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WorksheetsQuestion Bank for Grade 8 Social Studies
Total questions: 122
Worksheet time: 2hrs 48mins
Which event had the effect of vastly increasing US territory?
The signing of the Declaration of Indpendence
The end of the War of 1812
The signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo.
The ratfiication of the US Constitution
Which is not a duty of Congress?
approve supreme court nominees
review laws and decide on their constitutionality
levy taxes
approve treaties with other nations.
Which pull factor led to large scale Chinese immigration to the US?
The War of 1812
The signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
The California gold rush
The bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941
Check all the freedoms guaranteed under the First Amendment:
speech
religion
bear arms
trial by jury
petition the government
Posting (a) gets you temporarily out of jail.
After Congress has passed a bill (a proposed law) the president can either sign or (a) the law.
Which war propelled women into the traditionally male workforce?
The Civil War
The War of 1812
The American Revolution
World War II
Which branch of government is comprised of the Supreme Court ?
(a)
How do immigrants assimilate into American society? Be specific and give examples. Answers should be 1-2 complete sentences.
Check all the nations who have directly influenced American government:
Ancient Greece
China
The UK/Great Britain
Switzerland
Check all the rights that are specified in the 5th Amendment:
Not being tried twice for the same crime
having the opportunity to post bail
The right to petition the government
The right to vote
Not being compelled to testify against yourself
The ______ _______ Act signed by president Andrew Jackson forced Native American tribes such as the Cherokee to move to Oklahoma.
(a)
The best definition for the word ¨suffrage" is......
The right to work in any profession
The experience of suffering from gender discrimination.
The right to vote
The experience of suffering from a head cold
According to most anthropologists , the ancestors of Native Americans migrated from Asia in the last ice age. This is known as.....
The Continental Drift Theory
The Bering Strait Migration Theory
The Asian Origin Theory
The Pangaea Hypothesis
Check all the causes of the US Civil War:
The legality of slavery
tariffs
Language differences
States rights
Religious divisions
Which fraction of Congressional vote is required to override a presidential veto?
1/3
2/3
1/4
3/4
The Axis powers during World War II consisted of ......
China
Germany
Italy
Greece
Japan
Check all the Constitutional requirements to run for president of the United States:
Earn a high school diploma
Speak English proficiently.
Be at least 35 years old
Have residency in the US for 14 years prior to running
Be a US citizen at birth
Who was most directly responsible for free public education being guaranteed for all children?
Horace Mann
Upton Sinclair
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Frederick Douglass
Which Black scientist developed the process for storing blood?
Mae Jemison
George Washington Carver
Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Dr. Charles Drew
Which is the best definition of the word "segregation," as it relates to social studies?"
Mixing people based on race, religion, gender or other factors
Giving equal rights to all people regardless of race
separating people based on race, religion, gender or other factors
Sending people to internment camps because they are of a different race
Check all the products that might have tariffs imposed here in the United States:
cars made in Brazil
Steel produced in Poland
shoes made in California
coffee from Colombia
What was the primary cause of the War of 1812?
The legality of slavery in Southern States
The kidnapping and forced labor of American sailors by the British navy
The bombing of Pearl Harbor
The desire to gain territory from Mexico
Which of the following is the best definition of the word "assimilation?" as it relates to Social Studies?
Adapting to the larger culture of a nation
Digesting the nutrients found in food
Changing the larger culture of a society
The seizing of territory from another country
The idea of"separation of church and state" is based largely on the......
First Amendment
Fourth Amendment
Fifth Amendment
19th Amendment
In 1803, Chief Justice John Marshall issued the court's decision in case of Marbury v. Madison, this ruling established the principle of--
checks and balances
federalism
judicial review
republicanism
Which of the following quotes best explains the Supreme Court's power of judicial review that was established in the case of Marbury v. Madison?
The court has the power to determine the constitutionality of laws enacted by Congress
Judges are allowed to serve a term of office that will last as long as they remain in good behavior
Each branch of government created by the Constitution endowed with their own specific powers
The Representatives and Senators that make up Congress are given their power by the people who elected them
-1830 Congress passes the Indian Removal Act to allow settlers to take over Native American Lands
-In the Supreme Court case of Worchester v. Georgia the court struck down the Removal Act and said the Indians had a right to their lands.
-President Andrew Jackson disagreed and sent thousands of troops to forcibly remove the Native Americans to lands west of the Mississippi River.
