8th Grade U.S History Midterm Review

Which statements describe a NEGATIVE outcome of the invention of the cotton gin? Choose TWO.

• The invention made processing cotton faster, easier and more efficient.

• By 1850, almost 75% of the world's cotton was processed in the United States.

• Twenty years after the cotton gin invention, the number of slaves in America had doubled.

• To keep up with demand for cotton, plantation owners set very long hours of relentless work.

• In the decade following the invention, cotton production rose from 3,000 bales a year to 100,000 bales a year.

Why was Memphis called the Cotton Capital of the South? (two correct answers)

• cotton was shipped from Memphis in large amounts

• Memphis had the most plantations of any city

• Memphis consumed more cotton then other cities in the South

• the area around Memphis had fertile soil for growing cotton

• Memphis had the largest enslaved population in the South

The completion of the Erie Canal played a key role in which development?

• New York City becoming a vital commercial center with the country’s busiest seaport

• New Orleans becoming a leader in manufacturing and overseas trade

• Washington, D.C., becoming the cultural and political center of the nation

• Boston becoming one of the country’s largest transportation hubs

Which statement best describes one unique characteristic of the Lowell factory mills?

• The Lowell factory mills were the first to employ children.

• The Lowell factory mills hired actively sought to hire women.

• The Lowell factory mills were the first to use interchangeable parts.

• The Lowell factory mills were the first textile mills to incorporate the cotton gin.

Which of these is the BEST explanation of the impact railroads played on the growing trend of urbanization in the early-to-mid-1800s?

• They made the need for steel obsolete.

• People could now vacation in places far away.

• Raw and manufactured goods could be transported more easily.

• They replaced cars as the most common form of transportation.

Examine the diagram...Which one of the following best completes the above diagram?

• escaping a plague

• escaping religious oppression

• big cities

• land

Study the advertisement....Why was this a commonplace advertisement in most Northern states during the mid-1800s?

• western farmers clashed with Irish immigrants over land

• it was illegal to hire Irish immigrants

• anti-Irish sentiment grew with the increase in Irish immigration

• Irish immigrants lacked the necessary skills

In 1826 Tennessee had legally prohibited bringing in Slaves. This did not last long. Memphis, Tennessee was a center for slave trade in the early 1800's leading up to the Civil War. What is the main reason for Memphis becoming a center for the Slave trade?

• Economic realities forced the State Legislature to repeal the ban

• Memphis was the richest city in the United States

• All of Tennessee was pro slavery

• All of Tennessee owned slaves and need a place for people to come to purchase Slaves

Which statement about the demand for cotton in Antebellum America is accurate?

• An increase demand meant people had more cotton at better prices and fewer slaves were needed on the plantations.

• The increase in demand made the South the center of the U.S. economy and the North was dependent on southern production.

• The increase in demand for cotton meant more farmers in the North began to grow cotton, further weakening the South's influence on the U.S.economy.

• An increased demand meant higher cotton prices, which meant producers wanted to grow more cotton, leading to an increase in slavery in the South and increased tension between North and South.

The efficiency and productiveness of many large cotton plantations found in the south during the first half of the 19th century made most plantation owners economically dependent on

• slave labor.

• hired field hands.

• captured Native Americans

• wage earning white workers.