TAKS 2004 G8 Social Studies Online Test

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DIRECTIONS
Read each question and choose the best answer. Then mark the circle next to the letter for the answer you have chosen.

1 The discovery of what natural resource in California in 1848 and 1849 caused rapid population growth in the region?

A  Gold
B  Silver
C  Copper
D  Iron

2 These people served as public officials during the Civil War. Which of the following matches is incorrect?

F   Jefferson Davis — secretary of state for the Confederacy
G  Ulysses S. Grant — commander of the Union arm
H  Robert E. Lee — commander of the Confederate army
J   Abraham Lincoln — president of the United States

3 Textiles became a leading industry in the North after the cotton gin was invented by -

A  Daniel Webster
B  Benjamin Franklin
C  Eli Whitney
D  Samuel Slater

4 Economic activity in the New England colonies relied heavily on trade in part because -

F   Puritan beliefs prohibited farming for profit
G  farmers in the region feared attacks from Native Americans
H  a cold climate and poor soil made farming unprofitable
J   the British monarchy provided land grants only to southern colonies

5 Benjamin Franklin convinced which of the following countries to lend military support to George Washington’s Continental army during the American Revolution?

A  Prussia
B  Portugal
C  Russia
D  France

Use the quotation and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

6 In this quotation, Sojourner Truth is emphasizing the -

F   need for equal treatment of immigrants
G  unequal treatment of women
H  difference between the rich and poor
J   importance of education for women

7 The Bill of Rights was added to the U.S. Constitution mainly to -

A  protect individual liberties
B  encourage increased political participation
C  clarify the roles of the branches of government
D  establish American independence from British rule

8 The Mexican War was prompted by the annexation of -

F  California
G  Texas
H  New Mexico
J   Utah

Use the image and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

9 What would be the best title for the image above?

A  Heading West
B  Dangers on the Trail
C  The California Gold Rush
D  Plantation Life

10 Many Americans supported the Indian Removal Act of 1830 because it —

F   punished Native Americans for attacks on Washington, D.C.
G  opened Native American lands to settlement by white citizens
H  forced U.S. citizenship on Native Americans
J   forced Native American leaders out of the U.S. Congress

11 In 1828 the U.S. Congress increased taxes paid on imports to protect newly established northern industries from foreign competition. The southern economy was hurt by this protective tariff because the tariff -

A  increased the price of foreign manufactured goods
B  decreased profits for foreign manufacturers
C  led to widespread bank failures
D  prevented trade with western territories

Use the diagram and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

12 Which of these best completes the diagram above?

F   Women organize in support of temperance.
G  Women organize in support of education reform.
H  Women organize in support of women’s suffrage.
J   Women give up political organizing.

13 The steamboat had an important effect on economic development in the United States because it -

A  was safer than other forms of transportation
B  was an efficient method of transporting goods
C  could travel faster than the locomotive
D  created a need for man-made waterways

Use the map and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

14 The map above indicates that in the presidential election of 1848 -

F   the Midwest was solidly behind the Whig candidate
G  New England tended to favor the Democratic candidate.
H  the South was solidly behind the Whig candidate
J   the westernmost states tended to favor the Democratic candidate

15 In the early 1800s, manufacturing in the United States converted from cottage industry to factory production because of -

A  a lack of skilled workers
B  a decreased demand for finished goods
C  difficulty in transporting goods
D  the ability to produce goods more efficiently

16 Which of the following would most likely be a strong believer in Manifest Destiny?

F   The owner of a textile factory in the Northeast
G  A slave on a southern plantation
H  A Native American
J   A farmer wanting to obtain new land

Use the information in the box and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

17 The list above summarizes some limitations of the national government under the —

A  Articles of Confederation
B  U.S. Constitution
C  Mayflower Compact
D  Declaration of Independence

Use the cartoon and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

18 This political cartoon illustrates an issue discussed during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The issue was over -

F   state boundaries
G  immigration
H  branches of government
J   representation in Congress

19 The present-day states of California, Nevada, and Utah were acquired in 1848 from -

A  Spain
B  Mexico
C  Great Britain
D  Russia

Use the excerpt and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

20 What is the significance of the document excerpted above?

F   It marked the establishment of the first tax-collecting authority in the American colonies.
G  It established the basic laws followed by all the American colonies.
H  It marked the first appearance of political parties.
J   It established a self-governing colony based on rule of the people.

21 What made New Orleans a significant port to people living in the Ohio Valley?

A  The taxes collected in New Orleans supported towns in the Ohio Valley.
B  New Orleans was a fortified city that protected the Missouri River against invasion.
C  Many of the goods needed by the people of the Ohio Valley were manufactured in New Orleans.
D  New Orleans was an important trade center near the mouth of the Mississippi River.

22 In addition to declaring that the United States would remain neutral in European wars, the Monroe Doctrine -

F   invited the European powers to begin to develop new colonies in Africa and Asia
G  maintained that the United States had a duty to combat injustice in Asia
H  ended the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States
J   demanded that the European powers not establish colonies in the Western Hemisphere

Use the diagram and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

Diagram:Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln

23 Which of these would best complete the diagram above?

A  Upheld the power of the federal government
B  Served in the War of 1812
C  Supporter of a national bank
D  Opponent of westward expansion

24 Southern dependence on slavery and an agricultural economy resulted in -

F   an excellent railroad system
G  a lack of factories
H  a dependence on government tax breaks
J   several new political parties

25 The primary purpose of the 14th Amendment (1868) was to -

A  guarantee a minimum income for African Americans
B  grant citizenship to African Americans
C  ensure equal congressional representation for African Americans
D  justify the denial of liberties to African Americans

Use the information in the box and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

26 Which of the following is the best title for the information above?

F   Constitutional Amendment Process
G  Procedures for Impeaching the President
H  Procedures for Appointing Federal Judges
J   President’s Role in the Legislative Process

27 What was a major effect of the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford decision?

A  Southerners were upset by the federal government’s disregard of states’ rights.
B  Stephen Douglas abandoned his support for popular sovereignty.
C  Abraham Lincoln gained national recognition because he wrote the decision.
D  Northerners were angered because the decision could extend slavery into territories.

