wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Texas Social Studies Benchmark

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 19mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

According to the land bridge theory, from which continent did early people cross into North America?

a)

Africa

b)

Asia

c)

Europe

d)

South America

2.

What is the main reason that early peoples in the Americas began to live in larger, more settled villages?

a)

They developed agriculture

b)

They found dependable water sources

c)

They learned how to hunt with bows and arrows

d)

They needed protection from warring peoples

3.

Which European nation sponsored Columbus's expedition across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492?

a)

England

b)

France

c)

Portugal

d)

Spain

4.

What was a major purpose of the Iroquois League?

a)

to trade goods

b)

to lead religious ceremonies

c)

to resolve conflicts among people and groups

d)

to establish a common language for communication

5.

What did Verrazano, Cartier, and Hudson search for in North America?

a)

the Fountain of Youth

b)

the Indies

c)

the Northwest Passage

d)

the Seven Cities of Gold

6.

Why was the Treaty of Paris important?

a)

It restored trade with Britain

b)

It divided the Northwest Territory

c)

It officially ended the Revolutionary War

d)

It stated slavery would not be allowed in the Northwest Territory

7.

What caused the colonists to call themselves Patriots or Loyalists?

a)

the colonial region in which they lived

b)

whether they supported independence from Britain

c)

the country from which they or their ancestors came

d)

whether they paid British taxes

8.

Which of the following was the main reason that Columbus sailed west from Europe?

a)

to find a more direct water route to Asia

b)

to set up colonies

c)

to spread the Catholic religion

d)

to discover new continents

9.

Which of these countries supported the Americans during the Revolutionary War?

a)

France

b)

Germany

c)

Ireland

d)

Mexico

10.

What was the main reason that enslaved African Americans fought in the Revolutionary War?

a)

They had signed treaties with the British

b)

They were promised their freedom in return

c)

They preferred being British citizens

d)

They were promised western lands in return

11.

What was England's first permanent settlement in North America?

a)

Roanoke

b)

Plymouth

c)

New Amsterdam

d)

Jamestown

12.

What was one major cause of the French and Indian War?

a)

France and Britain both claimed the same lands in North America

b)

American colonists wanted independence from Britain

c)

Native Americans did not like French people settling on western lands

d)

The British government passed new tax laws in the colonies

13.

What was the major issue that caused King Phillip's War?

a)

Colonists and the Native Americans disagreed about ownership of the land

b)

The Puritans did not want to allow slavery in New England

c)

England tried to take over the Dutch colony of New Netherland

d)

France started building forts on land that England claimed

14.

Which three places did the triangular trade routes connect?

a)

the New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies

b)

England, the English colonies, and Africa

c)

Europe, Africa, and Asia

d)

Boston, Philadelphia, and London

15.

Which of the following caused shortages of goods in the colonies during the American Revolution?

a)

British boycotts of American goods

b)

profiteering

c)

American blockades at British ports

d)

British blockades at American ports

16.

What did the British government do to help pay the costs of the French and Indian War?

a)

It printed colonial currency

b)

It forced the colonists to trade only with Britain

c)

It passed new tax laws for the colonies

d)

It sold western lands to settlers

17.

Many colonists said that Parliament should not tax them because they had no representation. What does the word representation mean in the sentence above?

a)

a plan for spending money

b)

money that governments collect from citizens

c)

a voice in one's government

d)

a lawmaking body

18.

Why were the battles at Lexington and Concord important?

a)

They marked the end of the French and Indian War

b)

They forced Parliament to repeal all new tax laws

c)

They marked the beginning of the American Revolution

d)

They were the first battles led by George Washington

19.

What happened on July 4, 1776, that makes it such an important date in American history?

a)

The colonists won the American Revolution

b)

The 13 colonies formed their first united government

c)

Congress voted to accept the Declaration of Independence

d)

The colonists formed the first Committee of Correspondence

20.

What was the first plan of government for the United States called?

a)

the Albany Plan

b)

the Articles of Confederation

c)

the Declaration of Independence

d)

the Olive Branch petition

21.

Who was the commander in chief of the Continental Army?

a)

Samuel Adams

b)

John Dickinson

c)

Thomas Jefferson

d)

Richard Henry Lee

e)

George Washington

22.

Who was the main author of the Declaration of Independence?

a)

Samuel Adams

b)

John Dickinson

c)

Thomas Jefferson

d)

Richard Henry Lee

e)

George Washington

23.

Why did many delegates insist on adding ten amendments to the Constitution soon after it was ratified?

a)

to establish guidelines for political parties

b)

to protect the basic rights of the people

c)

to outline the powers of each branch of government

d)

to limit the powers of state governments

24.

Which amendment protects the right to free speech?

a)

the first

b)

the second

c)

the third

d)

the fourth

25.

Why did the writers of the Constitution add checks and balances to the federal government?

a)

to allow leaders to make bolder decisions

b)

to prevent any one branch from controlling the government

c)

to ensure that all power belonged to the people

d)

to set guidelines for making amendments to the Constitution