STAAR Practice Exam

Which event demonstrated that citizens sometimes disobey government policies when they feel they are being treated unfairly?

• Boston Tea Party
• ratification of the Constitution 
• annexation of Texas
• War of 1812 

What advice did President George Washington give to the nation in his Farewell Address of 1796?

• a new and weak nation should ally itself with stronger nations
• European countries should not try to establish new colonies in the Western Hemisphere
• The United States has the right to intervene in Latin America if necessary
• Americans should avoid permanent alliances with other nations 

What do the 2nd, 3rd, and 8th amendment all have in common?

• They promote the idea of equal rights for minorities 
• The protect individuals against actions by the federal government
• They strengthen the power of the federal government 
• They safeguard the right of individuals to criticize the federal government 

In which two newspapers are the headlines correctly dated?

• Boston Intelligencer and Charleston Courier
• London Gazetteer and Harper's Weekly 
• Boston Intelligencer and Harper's Weekly
• London Gazetteer and Charleston Courier 

What historic document granted freedom to enslaved peoples living in the Confederacy?

• Articles of Confederation
• Bill of Rights of 1791
• Emancipation Proclamation
• Monroe Doctrine 

How are prices determined in a free enterprise system?

• by government officials 
• by tradition
• by the interaction of producers and consumers
• by military leaders 

According to the Declaration of Independence, which of the following is an "unalienable right" to which all Americans are entitled?

• the right to personal liberty
• the right to vote in elections
• the right to own your own home
• the right to public education 

Americans sought to obtain control of New Orleans in 1803 so that -- 

• Western farmers could ship goods through the Eerie Canal 
• Western ranchers could drive cattle to railroad stops 
• Western farmers could ship goods down the Mississippi River 
• Miners could reach California more easily 

A group of American citizens attends a public meeting concerning tariff rates. At the meeting, everyone has a chance to express an opinion on the matter. Which two freedoms, guaranteed by the BoR, apply to this situation?

• freedom of speech and freedom of religion
• freedom of religion and freedom of petition
• freedom of assembly and freedom of speech
• freedom of the press and freedom of assembly 

What was the main goal of the Women's Rights Movement after the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848?

• to allow women to join labor unions
• to gain the right to vote for women 
• to expand the number of women managers
• to increase the pay of women workers