President Jackson ignored the Supreme Court ruling and --
his actions led to the War of 1812
caused the Economic Panic of 1837
neglected to follow the principle of Judicial Review
voted to renew the charter of the National Bank
In 1803 the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall, gave the Court's decision in the case of ___________. In his ruling Marshall stated that the Court's true power was to judge the constitutionality of laws created by Congress, this eventually become known as Judicial Review.
Which of the following best completes the sentence above?
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Gibbons v. Ogden
Marbury v. Madison
McCulloch v. Maryland
"If two laws conflict with each other, the Courts must decide on the operation of each...So, if a law be in opposition to the Constitution, if both the law and the Constitution apply to a particular case, so that the Court must either decide that case conformably to the law, disregarding the Court must determine which of these conflicting rules governs the case."
-John Marshall, Chief Justice U.S. Supreme Court
The excerpt above is taken from which of the following landmark Supreme Court cases?
Worchester v. Georgia
Gibbons v. Ogden
Marbury v. Madison
Dred Scott v. Sandford
In the landmark Supreme Court decision in the case of Gibbons v. Ogden, Chief Justice John Marshall issued the Court's ruling that --
only Congress had the ability to regulate interstate commerce
African Americans were not considered citizens and had no rights
the federal government could not force the Cherokee off their land
increased the power of the states over the national government
"This opinion does not deprive the states of any resources which they originally possessed. It does not extend to a tax paid by the real property of the bank...But this is a tax on the operations of the bank, and is consequently a tax on the operation of an instrument employed by the government of the Union to carry its powers into execution. Such a tax must be unconstitutional."
-John Marshall, Chief Justice U.S. Supreme Court
Marshall's opinion above was concerning the case of
Gibbons v. Ogden
Marbury v. Madison
McCulloch v. Maryland
Worchester v. Georgia
In the landmark Supreme Court decision in the case of McCulloch v. Maryland, Chief Justice John Marshall issued the Court's ruling that --
state governments had the authority to place taxes on all money coined by banks not established in that state
Congress had certain implied powers to carry out the express powers listed in the Constitution
all slaves being held in states that were in rebellion against the United States were considered free peoples.
in cases involving the tenth amendment the states would hold supremacy over the Congress
The act of a State inhibiting the use of waters or ports to any vessel having a license under the act of Congress, comes, we think, in direct collision" with the constitutional prerogatives granted to Congress under the Commerce Clause. Thus …"the acts of New York must yield to the law of Congress..."
Gibbons v. Ogden
Marbury v. Madison
McCulloch v. Maryland
Worchester v. Georgia
In 1857 Chief Justice Roger B. Taney issued his decision on the Dred Scott v. Sandford case and one of the major impacts was --
it increased the feelings of sectionalism in the country
Congress created the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution
it angered the South and they seceded from the Union
Dred Scott was permitted to return to his free life in New York
The Court held that no person of African descent--whether or not emancipated from slavery--could be "citizen of a state", and therefore was unable to bring suit in federal court....the authors of the Constitution had viewed all blacks as unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations, and so far inferior that they had no rights which white man was bound to respect
The excerpt above is from the landmark Supreme Court case --
Worchester v. Georgia
Marbury v. Madison
Gibbons v. Ogden
Dred Scott v. Sandford
What was a major effect of the court ruling in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case?
It angered Northerners because Congress could not stop the expansion of slavery.
It validated the belief that African Americans should be citizens of the country.
President Lincoln pushed for Congress to impeach the Chief Justice, Roger Taney.
Congress came to pass legislation to counteract the decision of the court.
Which of the following quotes represents the impact of the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision on the South?
"All men should rise up in anger over the Court's ruling...it serves to make us all slaves."
"The slavery question has been settled once and for all and the sectionalism tensions will cease."
"Any African American could be accused of being a fugitive slave and sold back into slavery."
"Congress was given authority to stop the expansion of slavery into the territories."
Which of the following groups of people would have been the most upset with the Supreme Court's decision in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case?
Southern plantation owners
European immigrants
Northern factory owners
Free African Americans
The decision in McCullough v. Maryland defined which clause that shaped Congress’s power?
Necessary & Proper
The clause to collect taxes
The right of states to control interstate commerce
The River Clause
The Supreme Court’s reviewing and ruling on acts of other branches of the government and determining if a law is unconstitutional is called...
supremacy.
law review.
judicial review.
Supreme ruling.
The decision in Gibbons v Ogden (1824) addressed which of the following issues?
