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United States History Assessments
Eighth Grade
U3.3.1 Explain the reasons for the adoption and subsequent failure of the Articles of
Confederation (e.g., why its drafters created a weak central government, challenges the
nation faced under the Articles, Shays’ Rebellion, disputes over western lands).
1. The Articles of Confederation did all of the following except
A.
B.
C.
D.
serve as the first plan of government for the United States.
form a loose union of the states.
divide power among three branches of government.
give Congress power to make war and peace.
Answer: C
2. Shay’s Rebellion is remembered today because it
A.
B.
C.
D.
threatened law and order in Massachusetts.
dramatized the money problems faced by poor farmers.
shocked Congress into calling for a Constitutional Convention.
showed how well the Articles of Confederation worked.
Answer: C
3. In the 1780’s, many Americans distrusted a strong central government. This distrust is best
shown by the
A.
B.
C.
D.
lack of debate over the ratification of the United States Constitution.
plan of government set up by the Articles of Confederation.
development of a Federal court system.
constitutional provision for a strong President.
Answer: B
4. The Articles of Confederation are best described as a
A.
B.
C.
D.
statement of principles justifying the Revolutionary War.
plan of union for the original thirteen states.
set of arguments supporting ratification of the Constitution.
lists of reasons for the secession of the Southern States.
Answer: B
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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5. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was important because it
A.
B.
C.
D.
ensured universal suffrage for all males.
extended slavery north of the Ohio River.
provided a process for admission of new states to the Union.
established reservations for Native American Indians.
Answer: C
U3.3.2 Identify economic and political questions facing the nation during the period of the
Articles of Confederation and the opening of the Constitutional Convention.
1. Both the Virginia and New Jersey plans called for
A.
B.
C.
D.
three branches of government.
two houses of Congress.
an elected president.
finally an end to the slave trade.
Answer: A
2. The Articles of Confederation reflected American’s fear of
A.
B.
C.
D.
a permanent standing army.
a strong central government.
a threatened foreign invasion.
a breakdown in law and order.
Answer: B
3. The American Constitutional Convention of 1787 was dominated by_________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
isolationists and speculators.
officers and enlisted men of the Continental Army.
men having large property holdings or commercial interests.
backwoods farmers and frontiersmen.
Answer: C
4. Which of the following best defines the principle of popular sovereignty?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The powers of a government are limited by the people.
Government is based on laws that apply to all the people.
The ultimate source of governmental authority is the people.
Elected leaders work through government to serve the people.
Answer: C
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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U3.3.3 Describe the major issues debated at the Constitutional Convention including the
distribution of political power, conduct of foreign affairs, rights of individuals, rights of
states, election of the executive, and slavery as a regional and federal issue.
1. Both the Virginia and New Jersey plans called for
A.
B.
C.
D.
three branches of government.
two houses of Congress.
an elected president.
finally an end to the slave trade.
Answer: A
2. An important challenge facing a new Constitutional Convention was how to balance the
A.
B.
C.
D.
needs of eastern and western states.
interests of large and small states.
rights of slaves and slave holders.
demands of farmers and workers.
Answer: B
3. Why did the framers of the Constitution create three separate branches of government?
A.
B.
C.
D.
To help people with different opinions cooperate.
To increase the power of the central government.
To keep any one group from gaining too much power.
To provide enough officials to handle the volume of work.
Answer: C
4. Which of these is the best example of constitutional checks and balances?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Treaties required Senate approval.
The Constitution may be amended.
The President is paid for his services.
Courts decided conflicts between states.
Answer: A
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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U3.3.4 Explain how the new constitution resolved (or compromised) the major issues
including sharing, separating, and checking of power among federal government
institutions, dual sovereignty (state-federal power), rights of individuals, the Electoral
College, the Three-Fifths Compromise, and the Great Compromise.
1. The Great Compromise was primarily related to
A.
B.
C.
D.
representation in Congress.
election of the President.
selection of Supreme Court justices.
checks and balances.
Answer: A
2. The Constitutional Convention gave the job of choosing a chief executive to
A.
B.
C.
D.
major political parties.
electors chosen by the states.
state legislatures and governors.
members of congress.
Answer: B
3. The Constitution has survived for more than 200 years because it
A.
B.
C.
D.
gives more power to the states than to the national government.
combines a strong framework for the government with flexibility.
creates a framework for government that can never be changed.
has been amended thousands of times to make it work better.
Answer: B
4. The framers designed a system of checks and balances to
A.
B.
C.
D.
share power between the national and state governments.
make it difficult but not impossible to amend the Constitution.
make sure that the Constitution was the supreme law of the land.
keep any one branch of government from becoming too powerful.
Answer: D
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U3.3.5 Analyze the debates over the ratification of the Constitution from the perspectives of
Federalists and Anti-Federalists and describe how the states ratified the Constitution.
1. Supporters of the new Constitution were known as
A.
B.
C.
D.
republicans.
patriots.
anti-federalists.
federalists.
Answer: D
2. During the debates over the ratification of the United States constitution, Federalists and
Anti-federalists disagreed most strongly over the
A.
B.
C.
D.
division of powers between the national and state governments.
provision for admitting new states to the Union.
distribution of power between the Senate and the House of Representatives.
method of amending the Constitution.
Answer: A
3. Which group opposed the ratification of the Constitution?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Federalists
Anti-federalists
Democrats
Republicans
Answer: B
U3.3.6 Explain how the Bill of Rights reflected the concept of limited government,
protections of basic freedoms, and the fear of many Americans of a strong central
government.
1. Which of the following would not be protected by the first amendment?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Criticizing government officials on a television talk show.
Promoting ideas that many Americans oppose in a political campaign.
Falsely calling “fire” in a crowded theater.
Discussing controversial issues in a social studies class.
Answer: C
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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2. The job of protecting the rights listed in the “Bill of Rights” belongs mainly to
A.
B.
C.
D.
Federal courts.
the President.
Congress.
State governors.
Answer: A
3. During trial, a person accused of a crime has the right to
A.
B.
C.
D.
pick the members of the jury.
hear and question all witnesses.
demand to be tried in secret.
stop a witness from testifying.
