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Unity and Sectionalism/ War with Mexico - Printable Social studies Worksheets year 8 - Wayground

Unity and Sectionalism/ War with Mexico

Gabriel LaCuesta

Created by Gabriel LaCuesta

11 questions

8th Grade

Social studies

Updated May 2025

Unity and Sectionalism/War with Mexico is a Grade 8 social studies worksheet that reviews key people, policies, events, and outcomes connected to U.S.–Mexico relations and the period of sectional tension. Students complete 5 fill-in-the-blank true-or-false items, 2 matching activities, 3 multiple-choice questions, and 1 open-ended response. The questions ask students to identify Junípero Serra’s role, recognize the stated grounds for President James K. Polk’s declaration of war, sequence the final step in Polk’s plan, and explain why William Becknell’s route to Mexico became popular. This worksheet helps students distinguish accurate historical claims from incorrect ones while connecting vocabulary and developments such as regional loyalty, the Second Bank of the United States, internal improvements, and the terms associated with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It is designed for Grade 8 social studies instruction, review, or formative assessment after students have studied unity, sectionalism, and the War with Mexico. The free printable worksheet includes a complete answer key for checking selected-response, matching, and open-ended work.

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Unity and Sectionalism/ War with Mexico

Total questions: 11

Name
Class
Date
1.

Native Americans were well treated on Mexican Ranchos

(a)  

2.

Match the following

Chief justice of Supreme Court

John Marshal

Nicknamed “The Great Compromise”

Henry Clay

Loyalty to a region

Sectionalism

Building of roads, bridges, and canals

Internal improvements

Which of the following called for a stop to European colonization of the Americas?

Monroe Doctrine

3.

What did Junipero Sera do?

a)
Invented the light bulb
b)
Discovered the Mississippi River
c)
Climbed Mount Everest
d)

Founded a chain Missions

4.

The United States did not attain its goal of capturing Mexico City.

(a)  

5.

What did President James K. Polk use as grounds for declaring war against Mexico?

a)
Alaska Purchase
b)

A Mexican attack on American forces.

c)
Louisiana Purchase
d)
California Gold Rush
6.

At one time, Mexico was claimed by Spain

(a)  

7.

What was the reason William Becknell’s route to Mexico became popular?

4 lines
8.

Mexico believed that the Rio Grande formed the Texas-Mexico border

(a)  

9.

What was the final step of President Polk’s plan to defeat Mexico?

a)

Capture Mexico City

b)
Bombardment of Veracruz
c)
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
d)
Battle of Buena Vista
10.

Match the following

What happened as a result of the formation of the Second bank of the United States?

Because of regional differences

Gave control of Florida to the United States

Adams- Onis Treaty

How was the balance between the north and the south preserved in the Senate?

The Missouri Compromise

Building of roads, bridges, and canals

Internal improvements

11.

As a part of the terms of the Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico received half as much money as the United States had offered before the war began. (a)  

WaygroundAnswer Key

Unity and Sectionalism/ War with Mexico

Total questions: 11

1.
False, false
2.

Chief justice of Supreme Court

 - 

John Marshal

, 

Nicknamed “The Great Compromise”

 - 

Henry Clay

, 

Loyalty to a region

 - 

Sectionalism

, 

Building of roads, bridges, and canals

 - 

Internal improvements

, 

Which of the following called for a stop to European colonization of the Americas?

 - 

Monroe Doctrine

3.
d)

Founded a chain Missions

4.
False, false
5.
b)

A Mexican attack on American forces.

6.
True, true
7.
n/a
8.
False, false
9.
a)

Capture Mexico City

10.

What happened as a result of the formation of the Second bank of the United States?

 - 

Because of regional differences

, 

Gave control of Florida to the United States

 - 

Adams- Onis Treaty

, 

How was the balance between the north and the south preserved in the Senate?

 - 

The Missouri Compromise

, 

Building of roads, bridges, and canals

 - 

Internal improvements

11.
True, true

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FAQs

What does the Unity and Sectionalism/War with Mexico worksheet cover?

This Grade 8 social studies worksheet uses true-or-false fill-ins, matching, multiple-choice questions, and an open-ended response to review unity, sectionalism, and the War with Mexico. Students identify historical roles and policies, evaluate claims about U.S.–Mexico relations, recognize the stated grounds for Polk’s war declaration, identify the final step in his plan, and explain why William Becknell’s route became popular.

How can I use this worksheet to teach unity, sectionalism, and the War with Mexico?

Use the matching items first to preview terms such as regional loyalty, internal improvements, and the political developments connected to unity and sectionalism. Then have students justify each true-or-false response with evidence from class notes or a textbook, and use the Polk and Becknell questions to discuss how goals, routes, and decisions shaped the conflict with Mexico. Finish by having students answer the open-ended item in a complete cause-and-effect explanation.

What mistakes should I watch for when students complete this worksheet?

Students may treat every statement in the fill-in section as true instead of checking claims about Native Americans on Mexican ranchos, the U.S. goal of capturing Mexico City, the Rio Grande border, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In the multiple-choice items, watch for confusion between Polk’s stated grounds for war and other events, or between stages of his plan and its final step. Students may also give a vague response to the Becknell question without explaining why the route became popular.

How do I assign and grade this worksheet?

The worksheet is available as a printable PDF and as a digital quiz on Wayground, and it includes a complete answer key for all 11 items. You can grade printable submissions by scanning student work with the Wayground for Teachers app, while the digital version supports online completion and grading.

How can I differentiate this worksheet for my students?

In the worksheet’s Advanced Settings, adjust font spacing or choose a larger font size to make the true-or-false statements, matching prompts, and open-ended response easier to read. You can also enable a dyslexia-friendly font or translate the worksheet into another language when those options support access to the historical vocabulary and questions.

Where can I find more worksheets like this on Wayground?

Wayground offers a broad collection of free printable worksheets and practice problems across subjects, with downloadable PDFs and answer keys to support essential skills and concepts. Browse more resources at https://wayground.com/en-us/worksheets.

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