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Mid Year S. S.

Total questions: 67

Worksheet time: 34mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Largest city in Pennsylvania; known as the "birthplace of our nation". The declaration of independence and the constitution were written here.

a)

Boston

b)

Philadelphia

c)

Mississippi River

2.

A Mountain chain that extends over 1,500 miles from Georgia to Maine. The mountains are low and rounded due to erosion.

a)

Rocky Mountains

b)

Sierra Mountains

c)

Appalachian Mountains

3.

What is the main reason the United States went to war with Britain for a second time?

a)

to take over British lands

b)

to gain freedom at sea

c)

to stop British trade

d)

to help France fight Britain

4.

What inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner"?

a)

fireworks he saw from a ship

b)

things he saw during the War of 1812

c)

things he scribbled on an envelope

d)

stories he collected from soldiers after the war.

5.

7. What does the Declaration of Independence say about Britain?

a)

a.Parliament is in control

b)

a.Parliament is in control

c)

c.The King has no authority

d)

d.The King abused his power

6.

8. Why was signing the Declaration of Independence a dangerous act?

a)

a.There was a chance not many people would sign it

b)

b. It was an agreement with King George III

c)

d. Britain viewed those who signed as traitors

d)

c. Those who signed belonged to no country

7.

9. How did the American victory at Saratoga affect the war?

a)

a.The British hired more mercenaries

b)

b. France became an American ally and joined the war

c)

c. The Americans took control of Lake Champlain

d)

d. The British took control of the Hudson River

8.

10. What resulted from the American victory at Yorktown?

a)

a. The American Revolution ended.

b)

b. The British strengthened their troops

c)

c. The American were prepared to win another battle.

d)

d. The British continued to move north.

9.

11. How did Benedict Arnold betray our country?

a)

a. He wrote a letter to President Lincoln about the war.

b)

b. He fought on the side of the French during the War of 1812.

c)

c. He used a spy to attack Washington on Christmas Eve.

d)

d. He helped the British during the Revolutionary War by planning to surrender to them.

10.

12. What was the original purpose of the Constitutional Convention?

a)

a. make laws to stop dissenters

b)

b. make a trade plan with Europe

c)

c. revise the Articles of Confederation

d)

d. elect a leader of the Confederation

11.

13. Which of the following BEST describes the government under the Articles of Confederation?

a)

a. Congress could collect enough money to run the government.

b)

b. The judicial branch interpreted the laws.

c)

c. Congress could NOT pass laws to collect taxes.

d)

d. The legislative branch enforced the laws.

12.

14. The Bill of Rights contains certain basic freedoms guaranteed to Americans. One is the freedom of speech. Which of the following is an example of freedom of speech?

a)

a. John can voice his opinion about which presidential candidate he supports.

b)

b. Mary can decide if she would like to attend church this weekend.

c)

c. Carlos can join a march against placing a road through a park.

d)

d. Misty can read an article in the newspaper that discusses waste in government.

13.

15. Which of the following BEST describes the Bill of Rights?

a)

a. list of the men who signed the Constitution

b)

b. list of rights and wrongs as spelled out in the Constitution

c)

c. ten Constitutional amendments specifying freedoms

d)

d. list of laws governed by each state

14.

16. What did the Daughter of Liberty do to support the boycott of British goods?

a)

a.gave speeches and drew political cartoons

b)

b.gave speeches and attended rallies

c)

c.made tea and wove cloth

d)

d.handed out pamphlets and posters

15.

17. Which battle began with "the shot heard round the world"?

a)

a.Bunker Hill

b)

b.Breed's Hill

c)

c. Lexington

d)

d.Concord

16.

18. What role did African American play in the the war?

a)

a.They struggled to end slavery.

b)

b.They did not defend forts.

c)

c.They fought in almost every battle of the war.

d)

d.As slaves, they were not allowed to fight.

17.

