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Quizzes > History > Regional History

APUSH Chapter 8 - 11 Quiz: Second Bank of the US Challenge

Ready for the APUSH Quarter 2 quiz? Prove your Hudson River School and Market Revolution mastery!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration Second Bank of the US quiz on coral background with APUSH chapters 8-11

This APUSH quiz helps you practice the Second Bank of the US, the Bank War with Jackson and Biddle, and the market revolution. Use it to spot gaps before a unit test or AP exam, and warm up with our Chapters 8 - 9 practice or review the broader AP U.S. History set.

When was the Second Bank of the United States chartered?
1791
1816
1832
1836
The Second Bank of the United States was chartered by Congress in 1816 to stabilize the national currency and manage war debt after the War of 1812. Its establishment marked the United States' second attempt at a national banking system following the expiration of the First Bank's charter. President James Madison signed the legislation into law, and the bank began operations in 1817.
Which president signed the legislation establishing the Second Bank?
James Monroe
John Quincy Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
President James Madison signed the charter for the Second Bank of the United States in 1816, responding to post - War of 1812 financial instability. Despite earlier skepticism, Madison approved the measure to restore a central financial institution. This move was part of the broader 'Era of Good Feelings' economic policy.
Who served as the first president of the Second Bank of the United States?
Alexander Hamilton
William Jones
Andrew Jackson
Nicholas Biddle
William Jones was appointed the first president of the Second Bank of the United States and oversaw its initial organization and branch network. He served from 1816 until 1819, setting policies for note issuance and deposits. Nicholas Biddle succeeded him and became the most famous bank president during the Bank War.
What city served as the headquarters of the Second Bank?
New York City
Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia
Boston
The central branch of the Second Bank of the United States was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The imposing Greek Revival building, completed in 1824, symbolized federal financial authority. Many of the bank's key operations and its board meetings took place there.
How many branches did the Second Bank have at its peak?
50
75
25
10
At its height, the Second Bank maintained 25 branches across key American cities. These branches enabled the bank to regulate state banks by demanding specie for notes and overseeing regional economies. The network helped unify the national currency.
What was the duration of the Second Bank's initial charter?
30 years
20 years
Indefinite
10 years
Congress granted the Second Bank of the United States a 20-year charter in 1816, setting its expiration for 1836. This finite term was intended to allow future policies to address the nation's evolving financial needs. The debate over rechartering became central to the Bank War.
The Second Bank was primarily created to:
Regulate currency and state banks
Collect federal taxes
Fund the Erie Canal
Finance western expansion
The Second Bank's main purpose was to regulate the nation's currency and oversee state banks by requiring them to redeem notes in specie. This helped stabilize the money supply after the War of 1812. While it handled tax revenues, its core mission was monetary regulation.
Which constitutional clause provided authority for Congress to create the Second Bank?
Necessary and Proper Clause
Supremacy Clause
General Welfare Clause
Commerce Clause
The Supreme Court in McCulloch v. Maryland affirmed Congress's power to charter the bank under the Necessary and Proper Clause, allowing federal institutions deemed useful to execute constitutional powers. This interpretation upheld implied powers for the national government.
Which war's financial strains motivated the reestablishment of the national bank?
War of 1812
Mexican-American War
Civil War
Revolutionary War
Financial chaos and rampant inflation after the War of 1812 exposed the weaknesses of having no central bank, prompting Congress to charter the Second Bank in 1816. It aimed to manage war debt and bring stability to currency.
What type of financial instrument did the Second Bank issue?
Banknotes
Silver certificates
Income tax receipts
Federal bonds
The Second Bank issued banknotes that circulated as paper currency and were redeemable in specie at its branches. These notes helped unify the fragmented money supply of state banks and strengthened confidence in paper currency.
What percentage of the Bank's stock did the federal government initially purchase?
100%
80%
20%
50%
The federal government subscribed to 20% of the Second Bank's capital stock, while private investors provided the remaining 80%. This structure maintained a partnership between public and private interests.
In which year did the Second Bank's charter expire?
1820
1832
1841
1836
