Upper Level ISEE Reading Practice Test 62

1 New Orleans was the site of the last
2 major battle during the War of 1812,
3 a lengthy conflict between British and
4 American troops. The Battle of New
5 Orleans in January 1815 was one of the
6 greatest victories in American military
7 history. However, the great success of this
8 battle did not actually bring about the end of
9 the war. Surprisingly, the Treaty of Ghent,
10 which declared the end of the war, had
11 already been signed by both sides a month
12 earlier.
13 How was that possible? There were two
14 major reasons. The first is that New Orleans
15 was relatively isolated and communication
16 in the growing United States was not as
17 simple as it is today. Thus, it is possible that
18 the British commanders and the American
19 general, Andrew Jackson, did not realize a
20 treaty had been signed before they started
21 their battle. A second reason is that there is
22 a difference between a signed treaty and a
23 ratified treaty. Even if all soldiers fighting in
24 and around New Orleans had known of the
25 treaty, it had not yet been ratified by the U.S.
26 Senate. Thus, though the Treaty of Ghent
27 took place in December prior to the Battle of
28 New Orleans, the war did not officially end
29 until February 1815, when the Senate ratified
30 the treaty.
31 Had the combatants in New Orleans
32 known of the treaty, they might have
33 avoided a tough battle, especially the
34 British. In the battle, a force of about 4,000
35 American troops decisively defeated an
36 enemy of nearly twice its size. At stake for
37 the soldiers was control of the waterways of
38 the Mississippi, and the fighting was fierce.
39 A combination of tactical mistakes and bad
40 weather doomed the British attack, costing
41 them nearly 2,000 soldiers injured or killed.
42 The Americans lost fewer than 200. But
43 was the terrible battle all for nothing? Some
44 historians suggest that victory that day was
45 crucial for the American military in order
46 to enforce and help quickly ratify the peace
47 treaty. Potentially, with an American loss in
48 New Orleans, the British could have found
49 hope to continue the conflict.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

• A. blame the British for fighting an unnecessary war
• B. celebrate the tactical military maneuvers of Andrew Jackson
• C. convince readers that peace treaties are often worthless
• D. provide greater details about the end of a historical conflict

2. The passage suggests that all of the following occurred near the end of the War of 1812 EXCEPT

• A. Andrew Jackson ignored the orders of President Madison
• B. communication with the battle line commanders was slow
• C. the Treaty of Ghent was signed
• D. weather conditions hurt the efforts of the British soldiers

3. Which of the following is implied by the passage?

• A. Andrew Jackson did not know the difference between a signed treaty and a ratified treaty.
• B. President Madison did not realize the Battle of New Orleans was possible.
• C. The British may have had a chance for victory with better conditions and preparation.
• D. The British troops knew of the treaty but attacked anyway.

4. According to the passage, New Orleans was a strategic battle site because

• A. it was the only location where American forces were better supplied than the British forces
• B. the American forces would be trapped in the swamplands if they lost
• C. the British were attempting to defeat a more numerous force
• D. the Mississippi River was nearby and control of it was important

5. After which of the following was the War of 1812 officially at an end?

• A. Both armies signing the Treaty of Ghent
• B. British retreat from the Mississippi
• C. The Battle of New Orleans
• D. The Senate's ratification of the Treaty of Ghent

6. According to the passage, a treaty

• A. cannot be signed by the president without the consent of the Senate
• B. has sometimes been ignored by those in battle
• C. is always used to end a war
• D. is not effective until it is ratified by the Senate