Victory for the ACT Student Text 15e

R EADING Q UIZZES • 145

TIMED QUIZ (17 items; 15 minutes)

DIRECTIONS: Each passage below is followed by a set of items. Read the passage and choose the best answer for each item. You may refer to the passage as often as necessary to answer –Š‡ ‹–‡•Ǥ •™‡”• ƒ”‡ ‘ ’Ǥ Ͷ͵ʹǤ

SOCIAL SCIENCE: This passage discusses the ͳ͹ͻ͸ ’”‡•‹†‡–‹ƒŽ ‡Ž‡…–‹‘ „‡–™‡‡ Š‘ƒ• Jefferson and John Adams. “Heartily tired” from the brutal, almost †ƒ‹Ž›ǡ…‘ϐŽ‹…–• –Šƒ– ‡”—’–‡† „‡–™‡‡ Š‹•‡Žˆ and Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson resigned his position as Secretary of State ‹ ͳ͹ͻ͵Ǥ ‹• ‡†‡”ƒŽ‹•– ‘’’‘‡–• ™‡”‡ convinced that this was merely a strategic withdrawal to allow him an opportunity to plan and promote his candidacy for the presidency should Washington step down in ͳ͹ͻ͸Ǥ ‡ˆˆ‡”•‘ǡ Š‘™‡˜‡”ǡ ‹•‹•–‡† –Šƒ– –Š‹• ”‡–‹”‡‡– ˆ”‘ ’—„Ž‹…Ž‹ˆ‡ ™ƒ• –‘ „‡ ϐ‹ƒŽǤ But even in retirement, the world of politics pursued him. As the election grew nearer and it became apparent that Washington would not seek a third term, rumors of Jefferson’s presidential ambitions grew in intensity. He reacted to these continuous insinuations in a letter to James Madison. Jefferson admitted that while his enemies had originated the idea –Šƒ– Š‡…‘˜‡–‡† –Š‡ ‘ˆϐ‹…‡ ‘ˆ…Š‹‡ˆ ‡š‡…—–‹˜‡ǡ Š‡ had been forced to examine his true feelings on the subject for his own peace of mind. In so doing, he concluded that his reasons for retirement—the desire for privacy and the delight of family life—coupledwith his now failing health were insuperable barriers to public service. The “little spice of ambition” he had in his younger days had long since evaporated and the question of his presidency was forever closed. Jefferson did not actively engage in the campaign on his own behalf. The Republican Party, presaging modern campaign tactics, created a grass roots sentiment for their candidate by directing their efforts toward the general populace. In newspapers, Jefferson was presented as “the uniform advocate of equal rights among the citizens” while Adams was portrayed as the “champion of rank, titles, heredity, and distinctions.” Passage I

Jefferson was not certain of the outcome of the election until the end of December. Under the original electoral system established by the Constitution, each presidential elector cast his ballot for two men without designating „‡–™‡‡ –Š‡ ƒ• –‘ ‘ˆϐ‹…‡Ǥ Š‡…ƒ†‹†ƒ–‡ ™Š‘ received the greater number of votes became the president; the second highest, the vice president. Based on his own calculations, Jefferson foresaw that the electoral vote would be close. He wrote to Madison that in the event of a tie, he wished for the choice to be in favor of Adams. The New Englander had always „‡‡ Š‹• •‡‹‘” ‹ ’—„Ž‹…‘ˆϐ‹…‡ǡ Š‡ ‡š’Žƒ‹‡†ǡ and the expression of public will being equal, he should be preferred for the higher honor. Jefferson, a shrewd politician, realized that the transition of power from the nearly mythical Washington to a lesser luminary in the midst of the deep and bitter political divisions facing the nation could be perilous. He had no desire to be caught in the storm that had been brewing for four years and was about to break. “This is certainly not a moment to covet the helm,” he wrote to Edward Rutledge. When the electoral vote was tallied, Adams emerged as the victor. Rejoicing at his “escape,” Jefferson ™ƒ•…‘’Ž‡–‡Ž› •ƒ–‹•ϐ‹‡† ™‹–Š –Š‡ †‡…‹•‹‘Ǥ Despite their obvious and basic political differences, Jefferson genuinely respected John Adams as a friend and compatriot. Although he believed that Adams had deviated ˆ”‘ –Š‡…‘—”•‡ •‡– ‹ ͳ͹͹͸ǡ ‡ˆˆ‡”•‘ ‡˜‡” ˆ‡Ž– ƒ †‹‹—–‹‘ ‘ˆ…‘ϐ‹†‡…‡ ‹ †ƒ•ǯ ‹–‡‰”‹–› ƒ† ™ƒ•…‘ϐ‹†‡– Š‡ ™‘—Ž† ‘– steer the nation too far off its Republican tack. Within two years, Jefferson’s views would be drastically altered as measures such as the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 convinced him of the need to wrest control of the government from the Federalists.

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