Answer: B
4. The ninth amendment says that rights not listed in the Constitution
A.
B.
C.
D.
can be added later.
belongs to the people.
do not exist legally.
are not very important.
Answer: B
U3.3.7 Using important documents (e.g., Mayflower Compact, Iroquois Confederacy,
Common Sense, Declaration of Independence, Northwest Ordinance, Federalist Papers),
describe the historical and philosophical origins of constitutional government in the United
States using the ideas of social compact, limited government, natural rights, right of
revolution, separation of powers, bicameralism, republicanism, and popular participation
in government.
1. What was the main impact of Common Sense in the colonies?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It persuaded many colonists that the time had come to declare independence.
It reminded colonists that they owed loyalty and respect to King George.
It encouraged the colonies to seek a peaceful settlement with Britain.
It convinced many colonists that they could not win a war against Britain.
Answer: A
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2. The “Bill of Rights” is part of the
A.
B.
C.
D.
proclamation of 1763.
Declaration of Independence.
Articles of Confederation.
Constitution of the United States.
Answer: D
3. The Declaration of Independence was written to explain
A.
B.
C.
D.
why the colonists thought “taxation without representation” was unfair.
what Britain needed to do to win back the loyalty of the colonies.
why it was time for the colonies to separate from Great Britain.
what other nations could do to help the colonies win their freedom.
Answer: C
4. The Preamble to the Constitution lists which of the following?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Steps for amending the Constitution.
Purpose to be served by the Constitution.
Procedures for ratifying the Constitution.
Guidelines for interpreting the Constitution.
Answer: B
U4.1.1 Washington’s Farewell – Use Washington’s Farewell Address to analyze the most
significant challenges the new nation faced and the extent to which subsequent Presidents
heeded Washington’s advice.
1. In his Farewell Address, President Washington urged Americans to follow a foreign policy
based on
A.
B.
C.
D.
strong permanent alliances.
isolationism and neutrality.
involvement in world affairs.
the Monroe Doctrine.
Answer: B
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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2. The speakers below are discussing foreign policies that the United States has followed at
various times. Base your answers on their statements and on your knowledge of social
studies.
Speaker 1: Steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.
Speaker 2: The United States will give economic aid to needy countries anywhere in the
world, but will not provide military aid.
Speaker 3: The United States must prevent the growth of communism.
Speaker 4: The United States can take over other countries to help them become more
like us.
Which speaker states a policy most similar to the foreign policy advice given by President
George Washington in his Farewell Address?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Speaker 1
Speaker 2
Speaker 3
Speaker 4
Answer: A
3. Actions and policies of the Government under President George Washington generally
resulted in the
A.
B.
C.
D.
establishment of strong political ties with other nations.
liberation of many enslaved persons.
failure to create a sound financial program for the country.
strengthening of the Federal Government.
Answer: D
4. “Our true policy is to steer clear of permanent alliances . . . .”
-George Washington
President Washington made this statement to warn against United States involvement in
A.
B.
C.
D.
European conflicts.
international trade.
the race for overseas colonies.
westward expansion.
Answer: A
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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U4.1.2 Establishing America’s Place in the World – Explain the changes in America’s
relationships with other nations by analyzing treaties with American Indian nations, Jay’s
Treaty (1795), French Revolution, Pinckney’s Treaty (1795), Louisiana Purchase, War of
1812, Transcontinental Treaty (1819), and the Monroe Doctrine.
1. A major reason for the issuance of the Monroe Doctrine (1823) was to
A.
B.
C.
D.
discourage United States trade with Latin America.
defend the Panama Canal from Great Britain.
prevent further European colonization in the Caribbean region.
provide economic aid to Latin American nations.
Answer: C
2. The legal basis for the United States’ purchase of the Louisiana Territory was the
A.
B.
C.
D.
power granted to the President to make treaties.
President’s power as Commander in Chief.
authority of Congress to declare war.
Senate’s duty to approve the appointment of ambassadors.
Answer: A
3. The Louisiana Purchase had great geographic significance for the United States because it
A.
B.
C.
D.
reduced British control of North America.
focused the United States on westward expansion.
extended United States control over Mexico.
decreased tensions with Native American Indians.
Answer: B
4. The treaty that ended the War of 1812 was the
A.
B.
C.
D.
Treaty of Ghent.
Treaty of Paris.
Peace of Paris.
Treaty of Greenville.
Answer: A
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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U4.1.3 Challenge of Political Conflict – Explain how political parties emerged out of the
competing ideas, experiences, and fears of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton (and
their followers), despite the worries the Founders had concerning the dangers of political
division, by analyzing disagreements over
 relative power of the national government (e.g., Whiskey Rebellion, Alien and Sedition
Acts) and of the executive branch
 foreign relations (e.g., French Revolution, relations with Great Britain)
 economic policy (e.g., the creation of a national bank, assumption of revolutionary
debt)
1. Alexander Hamilton’s financial plan helped to establish the credit of the United States
government by
A.
B.
C.
D.
providing for the payment of the nation’s debts.
taxing only the people most able to pay.
favoring agriculture over industry.
encouraging spending for national defense.
Answer: A
2. One major reason that Alexander Hamilton proposed a national bank was to
A.
B.
C.
D.
improve the economic position of the United States government.
help state governments collect taxes.
make loans available to owners of small farms.
reduce foreign investment in the United States.
Answer: A
3. Which is true about states’ rights theory after the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It was used as the basis for the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.
It was not widely supported by the states of the United States.
It made state governments stronger than the national government.
All of the above are true.
Answer: D
4. How are Pinckney’s Treaty and the Whiskey Rebellion related?
A.
B.
C.
D.
They both grew out of attempts by western farmers to sell their products.
They both involved the new government’s use of the army.
They both resulted from British efforts to keep troops in the west.
All of the above are true.
Answer: A
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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U4.1.4 Establishing a National Judiciary and Its Power – Explain the development of the
power of the Supreme Court through the doctrine of judicial review as manifested in
Marbury v. Madison (1803) and the role of Chief Justice John Marshall and the Supreme
Court in interpreting the power of the national government (e.g., McCullouch v. Maryland,
Dartmouth College v. Woodward, Gibbons v. Ogden).