19. Who helped the British win the French and Indian War?

a)

a.The Spanish joined them

b)

b.More British soldiers joined them

c)

c.The French "ran as sheep before the hounds."

d)

d.Washington surrendered.

18.

20. What group successfully discouraged the stamp agents from enforcing the Stamp Act?

a)

a.Sons of Liberty

b)

b.New Yorkers

c)

c.Parliament

d)

d. Daughters of Liberty

19.

21.In 1776, the Continental Congress approved a statement that said governments do not have the right to take away a citizen's "Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness." What was this called?

a)

a. Constitution

b)

b. Common Sense

c)

c. Articles of Confederation

d)

d.Declaration of Independence

20.

22. What did the Three-Fifths Compromise say?

a)

a. that all people should be fully counted

b)

b. that women and children have to leave the state

c)

c. that slaves counted as three-fifths of a person when determining population

d)

d. population did not count in government representation

21.

23.Why did George Washington begin to enlist slaves in the Revolution, like the Black Regiment of Rhode Island?

a)

a. He was against slavery.

b)

b. He needed more soldiers.

c)

c. Slaves fought the best.

d)

d. Slaves were free labor.

22.

24. The Constitution was written in 1787. Since the people could not agree they had to compromise. The Great Compromise_________

a)

a. decided how the President would be elected.

b)

b. gave the supreme Court the power to decide if laws are unconstitutional.

c)

c. started the cabinet to help the President.

d)

d. made a Congress with a Senate and a House of Representatives

23.

26.Why were the colonists angry about "taxation without representation"?

a)

a. The colonists wanted to pay taxes on stamps and tea.

b)

b. The colonists had no representation in Parliament.

c)

c. The colonists fought to write the Declaration of Independence.

d)

d. The colonist were loyal to the British and wanted to keep them happy.

24.

27. How did the Boston Tea Party express the views of the many colonists?

a)

a. It showed that many colonists did not like tea.

b)

b. It showed that many colonist supported the Mohawk causes.

c)

c. It showed that the colonists strongly protested the tea tax.

d)

d. It showed that tea would remain in Boston.

25.

28. What is most likely the reason the crowd began bothering the British soldiers on the night of the Boston Massacre?

a)

a. The colonist did not like the soldiers' red coats.

b)

b. The soldiers started calling the crowd names.

c)

c. The soldiers were trying to gain control over the colonies for Great Britain.

d)

d. The colonists did not want to go inside at night.

26.

29.Before the American Revolution, which of the following became known for a speech that ended with the words, " Give me liberty or give me death"?

a)

a. Benjamin Franklin

b)

b. George Washington

c)

c. Patrick Henry

d)

d. John Adams

27.

30. The President of the United States vetoes a bill from Congress. This example of checks and balances shows the _____________________.

a)

a. judicial branch checking the legislative branch

b)

b. executive branch checking the legislative branch

c)

c. judicial branch checking the executive branch

d)

d. legislative branch checking the executive branch

28.

31.What is the significance of the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876?

a)

a. It was the most successful action fought by the American Indians against the United States Army in the West.

b)

b. It was a bloody battle.

c)

c. It was the longest battle.

d)

d. It was the first battle the American Indians fought against the United States.

29.

32. Who offered to lead men in battle for the relief of Boston?

a)

a. Paul Revere

b)

b. Hugh White

c)

c. Crispus Attucks

d)

d. George Washington

30.

33.What was the effect of British taxation on the colonies as a whole?

a)

a. They became more divided.

b)

b. They started to unite as Americans.

c)

c. Many paid for British support.

d)

d. Many colonists returned to Britain.

31.

34. Which branch of government can declare acts or laws to be unconstitutional?

a)

a. executive

b)

b. legislative

c)

c. veto

d)

d. judicial

32.

35. What was the purpose of the "We the People" in the preamble of the Constitution?

a)

a. to declare independence

b)

b. to give reasons for establishing a united government for the people of the US

c)

c. to separate the whites from the blacks

d)

d.to include only the people writing the Constitution

33.

