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8th Grade History STAAR Review -Mr. T's Class

Total questions: 57

Worksheet time: 31mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The attached timeline describes advancements in communication. Which claim is supported by these advancements?

a)

Developing new technologies REQUIRES replacement of existing innovations

b)

New innovations BUILD ON PREVIOUS technologies to improve life.

c)

New technologies are widely ACCEPTED by the public.

d)

Development of new technologies is rarely aided by the Government..

2.

The geographic factors in this table led primarily to the —

a)

founding of trade schools in some colonies

b)

development of different economies in the two regions

c)

establishment of import taxes in some colonies

d)

pattern of religious differences in the two regions

3.

How did southern states respond to the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment?

a)

By creating a segregated public education system

b)

By shutting down all remaining offices of Freedmen’s Bureau

c)

By imposing requirements designed to deny African Americans the right to vote

d)

By forcing African Americans to work as tenant farmers and sharecroppers

4.

Which outcome best completes this diagram? (a)  

Choose from the below words
Civil War
American Revolution
Popular Sovereignty
Manifest Destiny
5.

Which of the following best completes this excerpt?

"...The Declaration of Sentiments and its 11 resolutions demanded social and political equality for all women, including its most controversial claim, the right to..."

(a)  

Choose from the below words
vote
equal pay
own property
public education
6.

Which chart correctly identifies reasons for and against ratification of the proposed U.S. Constitution?

a)
b)
c)
d)
7.

Which of these describes the primary reason for French colonization?

a)

1

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4

8.

The economic growth demonstrated by this recruitment letter was primarily a result of —

a)

the passage of strict federal labor laws

b)

the abolition of the slave trade

c)

the expansion of the cottage industry system

d)

the new production methods of industrialization

9.

For what reason did a group of colonists agree to this compact?

a)

To declare independence from all European nations

b)

To form a social contract among themselves

c)

To demonstrate goodwill toward local American Indians

d)

To establish trade relations with other colonies

10.

Which phrase best represents the U.S. principle of republicanism?

a)

The creation of a Congress to carry out the will of the people

b)

The establishment of courts to interpret laws and government actions

c)

The division of power between a federal government and state governments

d)

The power of a court to declare a law unconstitutional

11.

This excerpt supports the conclusion that Jefferson disagreed with —

a)

the congressional power of impeachment

b)

the presidential power to veto bills

c)

the states’ power to amend the Constitution

d)

the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review

12.

How did the Supreme Court decision in Worcester v. Georgia affect American Indians?

a)

The ruling gave the state authority over relations with American Indians

b)

The state ignored the ruling and distributed Cherokee lands to white settlers.

c)

More American Indian tribes decided to grant licenses to missionaries to live on tribal lands.

d)

Reservation policies were overturned and replaced with land grants to individuals.

13.

Why did slavery become a widespread practice in the United States during the early nineteenth century?

a)

The system of indentured servitude was banned.

b)

The need for agricultural labor increased as a result of expanded cotton production

c)

Improved transportation systems made it easier for workers to migrate.

d)

Advancements in technology led to the need for skilled workers.

14.

Which leadership quality does President Lincoln best demonstrate in this address?

a)

Inspiration — He wants the Union to be a model of democracy for all nations.

b)

Compassion — He wants to help those who suffered during the Civil War.

c)

Persistence — He believes the Union must surrender in order to have peace.

d)

Confidence — He believes history would prove him correct to fight in the Civil War.

15.

Which statement best explains why this resolution was adopted?

a)

Colonists were upset by the punishment imposed after the Boston Tea Party

b)

Colonists created this in order to address the causes of the Boston Massacre.

c)

Colonists were opposed to colonial laws being created only by Parliament.

d)

Colonists wanted to expand powers given to governors appointed by King George III.

16.

According to the Northwest Ordinance, which condition did a U.S. territory have to meet in order to apply for statehood?

a)

Have a population of sixty thousand free settlers

b)

Hold a vote on whether to become a free or slave territory

c)

Establish one public school per district

d)

Have a territorial governor appointed by the president

17.

Which person is most likely a supporter of free enterprise?

a)

1

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4

18.

Which factor contributed to the founding of new religious groups in the United States?


*Hint: remember the 5 freedoms of the 1st Amendment.

a)

Freedoms listed in the Bill of Rights

b)

Expansion of individual voting rights

c)

Growth of abolitionist movements

d)

Beliefs expressed by Transcendentalists

19.

