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8th Grade STAAR Review

Total questions: 97

Worksheet time: 1hrs 27mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

In forming a new government, which group of politicians felt that the federal gov't was too strong and the states should have more power? They wouldn't ratify the U.S. Constitution without a Bill of Rights.

a)

Whigs

b)

Anti-federalists

c)

Democrats

d)

Federalists

2.

Which Amendment protects rights to own guns?

a)

4th Amendment

b)

2nd Amendment

c)

9th Amendment

d)

5th Amendment

3.

Signed by many Pilgrims when they landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620, this helped establish the idea of "Self-Government"

a)

Magna Carta

b)

English Bill of Rights

c)

Mayflower Compact

d)

Virginia House of Burgesses

4.

These colonies were settled by the Pilgrims in 1620 and Puritans in 1630 to escape religious persecution in England

a)

Middle Colonies

b)

New England

c)

Southern Colonies

d)

Canada

5.

The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution affected the lives of millions of African Americans by —

a)

providing them with voting rights

b)

guaranteeing their freedom of speech

c)

providing them with access to the court system

d)

guaranteeing their permanent freedom from slavery

6.

The innovation shown in this photograph (invented by Robert Fulton) most affected the U.S. economy by

a)

decreasing the need for canals

b)

allowing more efficient movement of goods

c)

reducing the costs of settling in western territories

d)

transporting workers from southern states to northern states

7.

The Second Great Awakening was a movement that promoted ....

a)

spiritual and religious revival and the need for social reform

b)

the use of reason and scientific theory

c)

states’ rights and governmental reform

d)

mercantilism and the development of global trade

8.

As head of the Executive Branch, what responsibility or title does the president of the U.S. hold while in charge of the military?

a)

Chief of State

b)

Commander in Chief

c)

Chief of Party

d)

Chief of Armed Forces

9.
Famous US Navy commander; won important naval victories like the Bonhomme Richards victory over the Serapis
a)
George Washington 
b)
Patrick Henry
c)
Bernardo de Galvez
d)
John Paul Jones
10.

Which territorial gain that was bought from France in 1803, gave the United States control of the Mississippi River, and was very important in transporting goods?

a)

Texas Annexation

b)

Mexican Cession

c)

Gadsen Purchase

d)

Louisiana Purchase

11.

This harsh and painful event during the Revolutionary War gave the colonial army (led by George Washington) confidence, training and skills to eventually defeat the British Army?

a)

Winter at Valley Forge

b)

Trail of Tears

c)

Battle of Lexington / Concorde

12.

What was the journey enslaved Africans made from Africa to North America called?

a)

Triangular Trade

b)

Middle Passage

c)

Underground Railroad

d)

African Journey

13.

The New England colony's economy was based on _________________________.

a)

farming grains

b)

plantations

c)

Shipbuilding, fishing and whaling, and trade

d)

gold mining

14.
Which of the following correctly describes the Three-Fifths Compromise?
a)
A portion of the slave population was counted for legislative representation
b)
A federal law enforcing the return of fugitive slaves was passed
c)
The census bureau was established to help apportion representation
d)
The election of senators was delegated to state legislatures
15.
How did geography influence the early economic development of New York, Boston, and Charleston?
a)

Long coastlines offered abundant natural resources

b)

proximity to flooding rivers limited development

c)

natural harbors and port cities provided access to markets

d)

extreme climates limited productive activity

16.
Which of these occurred during early U.S. industrialization?
a)
manufacturers instituted a 5 day work week
b)
labor laws required factories to provide a safe working environment
c)
workers were required to attend schools to develop technical skills
d)
production of goods transitioned from homes to factories
17.
What was one reason James K. Polk won the presidential election of 1844?
a)
He was against removing American Indians from their native lands
b)
He favored the policy of popular sovereignty in the Kansas and Nebraska territories
c)
He was committed to fulfilling the goals of Manifest Destiny
d)
He opposed the extension of slavery west of the Mississippi River
18.
In the 1840s, thousands of Irish immigrants came to the United States seeking to escape —
a)
a civil war between Protestants and Catholics
b)
a famine caused by the failure of a staple food crop
c)
a series of violent conflicts between the British and Irish governments
d)
a series of smallpox epidemics
19.

