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Presidency of Chester A. Arthur - Quiz
Contributed by: Woolley
  • 1. According to George F. Howe in 1935, what was the primary characteristic of Arthur's reputation at that time?
A) Great fame
B) Scandalous controversy
C) Extreme popularity
D) Obscurity
  • 2. What did Thomas C. Reeves note about Arthur's appointments in 1975?
A) They were plagued by corruption
B) They were largely ignored by historians
C) They were unusually sound
D) They were universally criticized
  • 3. How did Zachary Karabell describe Arthur's state of being while in office?
A) Confident and relaxed
B) Energetic and ambitious
C) Indifferent and detached
D) Physically stretched and emotionally strained
  • 4. Which of the following was one of the restraints Arthur adopted for his political behavior?
A) Ignoring public opinion polls
B) Avoiding all contact with Congress
C) Keeping scrupulously free from corrupt graft
D) Strict adherence to party dogma
  • 5. What did Karabell credit Arthur with presiding over during his presidency?
A) A decade of economic depression
B) A time of international war
C) A period of industrial collapse
D) A period of peace and prosperity
  • 6. According to Karabell, what did Arthur lack that prevented him from achieving greatness?
A) Vision or force of character
B) Support from his party
C) Political experience
D) Formal education
  • 7. In the 2018 American Political Science Association poll, what rank did Arthur receive?
A) 15th
B) 35th
C) 29th
D) 42nd
  • 8. In the 2017 C-SPAN survey, Arthur was ranked right below which president?
A) Barack Obama
B) Herbert Hoover
C) George Washington
D) Martin Van Buren
  • 9. In the 2017 C-SPAN survey, Arthur was ranked right above which president?
A) Zachary Taylor
B) James Buchanan
C) Herbert Hoover
D) Martin Van Buren
  • 10. How many historians were asked to rank the presidents in the 2017 C-SPAN survey?
A) 100
B) 43
C) 91
D) 50
  • 11. What was Arthur's overall rank in the 2017 C-SPAN survey?
A) 32nd
B) 29th
C) 43rd
D) 35th
  • 12. In which category did Arthur receive his highest score (27th) in the 2017 C-SPAN survey?
A) International relations
B) Public persuasion
C) Pursued equal justice for all
D) Economic management
  • 13. Which of the following was NOT one of the traits George F. Howe attributed to Arthur?
A) Maintaining personal dignity
B) Stubbornness in negotiation
C) Being free from corrupt graft
D) Being a man of his word
  • 14. How has the general consensus of historians ranked Arthur as a president?
A) Great
B) Above-average
C) Average
D) Below-average
  • 15. What was Arthur's rank in the C-SPAN surveys conducted in 2000 and 2009?
A) 40th
B) 35th
C) 32nd
D) 29th
  • 16. Who was one of the government officials implicated in the Star Route scandal?
A) Stephen Wallace Dorsey
B) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
C) Chester A. Arthur
D) The Secretary of the Navy
  • 17. Why did the judge set aside the guilty verdicts of the 1882 trial?
A) A juror alleged that the defendants attempted to bribe him.
B) The jury was found to have been coerced by the public.
C) The court discovered the evidence was illegally obtained.
D) The prosecutor was found to be biased against the defendants.
  • 18. How many federal office holders did Arthur remove before the second trial?
A) Two
B) Ten
C) Five
D) One
  • 19. When did the second trial for the Star Route scandal begin?
A) January 1882
B) November 1884
C) December 1882
D) July 1883
  • 20. What impact did the failure to obtain convictions have on Arthur's administration?
A) It increased his popularity with the public.
B) It tarnished the administration's image.
C) It led to Arthur's immediate resignation.
D) It caused the government to collapse.
  • 21. On what date did Chester A. Arthur's presidency begin?
A) September 19, 1881
B) March 4, 1881
C) January 20, 1881
D) November 2, 1880
  • 22. Which president did Chester A. Arthur succeed after an assassination?
A) James A. Garfield
B) Grover Cleveland
C) Rutherford B. Hayes
D) Ulysses S. Grant
  • 23. How many days did Chester A. Arthur serve as vice president before becoming president?
A) 250 days
B) 199 days
C) 365 days
D) 100 days
  • 24. Who succeeded Chester A. Arthur as president in 1885?
