Regents Exam Review
- Rosie Jayde Uyola
- Oct 30
- 3 min read
Updated: 17 hours ago
The 1775 Virginia Gazette notice specifically mentions tradesmen like "Carpenters, Shoemakers, and Weavers" arriving in the colonies. What does this demand for skilled labor indicate about the colonial economy just before the Revolution?
(1) It was completely dependent on Great Britain for all finished goods.
(2) It was relying exclusively on enslaved labor for all economic tasks.
(3) It was abandoning agriculture to focus entirely on industrial manufacturing.
(4) It was becoming more diverse and self-sufficient rather than just purely agricultural.
Correct Answer: (4)
If the colonies only farmed raw materials, they wouldn't need so many specialized "tradesmen" to build and create finished products locally.
How did the legal status of the "servants" described in this 1775 notice differ from that of enslaved people in the Southern colonies during the same period?
(1) Servants were considered property for life with no legal standing.
(2) Servants worked under a temporary contract with the promise of eventual freedom.
(3) Servants were immediately granted the right to vote upon arrival in Virginia.
(4) Servants were only utilized in the New England colonies, not the South.
Correct Answer: (2)
Indentured servitude was a temporary status (usually 4–7 years) based on a contract, unlike the permanent, hereditary status of chattel slavery.
The cartoon 'Rough Sailing Ahead' depicts the Articles of Confederation as a sinking ship due to various weaknesses. Which historical event in Massachusetts most directly convinced American leaders that this "ship" was about to sink and a stronger central government was needed immediately?
(1) The Boston Tea Party
(2) Shays’ Rebellion
(3) The Whiskey Rebellion
(4) The War of 1812
Correct Answer: (2)
Shays' Rebellion (farmers protesting state taxes) proved that the Articles of Confederation government was too weak to maintain law and order or raise an army to stop uprisings.
The cartoon shows "No Power to Collect Taxes" as a major wave hitting the ship. What was the direct consequence of this specific weakness for the new nation?
(1) The central government could not pay off its Revolutionary War debts.
(2) The states were forced to dissolve their own local governments.
(3) The British were able to easily recapture the colonies in 1785.
(4) The central government became too rich and corrupt.
Correct Answer: (1)
Without the power to tax, the national government had to beg states for money, meaning it couldn't pay back foreign loans or soldiers who fought in the Revolution.
In McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), the Supreme Court ruled that a state could not tax a federal institution. Which constitutional principle justifies this decision?
(1) Checks and Balances
(2) Popular Sovereignty
(3) Federal Supremacy
(4) Habeas Corpus
Correct Answer: (3)
Chief Justice Marshall ruled that the "power to tax is the power to destroy," and because Federal law is supreme (Supremacy Clause), a state cannot use taxation to destroy a federal entity.
The excerpt mentions Congress passing laws "to carry into execution the powers vested in the general government." Which Constitutional clause allows Congress to pass these "extra" laws, such as creating a National Bank, even if not explicitly listed in the Constitution?
(1) The Elastic Clause (Necessary and Proper Clause)
(2) The Three-Fifths Clause
(3) The Commerce Clause
(4) The Due Process Clause
Correct Answer: (1)
The Elastic Clause allows Congress to stretch its powers to do things "necessary and proper" to run the country, even if those specific powers aren't listed word-for-word in the Constitution.