1. The significance of the Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison is that the decision
A.
B.
C.
D.
advanced civil rights for minorities.
upheld the constitutionality of a national bank.
limited Presidential control of foreign policy.
established the power of judicial review.
Answer: D
2. The decision of the United States Supreme Court in Marbury v. Madison (1803) established
the power of the
A.
B.
C.
D.
House of Representatives to impeach the president.
Congress to override a presidential veto.
President to veto congressional legislation.
Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of laws.
Answer: D
3. When John Marshall was Chief Justice, United States Supreme Court decisions tended to
strengthen the power of
A.
B.
C.
D.
the National Government.
state and local governments.
labor unions.
trusts and monopolies.
Answer: A
4. “It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is…”
— Marbury v. Madison, 1803. This statement expresses the Supreme Court’s claim that
A.
B.
C.
D.
courts must abide by a strict interpretation of the Constitution.
federal laws must be approved by the courts before they can take effect.
the judicial branch must have a role in the amendment process.
the power of judicial review belongs to the courts.
Answer: D
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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U4.2.1 Comparing Northeast and the South – Compare and contrast the social and
economic systems of the Northeast and the South with respect to geography and climate
and the development of
 agriculture, including changes in productivity, technology, supply and demand, and
price
 industry, including entrepreneurial development of new industries, such as textiles
 the labor force including labor incentives and changes in labor forces
 transportation including changes in transportation (steamboats and canal barges) and
impact on economic markets and prices
 immigration and the growth of nativism
 race relations
 class relations
1. Compared to the South, the North had
A.
B.
C.
D.
colder winters, shorter summers.
wetter winters, drier summers.
shorter winters, warmer summers.
warmer winters, longer summers.
Answer: A
2. The North attracted more immigrants than the South because it offered
A.
B.
C.
D.
cheaper land for farming.
more jobs in mills and factories.
an economy built on slave labor.
more railroads and canals.
Answer: B
3. What was the main effect of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin on the South?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Cotton mills moved to the South.
Cotton became the South’s main crop.
Cotton farmers no longer needed slaves.
Cotton exports to Europe fell sharply.
Answer: B
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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4. By 1850, the cheapest and fastest way to move goods in the North was by
A.
B.
C.
D.
stagecoach.
canal boat.
river steamboat.
railroad.
Answer: D
5. Which invention brought the Industrial Revolution to northern agriculture?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Eli Whitney’s cotton gin
Elias Howe’s sewing machine
Cyrus McCormick’s reaper
Robert Fulton’s steamboat
Answer: C
6. The North’s rapid economic growth during the Civil War was stimulated by
A.
B.
C.
D.
the elimination of taxes on defense industries.
a reduction in the number of immigrants.
increased government demand for many products.
enslaved persons filling industrial jobs.
Answer: C
U4.2.2 The Institution of Slavery – Explain the ideology of the institution of slavery, its
policies, and consequences.
1. The great majority of slaves worked as
A.
B.
C.
D.
field hands.
factory workers.
household servants.
skilled craftspeople.
Answer: A
2. The most common way slaves resisted slavery was by
A.
B.
C.
D.
killing their owners.
organizing slave uprisings.
finding ways to avoid work.
running away to the North.
Answer: C
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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3. What slaves generally feared most of all was being
A.
B.
C.
D.
sold away from their families.
sent back to Africa.
caught while running away.
disrespectful to their elders.
Answer: A
4. Many white southerners who did not own slaves still supported slavery because they knew
that
A.
B.
C.
D.
they would have their own slaves someday.
the South’s economy depended on slave labor.
the Constitution did not ban slavery in the South.
slaveholders were the South’s natural leaders.
Answer: B
5. Before the Civil War, slavery expanded in the South rather than in the North because
A. the Constitution contained a clause that outlawed the importation of slaves into the
Northern states.
B. Congress passed a law forbidding slavery in the north.
C. Northern states passed affirmative action legislation.
D. geographic conditions in the south encouraged the development of large plantations.
Answer: D
U4.2.3 Westward Expansion – Explain the expansion, conquest, and settlement of the West
through the Louisiana Purchase, the removal of American Indians (Trail of Tears) from
their native lands, the growth of a system of commercial agriculture, the MexicanAmerican War, and the idea of Manifest Destiny.
1. The belief that the United States had the right and duty to expand across the North American
continent came to be known as
A.
B.
C.
D.
the Monroe Doctrine.
the Great Experiment.
Oregon Fever.
Manifest Destiny.
Answer: D
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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2. President Thomas Jefferson’s purchase of Louisiana
A.
B.
C.
D.
was a costly mistake.
doubled the size of the United States.
was opposed by western farmers.
led to war with Great Britain.
Answer: B
3. Which group was most hurt by Jackson’s removal policy?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The rich and well-born
Native Americans
The common people
States’ rights supporters
Answer: B
4. How did some Native Americans resist the Removal Act?
A.
B.
C.
D.
They challenged the law in the U.S court system.
They fought wars against the U.S government.
They left and then returned.
All of the above.
Answer: D
5. After the Mexican War, many Mexican landowners
A.
B.
C.
D.
were forced to prove ownership of their land in court.
maintained the same land rights as before.
went into business with white landowners.
taught other U.S. residents the legal concept of community property.
Answer: A
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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U4.2.4 Consequences of Expansion – Develop an argument based on evidence about the
positive and negative consequences of territorial and economic expansion on American
Indians, the institution of slavery, and the relations between free and slaveholding states.
1. As the United States acquired more land between 1803 and 1850, controversy over these
territories focused on the
A.
B.
C.
D.
need for schools and colleges.
failure to conserve natural resources.
expansion of slavery.
construction of transcontinental railroads.
Answer: C
U4.3.1 Explain the origins of the American education system and Horace Mann’s campaign
for free compulsory public education.
1. Before the reform movement led by Horace Mann,
A.
B.
C.
D.
few women had the right to vote.
most children did not attend school.
debtors were often thrown in jail.
sinners did not expect to be forgiven.
Answer: B
2. Which group benefited most from early efforts to establish public schools?
A.