A) Grover Cleveland
B) Benjamin Harrison
C) Ulysses S. Grant
D) James G. Blaine
  • 25. Which political faction was Chester A. Arthur associated with before his presidency?
A) Populist
B) Copperhead
C) Stalwart
D) Liberal Republican
  • 26. What was the centerpiece of Arthur's administration?
A) Tariff of 1883
B) Civil Rights Act of 1875
C) Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
D) Rivers and Harbors Act
  • 27. Who was the Republican nominee in 1884 that passed over Arthur?
A) James G. Blaine
B) James A. Garfield
C) Grover Cleveland
D) Ulysses S. Grant
  • 28. Which region did Arthur focus on for closer economic and political relations?
A) Latin America
B) Africa
C) Europe
D) Asia
  • 29. Which journalist praised Arthur's transformation from a distrusted politician to a respected president?
A) Alexander McClure
B) Ulysses S. Grant
C) James G. Blaine
D) Grover Cleveland
  • 30. In what year was Chester A. Arthur born?
A) 1831
B) 1829
C) 1827
D) 1835
  • 31. In which state was Chester A. Arthur raised?
A) Massachusetts
B) Pennsylvania
C) Vermont
D) New York
  • 32. What religious denomination was Chester A. Arthur raised in?
A) Methodist
B) Catholic
C) Presbyterian
D) Baptist
  • 33. What profession did Chester A. Arthur pursue before becoming a politician?
A) Merchant
B) Soldier
C) Lawyer
D) Doctor
  • 34. What was Arthur's political party affiliation before becoming a Republican?
A) Federalist
B) Libertarian
C) Democrat
D) Whig
  • 35. What position did Arthur hold in New York starting in 1861 during the Civil War?
A) Mayor
B) Governor
C) Attorney General
D) Quartermaster General
  • 36. Who was the Republican Senator for whom Arthur served as 'Chief Lieutenant'?
A) Roscoe Conkling
B) James G. Blaine
C) Rutherford B. Hayes
D) Ulysses S. Grant
  • 37. What position was Arthur appointed to in 1871?
A) Senator
B) Secretary of State
C) New York Customs House Collector
D) Postmaster General
  • 38. Which president fired Arthur from the Collector post in 1878?
A) Abraham Lincoln
B) Rutherford B. Hayes
C) James A. Garfield
D) Ulysses S. Grant
  • 39. Which Republican faction did James A. Garfield associate with?
A) Progressive
B) Radical
C) Half-Breed
D) Stalwart
  • 40. Where did Arthur return to after the Senate went into recess in May 1881?
A) New York
B) Vermont
C) Ohio
D) Washington D.C.
  • 41. Who shot President Garfield on July 2, 1881?
A) Arthur P. Hinman
B) Charles J. Guiteau
C) Morrison R. Waite
D) John P. Jones
  • 42. Who administered the initial oath of office to Chester A. Arthur?
A) Chief Justice Morrison R. Waite
B) Senator John P. Jones
C) Judge John R. Brady
D) Arthur P. Hinman
  • 43. Who served as the de facto First Lady for the widowed President Arthur?
A) Elizabeth Cady Stanton
B) Alice Paul
C) Ellen Arthur
D) Mary Arthur McElroy
  • 44. What was the population of the United States in 1880?
A) 20 million
B) 75 million
C) 30 million
D) 50 million
  • 45. Who accused Arthur of being a British subject born in Canada?
A) Morrison R. Waite
B) Arthur P. Hinman
C) Charles J. Guiteau
D) John R. Brady
  • 46. What constitutional requirement was the subject of the controversy regarding Arthur's eligibility?
A) Being at least 35 years of age
B) Residing in the US for 14 years
C) Being a natural born citizen
D) Having a law degree
  • 47. Which cabinet member resigned in October 1881 to run for the Senate in Minnesota?
A) Robert Todd Lincoln
B) Samuel J. Kirkwood
C) William Windom
D) Wayne MacVeagh
  • 48. Who was appointed by Arthur to replace Wayne MacVeagh?
A) William E. Chandler
B) Benjamin H. Brewster
C) Horace Gray
D) Henry M. Teller
  • 49. Who did Arthur appoint to replace Secretary of State James G. Blaine?
