Released STAAR 2018

History and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of Republican government. . . . It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances.

—President George Washington’s Farewell Address, 1796

The idea expressed in this quote is that the United States should avoid —

• becoming involved in the political affairs of other countries

• being a part of a global trade network

• establishing U.S. territories overseas

• allowing U.S. citizens to emigrate

The development of the factory system in the early 1800s caused —

• a decrease in free trade between nations

• an increase in government regulation of businesses

• an increase in production levels

• a decrease in immigration

Articles of Confederation

Did not grant a federal power to tax or regulate commerce

Did not establish a common currency

Did not establish an executive or judicial branch

What does this list suggest about the drafters of the Articles of Confederation?

• They did not want a judicial system based upon that of Great Britain.

• They feared that a strong central government would abuse its power.

• They were uncertain that democracy would continue to be the best type of government.

• They did not think that state governments could provide for the general welfare.

Spanish Colonists 1

French Colonists 2

Which pair of actions best completes this graphic?

• 1—Enslaved native populations

  2—Organized utopian societies

• 1—Established Catholic missions

  2—Focused primarily on fur trading

• 1—Promoted political freedom

  2—Participated in the triangular trade

• 1—Became commercial shipbuilders

  2—Created an early system of public schools

Which of the following is most associated with the formation of the Democratic Party?

• The election of Andrew Jackson as president

• The use of protective tariffs

• The impeachment of President Andrew Johnson

• The abolition movement

The British government issued the Proclamation of 1763 to limit the area British colonists were allowed to settle. Which geographic feature did the British use as the boundary of approved settlement?

• Lake Michigan

• Gulf of Mexico

• Mississippi River

• Appalachian Mountains

1845 Texas is annexed by the United States.

1845 Mexican and U.S. troops gather near the Texas-Mexico border.

1846 The United States declares war on Mexico.

1847 Mexico accepts a temporary peace settlement.

1848 The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed.

Which of the following occurred as a result of these events?

• The president of Mexico refused to withdraw troops from Texas.

• Parts of southern Texas were returned to Mexico.

• The United States acquired several territories from Mexico.

• Mexico was forced to sell Florida to the United States.

What was the main cause of the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson in 1868?

• His opposition to the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment

• His refusal to investigate reported criminal activity by the Union army during the Civil War

• His opposition to Radical Reconstruction policies for former Confederate states

• His refusal to use the Homestead Act to redistribute land to former slaves

Robert E. Lee’s surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant, which ended the Civil War. Where did this occur?

• A private home in Appomattox County, Virginia

• The U.S. Capitol building

• A public church near Ford’s Theatre

• The Governor’s mansion in Richmond, Virginia

Invention of the cotton gin

Opening of lands along the Mississippi River

Growing demand for inexpensive labor

Which change occurred as a direct result of these developments?

• A reduction in the number of skilled workers in northern states

• The expansion of manufacturing into the western territories

• A reduction in trade with European countries

• The expansion of slavery into newly acquired territories