct answer)
- To confirm Supreme Court justices
Correct answer: To formally elect the president and vice president
The Electoral College formally elects the president based on state-level results.
538 electors total; 270 needed to win. Each state gets electors equal to its congressional delegation. Wisconsin has 10 electoral votes.
Question 6: What was the Progressive Era and Wisconsin's connection to it?
- Economic depression in the South
- A reform movement in the early 1900s; Wisconsin led under Robert La Follette (Correct answer)
- A military campaign in WWI
- Westward expansion in the 1800s
Correct answer: A reform movement in the early 1900s; Wisconsin led under Robert La Follette
The Progressive Era sought reform, and Wisconsin under La Follette was at the forefront with the 'Wisconsin Idea.'
Governor Robert La Follette championed the 'Wisconsin Idea,' using university research to inform policy. Reforms included direct primaries, railroad regulation, and workers' compensation.
WI Forward - Wisconsin Forward Social Studies: History/Government Questions and Answers 2
What was the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation (1863)?