STAAR RELEASED TEST II

We, reposing special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, conduct, and fidelity, do, by these presents, constitute and appoint you to be General and Commander in chief, of the army of the United Colonies, and of all the forces now raised, or to be raised, by them, and of all others who shall voluntarily offer their service. . . . —Commission from the Continental Congress, June 17, 1775
The Continental Congress issued this commission to —

• A. Benedict Arnold
• B. Alexander Hamilton
• C. John Hancock
• D. George Washington

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
—Tenth Amendment, U.S. Constitution
Which principle of U.S. government is most clearly reflected in the amendment above?

• F. Checks and balances
• G. Federalism
• H. Separation of powers
• J. Due process

Which of these was an effect of the Industrial Revolution on U.S. women in the early nineteenth century?

• A. Women in unions gained bargaining power with employers.
• B. The government passed laws to improve safety for women in the workplace.
• C. Women seeking work migrated from rural communities to cities.
• D. State governments called conventions in support of women’s suffrage.

Which of the following was a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854?

• F. Fighting broke out between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups in Kansas.
• G. Kansas entered the Union as a slave state through popular sovereignty in 1856.
• H. Nebraskan settlers who supported abolition moved to Kansas.
• J. The boundary established by the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was extended farther south.

Which precedent was established by the Supreme Court ruling in Marbury v. Madison?

• A. The federal government has the power to regulate trade among the states.
• B. State governments lack the authority to regulate federal bureaus.
• C. Federal courts determine the constitutionality of a law.
• D. State courts lack the authority to hear cases challenging federal law

After General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House, the main priority of the United States was to —

• F. elect a new president and vice president
• G. complete construction of the Capitol
• H. establish Union forts in the former Confederate states
• J. implement a plan to bring Confederate states back into the Union

A tourist would most likely go to Seneca Falls to visit —

• A. the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House in Women’s Rights National Historical Park
• B. Historic Jamestowne in Colonial National Historical Park
• C. Independence Hall in Independence National Historical Park
• D. George Washington’s Headquarters in Valley Forge National Historical Park

BERWYN, Pennsylvania: A new mosque recently opened in this . . . suburb of Philadelphia. . . . [The] leaders . . . did not seek publicity for the happy occasion, only continued peace with their neighbors: a Jewish synagogue next door and Baptist church across the street.
—Kathy Matheson, Associated Press, September 10, 2010
This event best demonstrates which feature of the American way of life?

• F. The First Amendment guarantees personal freedoms.
• G. The Declaration of Independence asserts the principle of popular sovereignty.
• H. The U.S. Constitution establishes the structure of the federal government.
• J. The Fifth Amendment protects the rights of the accused.

In 1787 the United States was at a crossroads. Farmers in western Massachusetts had rebelled the year before over property taxes. The state struggled to end the rebellion. Events such as this one contributed to the decision to —

• F. sign the Treaty of Paris
• G. repeal the Intolerable Acts
• H. declare an embargo on imported goods
• J. restructure the federal government

How did the development of the factory system encourage urbanization?

• A. Manufacturers produced goods to export overseas.
• B. Labor unions were formed to protect mill workers.
• C. Workers moved closer to manufacturing centers.
• D. Industrialists invested in cotton plantations.