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US History STAAR Review

Total questions: 41

Worksheet time: 2hrs 3mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The newspaper headline describes an event that occurred in 1894. What was one effect of the event described in this headline?

a)

Increased support for gender equality in labor union membership

b)

Decreased support for socialism by labor union members

c)

Increased federal government involvement in labor union activities

d)

Decreased federal government surveillance of labor union leaders

2.

This list presents the work of a civil rights advocate. Selected accomplishments of Dolores Huerta:

1. Secured disability insurance for California farmworkers

2. Directed a national grape boycott to protest the dangers of pesticides for farmworkers

3. __________________?

Which accomplishment correctly completes this list?

a)

Organized armed resistance to protest police brutality against farmworkers

b)

Negotiated to secure better working conditions for farmworkers

c)

Filed a federal lawsuit to fight segregation against farmworkers in public facilities

d)

Seized corporate farmland to protest discrimination against farmworkers

3.

"China is so large, looms so high just beyond the frontiers, that if South Viet-Nam went, it would not only give them an improved geographic position for a guerrilla assault on Malaya, but would also give the impression that the wave of the future in southeast Asia was China and the Communists" - President John F. Kennedy Sept 9, 1963.

Which idea reflected in these remarks formed the basis for U.S. involvement in Vietnam?

a)

Nuclear deterrence

b)

Flexible response

c)

Domino Theory

d)

Iron Curtain

4.

Read the list and answer the question that follows.

1. Passage of the Clayton Antitrust Act

2. Ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment

3. Passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act

In which historical time period were these laws enacted?

a)

The Great Society

b)

The Progressive Era

c)

The Great Depression

d)

The Jazz Age

5.

Read the excerpt: "We have seen something here that overpowers the death of anyone back home. We have seen what can be called the living dead. Moving up into a new position we came across a prison camp...We went out to see what a concentration camp looked like...As we entered the camp the first thing we saw was the burned down buildings, but a little farther on we got the shock of our lives." - Aaron Eiferman, US military - April 27th 1945.

What action did the Allied powers take in response to what was described in this letter?

a)

Imposed economic sanctions on Germany

b)

Began a bombing campaign to destroy key military bases

c)

Charged Nazi officials with war crimes in the Nuremburg trials

d)

Permitted Nazi officials to leave the country

6.

"No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color." - Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, Aug 6, 1965

Which voting practice requirement was specifically targeted by this act?

a)

Providing proof of employment

b)

Proving property ownership

c)

Passing literacy tests

d)

Taking religious tests

7.

This photograph shows an example of--

a)

US citizens contributing to the war effort

b)

the effects of trade sanctions on enemy nations

c)

US citizens attempting to follow new dietary guidelines

d)

the effects of allowing farmland to go unused while farmers were at war

8.

Study the illustration and answer the question that follows.

Which event led to the action shown in this illustration?

a)

The revival of nativist policies

b)

the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment

c)

The Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson

d)

The rise of Social Darwinism

9.

This excerpt describes a work process established by Henry Ford. 'One man fits the parts together, so that the bolt holes come right. The next man fits the bolt holes into place. The next has a pan of nuts before him and all day he scoops them up with his fingers starts them on the thread of bolts. The next man has a wrench and he gives the final twist that makes them tight.' - John Fitch, 1914

Which results did Ford hope to achieve by implementing the process described in this excerpt?

a)

Increased productivity and effeciency

b)

Reduced numbers of employees quitting

c)

Increased labor union membership

d)

Reduced payroll taxes and employee benefits

10.

This excerpt describes some court cases about education. 'While Brown v. Board of Education is a widely known landmark Supreme Court case, few can trace its origins to the case of nine-year-old Sylvia Mendez in Mendez v. Westminster. Sylvia's case, which was decided in the federal courts in California, preceded Brown by about eight years. Thurgood Marshall represented Sylvia Mendez and Linda Brown. Marshall used some of the same arguments from Mendez to win Brown v. Board of Education'

Why are the court cases described in this excerpt important to education in the United States?

a)

The cases reduced racial segregation in schools

b)

The cases established the use of quotas in school admissions

c)

The cases ordered schools to provide accommodations for students with disablities

d)

The cases reduced inequities in school district financing

11.

How did the National Organization for Women (NOW) affect the feminist movement during the 1970's?

a)

By opposing the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion

b)

By opposing laws granting tax credits for stay-at-home mothers

c)

By supporting scholarship programs available through beauty pageants

d)

By supporting the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution

12.

Which cause united many college students, civil rights activists, and labor union members during the 1960's?

a)

Opposing US participation in the Vietnam War

b)

Expanding presidential use of executive privilege

c)

Protecting the world against climate change

d)

Using détente as a foreign policy in China

13.