B.
C.
D.
African American boys
African American girls
European American boys
European American girls
Answer: C
3. Which of the following groups had the least opportunity to obtain public education?
A.
B.
C.
D.
German immigrants
Women in the north
White women in the south
Free African Americans
Answer: D
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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4. How were educational opportunities limited for African Americans in the 1800’s?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It was illegal in the South to teach an enslaved person to read.
African Americans had to set up their own public school system secretly.
They had to go to special schools also attended by women.
Horace Mann set up a special educational program for them because he believed that
education was “the great equalizer.”
Answer: A
U4.3.2 Describe the formation and development of the abolitionist movement by
considering the roles of key abolitionist leaders (e.g., John Brown and the armed resistance,
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, Sojourner Truth, William Lloyd
Garrison, and Frederick Douglass), and the response of southerners and northerners to the
abolitionist movement.
1. Americans who became abolitionists wanted to end
A.
B.
C.
D.
slavery.
discrimination against women.
immigration.
imprisonment for debt.
Answer: A
2. What motto did Frederick Douglass choose for his abolitionist newspaper, the North Star?
A.
B.
C.
D.
“Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory.”
“I will be harsh as truth.”
“Rights is of no sex—Truth is of no color.”
“All men and women are created equal.”
Answer: C
3. Radicals in the abolition movement
A.
B.
C.
D.
hoped to inspire slave revolts to end slavery.
favored the gradual ending of slavery.
sought a quick but peaceful end to slavery.
did not care about slavery in the south.
Answer: A
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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4. Why were Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass effective abolitionist speakers?
A.
B.
C.
D.
They received special training.
They were also revivalist speakers.
They were part of the labor movement.
They had been slaves themselves.
Answer: D
5. For what reason is Harriet Tubman famous?
A.
B.
C.
D.
She gave a speech at Seneca Falls.
She helped people with mental illness.
She was a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
She wrote abolitionist poetry.
Answer: C
U4.3.3 Analyze the antebellum women’s rights (and suffrage) movement by discussing the
goals of its leaders (e.g., Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton) and comparing the
Seneca Falls Resolution with the Declaration of Independence.
1. Angelina and Sarah Grimke led the way for other women to
A.
B.
C.
D.
gain admission to colleges.
work for the same pay as men.
vote and hold public office.
speak out in public on issues.
Answer: D
2. The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments was modeled on the
A.
B.
C.
D.
Monroe Doctrine.
Declaration of Independence.
Bill of Rights.
Missouri Compromise.
Answer: B
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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3. Which special contribution did Susan B. Anthony make to the women’s movement?
A.
B.
C.
D.
She fought for laws allowing women to attend high school.
She fought for laws giving married women rights to their own property.
She fought to have women admitted to colleges on an equal basis with men.
She fought for laws granting freedom of speech to women.
Answer: B
4. Why did Stanton and Mott organize the Seneca Falls Convention?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Because male abolitionists were not doing enough to end slavery.
To win, for women, the same rights as men.
To form an all female anti-slavery organization.
To win women’s support for more public school.
Answer: B
U4.3.4 Analyze the goals and effects of the antebellum temperance movement.
Use the chronology and your knowledge of social studies to answer the questions below.
1820s
1829
1831
1833
1837
1837
Second Great Awakening sweeps the nation.
Andrew Jackson is inaugurated as the “People’s President.”
William Lloyd Garrison begins publishing the Liberator.
The American Anti-Slavery Society is established.
Oberlin College becomes the first college in the nation to accept women.
Elijah Lovejoy is killed by an anti-abolitionist mob in Illinois. Horace Mann becomes
secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education.
Frederick Douglass escapes from slavery.
Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are barred from the World Anti-Slavery
Convention.
Dorothea Dix makes her first visit to a prison.
Frederick Douglass publishes his autobiography.
First women’s rights convention is held at Seneca Falls, New York.
After years of being turned down by colleges, Dr. Blackwell graduates from medical school.
Sojourner Truth addresses women’s rights meeting.
1838
1840
1841
1845
1848
1849
1851
1. What would be the best title for this chronology?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The Second Great Awakening
Jacksonian Democracy
The Civil Rights Movement
Revival and Reform
Answer: D
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
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2. From the chronology, a reader might infer that
A.
B.
C.
D.
the majority of abolitionists were women.
the women’s rights movement grew out of other reform movements.
Frederick Douglass began the abolition movement.
Andrew Jackson supported the abolition movement.
Answer: B
3. Why did Dr. Blackwell have such a difficult time getting into medical school?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Blackwell was an African American.
Blackwell was a woman.
Blackwell was a Native American.
Blackwell was an abolitionist.
Answer: B
4. The chronology suggests that
A.
B.
C.
D.
women were not able to participate fully in the anti-slavery movement.
Elijah Lovejoy helped Frederick Douglass to escape from slavery.
men were barred from attending the Seneca Falls Convention.
Oberlin was the first college to accept African Americans.
Answer: A
5. The abolitionist movement and the women’s suffrage movement are examples of reform
efforts that
A.
B.
C.
D.
succeeded without causing major controversy.
developed significant popular support.
achieved their goals without government action.
failed to affect the nation as a whole.
Answer: B
U4.3.5 Evaluate the role of religion in shaping antebellum reform movements.
1. The Second Great Awakening was a
A.
B.
C.
D.
period of new scientific thinking.
disease that caused sleeplessness.
campaign for public education.
religious revival movement.
Answer: D
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20
2. One effect of the Second Great Awakening was to
A.
B.
C.
D.
increase prejudice against sinners.
encourage people to move west.
bring out the vote for Andrew Jackson.
inspire reformers to improve society.
Answer: D
3. Who established a community for members of an American religious sect called the Shakers?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Ann Lee
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Edgar Allen Poe
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Answer: A
4. What social reform effort encouraged people to use self-discipline to stop drinking liquor?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Transcendentalism
Emancipation
Temperance movement
Nativists
Answer: C
U5.1.1 Explain the differences in the lives of free blacks (including those who escaped from
slavery) with the lives of free whites and enslaved peoples.