Which constitutional issue led to the Nullification Crisis of 1832?

a)

Do courts have the power to rule on the constitutionality of state laws?

b)

Does the president have the authority to use the military to enforce the law?

c)

Does the federal government have the authority to enact laws regarding slavery?

d)

Do states have the power to declare a federal law unconstitutional?

20.

Which grievance from the Declaration of Independence is addressed by the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?


*Hint: Remember your amendment hand signals.

a)

“He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly.”

b)

“For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury . . .”

c)

“He has obstructed the... Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.”

d)

“For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us . . .”

21.

What reason did President James K. Polk give when he asked Congress to declare war against Mexico?

a)

To stop Mexican attacks against U.S. territory

b)

To prevent human rights abuses in Mexico

c)

To preserve religious freedom within Texas

d)

To ensure slavery would continue in Texas

22.

Which region’s primary economic activity in 1861 was the cultivation of cotton?

a)

North

b)

South

c)

West

d)

East

23.

Which of these occurred as a result of the Fifteenth Amendment?

a)

African American families divided by slavery were reunited.

b)

Newly free men and women moved west to claim land.

c)

African American men voted in the 1872 presidential election.

d)

Newly free men and women were allowed to apply for U.S. citizenship.

24.

Who made this statement?

a)

Harriet Beecher Stowe

b)

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

c)

Harriet Tubman

d)

Phillis Wheatley

25.

During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, George Mason argued —

a)

against increased power for the national government

b)

for the dissolution of state governments

c)

against the passage of a bill of rights

d)

for the creation of a strong executive branch

26.

What was one result of the Treaty of Paris of 1783?

a)

Great Britain recognized the United States as an independent country.

b)

Competing Seminole and Spanish claims in West Florida were resolved.

c)

The British navy agreed to stop pressing American sailors into service.

d)

British territory in eastern Canada was ceded to France.

27.

How did the War of 1812 most affect the U.S. economy?

a)

Disruption in trade contributed to domestic industrial growth.

b)

Small farmers benefited from higher export prices for grain crops.

c)

The sale of treasury bonds to international companies was prohibited.

d)

New trade alliances resulted in increased foreign investment.

28.

How did this invention contribute to the expansion of the plantation system?

a)

By reducing the number of slaves needed for growing cotton

b)

By increasing the time needed to cultivate cotton

c)

By increasing the profitability of slavery

d)

By reducing the demand for raw cotton

29.

Which of these correctly describes an effect of the Compromise of 1850 on escaped slaves and freedmen?

a)

Members of both groups were captured under the Fugitive Slave Law.

b)

Unlike freedmen, escaped slaves were welcome in the gold mines of California.

c)

Members of both groups could be sold in Washington, D.C., slave markets.

d)

Unlike escaped slaves, freedmen could vote in the territories of the Mexican Cession.

30.

Which statement explains the significance of this colonial institution?

a)

The assembly served as a model for other colonial legislatures.

b)

Colonists used the assembly to overrule decisions of the royal governor.

c)

The assembly sent delegates to Parliament to represent Virginia.

d)

The king revoked Virginia’s charter because the assembly became too powerful.

31.

Which colony correctly completes this diagram?

a)

Maryland

b)

Virginia

c)

South Carolina

d)

Georgia

32.

This information was included in a slide-show presentation to a high school history class.

a)

The Mayflower Compact

b)

The Articles of Confederation

c)

The Virginia Declaration of Rights

d)

The Declaration of Independence

33.

After the Civil War, southern states adopted Black Codes to —

a)

punish plantation owners for the use of slavery

b)

support Radical Reconstruction objectives in the South

c)

promote the activities of the Freedmen’s Bureau

d)

limit the impact of the Thirteenth Amendment

34.

Which amendment provides for the protections described in this list?

a)

First Amendment

b)

Fourth Amendment

c)

Fifth Amendment

d)

Tenth Amendment

35.

Which of the following was a major reason for the flow of the transatlantic slave trade shown on the map?

a)

The economic demands of the plantation system

b)

The construction needs of the railroad

c)

Increased textile manufacturing

d)

Increased western migration

36.

Which physical characteristics made these economic activities possible?

a)

Tall mountains, a long shoreline, and fertile soil

b)

A temperate climate, vast grasslands, and plentiful lakes

c)

Dense forests, natural harbors, and swift rivers

d)

Natural harbors, an arid climate, and rocky soil

37.