The bank's 20-year charter, enacted in 1816, expired in 1836 after President Jackson vetoed the recharter bill in 1832. Without congressional approval for a new charter, the institution ceased to be a national bank that year.
Which president famously vetoed the recharter of the Second Bank?
John Quincy Adams
James Monroe
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
President Andrew Jackson vetoed the bank recharter bill in 1832, characterizing the institution as a privileged monopoly that favored wealthy elites over the common man. His veto message framed the bank as unconstitutional and politically dangerous.
Nicholas Biddle became president of the Second Bank in which year?
1829
1832
1823
1816
Nicholas Biddle was appointed president of the Second Bank in 1829 and led the institution through its most contentious period. His management strategies and clashes with President Jackson defined the Bank War era.
The political struggle between Jackson and the Bank is commonly known as:
Panic of 1837
Nationalization
Bank War
Second Revolution
The clash over the Second Bank's recharter and Jackson's deposit removals became known as the Bank War. It was a central issue in Jackson's second term and reshaped presidential power and banking policy.
Which Supreme Court case affirmed the constitutionality of the Second Bank in 1819?
Gibbons v. Ogden
McCulloch v. Maryland
Dartmouth College v. Woodward
Marbury v. Madison
In McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), the Supreme Court ruled that Congress had the implied power to charter a national bank under the Necessary and Proper Clause. It also held that a state could not tax a federal institution, affirming federal supremacy. This landmark decision supported a broad interpretation of federal powers.
The McCulloch decision reinforced the use of which constitutional clause?
Necessary and Proper Clause
Commerce Clause
Tenth Amendment
Supremacy Clause
Chief Justice John Marshall's opinion in McCulloch v. Maryland emphasized the Necessary and Proper Clause, allowing Congress to enact laws not expressly listed in the Constitution if they support enumerated powers. This broadened federal legislative authority.
In his veto message, Andrew Jackson argued the bank favored:
Wealthy northeastern elites
Southern planters
Western farmers
Foreign investors
Jackson's 1832 veto message framed the Bank as a bastion for wealthy northeastern interests at the expense of the common people. He asserted it wielded undue influence over government and markets. This populist critique became a hallmark of his presidency.
Henry Clay and which statesman pushed the early recharter bill in 1832?
John C. Calhoun
John Quincy Adams
Martin Van Buren
Daniel Webster
Senators Henry Clay and Daniel Webster led the effort in 1832 to renew the bank's charter early, hoping to force Jackson into a political dilemma. Their strategy was to make the bank an election issue. Jackson's subsequent veto cemented the Bank War.
In what year did Congress pass the recharter bill that Jackson vetoed?
1828
1836
1840
1832
Congress approved the bank recharter bill in 1832, four years before the Second Bank's charter was set to expire. Jackson vetoed it that July, asserting it was incompatible with democratic principles. This veto became a pivotal moment in early American politics.
What were the state-chartered banks receiving federal funds after Jackson's deposit removals called?
Branch banks
Wildcat banks
Central banks
Pet banks
After Jackson ordered federal deposits withdrawn from the Second Bank, the funds were redistributed among selected state banks, derisively called 'pet banks.' These banks supported Jackson's policies and fueled speculation due to looser lending practices.
Who was Jackson's Treasury Secretary who carried out the removal of deposits?
Silas Wright
Levi Woodbury
William Crawford
Roger B. Taney
Treasury Secretary Roger B. Taney executed Jackson's directive to remove federal deposits from the Second Bank and redistribute them to state 'pet banks.' Taney later became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. His actions deepened the financial crisis that followed.
Jackson's Specie Circular mandated federal land purchases be made with:
Gold or silver specie
Bonds
Banknotes
Paper currency
The Specie Circular of 1836 required that payment for public lands be made in gold or silver rather than paper notes. This policy aimed to curb land speculation fueled by easy credit. It contributed to a drain on specie and helped trigger the Panic of 1837.
Nicholas Biddle attempted to create a financial crisis in 1832 by:
Lowering interest rates
Lobbying Congress
Contracting credit
Issuing excess banknotes
In an effort to sway public opinion and force reconsideration of the bank's charter, Biddle contracted credit and called in loans in 1832, hoping to demonstrate the Bank's importance to economic stability. Instead, it fueled public resentment and became a focal point in the Bank War.
Which economic downturn followed the Bank's credit tightening in the early 1830s?
Panic of 1873
Panic of 1857
Panic of 1837
Panic of 1819