A) Roscoe Conkling
B) Robert Todd Lincoln
C) Timothy O. Howe
D) Frederick T. Frelinghuysen
  • 50. Which cabinet member remained for the entirety of Arthur's term?
A) Henry M. Teller
B) William E. Chandler
C) Charles J. Folger
D) Robert Todd Lincoln
  • 51. Who replaced Postmaster General Thomas Lemuel James in 1882?
A) Timothy O. Howe
B) Samuel J. Kirkwood
C) William H. Hunt
D) George Edmunds
  • 52. Whom did Arthur appoint to replace Navy Secretary William H. Hunt to placate the Half-Breeds?
A) Samuel Blatchford
B) William E. Chandler
C) Roscoe Conkling
D) Horace Gray
  • 53. Who replaced Interior Secretary Samuel J. Kirkwood?
A) Timothy O. Howe
B) Charles J. Folger
C) Benjamin H. Brewster
D) Henry M. Teller
  • 54. Who did Arthur nominate to replace Supreme Court Justice Nathan Clifford?
A) Roscoe Conkling
B) George Edmunds
C) Horace Gray
D) Samuel Blatchford
  • 55. How many district court judges did Arthur appoint?
A) Fourteen
B) Two
C) Four
D) Ten
  • 56. Who was the first person Arthur offered the Supreme Court vacancy to after Conkling declined?
A) Samuel Blatchford
B) George Edmunds
C) Horace Gray
D) Benjamin H. Brewster
  • 57. Which faction leader recommended Frederick T. Frelinghuysen to Arthur?
A) James G. Blaine
B) Ulysses S. Grant
C) Roscoe Conkling
D) Robert Todd Lincoln
  • 58. What system did American politics operate on in the early 1880s?
A) Meritocracy
B) Spoils system
C) Parliamentary system
D) Direct democracy
  • 59. Which commission had previously proposed the reforms included in the Pendleton Act?
A) Garfield Commission
B) Arthur Commission
C) Jay Commission
D) Pendleton Commission
  • 60. Who was one of the commissioners appointed by Arthur to the Civil Service Commission?
A) Dorman Bridgman Eaton
B) Chester A. Arthur
C) Silas W. Burt
D) George H. Pendleton
  • 61. Who served as the chief examiner under the new Civil Service Commission?
A) Silas W. Burt
B) George H. Pendleton
C) Leroy D. Thoman
D) John Milton Gregory
  • 62. What percentage of federal jobs did the Pendleton Act initially cover?
A) One hundred percent
B) Fifty percent
C) Ten percent
D) Seventy-five percent
  • 63. What was the political affiliation of George H. Pendleton?
A) Whig
B) Republican
C) Democrat
D) Independent
  • 64. Which political party suffered a crushing defeat in the 1882 congressional elections?
A) Federalist
B) Libertarian
C) Democratic
D) Republican
  • 65. By 1884, what proportion of Customs Service jobs were to be awarded by merit?
A) All
B) One-quarter
C) Three-quarters
D) Half
  • 66. Which crop did many Southerners favor having higher tariffs on?
A) Cotton
B) Wheat
C) Corn
D) Tobacco
  • 67. In 1882, which items did Arthur suggest keeping excise taxes on?
A) Liquor
B) Manufactured steel
C) Imported minerals
D) Cotton
  • 68. What was the general political stance of the individuals Arthur appointed to the tariff commission?
A) Anarchists
B) Protectionists
C) Free traders
D) Socialists
  • 69. What happened after Arthur vetoed the 1882 Rivers and Harbors Act?
A) The bill was scrapped entirely
B) Congress overrode the veto
C) Congress revised the bill
D) The Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional
  • 70. Which nation's influence in the Western Hemisphere did James G. Blaine hope to counter?
A) Spain
B) France
C) Germany
D) Great Britain
  • 71. What was the purpose of the 1882 reciprocal trade treaty signed with Mexico?
A) Tariff reductions
B) Canal construction
C) Immigration quotas
D) Military alliance
  • 72. What did the Immigration Act of 1882 levy on immigrants?
A) A five-year residency requirement
B) A mandatory literacy test
C) A shipping insurance fee
D) A 50-cent tax
  • 73. Where did the majority of Chinese immigrants live during the Arthur administration?
