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2017 STAAR Grade 8 Social Studies

Last updated about 4 years ago

44 questions

1

8.19A

1

8.4A

1

8.10B

1

8.19B

1

8.10A

1

8.23B

1

8.5A

1

8.8B

1

8.25B

1

8.17A

1

8.17B

1

8.29B

1

8.11B

1

8.20B

1

8.23A

1

8.10A

1

8.25C

1

8.27C

1

8.13B

1

8.4C

1

8.29B

1

8.12B

1

8.29C

1

8.5C

1

8.5E

1

8.16B

1

8.6A

1

8.29B

1

8.6A

1

8.9C

1

8.3A

1

8.4D

1

8.18A

1

8.27B

1

8.15C

1

8.7C

1

8.23C

1

8.15B

1

8.29C

1

8.9A

1

8.28B

1

8.23D

1

8.12A

1

8.2A

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Read each question carefully. Determine the best answer to the question from the four answer choices provided. Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

This list includes rights that are considered —

transferable

legislated

unalienable

inherited

How did mercantilist policies create tension between Great Britain and the colonies?

By introducing indentured servitude to the middle colonies

By requiring colonists to enlist in the military

By limiting the amount of farmland each colonist could have

By preventing colonists from trading with most other foreign countries

Which factor encouraged more immigrants to settle in northern states than southern states during the mid-nineteenth century?

Northern states had lower population densities.

Citizenship requirements in southern states were not as strict.

Southern states had smaller industrial sectors.

Governments in northern states were less corrupt.

Which sentence completes this diagram?

People cannot be forced to be witnesses against themselves.

Cruel and unusual punishment cannot be inflicted.

Warrants cannot be issued unless probable cause is established.

A defendant cannot be denied a speedy and public trial.

The completion of the Erie Canal played a key role in which development?

New York City becoming a vital commercial center with the country’s busiest seaport

New Orleans becoming a leader in manufacturing and overseas trade

Washington, D.C., becoming the cultural and political center of the nation

Boston becoming one of the country’s largest transportation hubs

Which sentence best completes this diagram?

Cities grew rapidly.

Demand for artisans increased.

Farms experienced a shortage of labor.

Government regulation of factories increased.

The Whiskey Rebellion challenged the idea that —

the federal government had the power to pass and enforce tax laws

a national military was needed for dealing with foreign threats

the federal government could raise tariffs to protect industries

a national court system was needed for resolving disputes between states

Why did the Siege of Vicksburg affect the balance of power during the Civil War?

Several important Confederate generals were killed.

Union troops were pushed back across the Ohio River.

The Confederate territory was divided in half.

Severe casualties were inflicted on Union forces.

The colonies in this list were founded primarily to offer settlers a greater degree of —

freedom from debts

religious freedom

economic freedom

freedom of speech

Which argument would a Federalist make to support ratification of the Constitution?

The Constitution will enable states to nullify laws that are harmful to citizens.

A strong federal government will be more stable than a loose confederation of states.

The Constitution will allow states to establish banks to stabilize the national economy.

A republican system of government will better represent large states.

What was the primary question surrounding the 1832 Nullification Crisis?

Can the federal government regulate interstate commerce?

Can a state regulate a federal agency?

Can a state overturn a federal law?

Can the federal government levy taxes on states?

In this excerpt, President Hayes proposes a change in federal policy toward American Indians. Legislation based on this new policy did which of the following?

Promoted individual land ownership among American Indians

Forced white settlers to leave reservation lands

Ended federal oversight of tribal governments

Granted American Indians the right to attend public schools

One environmental consequence of the large-scale cultivation of cotton in the South was —

widespread soil exhaustion caused by decades of farming

drought caused by overuse of river water to irrigate farmland

air pollution caused by the use of cotton gins

widespread water contamination caused by fertilizer runoff

John Hancock was one of the Founding Fathers committed to liberty. How did he demonstrate this commitment?

By writing the Articles of Confederation

By serving as commander in chief of the Continental army

By organizing Committees of Correspondence

By signing the Declaration of Independence

Which of these was a primary reason Chinese immigrants came to the United States in the early 1850s?

To seek gold

To purchase inexpensive farmland

To avoid a plague

To escape religious persecution

What was the result of the events shown on the map above?

General Lee’s troops received necessary reinforcements.

General Grant’s supply lines were completely cut off.

General Lee surrendered to General Grant.

General Grant and General Lee combined forces.

Which amendment prohibits federal and state governments from carrying out these actions?

The First Amendment

The Second Amendment

The Fifth Amendment

The Tenth Amendment

How did advancements in industrial technologies affect businesses during the late nineteenth century?

By making handcrafted goods more affordable

By improving production methods and increasing competition

By forcing producers to manufacture multiple products

By causing an increase in wages for factory workers

One result of the trend shown in this table was the —

expansion of available labor

creation of specialized trade guilds

decrease in educational opportunities for women

increase in production costs for manufacturers

Why is the Battle of Saratoga considered a turning point in the Revolutionary War?

