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8 th 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 ConfederationB) Presidency of WashingtonC) Age of JacksonD) Era of Good Feelings

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

A) War of 1812, U.S. Constitution ratified, Civil War, Monroe DoctrineB) Monroe Doctrine, Stamp Act, Civil War, Mayflower CompactC) Missouri Compromise, Civil War, Monroe Doctrine, Boston Tea Party,D) Mayflower Compact, American Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War

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

A) the French and Indian WarB) the Presidency of George WashingtonC) the War of 1812D) the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln

the spoils system

reduced state requirements for voting

party nominating conventions to select candidates

Nullification Crisis

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Relocation of American Indians in the 1830’s

4. What was a major reason for the federal government’s involvement in the relocations depicted on this map?

A) To persuade American Indians to become farmersB) To gain access to important riversC) To punish American Indians who were allies of the BritishD) To acquire valuable agricultural land and natural resources

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

A) to create a stable economic systemB) to build up the militaryC) to maintain national securityD) to set up a court system

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6. The decision in Marbury v. Madison was significant in U.S. history because it —

A) F reinforced federal authority over American Indian affairsB) G confirmed the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerceC) H established the practice of judicial review by the Supreme CourtD) J upheld the power of the Electoral College to choose the vice president

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

A) The right of citizens to choose representativesB) The power of states to organize militiasC) The unalienable rights of citizensD) The legal ability of states to secede

United States, 1850’s

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

A) 1 - Large farms; 2 - Slaves used for laborB) 1 - Cottage industry; 2 - Mild weather that attracted immigrantsC) 1 - Mining; 2 - Metal ores and mineralsD) 1 - Ranching; 2 - Railroads to transport cattle to market

9. Which map shows the boundaries of the United States just after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?

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10. Which factor best completes this diagram?

A) New transportation systemsB) Increased government regulationC) A decline in agricultural production

A)

B D

C

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D) The growth of labor unions

11. Which box lists some results of improved steamboat technology in the United States as of the mid-1830s?

Reasons for Passage of the Pacific Railway Act

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

A) To promote settlement in the WestB) To protect industry in the NortheastC) To improve transportation in the SouthD) To transport manufactured goods to the East

His Foresight

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

A) prevent further European colonization in the Western HemisphereB) deter Spain from inciting revolution in former U.S. coloniesC) encourage European powers to invest in Latin AmericaD) keep the war between France and Spain from spreading to Latin America

Enslaved Populations of Selected States

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

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A) Slaves from the Upper South were moved to the Lower South to work on cotton plantations.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 built

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

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

A) advocacy of abolitionismB) defense of federalismC) support for the Monroe DoctrineD) belief in Manifest Destiny

The Presidential Election of 1824

16. 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

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17. 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 ownB) Quakers, because slavery contradicted their religious beliefsC) British loyalists, because Great Britain had ended the slave tradeD) Puritans, because the New England economy did not rely on slavery

18. 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

19. Which of the following was the most direct result of the environmental modifications listed above?

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.

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20. The United States acquired the Oregon Territory when —

A) a treaty divided U.S. and British claims to the landB) Mexico sold the territory to the United States for $10 millionC) the territory’s settlers voted for annexation by the United StatesD) Russia sold the land to the United States for $7.2 million

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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.

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

A) Twelfth AmendmentB) Thirteenth AmendmentC) Fourteenth AmendmentD) Fifteenth Amendment

25. 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.

26. 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.

“A [person], whose ancestors were brought to this country and sold as slaves, is not a 'citizen' within the meaning of the Constitution of the United States…”

“We think they [people of African ancestry] are not [citizens], and that they are not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word "citizens" in the Constitution, and can therefore claim none of the rights and privileges which that instrument provides for and secures to citizens of the United States.”

“The plaintiff having admitted… that his ancestors were imported from Africa and sold as slaves… is not a citizen of the State of Missouri according to the Constitution of the United States, and was not entitled to sue in that character in the Circuit Court.”

--Excerpts from the Dred Scott decision, Justice R. Taney, 1857

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27. Which right is described by the characteristics above?

A) Freedom of religionB) Right to petitionC) Freedom of speechD) Right of assembly

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

A) Abraham LincolnB) Stonewall JacksonC) Harriet TubmanD) Susan B. Anthony

29. 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.

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

A) The Union exists only through the consent of sovereign states.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.