Cheap labor was provided by these workers in U.S. factories and in building the transcontinental railroad here in America.

a)

Native Americans

b)

foreign immigrants

c)

indentured servants

d)

slaves

20.

Major towns and cities were established along these waterways as the United States expanded westward during Manifest Destiny.

a)

The Appalachian Mountains

b)

oceans

c)

rivers and canals

d)

transcontinental railroad

21.

Why were the 1st and 2nd Continental Congress' held?

a)

To vote for the first president

b)

To decide when to go to war with Great Britain

c)

To discuss a solution to the colonists’ complaints/grievances of Great Britain's King George III

d)

To write the Constitution

22.

The Great Compromise combined the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan (a bicameral legislation), created what type of legislative setup in Congress?

a)

two houses were created, both with representation based on population

b)

Representation in Congress was equal

c)

Representation in Congress was based upon population

d)

two houses were created, one with equal representation per state and the other with representation based on state population

23.

These are rights that cannot be taken from the people. John Locke stated that people are born with the rights for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

a)

Unalienable Rights

b)

Popular Sovereignty

c)

Social Contract

d)

Natural Rights

24.

What was stated in the Proclamation of 1763?

a)

Colonists were BANNED from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

b)

The Proclamation ended the French and Indian War.

c)

Colonists were ENCOURAGED to begin settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

d)

The Proclamation proclaimed independence for the American colonists.

25.

Under the Northwest Ordinance (as the country expanded westward and new states were made), this practice was not allowed in the new states.

a)

immigration labor

b)

slavery

c)

child labor in factories

d)

public school systems

26.

One warning President George Washington gave in his Farewell Address is

a)

never change the Constitution

b)

create stable political parties

c)

take on reasonable amounts of debt, and only for war

d)

do not make permanent alliances with foreign countries (remain neutral)

27.

How did Alexander Hamilton's Financial Plan include a provision to help the United States get out of debt?

a)

he passed the Embargo Act

b)

allow Britain to build factories in the North

c)

created a national bank

d)

have states pay their debts over the course of ten years

28.
The Louisiana Purchase
a)
paid all of debts from the French and Indian War and the American Revolution
b)
cancelled the XYZ Affair and Alien and Sedition Acts
c)
helped Thomas Jefferson get elected, and caused Hamilton to get into a duel with Burr
d)
doubled the size of the United States and gave the government control of the Mississippi River
29.
The plan that outlined how states would be added to the new nation was the
a)
Louisiana Purchase
b)
Monroe Doctrine
c)
Northwest Ordinance
d)
Federal Judiciary Act of 1789
30.
The precedent that federal courts would determine whether or not a law is constitutional was decided by
a)
Adams v. Jefferson
b)
The Judicial Act of 1789
c)
The Monroe Doctrine
d)
Marbury v. Madison
31.

The MAIN reason political parties formed in the United States was a difference between the federalist and anti-federalist questioning ...

a)

how slavery was becoming an issue in the southern states

b)

how much power should rest with the federal government

c)

if the Northwest Ordinance unfairly divided the Northwest Territory

d)

who our first president should be

32.
"The American continents must never again by colonized by Europeans" is the main idea of 
a)
Marbury v. Madison
b)
The Monroe Doctrine
c)
The Era of Good Feelings
d)
Washington's Farewell Address
33.

Guarantees the freedom of speech, religion, press (printed articles) and to peacefully assemble.

a)

1st Amendment

b)

3rd Amendment

c)

5th Amendment

d)

7th Amendment

34.

Forbids excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishments

a)

2nd Amendment

b)

4th Amendment

c)

6th Amendment

d)

8th Amendment

35.

Where did Mormons migrate to in order to escape religious persecution for their religious beliefs?

a)

Colorado

b)

California

c)

Utah

d)

Wyoming

36.
In the 1840s, Seneca Falls, New York, became the scene of an important convention for -
a)
women's rights
b)
labor union organization
c)
temperance reform
d)
prison reforms
37.

Who was Horace Mann?

a)

leader of abolitionism

b)

leader of the temperance movement

c)

leader of the evil empire

d)

Leader of the education reform movement

38.

