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U.S. HISTORY STAAR PRACTICE 2 - Printable Social Studies Worksheets grade 8 - Wayground

U.S. HISTORY STAAR PRACTICE 2

12 questions

8th - 8th Grade

Social Studies

U.S. HISTORY STAAR PRACTICE 2 is a Grade 8 Social Studies review worksheet with 12 multiple-choice questions covering major concepts in early U.S. history. Students identify causes and effects of sectionalism, the U.S.-Mexican War, the War of 1812, and Manifest Destiny; connect geography to colonial development; and recognize the roles of key court cases, political parties, presidents, and religious groups. The worksheet also asks students to interpret a historical passage, a trade-system map, and a quotation, then use evidence and content knowledge to select the best answer. It is a free printable worksheet with a complete answer key, making it useful for STAAR preparation, independent practice, review, or a standards-aligned formative check of Grade 8 U.S. history understanding.

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U.S. HISTORY STAAR PRACTICE 2

Total questions: 12

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which statement describes how the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 increased sectionalism?

a)

It allowed slavery to expand into the territories.

b)

It gave tax cuts to manufacturers who relocated to the territories.

c)

It allowed slaves who escaped to the territories to purchase their freedom.

d)

It granted homesteads to immigrants who settled in the territories.

2.

Which event was one cause of the U.S.-Mexican War?

a)

The United States banned slavery in territories acquired from Mexico.

b)

The U.S. Congress debated statehood for New Mexico.

c)

U.S. and Mexican soldiers fought over disputed territory north of the Rio Grande.

d)

The United States acquired the Mexican Cession.

3.

This map shows a trade system that emerged in the 1500s and reached its height in the 1700s.

Which factor was a reason for the trade system illustrated on this map?

a)

Labor demands of the factory system

b)

Invention of the steamboat

c)

Labor demands of the plantation system

d)

Invention of the mechanical loom

4.

Which statement describes one result of the War of 1812?

a)

Great Britain lost control of Canada.

b)

The United States gained control of the Oregon Territory.

c)

The United States stopped trading with Britain and France.

d)

Great Britain stopped the practice of impressment.

5.

Why did President Andrew Jackson oppose the Second Bank of the United States?

a)

He believed it was inefficient and poorly managed.

b)

He thought it was unconstitutional and favored the wealthy.

c)

He considered it an obstacle to industrial progress and expansion.

d)

He believed it favored the rights of states over the federal government.

6.

Which geographic feature allowed the Mid-Atlantic colonies to have a longer growing season than the New England colonies?

a)

Thick forests

b)

Navigable rivers

c)

Flat land with rocky soil

d)

Mild climate

7.

Which issue was debated in Gibbons v. Ogden?

a)

The status of slaves living in free territories

b)

The regulation of interstate commerce by federal or state laws

c)

The constitutionality of tariffs

d)

The separation of powers among the branches of government

8.

Which president established these traditions for the executive branch?

a)

JOHN ADAMS

b)

THOMAS JEFFERSON

c)

JAMES MADISON

d)

GEORGE WASHINGTON

9.

Which group helped establish the colony of Maryland in the 1630s?

a)

English Catholics seeking religious freedom

b)

Spanish workers seeking job opportunities

c)

Irish families escaping a natural disaster

d)

Russian merchants escaping political conflict

10.

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

a)

McCulloch v. Maryland

b)

Gibbons v. Ogden

c)

Marbury v. Madison

d)

Dred Scott v. Sandford

11.

Why did many farmers, artisans, and former Anti-Federalists support the Democratic-Republican Party?

a)

The Democratic-Republicans favored the expansion of a strong national government.

b)

The Democratic-Republicans supported strict restrictions on immigration.

c)

The Democratic-Republicans supported the use of tariffs.

d)

The Democratic-Republicans favored states’ rights and the rights of the common man.

12.

Which statement explains one of the motivations behind Manifest Destiny?

a)

“These are the times that try men’s souls: the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country. . . .”

b)

“I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free. . . .”

c)

“And that claim is by the right . . . to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us. . . .”

d)

“That it is the duty of the women of this country to secure to themselves their sacred right to the elective franchise.”

Answer Key

U.S. HISTORY STAAR PRACTICE 2

Total questions: 12

1.
a)

It allowed slavery to expand into the territories.

2.
a)

The United States banned slavery in territories acquired from Mexico.

3.
c)

Labor demands of the plantation system

4.
d)

Great Britain stopped the practice of impressment.

5.
b)

He thought it was unconstitutional and favored the wealthy.

6.
d)

Mild climate

7.
b)

The regulation of interstate commerce by federal or state laws

8.
d)

GEORGE WASHINGTON

9.
a)

English Catholics seeking religious freedom

10.
c)

Marbury v. Madison

11.
d)

The Democratic-Republicans favored states’ rights and the rights of the common man.

12.
c)

“And that claim is by the right . . . to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us. . . .”

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FAQs

What does U.S. HISTORY STAAR PRACTICE 2 cover?

This worksheet builds Grade 8 U.S. history skills through 12 multiple-choice questions on sectionalism, territorial expansion, colonial geography, executive traditions, political parties, and landmark Supreme Court cases. Students also interpret a passage, a map of an early trade system, and a quotation to identify historical causes, results, motivations, and constitutional principles.

How can I use this worksheet to teach early U.S. history concepts?

Use the 12 questions as a review sequence after teaching the related units, asking students to explain why each selected answer is better than the distractors. Pause at the source-based items—the passage on the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the trade-system map, and the Manifest Destiny quotation—to have students identify the evidence that supports their choices before discussing the broader historical concept.

What mistakes should I watch for when students complete this U.S. history worksheet?

Students may confuse a cause with a result, such as selecting a later territorial development instead of the stated cause of the U.S.-Mexican War, or confuse the War of 1812 result with unrelated territorial changes. Watch also for mix-ups among Marbury v. Madison and Gibbons v. Ogden, between Washington’s executive traditions and later presidents, and between the Democratic-Republicans’ states’-rights position and stronger-national-government views.

How do I assign and grade this U.S. HISTORY STAAR PRACTICE 2 worksheet?

On Wayground, assign it as a printable PDF or as a digital quiz, depending on whether students will complete the 12 multiple-choice questions on paper or online. The worksheet includes a complete answer key, and printable submissions can be graded by scanning student work with the Wayground for Teachers app.

How can I differentiate this early U.S. history worksheet for my students?

Use the worksheet’s Advanced Settings to adjust font spacing or font size so the multiple-choice options and source-based items are easier to read. You can also apply a dyslexia-friendly font or translate the worksheet into another language while keeping the historical question format.

Where can I find more worksheets like this on Wayground?

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

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