1. Free blacks living in both the North and the South
A.
B.
C.
D.
lived side by side with whites.
faced discrimination and racism.
had the same rights as whites.
preferred living apart from whites.
Answer: B
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
21
2. Many white southerners who did not own slaves still supported slavery because they knew
that
A.
B.
C.
D.
they would have their own slaves someday.
the South’s economy depended on slave labor.
the Constitution did not ban slavery in the South.
slaveholders were the South’s natural leaders.
Answer: B
3. The great majority of slaves worked as
A.
B.
C.
D.
field hands.
factory workers.
household servants.
skilled craftspeople.
Answer: A
4. Slaveholders used all of these methods to control enslaved African Americans except
A.
B.
C.
D.
keeping slaves ignorant about the world beyond their owner’s land.
threatening severe punishment to slaves who did not obey.
promising slaves their freedom if they worked hard.
treating slaves like grown-up children.
Answer: C
U5.1.2 Describe the role of the Northwest Ordinance and its effect on the banning of
slavery (e.g., the establishment of Michigan as a free state).
1. Which event was most important for the orderly growth of the nation?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Completion of the Wilderness Road.
Passage of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
Creation of the Northwest Territory.
Payment of Revolutionary War veterans.
Answer: B
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2. The Confederation Congress passed the land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest
Ordinance for several reasons. Which of the following is NOT a reason?
A. Congress wanted to outlaw slavery in the Northwest Territory.
B. Congress hand no power to tax and hoped to raise the money it needed by selling land
in the Northwest Territory.
C. Congress wanted to force the Native Americans in the Northwest Territory into a war
by settling in the lands they claimed.
D. Congress wanted to encourage expansion and national growth by setting up
government operations on land outside the existing states.
Answer: C
3. How did the Northwest Ordinance affect slavery?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Slavery was allowed.
Slavery was banned.
It allowed popular sovereignty to decide.
The Northwest Ordinance made no reference to slavery.
Answer: B
4. Why was the Northwest Ordinance important to the growth of the United States?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It set the criteria for statehood.
It outlawed slavery and opened rivers to navigation by all.
It described how the territory was to be governed.
All of the above.
Answer: D
U5.1.3 Describe the competing views of Calhoun, Webster, and Clay on the nature of the
union among the states (e.g., sectionalism, nationalism, federalism, state rights).
1. What effect did the Compromise if 1850 have on slavery?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Congress admitted California as a free state.
Congress passed a stronger law to recapture runaway slaves.
Congress banned the buying and selling of slaves in the nation’s capital.
All of the above are true.
Answer: D
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2. Which part of the Compromise of 1850 created the most controversy during the 1850s?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The admission of California as a free state
The organization of New Mexico and Utah as territories open to slavery
The ending of the slave trade in Washington, D.C.
The passage of a strong fugitive slave law to return runaway slaves to their owners
Answer: D
3. “I wish to speak today, not as a Massachusetts man, nor as a Northern man, but as an
American…… I speak today for the preservation of the Union. Hear me for my cause.”
How did Senator Webster avoid sectionalism in his speech?
A.
B.
C.
D.
He stressed the importance of speaking as an American.
He stressed he was not speaking from a particular state or region.
Both A and B.
None of the above.
Answer: C
4. The Massachusetts political leader who was one of the strongest nationalists in the U.S.
Senate was
A.
B.
C.
D.
John Quincy Adams.
John C. Calhoun.
Robert Hayne.
Daniel Webster.
Answer: D
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U5.1.4 Describe how the following increased sectional tensions
 the Missouri Compromise (1820)
 the Wilmot Proviso (1846)
 the Compromise of 1850 including the Fugitive Slave Act
 the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) and subsequent conflict in Kansas
 the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision (1857)
 changes in the party system (e.g., the death of the Whig party, rise of the Republican
party and division of the Democratic party)
1. “Compromise Enables Maine and Missouri To Enter Union” (1820); “California Admitted to
Union as Free State” (1850); “Kansas-Nebraska Act Sets Up Popular Sovereignty” (1854)
Which issue is reflected in these headlines?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Enactment of protective tariffs
Extension of slavery
Voting rights for minorities
Universal public education
Answer: B
2. The election results shown on this map most clearly reflect the influence of
A. nationalist motives.
B. sectional
differences.
C. political stability.
D. ethnic conflicts.
Answer: B
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3. Which heading best completes the partial outline?
A. Foreign Policies of the United States
B. Government Policies toward Native
American Indians
C. Consequences of Manifest Destiny
D. Causes of Sectional Conflict
I._______________________________
Answer: D
A.
B.
C.
D.
Nullification crisis
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Election of Lincoln (1860)
4. How did the Compromise of 1850 attempt to resolve conflicts over the expansion of slavery?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It called for an end to the slave trade.
It called for a new, more effective fugitive slave law
It urged congress to let California enter the union as a free state.
All of the above.
Answer: D
U5.1.5 Describe the resistance of enslaved people (e.g., Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman and
the Underground Railroad, John Brown, Michigan’s role in the Underground Railroad)
and effects of their actions before and during the Civil War.
1. Nat Turner’s Rebellion was
A.
B.
C.
D.
an attack on planter families led by Nat Turner.
the only way slaves resisted control over their lives.
the first non-violent slave revolt.
a reaction to strengthened slave codes.
Answer: A
2. The most common way slaves resisted slavery was by
A.
B.
C.
D.
killing their owners.
organizing slave uprisings.
finding ways to avoid work.
running away to the North.
Answer: C
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3. Why did John Brown lead an attack on Harpers Ferry?
A.
B.
C.
D.
To get revenge for his brother’s death in Kansas.
To inspire slaves to fight for their freedom.
To gain weapons to fight the Civil War.
To punish the officers who enforced the Fugitive slave Act.
Answer: B
U5.1.6 Describe how major issues debated at the Constitutional Convention such as
disagreements over the distribution of political power, rights of individuals (liberty and
property), rights of states, election of the executive, and slavery help explain the Civil War.
1. Which statement best explains President Abraham Lincoln’s justification for the Civil War?
A. As an abolitionist, President Lincoln wanted to end slavery in the United States.
B. President Lincoln wanted to keep the South economically dependent on the
industrial North.