The issue of congressional privileges
The regulation of interstate commerce
The right of states to tax a federal property
The Supreme Court’s right to declare Congressional acts unconstitutional
What was the result of the Supreme Court decisions made by Chief Justice John Marshall in the following cases:
- Marbury vs. Madison
- McCullough vs. Maryland
- Gibbons vs. Ogden
the court upheld the rights of the workers.
the court abolished the system of slavery.
the court protected the rights of children.
the court ruled in favor of strengthening the federal government.
How did the appointment of “midnight judges” by president Adams impact future Supreme Court cases?
explained the creation of the chief justice position
allowed presidents to decide important cases
resulted in the ruling of McCulloch v. Maryland
led to the principle of judicial review
What do you call the buying and selling of goods that occurs between different states?
monopolies
Intrastate Commerce
Interstate Commerce
Bartering
What case established the federal government’s control over interstate commerce?
McCulloch vs Maryland
Tinker vs. Des Moines
Marbury vs. Madison
Gibbons vs. Ogden
The legislative branch has the power to
enforce new laws
create new laws
apply new laws
all of the above
The executive branch has the power to
create new laws
apply new laws
enforce new laws
all of the above
the judicial branch has the power to
interpret or apply new laws
enforce new laws
create new laws
all of the above
Which image clearly represents separation of powers?
Each branch of government has the power to _____ and ______ the other branches (choose two options to fill in the blanks)
check
erase
overthrow
balance
Which of the following is a power of the Judicial Branch
The power to declare an action unconstitutional
The power to approve presidential appointments
The power to propose new laws
The power to appoint members to the President's cabinet
The powers of the national government are separated among the (a) branches of the government.
What branch is having its power checked when...
Congress overrides a President's veto?
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch
1. Federalism is the idea that power is...
Held only by the Federal Government
Held only by the State Governments
Shared between Three Branches of Government
Shared between Federal and State Governments
In what year was Jamestown founded?
1620
1776
1607
1617
Who founded Pennsylvania as a safe place for Quakers to settle?
John Smith
Anne Huthinson
William Penn
John Winthrop
_____________ are items that are always needed, such as wheat and barley.
Cash crops
Staple crops
Survival crops
Holy crops
Which of these answers was not a direct cause of the American Revolution?
Boston Massacre
Boston Tea Party
Intolerable Acts
Pontiac's Rebellion
What is the name of the Virginian who commanded the Continental Army?
Benedict Arnold
Samuel Adams
John Adams
George Washington
As part of the ____________, Boston Harbor was closed until colonists paid for tea destroyed in the Boston Tea Party.
Intolerable Acts
Tea Acts
Townshend Acts
Boston Massacre
Although the colonists lost, the _____________ proved that they could take on the British.
Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Trenton
Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed's Hill)
Siege of Fort Ticonderoga
What did Thomas Paine write to encourage the colonists to declare independence?
Common Sense
The Declaration of Independence
The Articles of Confederation
The Federalist Papers
What was the name of the Prussian military officer who trained the Continental Army?
Marquis de Lafayette
Baron von Steuben
John Paul Jones
Bernardo de Galvez
The signing of what document ended the Revolutionary War?
Declaration of Independence
The Articles of Confederation
Treaty of Paris 1763
Treaty of Paris 1783
What do we call a set of basic principles and laws that states the powers and duties of the government?
Resolution
Amendment
Constitution
Declaration
What was the name of the first constitution of the United States of America?
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
The Articles of Confederation
The U.S. Constitution
The Land Ordinance of 1787
What does the word ratify mean?
To approve
To deny
To support
To destroy
What of these was NOT a cause of the call to change the Articles of Confederation?
Shays' Rebellion
Widespread Inflation
Too much power given to the central government
Too much power given to the states
What did the Great Compromise create?
A bicameral (two house) legislature
A unicameral (one-house) legislature
The Supreme Court
The New Jersey Plan
What is the terms for a system that keeps any branch of government from becoming too powerful?
sectionalism
federalism
checks and balances
feudalism
"The Constitutional Convention shouldn't have formed a new government."
"The Constitution is invalid because it doesn't contain a section that guarantees individual rights."
People who belonged to which group would have said these quotes?
Loyalists
Patriots
Antifederalists
Federalists
All of the following people wrote the "Federalists Papers" except -
Alexander Hamilton
George Mason
John Jay
James Madison
What is federalism?
A king or monarch ruling over a country
A loose confederation of states that governs a nation
Power is distributed equally among all people in the government
The sharing of power between a central government and the states
What do we call a change made to the Constitution?