What was the temperance movement?

a)

A Reform movement that wanted to ban the sale and consumption (drinking) of alcohol

b)

Reform movement that fought for women's equal rights

c)

Reform movement that improved care for the disabled

d)

Reform movement that improved care of prisoners

39.

What was the abolition movement?

a)

A movement to abolish sales and consumption (drinking) of alcoholic beverages

b)

A reform movement to end slavery

c)

A reform movement to improve education

d)

Immigrants who came to America to build the railroad

40.
The Quakers were____
a)

the religious group that wrote the Mayflower Compact

b)

Religious group that believed in equality & the end of slavery. 

c)

A religious group that created Quaker's Outmeal & believes the internet is inherently evil. 

d)

A religious group that settled in Utah

41.

Dorothea Dix:

a)

was a leader of the prison reform movement and improved care for the mentally disabled.

b)

helped in education reform.

c)

was an abolitionist

d)

was a student at the Hudson River School of Art

42.

A certain small town has many choices for people who want to attend religious services, including two churches, a synagogue, a cathedral, a mosque, and a temple. These choices are protected by the —

a)

1st Amendment

b)

3rd Amendment

c)

Sixth Amendment

d)

4th Amendment

43.
Where were the first shots of the American Revolution fired? "Shot heard 'round the world?"
a)
Yorktown
b)
Gettysburg
c)
Saratoga
d)
Lexington and Concord
44.
What battle was the turning point in the American Revolution? It convinced the French to join us.
a)
Yorktown
b)
Saratoga
c)
Lexington
d)
Antietam
45.
What was the battle in the Civil War that gave the Union control of the Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy in half?
a)
Antietam
b)
Gettysburg
c)
Vicksburg
d)
Yorktown
46.
What is the type of economy called in which the colony exists to make money for the mother country?
a)
Free Enterprise
b)
Mercantilism
c)
Socialism
d)
None
47.
What was someone called who wanted to end slavery in the United States?
a)
Abolitionist
b)
Anti-Slaver
c)
Suffragette
d)
Southerner
48.
________________ is a principle of the constitution in which the three branches have power to balance each other out so no branch gets too powerful.
a)
Separation of Powers
b)
Checks and Balances
c)
Republicanism
d)
Limited Government
49.
_______________- means sharing power between the federal and state governments.
a)
Republicanism
b)
Limited Government
c)
Shared Powers
d)
Federalism
50.
A practice of letting the people make the final decisions in the country through voting, freedom of speech, the right to peacefully protest, etc.
a)
Separation of Powers
b)
Republicanism
c)
Popular Sovereignty
d)
Foreign decisions
51.
Which invention by Robert Fulton helped transport goods more quickly?
a)
Railroad
b)
Steamboat
c)
Mechanical Reaper
d)
Cotton Gin
52.
____________ was established in Marbury vs. Madison and is the right of the Supreme Court to determine if laws are unconstitutional.
a)
Judicial Overlooking
b)
Congressional Authority
c)
Judicial Review
d)
Due Process
53.
_____________ were supporters of the Constitution who favored a strong national government.
a)
Anti-Federalists
b)
Federalists
c)
Monarchists
d)
Loyalists
54.
The era in which a change from household industries to factory production using powered machinery took place.
a)
American Revolution
b)
Industrial Revolution
c)
Technological Innovations
d)
Boom and Bust
55.

___________ was a document written by Thomas Jefferson, declaring the colonies free from Britain and setting out grievances against the King.

a)

Magna Carta

b)

Constitution

c)

Mayflower Compact

d)

Declaration of Independence

56.
___________ was the first American constitution.  It was a very weak document that limited the power of the Congress by giving states the final authority over all decisions.
a)
Magna Carta
b)
Mayflower Compact
c)
Articles of Confederation
d)
Constitution
57.

Written in 1787, the ______________ is a document that sets out the laws and principles of the government of the United States.

a)

Magna Carta

b)

Constitution

c)

Articles of Confederation

d)

English Bill of Rights

58.
__________ treaty ended the French and Indian War and effectively kicked the French out of North America.
a)
Treaty of Ghent
b)
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
c)
Treaty of Paris 1763
d)
Treaty of Paris 1783
59.