The Panic of 1837 was precipitated by a collapse in land values, speculative lending by pet banks, and the withdrawal of specie from the Second Bank after credit contraction. The financial crisis led to a severe economic depression lasting several years.
The political party formed in opposition to Jackson and the Bank was called the:
Whigs
Republicans
Democrats
Federalists
Those who opposed Jackson's bank policies and executive style coalesced into the Whig Party in the early 1830s, championing congressional supremacy and economic modernization, including support for a national bank.
The demise of the Second Bank led to an increase in:
State bank lending
Tariffs
Gold reserves
Federal revenue
With the national bank's regulatory role removed, state banks expanded lending practices, often issuing banknotes with minimal specie backing. This surge in credit contributed to speculative bubbles and financial instability.
Which noted statesman defended the bank in congressional debates?
Martin Van Buren
John Randolph
John C. Calhoun
Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster was a leading congressional ally of the Second Bank, articulating its benefits for national economic stability and championing its constitutionality against Jackson's attacks. His speeches remain classic examples of early American political oratory.
The recharter fight in 1832 significantly influenced which presidential election?
1840
1828
1836
1832
The bank recharter battle became the defining issue of the 1832 election, with Jackson campaigning vigorously against the institution and William Wirt running for the Anti-Masonic and Anti - Bank coalition. Jackson's victory affirmed his mandate to reshape federal banking.
How did the removal of federal deposits affect the national money supply?
It stabilized the money supply
It had no effect
It decreased the money supply
It increased the money supply
Redirecting federal funds to pet banks removed a central regulator of banknote issuance, leading to a rapid expansion of credit and an overall increase in the money supply. This expansion fueled speculative investments and contributed to the Panic of 1837.
How did the Second Bank's branch network impact western expansion?
It restricted all loans to the eastern seaboard
It exclusively funded railroad construction
It provided centralized credit to frontier enterprises
It forced states to issue their own coinage
By extending branches into western territories, the Second Bank offered credit and specie to frontier businesses and land speculators, facilitating westward growth. This network helped integrate regional economies under a unified monetary policy.
Which component of Henry Clay's American System was the Second Bank associated with?
Internal improvements
Protective tariffs
Land redistribution
National bank
Clay's American System proposed a federally chartered bank as one of its pillars alongside tariffs and infrastructure projects. The Second Bank's role in regulating credit and facilitating revenue collection made it central to this plan.
The Second Bank's contraction of credit after 1819 contributed to:
Missouri Compromise
Panic of 1819
War of 1812
Civil War
After 1819, the bank tightened credit to curb inflation, calling in loans and demanding specie. This contraction triggered the Panic of 1819, America's first major peacetime financial crisis.
How did foreign investors view U.S. currency stability due to the Second Bank?
More volatile
Less reliable
Indifferent
More stable
The presence of a national bank with substantial specie reserves reassured European investors about the convertibility of U.S. banknotes. This confidence boosted foreign investment in American enterprises.
The South criticized the Bank for:
Centralizing economic power in the North
Promoting tariff-based industry
Overprinting paper money
Favoring western farmers
Southern planters resented the Bank's concentration of power in Northern financial centers and its regulatory oversight, which they felt disadvantaged agricultural credit. This sectional tension fed into the broader Bank War debate.
Which clause limited state power over the Bank's operations in McCulloch v. Maryland?
Due Process Clause
Full Faith and Credit Clause
Commerce Clause
Supremacy Clause
McCulloch v. Maryland held that state laws could not impede valid constitutional exercises of power by the federal government under the Supremacy Clause. Maryland's attempt to tax the bank was ruled unconstitutional.
How did Biddle's charter renewal battle affect the Bank's public perception?
Portrayed it as corrupt insider power
Shown to be too weak
Displayed bank neutrality
Regarded as bankrupt
Biddle's aggressive tactics in contracting credit and appealing to elites made the bank seem like an exclusive institution manipulating markets. This reinforced Jackson's portrayal of it as an instrument of aristocratic privilege.
What effect did the Bank War have on presidential veto power?
Restricted its use
Made it unconstitutional
Expanded its use for policy grounds
Had no effect
Jackson's veto of the recharter bill was based on policy disagreements rather than constitutional violations, marking a shift toward greater presidential discretion in veto use. Future presidents would follow this example in policy-based vetoes.