A) Texas
B) New York
C) California
D) Washington
  • 74. Which treaty originally allowed an unrestricted flow of Chinese into the United States?
A) Treaty of 1880
B) Frelinghuysen-Zavala Treaty
C) Reciprocity Treaty
D) Burlingame Treaty
  • 75. What did Americans blame for depressing workmen's wages after the Panic of 1873?
A) Chinese immigrants
B) European competition
C) The lack of a canal
D) High tariffs
  • 76. How many vessels did the American Navy shrink to following the Civil War?
A) 25
B) 700
C) 100
D) 52
  • 77. What were the three steel protected cruisers collectively known as?
A) The Steel Triad
B) The Evolution Fleet
C) The Great White Fleet
D) ABCD Ships
  • 78. Which educational institution did William E. Chandler create?
A) United States Naval Academy
B) National Maritime Institute
C) Naval War College
D) Strategic Studies Center
  • 79. What ship was purchased for the 1884 Greely Relief Mission?
A) Boston
B) USS Bear
C) Atlanta
D) Chicago
  • 80. Where was the Greely scientific polar expedition stationed?
A) Newfoundland
B) Ellesmere Island
C) Greenland
D) Alaska
  • 81. Who was the commander appointed to lead the Greely Relief Mission?
A) John Roach
B) Winfield Schley
C) Chester A. Arthur
D) William H. Hunt
  • 82. In what year did the last of the new steel ships enter service?
A) 1881
B) 1884
C) 1886
D) 1889
  • 83. What did the commission believe the Greely expedition members resorted to for survival?
A) Fishing
B) Cannibalism
C) Trading with locals
D) Agriculture
  • 84. Which of the following was NOT one of the four monitors rebuilt by Congress?
A) Dolphin
B) Puritan
C) Terror
D) Amphitrite
  • 85. On what date was the joint resolution for the Greely expedition relief approved by Congress?
A) February 13, 1884
B) March 13, 1884
C) January 13, 1884
D) February 13, 1883
  • 86. Where was the ship Thetis purchased?
A) Newfoundland
B) England
C) Canada
D) United States
  • 87. Where was the ship Bear purchased?
A) New York
B) England
C) St. John's, Newfoundland
D) Portsmouth
  • 88. On what date did the fleet reach Littleton Island?
A) August 8
B) July 17
C) June 22
D) August 1
  • 89. At what location were Lieutenant Greely and his survivors discovered?
A) Cape Sabine
B) Lady Franklin Bay
C) Upernavik
D) Littleton Island
  • 90. When were the relief ships received at Portsmouth, N. H.?
A) August 8
B) June 22
C) August 1
D) July 17
  • 91. On what date were the relief ships received at New York?
A) August 1
B) July 17
C) August 8
D) June 22
  • 92. What was the original purpose of Lieutenant A. W. Greely's party?
A) Trade exploration
B) Scientific observations
C) Military defense
D) Mapping the coastline
  • 93. Which political group in Virginia did Arthur support with federal patronage?
A) Readjusters
B) Greenback Party
C) Bourbon Democrats
D) Southern Republicans
  • 94. Who was the black West Point cadet that Arthur helped?
A) Frederick Douglass
B) Johnson Whittaker
C) Blanche K. Bruce
D) David G. Swaim
  • 95. What did the Edmunds Act of 1882 target in Utah Territory?
A) Poll taxes
B) Polygamy
C) Public education funding
D) Discriminatory hiring practices
  • 96. Which political group had regained power in the South following Reconstruction?
A) Bourbon Democrats
B) Black Republicans
C) Readjusters
D) Greenback Party
  • 97. What medical condition was Chester A. Arthur diagnosed with shortly after becoming president?
A) Influenza
B) Bright's disease
C) Tuberculosis
D) Diabetes
  • 98. What is the modern name for the kidney ailment known as Bright's disease?
A) Hepatitis
B) Nephritis
C) Cirrhosis
D) Pneumonia
  • 99. Which reservation did Arthur open to settlers by executive order in 1885?
A) Pine Ridge Reservation
B) Crow Creek Reservation
C) Cheyenne River Reservation
D) Standing Rock Reservation
  • 100. Which national park did Arthur visit in July 1883?
A) Yellowstone National Park
B) Sequoia National Park
C) Grand Canyon National Park
D) Yosemite National Park
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