A correction
An amendment
An editorial
A judicial review
Abraham Lincoln’s plan was known as
being super strict on the South
The 10% plan
He didn't have a plan
being were very lenient towards the South
Why was the Freedman’s Bureau established after the
Civil War?
to end slavery
to make sure black Americans got government positions
to give White Americans more power
to help freed slaves get food, clothing and
shelter.
What amendment ended slavery?
13th Amendment
14th Amendment
15th Amendment
16th Amendment
The 14th amendment
gave women the right to vote
forbade states from depriving (taking away)
citizens of equal protections of the law
ended slavery
gave American's free land
The 15th Amendment
gave freed slaves equal rights
ended slavery
gave women the right to vote
gave freed slaves the right to vote
Which of the following best describe sharecropping?
Whites and Blacks both farmed and then split the profits.
Blacks farmed a plot of land and gave a part
of the crop to the owners.
Blacks owned the land and farmed it for themselves.
Which white supremacy organization formed after
the Civil War?
Radical Republicans
Freedmen’s Bureau
Ku Klux Klan
Irish Army
Radical Republicans were
Republicans who wanted to punish the South
severely for their role in the Civil War.
Super lenient on the south.
In favor of slavery.
What were black codes?
Gave Blacks equal rights.
They gave land to blacks
They were passed by Southern States to deny equal rights to African Americans.
They punished the Confederate Leaders.
In which region did the Populist Party gain the most
support?
North
South
East
West
What court case upheld racial segregation laws for public facilities as long as the segregated facilities were equal in quality – "separate but equal" ?
Taylor vs. Kanye
Plessy vs. Ferguson
Board vs Brown
Democrats vs. Republicans
What was the purpose of the Dawes Act?
To help assimilate Native Americans into
society.
To help immigrants get to the U.S.
It gave land to any head of a family.
It gave blacks and whites equal rights.
Who was the most important figure in the Populist
Party?
Abraham Lincoln
William Jennings Bryan
Andrew Johnson
Jim Crow
Where did the United States government force
Indians to live in the 1800's?
Ghettos
Long Island
Reservations
Internment camps
The National Grange was assembled to
protect blacks from being attacked and lynched
in the South
seek out overseas investment
help factory workers
help end unfair railroad practices to farmers
What transportation system was a land link for the
east and west coasts of the United States?
Trancontinental Railroad
Erie Canal
Panama Canal
I-87
Why were Chinese immigrants hired to work on the
transcontinental railroad?
American citizens refused to work on the railroad.
They would work hard, long hours for lower
pay.
The RR couldn't find skillful workers.
The RR wanted workers without family commitments.
What was the Homestead Act?
It gave blacks and white equal rights.
It granted settlers 160 acres of land to work for a period of at least 5 years.
It ended slavery.
It gave women the right to join the military.
What is an Exodusters?
Farmers in the south.
Immigrants from Italy.
People who migrated to the North from the South.
African Americans who moved to Kansas in 1870 to get land and escape racism in the South.
What problems did people face expanding west?
The government didn't want them expanding.
The weather conditions made it difficult for settlers.
They were scared of the wild animals.
Which historic period was marked by the military
occupation of a portion of the United States, attempts
to remove the President from office, and major
constitutional revisions?
Roaring 20's
Reconstruction
Westward Expansion
Industrialization
How did the outcome of the French and Indian War impact France?
France moved its fur trading posts to South America.
France took over lands that had been controlled by Native American tribes.
France lost control of its territories in North America.
France made a formal alliance with the American colonists.
Despite winning the French and Indian War, what negative effect did Great Britain suffer as a result of the war?
Most of the nation’s best generals died in the war.
The cost of the war left the nation with a significant amount of debt.
Angry Native American tribes continued to attack British colonies.
Colonial demand for British goods decreased.
How did the information in this map impact the relationship between the colonists and Great Britain?
Tensions increased because colonists wanted to settle farther west, and Britain passed laws to prevent it.
Tensions increased because Britain failed to protect the colonists from attacks by Spanish settlers along the new border.
Tensions decreased as colonists were able to gain more land, and Britain collected more tax revenue.
Tensions decreased as Britain gave away free land to settlers willing to move farther west and start new colonies.
During the French and Indian War, the events that took place at Fort Loudoun are evidence of conflict between colonists and what group?
British
Cherokee
French
Spanish
Based on these maps, which statement best describes the impact of the French and Indian War on North American land claims?
Because it lost the war, France gave up almost all of its land in North America.