C. President Lincoln’s oath of office required him to defend and preserve the Union.
D. To keep the support of Great Britain and France, President Lincoln had to try to end
slavery immediately.
Answer: C
2. How did the Supreme Court apply the Bill of Rights to the slavery issue?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It said efforts to ban abolitionists papers violated the First Amendment.
It said congressional bans on slavery violated the Fifth Amendment.
It ruled that freedom of religion did not apply to slaves.
All of above are true.
Answer: B
3. In the Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court ruled that slavery
A.
B.
C.
D.
was a blot on our national character.
could be allowed in the territories.
violated the Fifth Amendment.
should be ended by Congress.
Answer: B
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4. How did Southern leaders justify secession?
A. They claimed that the Declaration of Independence gave Southerners the right to
revolt against an oppressive government.
B. They used john Locke’s theories of natural law and inalienable rights to justify
forming a government that would protect their property.
C. They argued that since each state had voluntarily joined the Union, it had the right to
leave the Union.
D. They cited the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, which protected property owners
against unlawful government attacks on their property.
Answer: C
U5.2.1 Explain the reasons (political, economic, and social) why Southern states seceded
and explain the differences in the timing of secession in the Upper and Lower South.
1. What led many of the southern states to leave the union?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The election of Lincoln.
Fear of growing northern political influence.
Fear that slavery would be abolished or restricted.
All of the above.
Answer: D
2. Why did most southern states decide to form the Confederate States of America after
secession?
A.
B.
C.
D.
To improve relations with the union.
To work together for similar interests.
To protect the civil rights of enslaved people.
To speed the construction of a national railroad.
Answer: B
3. Why did some of the southern states that seceded take so long to make a decision?
A.
B.
C.
D.
They first wanted to get assurances that England would buy their cotton crops.
Most people in these states wanted to support President Abraham Lincoln.
The population of these states was divided on the subject of secession.
These states had plans to emancipate enslaved people in the future.
Answer: C
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4. What occurred before the secession of the southern states?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The Confederacy fought the Battle of Gettysburg.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States.
The Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in Confederate states.
President Abraham Lincoln announced his war aims in the Gettysburg Address.
Answer: B
U5.2.2 Make an argument to explain the reasons why the North won the Civil War by
considering the
 critical events and battles in the war
 the political and military leadership of the North and South
 the respective advantages and disadvantages, including geographic, demographic,
economic and technological
1. The strategic positions of Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri, and Maryland made them of great
importance to
A.
B.
C.
D.
the North.
the South.
both North and South.
neither North nor South.
Answer: C
2. The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point of the war because
A.
B.
C.
D.
it renewed northern confidence that the war can be won.
General Lee surrendered.
the war ended.
Atlanta fell to union forces.
Answer: A
3. Many of the best-known battles of the Civil War took place in which theater of the war?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Western
Eastern
Southern
Northern
Answer: B
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4. Which statement is best supported by the data in the table?
A. The Confederate troops lost the Civil War as a result of their higher numbers of
injuries and fatalities.
B. The Union army had better generals during the Civil War.
C. The Civil War had more casualties than any other war.
D. More soldiers died from disease than from wounds.
Answer: D
U5.2.3 Examine Abraham Lincoln’s presidency with respect to
 his military and political leadership
 the evolution of his emancipation policy (including the Emancipation Proclamation)
 and the role of his significant writings and speeches, including the Gettysburg Address
and its relationship to the Declaration of Independence
1. Early in his Presidency, Abraham Lincoln declared that his primary goal as President was to
A.
B.
C.
D.
enforce the Emancipation Proclamation.
preserve the Union.
end slavery throughout the entire country.
encourage sectionalism.
Answer: B
2. Lincoln’s “Anaconda Plan” for winning the war called for all of the following except
A.
B.
C.
D.
blockade of southern ports to cut off shipping.
dividing the South into sections to weaken the Confederacy.
capturing Richmond to destroy the Confederate government.
assassinating Jefferson Davis to leave the Confederacy without a leader.
Answer: D
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3. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation declared
A.
B.
C.
D.
all slaves to be forever free.
slaves in Union slave states to be free.
slaves in Confederate states to be free.
slaves in U.S. territories to be free.
Answer: C
4. “A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure
permanently half slave and half free.”
-Abraham Lincoln, 1858
According to this quotation, Abraham Lincoln believed that
A.
B.
C.
D.
slavery was immoral and should be abolished immediately.
sectional differences threatened to destroy the Union.
the Southern states should be allowed to secede.
to save the nation, the North should compromise with the South on slavery.
Answer: B
U5.2.4 Describe the role of African Americans in the war, including black soldiers and
regiments, and the increased resistance of enslaved peoples.
1. What inspired African Americans to enlist in the Union Army?
A. They hoped that fighting the war would convince Lincoln to issue the Emancipation
Proclamation.
B. The Emancipation Proclamation made ending slavery a goal of the war.
C. The government offered African Americans the same pay as white soldiers if they
would enlist.
D. The government offered all African American soldiers land in the West after the war
is over.
Answer: B
2. Which one of the statements below describes the 54th Massachusetts Regiment?
A. The regiment won fame for fighting bravely at Fort Wagner.
B. The regiment was a group of African American soldiers who fought without pay,
instead of accepting less pay than white soldiers.
C. The regiment increased the popularity and the enlistment of African American
soldiers in the union army.
D. All of the above.
Answer: D
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3. During the Civil War, northern black leaders such as Frederick Douglass worked as army
recruiting agents because they believed that
A.
B.
C.
D.
it was the best way to prevent blacks from being drafted.
blacks were more resistant to the diseases that ravaged white soldiers.
blacks would get to see their loved ones in the South only by fighting for the Union.
black participation in the army would be a step toward black citizenship.
Answer: D
4. Free blacks served in the Southern army and navy but were discriminated against by
A.
B.
C.
D.
being assigned dangerous missions.
being separated from white soldiers.
not being allowed to carry weapons.
having untrained commanders.