The _____________ Treaty ended the American Revolution and forced Britain to recognize the United States as an independent nation.

a)

Treaty of Ghent

b)

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

c)

Treaty of Paris 1763

d)

Treaty of Paris 1783

60.
______________ was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine to convince colonists that it was time to become independent from Britain.
a)
Federalist Papers
b)
Anti-Federalist Writing
c)
Give me Liberty or Give me Death
d)
Common Sense
61.

______________ the first ten amendments to the Constitution and detail the protection of individual rights.

a)

Fixer Uppers

b)

Federalist Papers

c)

Bill of Rights

d)

Reconstruction Amendments

62.
The Compromise of 1850 kept the north happy by admitting California as a free state. What law did it create to make the south happy?
a)
Missouri Law
b)
Cotton Law
c)
Great Compromise
d)
Fugitive Slave Law
63.
Wrote the Declaration of Independence; became the 3rd President of the United States and purchased the Louisiana territory, doubling the size of the United States.
a)
James Madison
b)
Alexander Hamilton
c)
George Washington
d)
Thomas Jefferson
64.
Leader of the Continental Army who became the first President of the United States.
a)
Thomas Paine
b)
Thomas Jefferson
c)
John Adams
d)
George Washington
65.

Leader of the original Democratic Party and a “President of the people”. He represented the "Common Man".  He was also responsible for the Trail of Tears, which forced Native Americans west of the Mississippi River.

a)

Sam Adams

b)

James Monroe

c)

Andrew Jackson

d)

George Mason

66.

President George Washington's "Treasurer of the United States" and creator of the National Bank of the U.S. (in order to get the nation out of debt from the Revolutionary War).

a)

Thomas Jefferson

b)

James Madison

c)

Alexander Hamilton

d)

Andrew Jackson

67.
Passionate patriot who became famous for his fiery speeches in favor of American independence.  His most famous quote included the words, “Give me liberty or give me death!”
a)
Henry Clay
b)
Thomas Paine
c)
Sam Adams
d)
Patrick Henry
68.
Considered to be the “Father of the Constitution." He was President during the War of 1812.
a)
John Jay
b)
James Madison
c)
Thomas Jefferson
d)
James Monroe
69.
Former slave who became the best-known black abolitionist in the country.
a)
Frederick Douglass
b)
Martin Luther King Jr.
c)
Harriet Beecher Stowe
d)
William Lloyd Garrison
70.
An escaped slave who became a Conductor on the Underground Railroad and helped over 300 slaves to freedom in the North.
a)
Frederick Douglass
b)
Harriet Beechers Stowe
c)
Harriet Tubman
d)
William Lloyd Garrison
71.
Organized the Seneca Falls Convention creating the Women’s Rights Movement in the United States.
a)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
b)
Monica Jarrell
c)
Mercy Otis Warren
d)
Abigail Adams
72.
Was the Supreme Court decision that said slaves were property and not citizens.
a)
Marbury vs. Madison
b)
Worcester vs. Georgia
c)
Dred Scott Case
d)
McCullough vs. Maryland
73.

Supreme Court decision that gave the Cherokees the right to keep their land, but Jackson ignored the decision and refused to enforce it.

a)

Marbury vs. Madison

b)

Dredd Scott Case

c)

Worcester vs. Georgia

d)

None

74.
An invention by Eli Whitney that speeded the cleaning of cotton fibers and in effect, increased the need for slaves.
a)
Steamboat
b)
Mechanical Reaper
c)
Steel Plow
d)
Cotton Gin
75.

Who invented the telegraph in 1840 (which made communication over long distances much faster)?

a)

Eli Whitney

b)

John Deer

c)

Samuel Morse

d)

Robert Fulton

76.
Who wrote the "Star Spangled Banner"?
a)
Francis Scott Key
b)
Francis Scott Note
c)
Francis Baltimore
d)
Francis Scott Pitch
77.