Which financial instrument did the Second Bank use to regulate smaller state banks?
Letters of credit
Specie payments requirement
Discount rates
Exchange certificates
By demanding state banks redeem their notes in specie, the Second Bank enforced discipline and curbed overissuance of paper currency. This requirement was central to its supervisory role.
The Bank's downfall demonstrated the tension between:
Executive and judicial only
North and South only
Military and civil
National and state authority
The Bank War highlighted conflicts over federal versus state control of banking power, with Jackson championing state banks and a limited federal role. This tension was a recurring theme in antebellum politics.
After the Bank's collapse, what happened to the federal government's deposits?
Distributed among state 'pet banks'
Invested in internal improvements
Held in vaults at the Treasury
Transferred to foreign banks
Jackson placed federal revenues in select state banks sympathetic to his administration - dubbed 'pet banks' - after removing them from the Second Bank. This dispersal removed a single point of federal oversight.
The Bank War intensified sectional divisions because:
It impacted industrial North vs agrarian South
It had little sectional impact
It mainly affected Midwestern farmers
It split urban and rural interests
Northern industrialists generally supported a central bank for stable credit, while Southern agriculturists feared its power and resented its credit controls. This divide deepened sectional tensions in the pre - Civil War era.
The Second Bank played a role in financing:
Transcontinental railroad
White House construction
Erie Canal
Louisiana Purchase
The Second Bank provided loans and financial support for large-scale infrastructure projects like the Erie Canal, reflecting its involvement in the American System's internal improvements.
What was a long-term consequence of the Bank's dissolution on American banking?
Immediate founding of the Federal Reserve
Collapse of banking until the Civil War
Creation of a stable national currency
No significant change
The absence of a central bank led to the 'Free Banking Era,' marked by proliferating state-chartered banks, unstable currencies, and repeated financial panics until the Civil War. A unified banking system wouldn't return until the National Banking Acts.
Which political philosophy did Jackson invoke to justify his actions against the Bank?
Social Darwinism
Marbury Doctrine
Strict constructionism
Loose constructionism
Jackson argued for strict construction of the Constitution, asserting no explicit federal authority to charter a national bank. He believed only powers directly enumerated in the Constitution should be exercised.
The fundamental constitutional debate during the Bank War centered on the interpretation of:
Commerce Clause
General Welfare Clause
Supremacy Clause
Necessary and Proper Clause
Jacksonians argued that the Necessary and Proper Clause did not grant authority to charter a national bank, while opponents cited it as justification. This debate over implied versus enumerated powers defined the Bank War.
In the Panic of 1819, the Bank's insistence on specie repayment most severely impacted:
Large manufacturers
Frontier land speculators
Southern plantation owners
Urban merchants
Specie demands hit frontier speculators hardest because they often paid with paper notes for land purchases and lacked ready access to gold or silver. The resulting foreclosures were central to the Panic of 1819.
Nicholas Biddle's selective extension of credit in 1832 aimed to:
Support pet banks
Reduce stock prices
Demonstrate the Bank's economic influence
Undermine tariffs
Biddle contracted credit selectively to precipitate financial distress, hoping to pressure Congress and the public into rechartering the Bank. His gambit inadvertently strengthened Jackson's anti-bank stance.
The Bank maintained a specie reserve ratio roughly:
1:8
1:2
1:3
1:5
The Second Bank typically held specie reserves equal to about one-third of its note and deposit liabilities, a relatively conservative ratio for the era. This policy underpinned its ability to redeem notes on demand.
Jackson's veto in the Bank debate was significant because it:
Was upheld as unconstitutional
Expanded use of the veto on policy grounds
Was the first veto in U.S. history
Led to a two-thirds override
Jackson's 1832 veto was the first major use of the president's power to reject legislation for policy reasons rather than constitutional objections alone. It set a precedent for future presidents to wield the veto as a tool of political leadership.
The dissolution of the Second Bank influenced antebellum fiscal policy by:
Establishing a national currency
Creating a standing military fiscal authority
Fragmenting banking regulation among states
Centralizing bank supervision under the Treasury
Without a central bank, regulatory authority devolved to individual states, leading to a patchwork of banking laws and significant instability. This fragmentation persisted until the Civil War reforms.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Analyze the Second Bank of the US -

