8th Grade Social Studies STAAR Review #3

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

Answer explanation

The Proclamation of 1763. after the French and Indian War, stated that the colonists were not allowed to move past the Appalachian Mountains.

Which American colony’s economy was based primarily on shipbuilding and fishing?

• Virginia

• Maryland

• Georgia

• Massachusetts

Answer explanation

Massachusetts will focus more on shipbuilding and fishing for their economy. The natural harbors, abundance of lumber, and the colony's location near the coast lends itself to having these kinds of economic activities.

Which of the following had the greatest impact on the outcome of the Civil War?

• Economic differences between the Union and the Confederacy

• The amount of military training given to Union forces and Confederacy forces

• Religious differences between the Union and the Confederacy

• The alignment of foreign allies with the Union or with the Confederacy

Answer explanation

The economy of the South heavily relied on farming and slave labor. The economy of the Union relied more on manufacturing and industry. When the Confederacy split off, they needed to build their industry up from scratch because they severely lacked it.

Which of the following is the best example of an early U.S. struggle to define the domestic authority of the central government?

• The XYZ Affair

• The War of 1812

• The Barbary Wars

• The Whiskey Rebellion

Answer explanation

The Whiskey Rebellion showed how the federal government needed to be more centralized in order to react to citizen uprisings.

How did the growth of the railway system during the nineteenth century affect the U.S. economy?

• By helping expand the commercial markets of U.S. companies

• By making it easier for people in rural areas to work in urban factories

• By helping strengthen the economic ties between U.S. and British companies

• By permitting faster communication between corporate leaders and their employees

Answer explanation

Railroads are going to improve transportation over communication. Transportation is going to improve the selling of goods and movement of people. Companies are now going to be able to sell to more people across the country, so the railroads are going to expand their market.

The Missouri Compromise, The Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act address which of these fundamental questions?

• Should the U.S. expand westward?

• Should states be allowed to nullify federal laws?

• Should slave labor be allowed in new states?

• Should states be able to secede from the Union?

Answer explanation

All 3 of these acts by congress deal with the issue of slavery in new states.

Which law would be considered unconstitutional on the basis of First Amendment guarantees?

• A ban on the publication of classified information by government employees

• A requirement that church employees pay income tax

• A requirement that churches get a permit before building a new chapel

• A prohibition on electing religious leaders to government office

Answer explanation

The first amendment states that you are allowed to practice your religion freely, as well as you are allowed to freely hold any governmental office regardless of your religion.

How did southern states respond to the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment?

• By creating a segregated public education system

• By shutting down all remaining offices of Freedmen’s Bureau

• By imposing requirements designed to deny African Americans the right to vote

• By forcing African Americans to work as tenant farmers and sharecroppers

Answer explanation

The Fifteenth Amendment guaranteed the right to vote to all African American males. During Reconstruction, President Andrew Johnson did not require southern states coming back into the Union to protect the rights of African Americans, so they were able to impose requirements that would prohibit African Americans from voting.

Which phrase best represents the U.S. principle of republicanism?

• The creation of a Congress to carry out the will of the people

• The establishment of courts to interpret laws and government actions

• The division of power between a federal government and state governments

• The power of a court to declare a law unconstitutional

Answer explanation

U.S. republicanism includes the creation of a Congress to carry out the will of the people.

Why did slavery become a widespread practice in the United States during the early nineteenth century?

• The system of indentured servitude was banned.

• The need for agricultural labor increased as a result of expanded cotton production.

• Improved transportation systems made it easier for workers to migrate.

• Advancements in technology led to the need for skilled workers.

Answer explanation

Slavery was used as forced labor for large-scale farming. The cotton industry in the south was growing, so the need for slavery was growing as well.