28 Which colony was founded in 1607 and was successful because of its fertile land, plentiful game, and abundant timber?

F   Virginia
G  Massachusetts
H  Georgia
J   New York

29 Alexander Hamilton favored a strong federal government because he believed it would benefit the economy. As a result of this belief, he also supported -

A  the abolishment of all tariffs
B  the establishment of a national bank
C  increasing agricultural activity
D  imposing high taxes on factories

30 The Era of Good Feelings, which followed the War of 1812, was characterized by -

F   increased cooperation between the United States and Native Americans
G  the rise of the Federalist Party as a major political force
H  increased nationalism and patriotism in the United States
J   an increase in the number of political parties

31 Under the terms of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, new states admitted to the Union —

A  could not take part in presidential elections
B  were considered equal to existing states
C  were required to defend Native American lands
D  were required to allow slavery

Use the poster and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

32 The poster above was printed after passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850. What conclusion can be made about the consequences of this law?

F   Northern law enforcement officials would attempt to capture runaway slaves.
G  Northern law enforcement officials would not be interested in capturing runaway slaves.
H  Northerners were more likely than southerners to approve of the capture of runaway slaves.
J   Southerners would be forced to capture runaway slaves.

33 In Marbury v. Madison (1803), the U.S. Supreme Court established the —

A  legality of slavery
B  principle of judicial reviews
C  right of the accused to remain silent
D  requirement of providing legal aid to the poor

34 The missions founded in California during the 1700s are evidence of the cultural influence of which group of people?

F   African Americans
G  French Canadians
H  The Chinese
J   The Spanish

35 In 1787 James Madison and other Federalists supported a written plan for a new government. This plan -

A  made changing laws virtually impossible
B  created a parliamentary government
C  called for a stronger national government
D  called for stricter interpretation of the law

Use the map and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

36 Which of these provides the correct labels for the trails shown on the map above?

F   I. Mormon II. Oregon III. Santa Fe
G  I. Oregon II. Mormon III. Santa Fe
H  I. Oregon II. Santa Fe III. Mormon
J   I. Santa Fe II. Oregon III. Mormon

37 From the point of view of someone living in the American colonies during the 1770s, a patriot was a person who -

A  attempted to stop all trade with American merchants
B  supported the authority of the king over the colonies
C  attempted to referee disputes between Great Britain and the colonies
D  supported the movement for American independence

Use the time line and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

38 Which events in U.S. history best complete the time line above?

F  Stamp Act, Boston Massacre
G  Sugar Act, Shays’s Rebellion
H  Townshend Acts, Battle of Yorktown
J  Intolerable Acts, Articles of Confederation

Use the illustration and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

39 Which of these individuals would have been the most likely to agree with the point of view expressed in the illustration above?

A  Temperance leader
B  Abolitionist leader
C  Suffrage leader
D  Business leader

Use the graph and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

40 According to the graph, between 1745 and 1774, American exports to England -

F   steadily declined in value
G  had a lower value than imports from England
H  greatly increased in variety
J   were primarily manufactured goods

Use the excerpt and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

41 Based on this excerpt, which statement would Horace Mann most likely agree with regarding public education?

A  Public education promotes knowledge and skills that open the doors to opportunity.
B  Public education guarantees each person a government job.
C  Public education enables everyone to become wealthy.
D  Public education benefits the wealthy more than the poor.

42 How did the invention of interchangeable parts affect industry in the United States in the 1800s?

F   It made the production of goods faster and cheaper.
G  It encouraged immigrants to demand higher wages.
H  It reduced opportunities for female workers.
J   It slowed the rate of factory construction.

Use the excerpt and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

43 What is Patrick Henry’s message in this excerpt?

A  Only the free can survive.
B  Freedom is worth dying for.
C  Free people live longer.
D  People must die to gain freedom.

Use the illustration and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

44 The different political views in the diagram above represent the -

F   Loyalists and Patriots
G  Democratic-Republicans and Federalists
H  Know-Nothings and Abolitionists
J   Whigs and Loyalists

45 An unalienable right -

A  is a right that cannot be taken away without due process
B  is established by majority vote
C  favors some people’s rights over others’
D  applies only in one’s home country

Use the diagrams and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

46 Which is the best conclusion that can be drawn from this information?

F   The idea of guaranteeing individual rights developed over time.
G  Governments gradually became more abusive.
H  Monarchs learned to enjoy sharing power with their subjects.
J   The rights of citizens are protected by nobles.

47 As the primary author of the Declaration of Sentiments, Elizabeth Cady Stanton helped advance the -

A  temperance movement
B  women’s suffrage movement
C  prison-reform movement
D  education-reform movement

Use the information in the box and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

48 The actions taken by these people were aimed at -

F   protecting states’ rights
G  passing fugitive-slave laws
H  stopping the South from seceding
J   ending slavery

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