President Woodrow Wilson's Reasons for Entering World War 1:

1. Assert American rights to "freedom of the seas"

2. Stop German plans to aid Mexico

3. _________________?

Which additional reason BEST completes the list?

a)

Increase trade with Asian nations

b)

Assist the Allied powers against German aggression

c)

Retaliate against Germany for imposing high tariffs

d)

Prevent fascism from spreading throughout Europe

14.

From the US policy in Lebanon: 'From 1981 onward, the Reagan administration feared that conflict between Lebanese factions backed by Syria and Israel, along with clashes between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), could escalate into an Arab-Israeli war. Yet American policymakers differed over how to prevent such a conflict, especially over whether to commit troops for that purpose. Following Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, the advocates of military intervention won out. But by 1984, terrorist attacks, a lack of diplomatic progress, and congressional opposition led President Ronald Reagan to withdraw US forces from Lebanon'

Based on this excerpt, why were US forces initially sent to Lebanon?

a)

To regain control of vital oil fields

b)

To provide military support to Syria

c)

To provide military assistance to Israel

d)

To help maintain peace between warring groups

15.

Which title correctly names this list?

1. Japan invades Korea and China

2. Germany invades Poland

3. Japan attacks Pearl Harbor

a)

Events That Encouraged the United States to Join NATO

b)

Events that Inspired US Nationalism during World War I

c)

Events that Contributed to US Rejection of the League of Nations

d)

Events that Led to US Involvement in World War II

16.

'There was never the least attention paid to what was cut up for sausage; there would come all the way back from Europe old sausage that had been rejected, and that was mouldy and white - it would be dosed with borax and glycerin, and dumpted into the hoppers, and make over again for home consumption.' - Upton Sinclair, The Jungle, 1906

What was the immediate response to the practices mentioned in this excerpt?

a)

Monopolies formed to control competition in the meat-processing industry

b)

Meat packers developed refrigerated railroad cars to ship meat nationwide

c)

Congress passed legislation to protect consumer health and safety

d)

Farmers demanded government regulation of livestock sales and distribution

17.

Which concern directly contributed to US involvement in the Korean War during the 1950's?

a)

Containing the spread of communism

b)

Improving political relations with China

c)

Deterring the use of nuclear weapons

d)

Resisting the rise of fascism in Asia

18.

This bar graph shows historical trends in the US work force. The trend illustrated in this graph led to a demand to pass laws --

a)

guaranteeing gender equality in the workplace

b)

limiting the use of merit-based exams in the workplace

c)

prohibiting union membership based on gender

d)

supporting federal employee fund-raising efforts

19.

How did Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech affect US politics?

a)

By increasing pressure on political leaders to form a new minority-based political party

b)

By persuading political leaders to introduce literary tests for voting

c)

By persuading political leaders to ratify an amendment that extends voting rights to women

d)

By increasing pressure on political leaders to pass federal civil rights legislation

20.

What was one goal of Ku Klux Klan marches held before elections in the early 1900's?

a)

To prevent the government from passing voter identification laws

b)

To warn people about the dangers of voter fraud

c)

To prevent racial minorities from participating in the political process

d)

To protest the use of literacy tests in the political process

21.

This photograph shows a 1934 painting by an artist with the Public Works of Art Project during the Great Depression.

What is the MOST LIKELY reason the Public Works of Art Project commissioned this painting?

a)

To promote optimism for US economic progress during the Great Depression

b)

To demand federal worker safety laws during the Great Depression

c)

To encourage competition for US technological superiority during the Great Depression

d)

To question the success of nationalizing industries during the Great Depression

22.

Which trend of the late 1800s correctly replaces the question make in this cause-and-effect diagram?

a)

The number of immigrants from Europe declined

b)

The government passed laissez-faire laws

c)

People moved from rural to urban areas

d)

Settlement houses lost federal funding

23.

What is a PRIMARY reason why Hurricane Katrina caused major destruction to New Orleans in 2005?

a)

Levees surrounding the city collapsed under pressure from floodwaters

b)

Crude oil from offshore drilling platforms sparked fires across the city

c)

Citywide pavement prevented floodwaters from soaking into the ground

d)

Mass evacuations left the city without enough volunteers to build a seawall

24.

Which trend of the late 1800s and early 1900s is BEST reflected in this photograph?

a)

The desire to gain new territories

b)

The emphasis on cultural assimilation

c)

The need for urban reform

d)

The rise of nativism

25.

Read the list and answer the question.

1. Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund

2. American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee

3. National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium

Which action is a goal of all these groups?

a)

Promoting nativist policies

b)

Protecting civil liberties

c)

Supporting segregation

d)

Organizing labor unions

26.

