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8th Grade American History Benchmark – Spring 2016

  1. Which era of American history was characterized by the list in the box above?

A) Critical Period under the Articles of Confederation

B) Presidency of Washington

C) Age of Jackson

D) Era of Good Feelings

  1. Which set of events is listed in correct chronological order?

A) War of 1812, U.S. Constitution ratified, Civil War, Monroe Doctrine

B) Monroe Doctrine, Stamp Act, Civil War, Mayflower Compact

C) Missouri Compromise, Civil War, Monroe Doctrine, Boston Tea Party,

D) Mayflower Compact, American Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War

  1. During which period did American leaders face these problems?

A) the French and Indian War

B) the Presidency of George Washington

C) the War of 1812

D) the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln

Relocation of American Indians in the 1830’s

  1. What was a major reason for the federal government’s involvement in the relocationsdepicted on this map?

A)To persuade American Indians to become farmers

B)To gain access to important rivers

C)To punish American Indians who were allies of the British

D)To acquire valuable agricultural land and natural resources

  1. The primary purpose of the law excerpted above was —

A) to create a stable economic system

B) to build up the military

C) to maintain national security

D) to set up a court system

6. The decision in Marburyv. Madisonwas significant in U.S. history because it —

A)F reinforced federal authority over American Indian affairs

B)G confirmed the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce

C)H established the practice of judicial review by the Supreme Court

D)J upheld the power of the Electoral College to choose the vice president

  1. Which constitutional issue was President Lincoln addressing in this excerpt?

A)The right of citizens to choose representatives

B)The power of states to organize militias

C)The unalienable rights of citizens

D)The legal ability of states to secede

United States, 1850’s

  1. Which economy and contributing factor best complete this table?

A)1 - Large farms; 2 - Slaves used for labor

B)1 - Cottage industry; 2 - Mild weather that attracted immigrants

C)1 - Mining; 2 - Metal ores and minerals

D)1 - Ranching; 2 - Railroads to transport cattle to market

  1. Which map shows the boundaries of the United States just after the Treaty of Guadalupe

Hidalgo?

  1. Which factor best completes this diagram?

A)New transportation systems

B)Increased government regulation

C)A decline in agricultural production

D)The growth of labor unions

  1. Which box lists some results of improved steamboat technology in the United States as of

themid-1830s?

Reasons for Passage of the Pacific Railway Act

  1. What was another reason Congress passed this act in 1862?

A)To promote settlement in the West

B)To protect industry in the Northeast

C)To improve transportation in the South

D)To transport manufactured goods to the East

His Foresight

  1. The U.S. foreign policy illustrated in this cartoon was intended to —

A)prevent further European colonization in the Western Hemisphere

B)deter Spain from inciting revolution in former U.S. colonies

C)encourage European powers to invest in Latin America

D)keep the war between France and Spain from spreading to Latin America

Enslaved Populations of Selected States

  1. Which statement best explains the changes shown in this table?

A)Slaves from the Upper South were moved to the Lower South to work on cottonplantations.

B)The Upper South experienced an agricultural labor shortage in the antebellum period.

C)Slaves were transferred from the Lower South to the Upper South to work in newly builtfactories.

D)The Lower South lost population as settlers migrated west to establish new plantations.

  1. Which of the following best represents the view expressed in this excerpt?

A) advocacy of abolitionism

B) defense of federalism

C) support for the Monroe Doctrine

D) belief in Manifest Destiny

The Presidential Election of 1824

  1. What was one effect of these events on the 1828 presidential election?

A)Votes were cast by secret ballot.

B)Property qualifications for voting were strengthened.

C)Poll taxes were reduced.

D)Voter participation increased

  1. Which group was among the first to call for an end to slavery?

A)American Indians, because they viewed the plight of slaves as similar to their own

B)Quakers, because slavery contradicted their religious beliefs

C)British loyalists, because Great Britain had ended the slave trade

D)Puritans, because the New England economy did not rely on slavery

  1. What impact did the increasing demand for raw cotton by textile mills in the early nineteenth

century have on the South?

A) Southern plantation owners built their own textile mills.

B) The number of slaves working on Southern cotton plantations increased.

C) Southern plantation owners began replacing their slaves with more efficient free laborers.

D) Farmers who worked their own land without slaves took an increasing share of production.

Building the National Road

  1. Which of the following was the most direct result of the environmental modifications listedabove?

A)Federal regulations were adopted to ensure safety and ease of travel on the road.

B)State governments cooperated closely to maintain road quality.

C)Improved transportation to western states expanded trade and settlement.

D)Road construction became a major industry in the United States.

  1. The United States acquired the Oregon Territory when —

A)a treaty divided U.S. and British claims to the land

B)Mexico sold the territory to the United States for $10 million

C)the territory’s settlers voted for annexation by the United States

D)Russia sold the land to the United States for $7.2 million

  1. Sectional differences developed in the United States largely because

A)the Federal Government adopted a policy of neutrality.

B)economic conditions and interests in each region varied.

C)only northerners were represented at the Constitutional Convention.

D)early Presidents favored urban areas over rural areas.

  1. What was one major effect of the Second Great Awakening?

A)Churches turned away from public politics and focused on internal religious issues.

B)People were inspired to join reform movements to address social problems.

C)Religious leaders petitioned legislatures to extend suffrage to women.

D)Politicians were encouraged to promote states’ rights rather than federal unity.

  1. Which sentence best completes the diagram?

A)The supply of British goods decreases.

B)Congress ends the European embargo.

C)Exports to Great Britain increase.

D)Congress reduces tariffs.

  1. The abolitionist movement achieved its goal with the passage of which amendment?

A)Twelfth Amendment

B)Thirteenth Amendment

C)Fourteenth Amendment

D)Fifteenth Amendment

  1. Which of the following statements best describes the impact of the Dred Scott case on life in the United States?

A)Slavery was outlawed shortly after the decision was issued.

B)Deepened sectional tensions between the North and South.

C)Allowed slaves the same rights as “citizens” in the United States.

D)There was no impact for anyone other than Dred Scott himself.

  1. In Worcester v. Georgia, the U.S. Supreme Court held that Georgia’s state laws did not apply to

Indian territories.

How did President Andrew Jackson respond to the Supreme Court’s decision?

A) He urged Georgia to change its laws.

B) He proposed an amendment to the Constitution to overrule the Court.

C) He took action to bar enforcement of Georgia’s laws on Cherokee territories.

D) He ignored the Court’s ruling.

  1. Which right is described by the characteristics above?

A) Freedom of religion

B) Right to petition

C) Freedom of speech

D) Right of assembly

  1. Which leader most actively supported the demand expressed in this petition to Congress?

A) Abraham Lincoln

B) Stonewall Jackson

C) Harriet Tubman

D) Susan B. Anthony

  1. Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the WCTU’s involvement in the temperance movement, and the Seneca Falls Convention are all examples of

A)women’s influence on reform movements of the early 1800’s.

B)attempts to abolish slavery in the United States.

C)different aspects of the transcendentalist literary movement.

D)topics Abigail Adams wrote about in her letters to husband, President Adams.

  1. Which idea does President Lincoln express in this excerpt?

A)The Union exists only through the consent of sovereignstates.

B)The Union requires a nationwide decision on slavery.

C)The Union matters more than current disagreements between states.

D)The Union will be preserved through military force if necessary.