36. How did people travel along the Oregon Trail?

a)

a. on horseback

b)

b. in covered wagons

c)

c. railroad

d)

d. steamship

34.

37. How did the gold rush affect the population of California?

a)

a. The population stayed the same.

b)

b. The population grew slowly.

c)

C. The population was reduced.

d)

d. The population grew rapidly.

35.

38. Many people went west to try to become rich by mining for gold, silver, and copper. Which of the following would have been true during this time?

a)

a. Most of the miners worked in large mining operations and were paid a salary.

b)

Most of the miners searched for metals with a partner.

c)

c. Most of the miners worked by themselves or in small groups, with few striking it rich.

d)

d. Most of the miners bought land from Native Americans to search for metals.

36.

39. Why was the south upset when Abraham Lincoln was elected President?

a)

a. They feared he would be assassinated.

b)

b. They feared he would take their plantations.

c)

c. They feared he would abolish slavery.

d)

d. They were not upset, they all loved Lincoln

37.

40. Why did the North and South have to have a Civil War to resolve their differences?

a)

a. They had too many differences to settle peacefully.

b)

b. They needed to determine which group would make the laws.

c)

c. They both wanted to end slavery

d)

d.Both a and b

38.

41. Who was President of the United States during the Civil War?

a)

a. Abraham Lincoln

b)

b.Ulysses S. Grant

c)

c. Robert E. Lee

d)

d. Jefferson Davis

39.

42. Who led the Confederate Army during the Civil War?

a)

a. Abraham Lincoln

b)

b. Ulysses S. Grant

c)

c. Robert E. Lee

d)

d. Jefferson Davis

40.

43. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson _____

a)

a. was a fierce and fearless fighter

b)

b. served as general under Robert E. Lee

c)

c. was accidently shot by his own soldiers

d)

d. earned his nickname at the Battle of Bull Run

e)

e. All of the above

41.

44. What effect did Sherman and his army have on the Civil War?

a)

a. They crippled the South by destroying supplies, food, and much of their infrastructure.

b)

b. They destroyed much of the South but spared Georgia.

c)

c. They crippled the North by destroying supplies, food, and much of their infrastructure.

d)

d. They destroyed much of the North but spared Ohio.

42.

45. Which Union military leader is credited with ending the Civil War?

a)

a. Ulysses S. Grant

b)

b. General Gordon Meade

c)

c. William T. Sherman

d)

d. Major Robert Anderson

43.

46. Two major events, led by General Sherman, destroyed the south’s ability to fight by leading Union troops through Georgia and destroying all supplies the Confederacy could use. What were these two events?

a)

a. Appomattox Court House and Fort Sumter

b)

b. The Atlanta Campaign and Sherman’s March to the Sea

c)

c. Destroying Union forts

d)

d. First Battle of Bull Run and Vicksburg

44.

47. People farming another man's land for a share of the profit is called _____

a)

a. tenant housing

b)

b. sharecropping

c)

c. renting

d)

d. rent to own

45.

48. Which amendment made slavery illegal?

a)

a. 13th

b)

b. 14th

c)

c. 15th

d)

d. 8th

46.

49. Why did some citizens of the United States want to annex Texas?

a)

a. freedom of religion

b)

b. to expand the cattle range

c)

c. to go to war with Mexico

d)

d. manifest destiny

47.

50. Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass were leaders of the ___ movement.

a)

a. Fight against slavery

b)

b. Fight for women's rights

c)

c. Fight for the Confederate Army

d)

d. Fight the Natives at Little Bighorn

48.

51. How did Harriet Tubman contribute to the Underground Railroad?

a)

a. She was the first person to travel on the Underground Railroad.

b)

b. She was the last person to travel on the Underground Railroad.

c)

c. She was a famous conductor on the Underground Railroad.

d)

d. She was the inventor of the Underground Railroad

49.