    Examine the Bank's structure, policies, and controversies to understand its pivotal role in APUSH Chapter 8 - 11 and in the broader financial landscape of early America.

  2. Evaluate Jackson's Bank War -

    Assess President Andrew Jackson's opposition to the Bank and its political ramifications through targeted APUSH Quarter 2 Quiz questions.

  3. Interpret the Market Revolution -

    Investigate key innovations, labor changes, and economic shifts that defined the Market Revolution APUSH Quiz era and shaped national growth.

  4. Identify Hudson River School influences -

    Recognize major artists, themes, and cultural messages in Hudson River School Quiz content to see how art reflected American nature and nationalism.

  5. Connect political and cultural trends -

    Synthesize insights from APUSH Chapter 8-11 Trivia to trace how economic expansion and artistic developments intertwined between 1815 and 1850.

  6. Strengthen exam readiness -

    Boost confidence and recall essential facts through our free, scored American History 1815-1850 Quiz designed for APUSH students.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Constitutional Authority & McCulloch v. Maryland -

    The landmark Supreme Court decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) upheld the constitutionality of the Second Bank under the Necessary and Proper Clause, cementing federal power over states (Library of Congress). Use the mnemonic "M & M" for McCulloch & Maryland when reviewing for your apush quarter 2 quiz!

  2. Fueling the Market Revolution -

    By regulating credit and issuing a stable national currency, the Second Bank of the US APUSH-era policies underwrote infrastructure projects like canals and early railroads (University of Virginia). Tie this concept into your market revolution apush quiz by picturing a steady flow of capital pushing flatboats down the Ohio River.

  3. Jackson's Bank War & Political Clash -

    President Andrew Jackson's veto of the bank's recharter in 1832 ignited fierce debate over executive power and economic privilege (National Archives). When you hit apush chapter 8 - 11 trivia, recall that "Old Hickory" saw the bank as a monster of corruption favoring Eastern elites.

  4. Panic of 1819 & Economic Stability -

    The Second Bank's contraction of credit after land speculation triggered the Panic of 1819, the first major economic crisis in American history (Journal of Economic History). For your american history 1815 - 1850 quiz, focus on how tight money policies rippled through western farmers and frontier economies.

  5. Cultural Connections & Hudson River School -

    Financed public works and expanded markets shaped landscapes that inspired Hudson River School artists like Thomas Cole to celebrate the wilderness (Metropolitan Museum of Art). Link this insight to your hudson river school quiz by imagining grand vistas emerging from roads and canals funded by the bank.

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