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2018 STAAR Grade 8 Social Studies

Last updated about 4 years ago

44 questions

1

8.29B

8.5E

1

8.10A

8.29C

1

8.27A

1

8.29B

8.4C

1

8.29C

8.4A

1

8.29B

8.2A

1

8.5C

1

8.11A

1

8.29C

1

8.9C

1

8.29C

8.8B

1

8.12B

1

8.29B

8.6A

1

8.3A

1

8.29B

8.5D

1

8.29C

1

8.26A

8.29C

1

8.9A

1

8.23A

8.29C

1

8.29B

8.5G

1

8.17B

8.29B

1

8.12A

1

8.1A

8.29C

1

8.16A

8.29B

1

1

8.24A

8.29C

1

8.18A

8.29B

1

8.14B

8.29B

1

8.5A

1

8.17A

8.29B

1

8.29C

1

1

8.29B

1

8.16B

8.29C

1

8.15D

8.29A

1

1

8.29B

8.6B

1

8.27B

1

8.29B

1

8.29B

8.7C

1

8.10B

8.29C

1

8.25C

1

8.13B

8.29B

1

8.22B

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The idea expressed in this quote is that the United States should avoid —

becoming involved in the political affairs of other countries

being a part of a global trade network

establishing U.S. territories overseas

allowing U.S. citizens to emigrate

Which numbered state did the United States acquire from Spain in 1819?

1

2

3

4

The development of the factory system in the early 1800s caused —

a decrease in free trade between nations

an increase in government regulation of businesses

an increase in production levels

a decrease in immigration

What does this list suggest about the drafters of the Articles of Confederation?

They did not want a judicial system based upon that of Great Britain.

They feared that a strong central government would abuse its power.

They were uncertain that democracy would continue to be the best type of government.

They did not think that state governments could provide for the general welfare.

What was the primary reason Parliament passed these acts?

To promote the growth of cottage industries in the colonies

To encourage foreign trade with the colonies

To recover the cost of defending the colonies

To fund the establishment of new colonies

Which pair of actions best completes this graphic?

1—Enslaved native populations 
2—Organized utopian societies

1—Established Catholic missions 
2—Focused primarily on fur trading

1—Promoted political freedom 
2—Participated in the triangular trade

1—Became commercial shipbuilders 
2—Created an early system of public schools

Which of the following is most associated with the formation of the Democratic Party?

The election of Andrew Jackson as president

The use of protective tariffs

The impeachment of President Andrew Johnson

The abolition movement

The British government issued the Proclamation of 1763 to limit the area British colonists were allowed to settle. 
Which geographic feature did the British use as the boundary of approved settlement?

Lake Michigan

Gulf of Mexico

Mississippi River

Appalachian Mountains

Which of the following occurred as a result of these events?

The president of Mexico refused to withdraw troops from Texas.

Parts of southern Texas were returned to Mexico.

The United States acquired several territories from Mexico.

Mexico was forced to sell Florida to the United States.

What was the main cause of the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson in 1868?

His opposition to the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment

His refusal to investigate reported criminal activity by the Union army during the Civil War

His opposition to Radical Reconstruction policies for former Confederate states

His refusal to use the Homestead Act to redistribute land to former slaves

This painting shows artist Thomas Nast’s interpretation of General Robert E. Lee’s surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant, which ended the Civil War.

Where did the events shown in this painting occur?

A private home in Appomattox County, Virginia

The U.S. Capitol building

A public church near Ford’s Theatre

The Governor’s mansion in Richmond, Virginia

Which change occurred as a direct result of these developments?

A reduction in the number of skilled workers in northern states

The expansion of manufacturing into the western territories

A reduction in trade with European countries

The expansion of slavery into newly acquired territories

Which document completes this excerpt?

Declaration of Independence

Treaty of Ghent

Northwest Ordinance

Louisiana Purchase Treaty

The Virginia Company authorized a general assembly in Virginia so that colonists could —

self-govern on a local level

vote in the British Parliament

participate in a free-market economy

express dissatisfaction with British rule

Which action completes this graphic organizer?

French naval attacks on U.S. harbors

British invasions of countries allied with the United States

French embargoes on trade with the United States

British impressment of U.S. sailors

The statistics in this table illustrate population changes associated with —

the rise of industrialism in the United States

the establishment of a federal income tax

a prolonged food shortage in the United States

a lengthy war over disputed territory

The theme represented in this painting is most associated with —

the nineteenth-century temperance movement

books and songs supporting the nativist movement

the works of artists from the Hudson River School

the nineteenth-century industrial boom

How did the Freedmen’s Bureau most assist in the reconstruction of the South?

By dividing large plantations and redistributing the property to former slaves

By creating a militia to help enforce the voting rights of former slaves

By offering legal assistance and public schooling to former slaves

By petitioning the government to offer money to former slaves

This early map of New England was published in 1677.

