8th Grade Social Studies STAAR Review #1

In which court case was the U.S. principle of judicial review established?

• McCulloch v. Maryland

• Gibbons v. Ogden

• Marbury v. Madison

• Dred Scott v. Sandford

Answer explanation

The Supreme Court decision for Marbury v. Madison established Judicial Review.

Boston, Massachusetts, and San Francisco, California, are geographically similar in that they BOTH —

• have a Mediterranean climate

• are located near active volcanoes

• have a hot desert climate

• are located on a coast

Answer explanation

Boston, Massachusetts is located on the Atlantic coast. San Francisco, California is located on the Pacific coast.

What is the significance of the Pilgrims’ arrival in America?

• It led to an alliance between the British and the French.

• It led to an early attempt at self-government in the English colonies.

• It caused Puritans to separate from the Church of England.

• It introduced the slave trade to the Atlantic colonies.

Answer explanation

On their journey to the New World, the Pilgrim's created and signed the Mayflower Compact. The Mayflower Compact is the one of the first documents that implemented self-government in the new English Colonies.

What was the issue in Worcester v. Georgia?

• The taxation of Cherokee lands

• The use of subsistence farming by the Cherokee people

• The sovereignty of the Cherokee nation

• The abandonment of the Cherokee culture by its people

Answer explanation

In Worcester v. Georgia, Samuel Worcester was fighting for the sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation because Georgia was attempting to enforce laws on a Native American nation. The U.S. had already established the fact that the Cherokee had a right to govern themselves because of treaties with them before 1832.

Which statement BEST describes the importance of the Battle of Vicksburg?

• The Confederacy lost control of the Mississippi River.

• It was the opening engagement of the Civil War in the South.

• It was described as the bloodiest fighting of the Civil War.

• The Confederacy captured military supplies from the North.

Answer explanation

The Battle of Vicksburg is also known as the Siege of Vicksburg. Vicksburg is located on the Mississippi River. This city was important to the Confederacy because it was the center for transportation of goods and people. During this battle, the North was able to capture the city and take control of the Mississippi River.

The Great Compromise addressed disagreements over federal representation by —

• creating a bicameral legislature

• enumerating the powers of the central government

• giving veto power to the executive

• establishing three branches of government

Answer explanation

The Great Compromise created the bicameral Legislative system, which is the House of Representatives and Senate.

Which constitutional issue contributed to sectional conflict before the Civil War?

• Disagreement over the boundaries of the Oregon Territory

• Growing support for limiting female suffrage and immigration

• The limits on free speech and press included in the Alien and Sedition Acts

• Debate over the expansion of slavery into the West

Answer explanation

Many of the issues prior to the Civil War dealt with the issue of slavery, including: The Compromise of 1850, the Dred Scott Decision, and the Election of 1860, just to name a few.

Which situation violates the Eighth Amendment protections regarding criminal punishment?

• A protester is jailed for violent acts at a political rally.

• A person is sentenced to life in prison for shoplifting.

• A person is sentenced to ten years imprisonment for assault and robbery.

• A judge orders that an accused person be jailed until bail is paid.

Answer explanation

The Eighth Amendment protects citizens from cruel and unusual punishment for a crime.

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

Answer explanation

The colonists were tired of the British Parliament and the laws they were passing for the colonies. After the Intolerable Acts, they convened in the First Continental Congress to show unity, and come to a unanimous decision on their approach to Britain.

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

Answer explanation

The Southern Colonies, which includes Virginia, have the best environment for tobacco farming because of their fertile soil and long growing seasons. It could not be Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or Pennsylvania because their environments would not support tobacco farming.