8th Grade Social Studies Practice Benchmark

Which of the following eras in United
States history was set apart by such
individuals as Patrick Henry, Paul Revere,
Ethan Allen, and Samuel Adams who
sought to create an independent American
republic?
1. Westward Expansion
2. Reconstruction
3. Revolutionary
4. Civil War
Which of the following completes the chart
above?
1. I. Mercantile system produces large
  profits for Europe/ II. Revolutionary
2. I. United States creates a bicameral
  legislature/ II. Constitutional
3. I. Southern states secede to form the
  Confederacy/ II. Civil War
4. I. United States suppresses Shays's
  Rebellion/ II. Constitutional
Which of these events occurred FIRST?
1. Declaration of Independence written
2. Navigation Acts passed
3. Bill of Rights ratified
4. Stamp Act passed
Which of these is one reason the British
government created the Proclamation Line
of 1763?
1. To stop the movement of plantations
  and slaves into the Ohio Valley
2. To create an area of colonies for
  people held in British prisons and
  jails
3. To prevent conflict between
  colonists and Native Americans in
  the Ohio Valley
4. To allow officials to plan an orderly
  process of making colonies in the
  Ohio Valley
Whose name belongs in the blank space?
1. Ethan Allen, leader of the 'Green
  Mountain Boys'
2. Marquis de Lafayette, leader of
  French troops
3. Lord Cornwallis, surrendered
  British forces
4. John Paul Jones, naval hero
The MOST important accomplishment of
the Second Continental Congress was the
—
1. approval of the Bill of Rights
2. abolition of slavery in the North
3. creation of the Declaration of
  Independence
4. adoption of a peace treaty with
  Great Britain
In response to actions in the Boston Tea
Party, Great Britain passed the Intolerable
Acts. These acts closed the port of Boston
and replaced the colonial government with
a with a royal governor. Colonists were also
forced to ____________. As a result, the
____________ took place.
1. quarter troops/ Second Continental
  Congress
2. import British goods/ Hartford
  Convention
3. quarter troops/ First Continental
  Congress
4. pay new taxes/Albany Convention
As a result of the Battle of Saratoga, France
began to —
1. secretly provide aid to the Britain
2. reduce their involvement in the war
3. boycott goods exported from the
  colonies
4. openly send military aid to the
  United States
Which of the following statements was first
made at the Second Continental Congress?
1. These are the times that try men's
  souls.
2. This meeting can do no more to
  save the country.
3. We the people…do ordain and
  establish…the United States of
  America.
4. These United Colonies are, and of
  right ought to be, free and
  independent states.
Why was the Battle of Saratoga the turning
point in the Revolutionary War?
1. Americans were defeated by the
  British.
2. Native Americans sided with the
  Loyalists.
3. France stopped supplying the
  American army.
4. Americans gained confidence that
  they could defeat Britain.
Which of the following would have been a
product taxed under the Stamp Act?
1. A shipment of tobacco bound for
  Great Britain
2. A wardrobe of new dresses from
  France
3. A keg of tea from the Orient
4. A book by Thomas Paine
Which European country aided the
Continental Army in the Battle of
Yorktown?
1. France
2. Spain
3. Germany
4. Italy
Though the militia was forced to retreat,
why do historians consider the Battle of
Bunker Hill a victory for the Americans?
1. The Americans destroyed most of
  the British navy before retreating.
2. American spies intercepted British
  military messages during the battle.
3. The militia learned how to operate
  new cannons by watching the
  British soldiers.
4. Heavy British casualties showed
  that the militia could fight against a
  well-trained army.
I was sent to alert the militia in the
Massachusetts countryside that British
troops were on the way to Concord.

Who am I?
1. Paul Revere
2. Samuel Adams
3. Lord Cornwallis
4. George Washington
Which of the following was a major
challenge the British Army faced in the
American Revolution?
1. Long supply lines
2. Desertion of soldiers
3. Inexperienced troops
4. Lack of naval support
Following the U.S. victory at the Battle of
Saratoga, the Americans were helped by —
1. a brief interruption of hostilities
2. an open military alliance with
  France
3. a call in Parliament for an end to the
  war
4. Canadian volunteers who joined
  their cause
Which of the following best completes the
diagram?
1. Situations contributing to the War of
  1812.
2. Complaints expressed in the U.S.
  Constitution.
3. Circumstances leading to the
  Revolutionary War.
4. Reasons given for writing the
  Articles of Confederation.
Which of the following was taxed by the
Stamp Act of 1765 and which group of
people did the act affect?
1. Furniture: Woodcutters
2. Firearms: Blacksmiths
3. Documents: Lawyers
4. Food: Bakers
Which of the following is described above?
1. Tea Act
2. Stamp Act
3. Navigation Acts
4. Intolerable Acts
Following the French and Indian War,
Britain insisted that the American colonies
help pay Britain's war debts. How did their
insistence result in events leading up to the
Revolutionary War?
1. Patriots refused to pay the taxes
  demanded by the British Parliament.
2. Tories began migrating to Canada to
  escape British persecution.
3. Mercantilist policies were
  abandoned by the British
  Parliament.
4. The British granted the rebels
  complete independence.
The Intolerable Acts differed from previous
British legislation in that they —
1. taxed the colonists to raise revenue
  for the crown.
2. threatened war if the demands were
  not met.
3. punished the colonists for breaking
  the law.
4. imposed high tariffs upon colonial
  goods
Intolerable Acts
- Closed the Port of Boston
- Allowed the quartering of troops in
private homes
- Allowed accused British officials to be
tried in England
- Required public officials to be appointed
by the royal governor
What was the general purpose of the
Intolerable Acts?
1. To create a new colony near Boston
2. To make an example of
  Massachusetts
3. To build support for a war in the
  colonies
4. To increase support for western
  settlement
What was the main purpose of boycotts in
colonial America?
1. To protest taxation without
  representation
2. To disrupt trade with foreign nations
3. To prove the effectiveness of home
  rule
4. To decrease the power of English
  merchants
One advantage that the Americans had over
the British during the American Revolution
was that the —
1. American army was highly
  disciplined.
2. British troops used guerrilla warfare
  tactics.
3. British army was simultaneously at
  war with Spain.
4. American militiamen fought on their
  home territory.
What was the main purpose of the
Navigation Acts passed by Parliament?
1. To fund the building of new
  merchant ships
2. To protect English merchants from
  competition
3. To encourage colonial trade with
  foreign suppliers
4. To authorize the British Navy to
  defend colonial ships
The major factor contributing to the British
surrender at Yorktown was the —
1. presence of the French navy.
2. need for British troops elsewhere.
3. deterioration of British
  fortifications.
4. Colonial success in taking New
  York.
Which of the following was a major
contribution France made during the
Revolutionary War?
1. They blockaded New England.
2. They attacked British troops in
  Quebec.
3. They negotiated the release of
  British prisoners.
4. They provided military leadership to
  the United States.
Which Revolutionary War battle resulted in
the United States receiving support from
France?
1. Lexington
2. Yorktown
3. Bunker Hill
4. Saratoga

8th Grade Practice Benchmark

2nd Nine Weeks