Social Studies STAAR 2022

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Answer explanation

The Louisiana Purchase was made in 1803 and resulted in the United States gaining a large amount of territory west of the Mississippi River. This negotiated agreement with France resulted in the United States roughly doubling in size. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and interpret information from maps.

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Answer explanation

Separation of powers refers to the division of power among the three branches of government. The diagram shows these branches and the primary power given to each by the U.S. Constitution. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and interpret information from a diagram.

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Answer explanation

The economy of the Southern states relied on the production of cash crops such as cotton. To increase their profits, Southern plantation owners chose to rely on the forced labor of unpaid, enslaved people. Using the labor of enslaved people maximized profits for Southern plantation owners. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to contrast two regions of the United States.

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Answer explanation

After Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts in 1774, delegates from the colonies met in what became known as the First Continental Congress. During the First Continental Congress, the delegates organized unified resistance to the acts. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to identify cause- and-effect relationships.

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Answer explanation

The Fourteenth Amendment ensured that all citizens had the same “privileges or immunities” under the law. This meant that people could not be denied the right to serve on a jury or to have a jury of one’s peers. As a result, African Americans had the legal right to serve on juries, and African American defendants had the legal right to have African Americans on their juries. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and interpret information from an illustration.

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Answer explanation

Virginia had hot summers and mild winters, which provided a suitable climate for large-scale farming of tobacco. Furthermore, the rivers of Virginia and the fertile soil supported the cultivation of cash crops such as tobacco. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to draw conclusions.

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Answer explanation

Due process requires that legal matters be resolved according to established rules and principles. In the United States, the rights to a speedy and public trial, an impartial jury, and legal counsel are due-process rights that have been established either through constitutional amendment or U.S. Supreme Court decisions. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to categorize information.

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Answer explanation

John Brown raided Harpers Ferry to start a rebellion by enslaved people. The raid increased tensions between the North and the South. It also furthered the narrative that slavery could be abolished only through violence. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to use a secondary source to acquire information about the United States.

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Answer explanation

The Radical Republicans were a group of legislators who became influential during Reconstruction. They believed that African Americans should have the same rights as white citizens and that the federal government should ensure those rights. They also believed that Confederate leaders should be punished for their actions. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to categorize information.

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Answer explanation

Eli Whitney promoted the use of interchangeable parts in the manufacturing of guns. The use of interchangeable parts in the manufacturing process required fewer skilled workers and facilitated the mass production of products. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to draw a conclusion.