What was one result of immigration to the northeastern United States during the early twentieth century?

a)

Factories experienced labor shortages

b)

Cities became more densely populated

c)

Fewer people lived in settlement houses

d)

Fewer diseases spread among urban populations

27.

These photographs show protests at different times in US history. What was one result of the activism shown in these photographs?

a)

It reduced the ability of the courts to decide the constitutionality of suffrage

b)

It prompted lawmakers to reinstate poll taxes for voting

c)

It reduced the influence of special interest groups devoted to expanding suffrage

d)

It brought national attention to problems associated with voting

28.

How did the new program described in the poster affect the role of the federal government?

a)

It provided the federal government with a role in administering a retirement fund for workers

b)

It limited the federal government's power to enforce minimum wage requirements

c)

It provided the federal government with a role in managing workers' bank accounts

d)

It limited the federal government's power to assist workers in manufacturing plants

29.

'On May 17, 1954, US Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren delivered the unanimous ruled in the landmark civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas...There was considerable resistance to the Supreme Court's ruling...-Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

How did President Dwight D. Eisenhower respond to "considerable resistance" in Arkansas?

a)

By sending soldiers to Arkansas to enforce desegregation

b)

By closing schools in Arkansas until desegragation was achieved

c)

By declaring school segregation to be a decision for the state of Arkansas to make

d)

By firing public school teachers in Arkansas who supported segregation

30.

Which statement explains one effect of these two events?

a)

The reduced government regulation of the economy

b)

The led to an increase in the size of the executive branch

c)

They reduced public confidence in the federal government

d)

They led the president to increase the use of the veto power

31.

The diagram shows events associated with the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. How did the events in this cause-and-effect diagram affect the relationship between the executive and legislative branches of government?

a)

By reducing the ability of the House of Representatives to approve military funding requested by the president

b)

By giving the president the power to fight a war without getting a formal declaration from Congress

c)

By allowing Congress to supersede the president's role as commander in chief

d)

By reducing the power of the president to bypass the Senate's treaty-making powers

32.

How did the Great Depression affect American society?

a)

The price of agricultural goods decreased, causing an increase in demand for farm labor

b)

Manufacturing wages increased, causing businesses to concede to labor union demands

c)

Demand for luxury goods increased, causing overproduction in manufacturing

d)

Businesses were forced to close, causing widespread unemployment

33.

According to the excerpt, which goal was the focus of the Great Society?

a)

To increase taxation

b)

To privatize education

c)

To expand voting rights

d)

To fight social inequality

34.

This list describes selected features of the Homestead Act of 1862

1. Adult citizens were granted 160 acres of public land

2. People claiming the land were required to improve the land by building a home and farming the land

3. After 5 years on the land, the person claiming the land paid a registration fee and officially owned the land.

What was one effect of the act described in this list?

a)

The population of settlers in the American West increased

b)

The debt of the federal government increased

c)

The number of conflicts with American Indians decreased

d)

The demand for natural resources decreased

35.

The image supports which statement about US society during the early 1900s?

a)

New technologies made daily life easier for consumers

b)

Consumers resisted change in favor of traditional products

c)

Harmful economic cycles caused consumers to resist new technology

d)

The manufacture of new products encouraged consumers to stay home

36.

Which factor has MOST contributed to the improvement of cell phone technology?

a)

Competition between cell phone companies to gain new customers

b)

Government tariffs to reduce sales of imported cell phones

c)

Sales taxes on cell phone equipment to generate revenue

d)

Long-term contracts from cell phone service providers to reward customer loyalty

37.

Which action by the federal government was one cause of the Great Depression?

a)

Failing to decrease the reserve requirement

b)

Refusing to regulate the stock market

c)

Abolishing the use of the gold standard

d)

Eliminating tariffs on foreign trade

38.

What was one effect of this type of advertising during World War II?

a)

Women's colleges closed as wartime employment opportunities grew

b)

The number of women in nontraditional roles increased

c)

Women's organizations secured passage of the GI Bill for returning veterans

d)

Congress passed laws guaranteeing equal pay for equal work for women

39.

What was one effect of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) on the United States?

a)

Decreased employment opportunities for minorities and women

b)

Increased availability of foreign laborers in the United States

c)

Increased access to foreign markets for US businesses

d)

Decreased funding for the establishment of national parks.

40.

Which government action directly contributed to these changes?

a)

Passage of the Federal Reserve Act

b)

Passage of the National Security Act of 1947

c)

Passage of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944

d)

Passage of the Central Intelligence Agency Act

41.

this table shows the number of civilians employed by the US government each year from 1915 to 1918. Based on this table, how did World War 1 affect the US economy?

a)

It led to decreased spending in order to conserve resources during the war effort

b)

It led to decreased pressure on private companies to supply the war effort

c)

It increased the economic opportunities available for US citizens

d)

It increased the number of immigrants searching for US jobs