52. Which of the following individuals was a former slave who published a newspaper titled "The North Star?"

a)

a. Sojourner Truth

b)

b. Harriet Tubman

c)

c. Frederick Douglass

d)

d. Abraham Lincoln

50.

53. Which amendment gave ALL men the right to vote?

a)

a. 13th

b)

b. 14th

c)

c. 15th

d)

d. 8th

51.

54. Which amendment gave equal rights to ALL citizens?

a)

a. 13th

b)

b. 14th

c)

c. 15th

d)

d. 8th

52.

55. What was the Ku Klux Klan known for in the south?

a)

a. a secret organization

b)

b. a group of people known for threatening, beating and even killing African Americans to keep them from having equal rights

c)

c. A group of people known for attacking people who helped African Americans

d)

d. All of the above

e)

e. none of the above

53.

56. Why did railroads replace water routes as the preferred way to travel?

a)

a. Railroad were faster, cheaper, and more comfortable

b)

a. Railroad were faster, but not very comfortable

c)

c. Railroads were slower

d)

d. Railroads were faster, more expensive but more comfortable.

54.

57. Which of the following BEST describes life along the Oregon Trail?

a)

a. peaceful journey to a new life

b)

b. long and difficult journey

c)

c. very easy and full of adventure

55.

58. What affect did the Emancipation Proclamation have on the Civil War?

a)

a. it ended the Civil War

b)

b. it began the Civil War

c)

c. The Union Army enlisted freed slaves

d)

d. It proved more labor on southern plantations

56.

There is more than one correct answer... Choose the BEST answers that describe how people reached California during the gold rush?

a)

b. water routes

b)

d. on horseback

c)

c. land routes

57.

60. Abolitionists worked for which cause?

a)

a. women's rights

b)

b. men's rights

c)

c. to end slavery

d)

d. to end children working

58.

61. Which of the following is NOT a common way manufactured goods were transported to markets on the western front?

a)

a. by railroad

b)

b. by boat

c)

c. by road

d)

d. by horseback

59.

62. What were Fredrick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison and Sojourner Truth known for?

a)

a. fighting for men's rights

b)

b. fighting to end slavery

c)

c. fighting for free speech for women

d)

d. fighting to end the Revolutionary War

60.

63. Who was a former US Secretary of War, Senator from Mississippi, and served as President of the Confederate States of America?

a)

a. Abraham Lincoln

b)

b. Ulysses S Grant

c)

c. Jefferson Davis

d)

d. Robert E Lee

61.

64. In the first half of the 1800s, more land was added to the United States. Most of this land was in _________.

a)

a. Canada

b)

b. the West

c)

c. Alaska

d)

d. the Florida Keys

62.

65. What years was the Civil War fought?

a)

a. 1961-1965

b)

b. 1861-1865

c)

c. 1801-1805

d)

d. 1776

63.

There is more than one correct anwer for you to choose......Thousands of both Union and Confederate soldiers died in the Civil War, but which groups had to rebuild their homes and businesses and look for new ways to make a living?

a)

a. the Northerners

b)

b. the Southerners

c)

d. the Native Americans

64.

67.In the 1800s, people were moving west. Which two of these did they have to cross to get there?

a)

a. the Rocky Mountains

b)

b. the Mississippi River

c)

c. the Appalachian Mountains

65.

Lewis and Clark traveled west when President Jefferson made what purchase?

a)

a. the Louisiana Purchase

b)

b. the Cherokee Trail purchase

c)

c. the Oregon Trail purchase

d)

d. the Eric Canal purchase

66.

69. The time period following the Civil War was known as ____.

a)

a. Deconstruction

b)

b. Emancipation

c)

c. Reconstruction

d)

d. Revolution

67.

70. Abolitionist were people who were for:

a)

a. slavery

b)

b. abolishing slavery

c)

c. war

d)

d. King George's taxes