Which of the following names the group best known for settling this region and states their reason for settling?

Merchants: To trade with the region’s American Indians

Quakers: To establish a colony free of slavery

Explorers: To map the region’s rivers 

Puritans: To freely practice their religion

Which of the following correctly completes this graphic organizer?

President Jackson annexes land west of the Mississippi River.

President Jackson ignores a Supreme Court ruling.

President Jackson introduces a bill to Congress.

President Jackson vetoes an act passed by Congress.

In this reply, Daniel Webster is reacting to —

the inability of citizens to elect Supreme Court justices

an attempted nullification of a federal law by a state

a proposal to revise the amendment process of the U.S. Constitution

the federal seizure of private land for transportation networks

Which American colony’s economy was based primarily on shipbuilding and fishing?

Virginia

Maryland

Georgia

Massachusetts

This political cartoon comments on events that occurred during the —

Reconstruction era

Age of Jackson

Second Great Awakening

War of 1812

Which numbered pair correctly replaces (1) and (2) in this table?

(1) three-fourths 
(2) eligible voters

(1) two-thirds 
(2) Electoral College

(1) three-fourths 
(2) Supreme Court

(1) two-thirds 
(2) state legislatures

Which of the following had the greatest impact on the outcome of the Civil War?

Economic differences between the Union and the Confederacy

The amount of military training given to Union forces and Confederacy forces

Religious differences between the Union and the Confederacy

The alignment of foreign allies with the Union or with the Confederacy

This leader inspired followers of the abolitionist movement by —

writing Uncle Tom’s Cabin

publishing the anti-slavery newspaper The North Star

organizing the Underground Railroad

becoming the first African American senator

Which constitutional principle is Jefferson referring to in this excerpt?

Full faith and credit

Popular sovereignty

Federalism

Judicial review

Which of the following best completes this illustration?

Free Enterprise System

Mercantile System

Federalism

Republicanism

Which of the following is the best example of an early U.S. struggle to define the domestic authority of the central government?

The XYZ Affair

The War of 1812

The Barbary Wars

The Whiskey Rebellion

Those who agreed with this point of view were known as —

Minutemen

Loyalists

Federalists

Patriots

Why was this congressional structure created by the framers of the Constitution?

To follow the plan outlined in the Articles of Confederation

To reach a compromise between large and small states

To reach a compromise between slave states and non-slave states

To implement the outcome of a popular vote

Irish and Chinese immigrants are best remembered for performing which type of labor during the late nineteenth century?

Building dams in the midwestern states

Digging canals across northern states

Building railroads in western territories

Constructing bridges in southern states

This statement is most likely from a handbook designed to prepare citizens for —

voting in elections

jury duty

paying income taxes

military service

How did President Lincoln succeed in permanently abolishing the practice represented by the tree in this cartoon?

By ordering the use of popular sovereignty to decide the issue of slavery

By encouraging an armed rebellion of slaves in the South

By promoting the passage and ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment

By helping abolitionists fund the Underground Railroad

What was the purpose of this amendment?

To encourage citizens to monitor the federal government

To prevent conflicts between state and local governments

To limit the authority of the federal government

To increase the participation of citizens in state government

The reform efforts of Dorothea Dix during the mid-nineteenth century led to —

improved education for immigrant children

the creation of worker safety regulations

the expansion of suffrage for women

improved facilities for the mentally ill and disabled

Which title best completes this list?

Economic Motives for Passing the Northwest Ordinance

Reasons for Issuing the Monroe Doctrine

Economic Motives for Manifest Destiny Policies

Reasons for the Gadsden Purchase

How did the growth of the railway system during the nineteenth century affect the U.S. economy?

By helping expand the commercial markets of U.S. companies

By making it easier for people in rural areas to work in urban factories

By helping strengthen the economic ties between U.S. and British companies

By permitting faster communication between corporate leaders and their employees

The actions described in this excerpt were carried out in order to —

encourage the outbreak of war between England and France

protest British taxation policies

end trade disagreements between colonists and French traders

protest a ban on selling beverages in the colonies

What was the fundamental question addressed in each of these congressional acts?

Should the U.S. expand westward?

Should states be allowed to nullify federal laws?

Should slave labor be allowed in new states?

Should states be able to secede from the Union?

Which diagram correctly compares two regions of the United States during the mid-nineteenth century?

Which law would be considered unconstitutional on the basis of First Amendment guarantees?

A ban on the publication of classified information by government employees

A requirement that church employees pay income tax

A requirement that churches get a permit before building a new chapel

A prohibition on electing religious leaders to government office

Which of the following was most responsible for the revolution described in this excerpt?

Expanded public education

Rapid technological innovation

Increased government spending

Rapid territorial expansion

Why did Congress honor this woman by putting her on a coin?

Because she was an influential First Lady

Because she designed the nation’s first flag

Because she fought for women’s suffrage

Because she was the first woman elected to Congress