MTTC History Practice Test
with Complete Solutions
Graded A+
Most of the earliest civilizations flourished in or near what sort of geographic feature? -
Answer-Early civilizations flourished alongside rivers such as the Nile in Egypt, the
Euphrates in Mesopotamia, and the Yellow River in China. Besides providing the
ancient settlers with a water source, these rivers also provided the land with the rich and
fertile silt that the rivers deposited during their regular flooding cycles, making large
scale agriculture possible for the ancient peoples.
Which of the following is a true statement concerning the Magna Carta? - Answer-The
original Magna Carta, signed by King John on June 15, 1215, was meant to protect the
rights and property of the few powerful families that topped the feudal system. Its
primary purpose was to force King John to recognize the supremacy of ancient liberties,
to limit his ability to raise funds and to reassert the principle of due process. The
majority of the English population at that time was mentioned only once, in a clause
concerning the use of court-set fines to punish minor offences. The last clause, which
created an enforcement council of tenants-in-chief and clergymen would have severely
limited the king's power and introduced the policy of 'majority rule.' However, the time
was not yet right for the introduction of majority rule. In September 1215, three months
after the signing of the Magna Carta, Pope Innocent III, at John's urging, annulled the
"shameful and demeaning agreement, forced upon the king by violence and fear." A
civil war broke out over this, which ended when John died the following year, in October
1216.
Which statement is an accurate reflection of Mayan urban life? - Answer-Even though
the Maya were one of the two cultures to develop an urban civilization in a rain forest,
their culture was predominately based upon rural life. Cities were primarily used as
religious centers while day-to-day life usually centered around farming in the
surrounding rainforest. Due to the rainforest land's relative infertility, Mayans used slash
and burn agriculture methods that required them to move to new farming plots every
two to seven years. Under these conditions it took a large amount of land to support
even one family.
What was Manifest Destiny? - Answer-Manifest Destiny was the idea that the United
States was intended by God to expand to fill North America. There were various ideas
on what this meant, yet at minimum it was the belief that the United States should
,expand to the Pacific Ocean. At maximum, it was the belief that the United States
should expand to fill North America and South America. The idea behind why the United
States should expand through greater territorial acquisitions was to expand the
American ideals of freedom, democracy and self-government.
What was the purpose of the marshall plan? - Answer-The Marshall Plan was the
popular name for the European Recovery Program, named after Secretary of State
George C. Marshall. Marshall had originally proposed the Plan as a solution to the
widespread inflation, unemployment, food shortages and general lack of resources
following World War II in a commencement speech at Harvard University in 1947. As
enacted, it was intended to provide a solution to these problems and to prevent the
spread of communism by decreasing Soviet influence.
Which of the following is a true statement concerning the Iroquois Confederacy? -
Answer-The Iroquois Confederacy was a participatory democracy made up of Native
American tribes in what is now the Northeastern United States. Each of the member
tribes were permitted to send male representatives selected by the tribe's female
members to the Confederacy's main counsel where each representative was permitted
to vote on matters affecting the tribes. The beginnings of the Iroquois Confederacy are
disputed, but it is accepted that the Confederacy was originally made up of the Mohawk,
Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Oneida tribes; the Tuscaroras joined the Confederacy
in 1722. The Confederacy was formed with the intention of decreasing intertribal
violence and encouraging peaceful resolution of differences between the tribes.
What were Martin Luther's 95 theses? - Answer-The 95 Theses were part of a letter of
protest that Martin Luther wrote to his archbishop in 1517, when Luther was a monk in
the Catholic Church. These theses criticized church practices, particularly the practice
of selling indulgences. Some sources claim Luther nailed this document to the door of
the All Saint's Church in Wittenburg (located in modern-day Germany). Luther's
intention was to reform the Catholic Church from within, but his letter soon placed him at
the center of a religious and civil revolt. He was excommunicated in 1520.
Which U.S. Founding Father is credited with founding the Federalist Party? - Answer-
Alexander Hamilton was the Founding Father who is credited with founding the
Federalist Party. Hamilton was a proponent of the idea that the young country required
the support of the rich and powerful in order to survive. This party grew out of Hamilton's
political connections in Washington and was particularly popular in the northeastern
United States. John Adams was a member of this party. George Washington's personal
beliefs were most closely aligned with the Federalist Party, but he disliked political
parties and refused to become a member of one. Thomas Jefferson was the founder of
the Democratic-Republican Party.
Who were the Shoguns? - Answer-The Shoguns were Japanese military leaders.
During the Tokuwaga shogunate, which began in 1603, the shogun held the actual
power in the Japanese government even though Japan was technically ruled by an
, emperor. In actuality, the emperor was primarily a ceremonial leader and access to him
was restricted to members of the shogun's family.
Where was the first great human civilization located? - Answer-The first great human
civilization was the Sumerian civilization which was located in Mesopotamia.
Mesopotamia encompasses the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in
modern-day Iraq and is also referred to as "the Cradle of Civilization," and includes part
of the Fertile Crescent. The Sumerian civilization is credited with being the first to
practice serious, year round agriculture. There is question over whether Sumeria or
Ancient Egypt was the first to have a written language. Sumeria's writing began
hieroglyphically and then developed into a form of writing known as cuneiform.
Which of the following was not an ancient Egyptian ruler? - Answer-Anubis was the
Egyptian god of the dead, typically depicted as being half human and half jackal.
Hatshepsut was an Egyptian queen who declared herself king while acting as regent for
her stepson (who was also her son-in-law). She was the fifth pharaoh of Egypt's 18th
dynasty Ramesses (or Ramses) II was the third pharaoh of Egypt's 19th Dynasty, and
Egypt's greatest, most powerful and most celebrated pharaoh. He is also traditionally
considered to be the pharaoh of the Bible's Book of Exodus. His tomb in the Valley of
the Kings was discovered in 1881. Tutankhamen was the boy pharaoh whose tomb was
found in 1922, intact and untouched by tomb raiders, leading to a surge of popular
interest in ancient Egypt.
How did the Crusader army that went on the First Crusade differ from the Crusader
armies that Pope Urban II envisioned? - Answer-Pope Urban II's plan for an army made
up of previously trained military personnel was thwarted by the popular excitement
concerning the First Crusade. This led to the creation of large armies primarily made up
of untrained, unskilled, undisciplined, and ill- or unequipped soldiers, most of whom
were recruited from the poorest levels of society. These armies were the first to set forth
on the Crusade, which became known as the People's Crusade. Even though some of
these armies contained knights, they were ultimately ineffective as fighting forces.
These armies were prone to rioting and raiding surrounding areas for food and supplies
and were viewed as a destabilizing influence by local leaders. They were defeated in
battle and many converted to Islam to avoid being killed..
Which western European monastic order developed an early form of banking that
helped make pilgrimages to the Holy Land safer for the pilgrims? - Answer-Knights
Templar is the name by which the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of
Solomon is more commonly called. The Knights Templar began as a small and
impoverished order intended to serve as a fighting force in the Holy Land, but soon
grew into a large organization and a favorite charity. As the Templars' resources grew,
their operations did and their activities included the management of an early form of
banking that permitted travelers to carry less money with them, making the travelers a
less tempting target for thieves and increasing their safety.