Answer: B
U5.2.5 Construct generalizations about how the war affected combatants, civilians
(including the role of women), the physical environment, and the future of warfare,
including technological developments.
1. A major result of the Civil War was that the
A.
B.
C.
D.
economic system of the South came to dominate the United States economy.
Federal Government’s power over the States was strengthened.
members of Congress from Southern States gained control of the legislative branch.
nation’s industrial development came to a standstill.
Answer: B
2. The Civil War affected the northern economy by
A.
B.
C.
D.
causing a severe depression.
increasing unemployment rates.
decreasing demand for agricultural products.
stimulating industrialization.
Answer: D
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3. Which statement is best supported by the data in the table?
A. The Confederate troops lost the Civil War as a result of their higher numbers of
injuries and fatalities.
B. The Union army had better generals during the Civil War.
C. The Civil War had more casualties than any other war.
D. More soldiers died from disease than from wounds.
Answer: D
4. The North’s rapid economic growth during the Civil War was stimulated by
A.
B.
C.
D.
the elimination of taxes on defense industries.
a reduction in the number of immigrants.
increased government demand for many products.
enslaved persons filling industrial jobs.
Answer: C
U5.3.1 Describe the different positions concerning the reconstruction of Southern society
and the nation, including the positions of President Abraham Lincoln, President Andrew
Johnson, Republicans, and African Americans.
1. After the Civil War, Lincoln supported a mild Reconstruction of the South. Which group
favored a much harsher reconstruction plan in the South?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Ku Klux Klan
Democrats
Radical Republicans
Moderate Republicans
Answer: C
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33
2. Which of the following accurately describes the effect of Lincoln’s assassination in 1865 on
Reconstruction?
A. Lincoln’s assassination stalled Reconstruction; nothing was done to rebuild the South
until 1870.
B. The assassination did not affect Reconstruction policies.
C. Reconstruction was harsher toward freed slaves than Lincoln envisioned it.
D. Reconstruction was less malicious toward the rebels than Lincoln would have liked.
Answer: C
3. After the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination, what did President Johnson decide to do
with the abandoned plantation lands in the South?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Take them for the U.S. government.
Give them back to their former owners.
Give them to poor whites and former slaves.
Divide them among the freed slaves.
Answer: B
4. What was the main purpose of the Reconstruction Amendments?
A.
B.
C.
D.
To free and grant basic rights to slaves.
To punish the southern states for seceding.
To admit three more states into the Union.
To rebuild cities that the war had destroyed.
Answer: A
U5.3.2 Describe the early responses to the end of the Civil War by describing the
 policies of the Freedmen’s Bureau
 restrictions placed on the rights and opportunities of freedmen, including racial
segregation and Black Codes
1. All of the following are policies of the Freedom’s Bureau except
A.
B.
C.
D.
building schools and providing education.
distributing food to the poor.
providing assistance to African American War veterans.
creating parks and recreation facilities.
Answer: D
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2. “[The registrar] brought a big old book out there, and he gave me the sixteenth section of the
Constitution of Mississippi, . . . I could copy it like it was in the book, but after I got through
copying it, he told me to give a reasonable interpretation and tell the meaning of the section I
had copied. Well, I flunked out.”
Source: A History of the United States since 1861
The main intent of the literacy test described in the passage was to
A.
B.
C.
D.
encourage reform of the political system.
encourage Mississippi residents to learn about their state’s legal system.
prevent African Americans from exercising a basic right.
enforce the provisions of the United States Constitution.
Answer: C
3. “Although important strides were made, Reconstruction failed to provide lasting guarantees
of the civil rights of the freedmen.” Which evidence best supports this statement?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Passage of Jim Crow laws in the latter part of the 19th century.
Ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments.
Refusal of Southern States to allow sharecropping.
Passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1866.
Answer: A
4. Which statement best summarizes the beliefs of Booker T. Washington?
A. The best solution for African Americans was to return to Africa.
B. Social equality for African Americans would be easier to achieve than legal rights.
C. The way to dissolve the barriers of segregation and bring about an end to Jim Crow
laws was by active, violent resistance.
D. The most immediate means for African Americans to achieve equality was to expand
their opportunities for vocational education.
Answer: D
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U5.3.3 Describe the new role of African Americans in local, state and federal government
in the years after the Civil War and the resistance of Southern whites to this change,
including the Ku Klux Klan.
1. The poll tax, the literacy test, and the actions of the Ku Klux Klan were all attempts to limit
the effectiveness of
A.
B.
C.
D.
the 14th and 15th amendments.
the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
civil rights legislation passed in all states after the Civil War.
immigration laws such as the Gentleman’s Agreement and the Chinese Exclusion
Act.
Answer: A
2. “[The registrar] brought a big old book out there, and he gave me the sixteenth section of the
constitution of Mississippi, . . . I could copy it like it was in the book, but after I got through
copying it, he told me to give a reasonable interpretation and tell the meaning of the section I
had copied. Well, I flunked out.”
Source: A History of the United States since 1861
The main intent of the literacy test described in the passage was to
A.
B.
C.
D.
encourage reform of the political system.
encourage Mississippi residents to learn about their state’s legal system.
prevent African Americans from exercising a basic right.
enforce the provisions of the United States Constitution.
Answer: C
3. The Jim Crow Laws of the post Civil-War Era were attempts by
A. the Federal Government to improve the status of African Americans and Native
American Indians.
B. state and local governments to restrict the freedoms of African Americans.
C. states to ban organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan.
D. the Radical Republicans in Congress to carry out Reconstruction plans.
Answer: B
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4. The label “Solid South” was applied to the former Confederate States after Reconstruction
because they
A.
B.
C.
D.
consistently supported the Democratic Party.
could not participate in national politics.
rejected efforts to pass Jim Crow laws.
continued to support abolitionist causes.
Answer: A
U5.3.4 Analyze the intent and the effect of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth
Amendments to the Constitution.
1. The 14th amendment provides that no “state [shall] deprive any person of life, liberty, or
property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.” A direct result of this amendment was that
A.
B.
C.
D.
the process of amending the Constitution became slower and more complex.
the guarantees in the Bill of Rights were applied to state actions.
every citizen gained an absolute right to freedom of speech and assembly.
the power of the Federal Government was sharply reduced.
