2023 Social Studies STAAR Test

This list provides reasons for the establishment of European colonies in the New World.

Reasons for Exploration and Colonization

• - to spread Catholicism through religious missions

• - to find gold, silver, and other riches

• - to gain control of large parts of North and South American

Which European country was motivated to colonize the New World for these reasons?

• England

• France

• Germany

• Spain

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8.2A

This map shows an eastern section of the North America during the early 1600s.

Which numbered arrow represents the area where the Pilgrims landed in 1620?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

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8.10A

This table summarizes characteristics of two colonial regions during the late seventeenth century.

How did these characteristics influence life in the colonies?

• The New England colonies supported financial growth through high-paying industrial work

• The Southern colonies supported the plantation production of cash crops because of the long growing season

• The Southern colonies developed large urban centers in order to support increasing manufacturing businesses

• The New England colonies developed large rural populations in order to support increasing agricultural production

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8.12A

8.12B

This list provides reasons for the growth of representative government during the Colonial Era.

Which reason correctly replaces the question mark in this list?

• Influence of John Locke and other Enlightenment philosophers

• Ideas of John Smith and other English soldiers

• Need to establish trading forts

• Interest in growing cash crops

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8.3A

Choose the correct answer from each drop-down menu to complete the sentences.

The First Great Awakening of the 1730s and 1740s focused on the ​ (a)   . This movement contributed to the spread of ​ (b)   throughout the colonies.

• experiences of individuals
• democratic feelings
• system of slavery
• advancements of the arts
• economic opportunities
• technological advances

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8.3C

This list describes some acts of Parliament during the colonial era.

How did English mercantilist policies influence the Founding Fathers following the Revolutionary War?

• The Founders encouraged minimal governmental influence over foreign relations

• The Founders promoted the establishment of governmental authority over citizens

• The Founders promoted the establishment of taxes on the states

• The Founders encouraged minimal governmental regulation of businesses

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8.14A

Which era of U.S. history correctly replaces the question mark for the title of this diagram?

• Reconstruction

• Sectionalism

• The Revolutionary Period

• The Early Republic

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8.1A

Why was the victory at Saratoga a turning point in U.S. history?

• It convinced France to support the American cause

• The battle led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence

• The battle represented the end of the American Revolution

• It marked a major change in the leadership of the Continental Army.

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8.4C

Which statement explains how physical geography affected the population distribution of the United States in 1790?

• The Southern states offered fertile farmland, allowing for the development of larger cities.

• The Proclamation of 1763 prevented settlers from moving away from the East Coast

• The Appalachian Mountains served as a barrier that slowed westward expansion

• The Rocky Mountains posed risks to explorers, leading most people to remain in the East.

Which weaknesses are associated with the Articles of Confederation?

Move the correct answers to the box. Not all answers will be used.

WEAKNESSES OF THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

​ (a)  

​ (b)  

• All states had to approve amendments
• States coined their own money
• The one-house legislature was based on population
• The central government held too much power
• Slavery was banned in the Northwest Territory

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8.15B