Fact or Falsehood

What do you already know? Answer each of the following true or false statements. If you aren't sure, it's okay to guess. Click the key icons that follow each statement and see which are fact and which are fiction.

The United States acquired the Louisiana Territory after defeating the British at the Battle of New Orleans.

FALSE. The French leader, Napoleon, offered to sell the entire Louisiana Territory after U.S. diplomats approached him seeking to purchase New Orleans. The American victory over the British at New Orleans occurred more than a decade later.

Several political issues divided Americans during the Era of Good Feelings.

FACT. During the so-called Era of Good Feelings (1816–1824), issues, such as internal improvements, the Bank of the United States, and slavery divided Americans.

President Andrew Jackson supported the forced removal of Native American tribes living in the southern states.

FACT. Andrew Jackson wanted to open the Native American lands in the South to white settlement, so he called for the forced relocation of Native American tribes to areas west of the Mississippi River.

The Erie Canal proved to be a financial disaster for the state of New York.

FALSE. The Erie Canal was a major success. The revenues it generated quickly paid for its construction costs and provided a major boost to the New York economy.

The transcendentalist movement promoted individualism in America.

FACT. Individualism was an important doctrine in the transcendentalist movement that arose in America in the decades prior to the Civil War.

The Federalists and the Democrats were the two dominant political parties in the 1830s and 1840s.

FALSE. The Federalist Party disintegrated in the mid-1810s. The two major political parties in the 1830s and 1840s were the Whigs and the Democrats.

Video: Historical Continuity

Historical continuity—when events of the past occurred in a similar pattern. Historical change—when events turned in different and often unexpected directions. The forces of continuity and change both influence historical developments. Historians must understand the dynamics of both. Play the video to learn more about historical continuity and change.

Text Version

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