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What occurred in the United States in 1789 that enabled Congress to authorize construction of a navy?
The Articles of Confederation were replaced by the U.S. Constitution.
The seizure of three U.S. ships by the Barbary pirates.
The relative wealth of the United States after the Revolution.
The Treaty of Paris authorized the construction of an American Navy.
President Washington gave his OK for Congress to pass this law.
What were the names of the first three U.S. frigates?
The United States, Constitution and the Constellation.
The Constitution, Constellation and Enterprise.
The Constellation, Enterprise and United States.
The Enterprise, Constitution and United States.
The Constitution, United States and Intrepid.
When was the Navy Department established by Congress?
1798
1797
1794
1801
1800
Who was the U.S. naval officer who fought the two most famous battles of the Quasi-War with France?
Thomas Truxtun
John Paul Jones
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Stoddert
William Bainbridge
What was the outcome of the Quasi-War with France?
Neither side won a decisive victory. A peace treaty concluded the war.
France defeated the United States.
The United States defeated France.
The U.S. won a Quasi-Victory.
The U.S. gained control of French territories in the West Indies.
Who was the U.S. President during the Quasi-War with France?
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
George Washington
Benjamin Franklin
Samuel Adams
What were the junior officers who served under Commodore Edward Preble called?
Preble's Boys
Preble's Warriors
Preble's Best
The Commodore's Men
Preble's Officers
Where did the Philadelphia incident take place?
Tripoli
Philadelphia
Gibraltar
Tangier
Off the southern coast of France.
Who became known as a hero for his role in the Philadelphia incident?
Stephen Decatur Jr
Edward Preble
Richard Morris
William Bainbridge
Thomas Truxtun
What was the name of the U.S. naval agent to the Barbary states who devised the scheme to topple the ruler of Tripoli and so end the War against the Barbary States?
William Eaton
Edward Preble
Stephen Decatur Jr.
William Bainbridge
Reuben James
Which of the U.S. Armed Forces has a reference to the War against the Barbary Pirates in it's official hymn?
The Marine Corps
The Navy
The Air Force
The Army
The Coast Guard
Why did some of the American public dislike the Tripolitan treaty?
They thought the complete defeat of Tripoli and the Barbary States would have resulted in better terms.
Because it meant that the navy would be completely disbanded.
Because the U.S. made a lot of money in it's fight against the Pirates.
They disliked it because it meant that the Navy would become the strongest service.
Everyone in the U.S. favored this treaty and there was no serious opposition.
What effect did the policy of "gunboat diplomacy" have on U.S. national interests?
Other nations saw it as a weakness and began actions against U.S. ships and sailors.
It strengthened American diplomacy around the world.
It really had no effect on U.S. national interests.
It made the U.S. look like a new world power.
It made the U.S. more dependant on the Navy than ever before.
What lesson was learned during the war with Tripoli concerning tribute?
Giving in to tribute only brings on more demands.
That giving tribute early can end a conflict before it begins.
That through the art of skilled negotiation you can settle disputes easier with tribute.
That tribute goes down the longer a conflict goes on.
That pirates will always demand tribute so be prepared to pay it.
What caused American sentiment to turn against the British in the years leading up to the War of 1812?
Increasing incidents of impressments of U.S. sailors by British warships.
The U.S. purchase of the Louisiana Territory made the U.S. less dependant on England.
The British encouragement of Canada to invade the U.S.
The British control of the seas made trading hard.
Critical remarks made about the U.S. in the English press.
What was the Chesapeake affair?
When a British warship stopped and boarded the USS Chesapeake, impressing several of her sailors.
When British agents in the area of Chesapeake Bay tried to incite Indian tribes against U.S. cities.
When the USS Chesapeake was sunk by a British warship.
When the British ship HMS Chesapeake fired on U.S. lighthouses in Virginia.
When the British ship HMS Chesapeake raided a number of New England towns for supplies.
What was the U.S. naval strategy for the War of 1812?
To try to protect the nation's sea trade while harassing the British Navy and sea commerce.
To avoid direct contact with the British Fleet.
To protect the Army men and supplies as they crossed the Atlantic to invade England.
To remain in port under the cover of U.S. forts.
To join forces with the French navy for joint operations against the British.
What naval battle fought in August 1812 helped sagging U.S. spirits?
The battle between the USS Constitution and HMS Guerrière.
The Battle of Trafalgar.
The Battle of Hampton Roads.
The battle between the USS Enterprise and HMS Intrepid.
The battle between the USS Constellation and the HMS Courage.
Who was the U.S. naval officer involved in the fight against the British ship HMS Guerrière?