This list describes the nineteenth-century experiences of immigrants from —

a)

Italy

b)

China

c)

Germany

d)

Japan

38.

The Hudson River School artists were influenced by the —

a)

success of social reform movements in the United States

b)

migration of settlers to the U.S. frontier

c)

natural landscape of the United States

d)

environmental effects of U.S. industrialization

39.

What was a major result of the Missouri Compromise?

a)

It increased the number of immigrants settling in northern states.

b)

It provided financing for canal construction.

c)

It rapidly expanded railroad construction in southern states.

d)

It temporarily relieved sectional tensions.

40.

Which phrase completes this excerpt?

a)

colonial Settlements

b)

protective Tariffs

c)

permanent Alliances

d)

territorial Disputes

41.

In Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court established a principle that would eventually be used by all courts to —

a)

strike down any law that the court deems unconstitutional

b)

decide the outcome of contested election results

c)

overturn any impeachment that the court deems unsupported by evidence

d)

mediate disputes related to commerce between states

42.

Which action completes this diagram?

a)

eliminate protective tariffs

b)

oversee state government agencies

c)

regulate the creation of new businesses

d)

establish a national bank

43.

Which statement best describes the influence of this document?

a)

It helped establish the tradition of self-government.

b)

It was the first attempt to combine political and religious laws

c)

It established the concept of unalienable rights.

d)

It outlined a plan for independence from British rule.

44.

Which of these was a goal shared by many advocates of Manifest Destiny?

a)

Abolishing slavery throughout the United States

b)

Occupying all of North America

c)

Withdrawing from foreign affairs

d)

Returning to an agrarian economy

45.

How did mercantilist policies create tension between Great Britain and the colonies?

a)

By introducing indentured servitude to the middle colonies

b)

By requiring colonists to enlist in the military

c)

H By limiting the amount of farmland each colonist could have

d)

By preventing colonists from trading with most other foreign countries

46.

Which factor encouraged more immigrants to settle in northern states than southern states during the mid-nineteenth century?

a)

Northern states had lower population densities.

b)

Citizenship requirements in southern states were not as strict

c)

Southern states had smaller industrial sectors.

d)

Governments in northern states were less corrupt.

47.

The completion of the Erie Canal played a key role in which development?

a)

New York City becoming a vital commercial center with the country’s busiest seaport

b)

New Orleans becoming a leader in manufacturing and overseas trade

c)

Washington, D.C., becoming the cultural and political center of the nation

d)

Boston becoming one of the country’s largest transportation hubs

48.

The Whiskey Rebellion challenged the idea that —

a)

the federal government had the power to pass and enforce tax laws

b)

a national military was needed for dealing with foreign threats

c)

the federal government could raise tariffs to protect industries

d)

national court system was needed for resolving disputes between states

49.

Why did the Siege of Vicksburg affect the balance of power during the Civil War?

a)

Several important Confederate generals were killed.

b)

Union troops were pushed back across the Ohio River.

c)

The Confederate territory was divided in half.

d)

Severe casualties were inflicted on Union forces.

50.

Which argument would a Federalist make to support ratification of the Constitution?

a)

The Constitution will enable states to nullify laws that are harmful to citizens.

b)

A strong federal government will be more stable than a loose confederation of states.

c)

The Constitution will allow states to establish banks to stabilize the national economy.

d)

A republican system of government will better represent large states.

51.

Which Principle of Government deals with the sharing of power between the State and National Governments?

a)

checks and balances

b)

federalism

c)

separation of powers

d)

individual rights

52.

Which Principle of Government deals with the separation of powers of the federal government into 3 branches; the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial?

a)

federalism

b)

checks and balances

c)

individual rights

d)

separation of powers

53.

Which Principle of Government gives each separate branch of government the ability to "check" (limit or restrict) the power of the other branches?

a)

separation of powers

b)

checks and balances

c)

federalism

d)

republicanism

54.

Which principle of government allows the people to control their government through the election of Representatives?

a)

federalism

b)

individual rights

c)

separation of powers

d)

republicanism

55.

Which principle of government guarantees citizens rights? Example: the Bill of Rights.

a)

individual rights

b)

republicanism

c)

federalism

d)

limited government

56.

Which principle of government emphasizes the fact that the president of the United States is NOT above the law?

a)

individual rights

b)

limited government

c)

republicanism

d)

federalism

57.

Which principle of government states that the people are the source government authority.

a)

individual rights

b)

republicanism

c)

popular sovereignty

d)

checks and balances