Grade 8 Social Studies STAAR

The differences between these two maps resulted from the —

• Missouri Compromise

• Treaty of Ghent

• Louisiana Purchase

• Adams-Onís Treaty

Which government principle is illustrated in this diagram?

• Federalism

• Popular sovereignty

• Republicanism

• Separation of powers

This table shows the population of enslaved people in two regions of the United States in 1840.

Which statement describes a factor that MOST contributed to the population difference shown in the table?

• The South had a society that relied on wage labor.

• The South had an economy that relied on cotton.

• The South had a variety of natural resources.

• The South had an abundance of large cities.

How did the American colonies react to enforcement of the Intolerable Acts?

• By collecting funds to pay for the tea destroyed in Boston Harbor

• By sending ambassadors to France to request military aid

• By placing a tax on all goods imported from Great Britain

• By holding the First Continental Congress to discuss unified resistance

This sketch titled "Jury of Whites and Blacks" appeared in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper in 1867.

Which event is MOST associated with the change in American life shown in this sketch?

• The adoption of the Great Compromise

• The establishment of a two-party political system

• The ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment

• The election of more qualified judges

An immigrant sails to North America in the early 1700s hoping to start a tobacco farm. He has done some research on the best environment for tobacco farming. Where is the immigrant most likely to settle?

• Massachusetts

• Virginia

• Rhode Island

• Pennsylvania

Which idea correctly replaces the question mark in this diagram?

• Due Process

• Eminent Domain

• Free Speech

• Federalism

This excerpt refers to an event that occurred in Virginia in 1859. A contemporary newspaper account foretold a grim future.

"The Harpers Ferry invasion has advanced the cause of disunion more than any other event that has happened since the formation of the Government." —"John Brown’s Raid," National Park Service,

Which action prompted the newspaper’s claim that John Brown’s raid “advanced the cause of disunion”?

• Some Northerners were willing to defend the South’s right to continue slavery.

• Some Southerners were willing to take up arms to protest high tariffs.

• Some abolitionists thought violence was necessary to end slavery.

• Some people in territories needed to defend their right to popular sovereignty.

Which era involved legislation enacted by the Radical Republicans?

• Civil War

• Reconstruction

• Early republic

• Antebellum

What is being described in this excerpt from "The Factory," Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop?

• Spinning jenny and the textile industry

• Interchangeable parts and mass production

• Cotton gin and the plantation system

• Steam engine and railroad commerce