Captain Isaac Hull
Captain Stephen Decatur
Commodore Edward Preble
Captain William Bainbridge
Captain Dacres
What famous nickname was the USS Constitution given during her battle with the HMS Guerrière?
"Old Ironsides"
"Ageless Warrior"
"Rough and Ready"
"Hull's Iron Hull"
"Terror of the Atlantic"
What famous battle cry was uttered by Captain James Lawrence in the battle between the USS Chesapeake and HMS Shannon?
"Don't give up the ship!"
"You may fire when ready, Gridley!"
"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!"
"I've not yet begun to fight!"
"We have met the enemy and they are ours."
After 1813 most of the burden of fighting the British at sea fell to who?
Privateers
The USS Constitution
The French Navy
The Coast Guard
Pirates
What was the result of the Battle of Lake Erie?
The British ships were defeated, Detroit was recaptured and the Northwest Territory was secured for the U.S.
The British victory resulted in the loss of the Northwest territories for the U.S. for the rest of the war.
The battle was inconclusive, with neither side having a distinct advantage.
Neither side had the naval power to fight on the lake for the remainder of the war.
The French retook most of their former possessions in the Northwest territories.
What famous song was written during the British attack on Baltimore in 1814?
The Star Spangled Banner
America, The Beautiful
The Navy Hymn
The Marine Corps Hymn
Old Glory
What was the significance of the Battle of Lake Champlain in 1814?
It reduced the territorial demands of the British, thereby quickly bringing an end to the war.
It allowed the British to sue for peace on their own terms.
It lengthened the war by about 8 months.
The battle came after the peace treaty was signed, so it had little significance.
It was only the third time in history that a British Fleet had been defeated.
What was the name of the peace treaty ending the war of 1812?
The Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Baltimore
The Duke of Wellington's Peace
The Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of London
Why was the Battle of New Orleans fought after the peace treaty was signed?
Because news of the treaty traveled slowly and hadn't reach New Orleans.
Because the British saw it as an opportunity to gain former French holdings.
Because the British troops didn't leave U.S. territory fast enough.
Because the French didn't get the word that the war was over.
Because the peace treaty only dealt with warfare on the East Coast of the U.S.
Who was the U.S. general who won the battle of New Orleans?
Andrew Jackson
Jean Lafitte
Edward Pakenham
Thomas Macdonough
Henry Harrison
What benefit did the U.S. gain from the War of 1812 around the world?
The U.S. gained respect for being able to stand up and fight at sea.
The U.S. was given "Most Favored Nation" trade status.
U.S. Ambassadors were finally allowed in all European capitals.
U.S. currency began to be traded world-wide.
The return of all of the U.S. sailors that had been imprisoned around the world.
What task was of prime importance to the U.S. Navy following the War of 1812?
Promoting and protecting U.S. overseas commerce.
Defeating the Russian Pirates.
Fighting the British Navy.
Discovering new lands in the Pacific.
Preventing an invasion attempt by Canada.
What caused the U.S. whaling industry to decline in the years before 1860?
The growing use of oil and natural gas.
The overfishing of the whale species led to fewer whales.
The growing expense of building whaling ships.
The decline in the demands for whale products.
Migration patterns of the remaining whales changed and made it more difficult to find them.
What was the infamous triangular trade carried on in the Atlantic from pre-colonial times to 1860?
Slave trading
Drug Smuggling
Arms trading
Gun-running
Gold smuggling
What action caused the United States to declare war on Mexico in 1846?
A Mexican Army incursion across the Rio Grande in April 1846 which resulted in a dozen American casualties.
The battle of the Alamo.
The recognition of Texas as an American State.
Mexico's breaking of the Treaty of Cahuenga.
The Battle of Veracruz.
What did "Manifest Destiny" mean in the United States in the mid-1800s?
The desire to have the U.S. stretch from the East Coast to the West Coast of North America.
The desire to build a railroad which connected the East and West Coasts.
That the U.S. would become the primary military power in North America.
That the U.S. Navy would become the largest navy in the world.
That the U.S. was destined to rule the entire North American continent.
What happened to cause the era of the clipper ships to end?
Completion of a railroad across the Isthmus of Panama in 1855 made the long, dangerous trip around South America unnecessary.
A dramatic series of at-sea disasters sank a large number of clipper ships.
The economic loss from the Mexican-American War meant that fewer clipper ships could be built.
They were surpassed by Pocket Ships.
Gas engine propulsion methods made sail ships obsolete.
What is the name of the U.S. Naval Officer who brought about the Treaty of Kanagawa with Japan in March 1854?