Answer: B
2. After the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, African Americans continued to
experience political and economic oppression mainly because
A.
B.
C.
D.
the amendments were not intended to solve their problems.
many African Americans distrusted the federal government.
southern legislatures enacted Jim Crow laws.
poor communications kept people from learning their legal rights.
Answer: C
3. What do the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments have in common?
A.
B.
C.
D.
They increased the rights of African Americans.
They grew out of Johnson’s vision of Reconstruction.
They led to a decrease in the power of the federal government.
They were vetoed by Andrew Johnson.
Answer: A
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4. Slavery became illegal throughout the United States with passage of the
A.
B.
C.
D.
Thirteenth Amendment.
Fourteenth Amendment.
Fifteenth Amendment.
Civil Rights Act of 1866.
Answer: A
U5.3.5 Explain the decision to remove Union troops in 1877 and describe its impact on
Americans.
1. “Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.”-Brown v. Board of Education
The effect of this Supreme Court ruling was to
A.
B.
C.
D.
establish affirmative action programs in higher education.
require the integration of public schools.
desegregate the armed forces and the military academies.
force states to spend an equal amount on each public school student.
Answer: B
2. After the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, African Americans continued to
experience political and economic oppression mainly because
A.
B.
C.
D.
the amendments were not intended to solve their problems.
many African Americans distrusted the Federal Government.
Southern legislatures enacted Jim Crow laws.
poor communications kept people from learning about their legal rights.
Answer: C
3. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed in an effort to correct
A.
B.
C.
D.
racial and gender discrimination.
limitations on freedom of speech.
unfair immigration quotas.
segregation in the armed forces.
Answer: A
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4. In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court ruled that
A.
B.
C.
D.
states may not secede from the Union.
all western territories should be open to slavery.
racial segregation was constitutional.
slaves are property and may not be taken from their owners.
Answer: C
U6.1.1 America at Century’s End –Compare and contrast the United States in 1800 with
the United States in 1898 focusing on similarities and differences in
 territory, including the size of the United States and land use
 population, including immigration, reactions to immigrants, and the changing
demographic structure of rural and urban America
 systems of transportation (canals and railroads, including the Transcontinental
Railroad), and their impact on the economy and society
 governmental policies promoting economic development (e.g., tariffs, banking, land
grants and mineral rights, the Homestead Act)
 economic change, including industrialization, increased global competition, and their
impact on conditions of farmers and industrial workers
 the treatment of African Americans, including the rise of segregation in the South as
endorsed by the Supreme Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, and the response of
African Americans
 the policies toward American Indians, including removal, reservations, the Dawes Act
of 1887, and the response of American Indians.
1. The passage of the Homestead Act and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad
helped to fulfill the United States commitment to
A.
B.
C.
D.
Reconstruction.
racial equality.
manifest destiny.
conservation of natural resources.
Answer: C
2. In the late 1800’s, the goal of the Federal Government’s policy toward Native American
Indians was to
A.
B.
C.
D.
destroy tribal bonds and thus weaken their traditional cultural values.
grant them full citizenship and due process.
give their tribal groups authority over their own affairs.
increase the land holdings of western tribes.
Answer: A
Eighth Grade Social Studies Assessments – May 2009
39
3. After the Civil War, one way business leaders tried to eliminate competition was by
A.
B.
C.
D.
forming monopolies or trusts.
developing overseas markets.
increasing the prices of their products.
paying high wages to their workers.
Answer: A
4. In the 19th century, the major national labor unions wanted to improve the position of
workers mainly by
A.
B.
C.
D.
obtaining the legal right to organize and bargain collectively.
using government troops to settle labor disputes with management.
supporting government ownership of major industries.
endorsing a third political party for workers only.
Answer: A
5. In the late 19th century, the pattern of United States immigration changed in that
A. far fewer immigrants arrived in the United States than in previous years.
B. most immigrants chose to settle in the rural, farming regions of the western United
States.
C. increasing numbers of immigrants came from eastern and southern Europe.
D. most immigrants were political refugees.
Answer: C
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U6.2.1 United States History Investigation Topic and Issue Analysis, Past and Present –
Use historical perspectives to analyze issues in the United States from the past and the
present; conduct research on a historical issue or topic, identify a connection to a
contemporary issue, and present findings (e.g., oral, visual, video, or electronic
presentation, persuasive essay, or research paper); include causes and consequences of the
historical action and predict possible consequences of the contemporary action.
Examples of Investigation Topics and Questions (and examples from United States History)
Balance of Power - How has the nation addressed tensions between state and federal
governmental power? (e.g., Articles of Confederation, U.S. Constitution, states’ rights
issues, secession, others)
Liberty vs. Security – How has the nation balanced liberty interests with security interests?
(e.g., Alien and Sedition Acts, suspension of habeas corpus during the Civil War)
The Government and Social Change - How have governmental policies, the actions of
reformers, and economic and demographic changes affected social change? (e.g.,
abolitionist movement, women’s movement, Reconstruction policies)
Movement of People - How has the nation addressed the movement of people into and
within the United States? (e.g., American Indians, immigrants)
P3.1.1 Identify, research, analyze, discuss, and defend a position on a national public policy
issue.
 Identify a national public policy issue.
 Clearly state the issue as a question of public policy orally or in written form.
 Use inquiry methods to trace the origins of the issue and to acquire data about the
issue.
 Generate and evaluate alternative resolutions to the public issue and analyze various
perspectives (causes, consequences, positive and negative impact) on the issue.
 Identify and apply core democratic values or constitutional principles.
 Share and discuss findings of research and issue analysis in group discussions and
debates.
 Compose a persuasive essay justifying the position with a reasoned argument.
 Develop an action plan to address or inform others about the issue
P4.2.1 Demonstrate knowledge of how, when, and where individuals would plan and
conduct activities intended to advance views in matters of public policy, report the results,
and evaluate effectiveness.
P4.2.2 Engage in activities intended to contribute to solving a national or international
problem studied.
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P4.2.3 Participate in projects to help or inform others (e.g., service learning projects).
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