The British victory extended the fighting for another year.

The American defeat led many soldiers to desert the Continental army.

The British defeat marked the beginning of a steady decline in British military superiority.

The American victory convinced France to ally with the United States.

What assurance did this argument give to those who opposed ratifying the Constitution?

The amendment process would allow state governments to nullify federal law.

Making the federal government superior to state governments would ensure greater stability.

The rights of citizens would be better protected by having both federal and state levels of government.

Giving greater power to the federal government would allow it to assist states in times of crisis.

Which of the following contributed most to the expansion of the transatlantic slave trade during the 1700s?

A lack of skilled labor in the American colonies

Demand for slaves in the American colonies that produced cash crops

A lack of protective tariffs in the American colonies

Demand for slaves in the industrialized American colonies

Which numbered area did the United States acquire in 1846 after negotiations with Great Britain?

The organization of the first U.S. political parties resulted in large part from disagreements over which issue?

The purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France

The election of George Washington to a second term as president

The establishment of the First Bank of the United States

The attack on the Port of Tripoli in North Africa

Which of the following is the source of this statement on foreign policy?

George Washington’s Farewell Address

The Monroe Doctrine

Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address

The Federalist Papers

The measures in this list are examples of ways southern states weakened the effects of the —

Compromise of 1850

Fifteenth Amendment

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Dred Scott v. Sandford decision

Which reason did the United States give for declaring war against Mexico in 1846?

To overturn a corrupt Mexican government

To defend U.S. territory from Mexican aggression

To end a Mexican slave rebellion

To respond to attacks on U.S. merchant ships by Mexican pirates

Why were these tactics effective?

Confederate states were unable to collect tariffs on manufactured goods.

Union forces were able to use the blockade to gain international support.

Confederate states were unable to use agricultural exports as a source of revenue.

Union forces were able to earn money for supplies by selling confiscated bales of cotton.

How did the provisions of the Northwest Ordinance affect U.S. expansion?

By funding a transportation network in uninhabited regions

By establishing a process for territories to govern themselve

By promoting the growth of southern plantation economies

By creating a national bank to loan money to land investors

Which of the following best completes this list?

Established schools

Certified applications for political office

Granted small-business loans

Provided funds for farming supplies

Which factor most contributed to the creation of the documents in this list?

The opportunity for trade with American Indians

The distance of the colonies from Great Britain

The doctrine of the Church of England

The economic system of mercantilism

Why were southern delegates to the Constitutional Convention willing to accept the Three-Fifths Compromise?

It increased the political influence of the South.

It allowed indentured servants in the South to become citizens.

It decreased the federal tax on property in the South.

It allowed the South to expand its industrial output.

In Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court first stated the principle that —

only the courts may regulate interstate commerce

the president may veto federal legislation

the courts may declare a federal law unconstitutional

only the president may issue an executive order

The invention discussed in this article led directly to —

the expansion of educational opportunities for women

rapid communication of information to distant locations

the increased ability of people to work at night

rapid population growth in the western territories

Which of these is a grievance from the Declaration of Independence?

Colonists born in America were prohibited from holding elected office.

Colonists were forced to quarter troops in their homes.

Colonists were not eligible to become officers in the British army.

Colonists were required to serve a year in their colony’s militia.

Which of these directly resulted from the event announced in this headline?

The abolitionist movement gained momentum in the North.

Members of the U.S. Senate sought to end Black Codes in the southern states.

The federal government allowed the expansion of slavery into all new western territories.

Abolitionists moved to the South to avoid living under the new law.

Which phrase correctly completes the excerpt?

we joined the local congregation

we agreed to leave

we asked the federal government for aid

we sued our tormenters

Why was it difficult for Congress to fulfill its duties under the Articles of Confederation?

Any congressional action required executive approval.

Congress lacked the power to declare war.

Most congressional decisions required the approval of at least nine states.

Congress lacked the power to regulate foreign trade.

This diagram shows some of the steps in becoming a —

registered voter in the United States

member of the U.S. armed forces

candidate for elected office in the United States

naturalized U.S. citizen

These reforms were instituted by —

governors during the colonial era

Reconstruction governments after the Civil War

Patriots during the American Revolution

revivalists after the Second Great Awakening

What was one result of industrialization in the United States during the mid-1800s?

Sectional differences increased.

The federal government prohibited immigration.

Job opportunities decreased.

Fewer public lands were devoted to transportation.

The names on this map best reflect which of the following?

Family names of early pioneers in the West

The impact of American Indian culture on southwestern states

The influence of Spanish colonial heritage on the United States

Religious beliefs brought by immigrants to the United States

The economies of the new western states were very different from those of the northeastern states in the mid-1800s. One major difference was that western states —

relied on subsistence farming

used natural harbors for shipping

focused on mining and agriculture

traded freely with other nations

Which reason best completes this list?

To spread democratic ideals

To improve efficiency in manufacturing

To locate potential military allies

To claim new territory