Russia gave up claims to the Oregon Territory after the war.
The war decreased Spain’s colonial claims in North America.
After the war, England gained France’s islands in the Caribbean Sea.
Why can the French and Indian War be considered a turning point in the relationship between Great Britain and the American colonies?
The war caused the colonists to feel more allegiance to France.
After the war, the colonists wanted more help from the British to protect them from attacks.
After the war, Great Britain raised taxes on the colonists in order to pay its debts.
The war gave the colonists more land than they could govern on their own.
What location completes this chart?
Cumberland Gap
Fort Loudon
Watauga Settlement
Wilderness Road
What was Franklin's purpose in drawing this cartoon?
to persuade the British to abandon mercantilism and continue the policy of salutary neglect
to encourage colonists to boycott British goods to protest taxes placed on them by Parliament
to encourage the colonies to work together and support the Albany Plan of Union
to persuade the people to establish a branch of the Sons of Liberty in each colony
Which individual drew this cartoon?
Benjamin Franklin
Alexander Hamilton
Thomas Jefferson
George Washington
Which are accomplishments made by Benjamin Franklin?
Select three that apply.
inventing bifocals and the Franklin stove
founding the colony of Pennsylvania
writing the essay Common Sense
authoring the Albany Plan of Union
publishing Poor Richard’s Almanac
Which event completes this timeline?
Declaration of Independence Signed
British Troops Surrendered
Constitution Adopted
Sons of Liberty Formed
What event were the writers of the Declaration referencing in this grievance?
the Boston Tea Party
the Tea Act
the Boston Massacre
the Stamp Act
In which event was George Hews participating?
a meeting of the First Continental Congress
the Battles of Lexington and Concord
the first meeting of the Sons of Liberty
the Boston Tea Party
Which statement summarizes the event in this picture?
The Mohawk tribe, which fought against the British in the French and Indian War, joined colonists and dumped tea into the Boston Harbor.
Members of the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves as Native Americans and dumped tea into the Boston Harbor as a form of protest.
Native American tribes that were allies of the French attacked a British ship off the coast of South Carolina.
Colonists, who were protesting the Stamp Act, disguised themselves as Native Americans and destroyed a British ship.
Based on this statement, with which famous quote would Thomas Paine most likely agree?
"Government has no other end but the preservation of property."
"I may not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it. "
"It is better that ten guilty persons go free than one innocent suffer."
"Free people, remember this maxim: we may acquire liberty, but it is never recovered if it is once lost."
What was the intent of Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense ?
to urge colonists to support independence
to convince France to become an ally of the colonists
to persuade Parliament to repeal tax laws
to encourage colonists to explore western territories
Based on this excerpt, what argument does Paine make for the colonies to declare independence?
The British government passed laws that were not appropriate for the colonies.
The British government was too busy to pay attention to the colonies.
The British government forced colonial delegates to travel too far to participate in Parliament.
The British government was too far away to govern the colonies effectively.
In this excerpt, Paine is supporting what idea?
boycotting British goods
declaring independence from Britain
supporting the actions of Parliament
creating an American monarchy
Which number correctly identifies the location of the Battles of Lexington and Concord during the American Revolution?
1
2
3
4
The colonists nearly won the Battle of Bunker Hill, but in the end, the English defeated the colonists. Why?
The colonists ran out of ammunition.
The English had a sneak attack on Bunker Hill.
The English navy seized Bunker Hill.
The colonists surrendered.
Which idea served as the foundation of the Declaration of Independence?
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness can only be achieved through peaceful revolt.
Monarchies are naturally oppressive and should be overthrown.
A government has the responsibility to protect the natural rights of its citizens.
A government should represent all people equally.
What impact did the idea in this excerpt have on the creation of the new American government?
The new government had a strong chief executive to carry out the laws.
The new government included a rule allowing states to secede.
The new government was limited and based on the will of the people.
The new government set strict regulations on the use of slave labor.
What action is symbolized by the horse throwing its master in this cartoon?
the end of the French and Indian War
the election of George Washington as America’s first president
the signing of the Declaration of Independence
the passage of the Proclamation of 1763
Which group wanted to fight for liberty?
Loyalists
Patriots
Quakers
Tories
In 1780, Sally Linn wrote a letter to her mother. She wrote, “I have been to the battlefield with my Dear husband Charles. I cooked for him and his men, and helped Soldiers wounded by the Redcoats.”
Which group did she support on the battlefield?
Loyalists
Hessians
Patriots
Quakers