Which of the following best completes the diagram above?

a)

Boston Tea Party

b)

War of 1812

c)

American Revolution

d)

Civil War

78.
The main reason for the war of 1812 was
a)
westward expansion
b)
French fur trade
c)
British search and seizure of American ships
79.
The Embargo Act of 1807
a)

banned all U.S. trade with Great Britain and France

b)

increased the amount of exports to France

c)

placed a heavy tax on all imported goods

d)

led to war with England

80.

What did Eli Whitney invent that made mass production possible?

a)

Interchangeable Parts

b)

Cotton Gin

c)

Mechanical Reaper

d)

Telegraph

81.
What would make the best title for this image?
a)
Monroe Doctrine
b)
The Industrial Revolution
c)
Attack of the 50 foot Woman
d)
Manifest Destiny
82.
Oregon became part of the United States as a result of:
a)

the Mexican War

b)

a purchase from France

c)

the Texan War for Independence

d)

a treaty with Britain

83.

This law required the return of runaway slaves even in free states and affected free African-Americans as well.

a)

Runaway and Return Act

b)

Underground Railroad Act

c)

Fugitive Slave Act

d)

Southern Slave Act

84.

This novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe brought awareness to slavery and helped increase abolition.

a)

The Underground Railroad

b)

The Scarlet Letter

c)

Uncle Tom's Cabin

d)

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

85.

What does Sectionalism mean?

a)

A loyalty to a belief in one's section/region of the U.S.

b)

A loyalty to a belief in one's house.

c)

An opposition to a belief in one's section/region of the U.S.

d)

A disagreement to a living in one's section/region of the U.S.

86.

What does the Reconstruction Era consist of?

a)

rebuild the North and readmit the Union states back into the South

b)

rebuild the West and readmit the Confederate states back into the Union

c)

rebuild the West and readmit the Union states back into the Confederacy

d)

rebuild the South and readmit the Confederate states back into the Union

87.
The Civil War began when
a)

Lincoln was elected president.

b)

the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor

c)

South Carolina seceded from the Union.

d)

Union troops attacked Confederate troops at Bull Run in Virginia.

88.

Which 2 battles of the Civil War took place in Union territory?

a)

Battles of Bull Run and Petersburg

b)

Battles of Vicksburg and Chancellorsville

c)

Battles of Saratoga and Yorktown

d)

Battles of Antietam and Gettysburg

89.

American statesman and politician who served as President of the Confederate States of America for its entire history from 1861 to 1865

a)

James K. Polk

b)

Jefferson Davis

c)

Abraham Lincoln

d)

Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson

90.

Who was the Confederate general that surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in 1865 ending the Civil War?

a)

Stonewall Jackson

b)

Robert E. Lee

c)

Winfield Scott

d)

Abraham Lincoln

91.

This Freedmen's Bureau was created after the Civil War to...

a)

establish churches to provide aid in the Southern states.

b)

reunify the former Confederate States and to craft a plan to readmit them to the Union.

c)

establish schools and provide job training to former slaves in the South.

d)

abolish former Confederate governments and to punish former Confederate leaders.

92.

Who was the First African American to become a Senator from Mississippi?

a)

Harriet Tubman

b)

Hiram Rhodes Revels

c)

William Carney

d)

Phillip Bazaar

93.

During the Civil War: factories, larger population, access to the telegraph, and a better navy

a)

Southern advantages

b)

Northern advantages

c)

Reasons for  Southern victory

d)

Cause of the battle of Gettysburg

94.

What was the purpose of the Black Codes after the Civil War?

a)

To provide services for newly freed African Americans

b)

To help African Americans exercise their rights

c)

To limit the rights of African Americans

d)

To help white farmers exercise their rights

95.

Which of the following was one of the effects of the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

a)

Kansas and Nebraska were united into one territory

b)

Residents could vote on the issue of slavery

c)

Banned slavery in both Kansas and Nebraska

d)

Allowed slavery in both Kansas and Nebraska

96.
The Hudson River School artists created paintings that reflected national pride and an appreciation for 
a)
Buildings 
b)
Politicians
c)
War
d)
Nature
97.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
*Popular essayist and author
*Promoted individualism and self-reliance
*Works included "Nature" and "The American Scholar"
Which movement did Emerson lead?
a)
Temperance
b)
Abolition 
c)
Second Great Awakening
d)
Transcendentalism

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