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8th Grade American History: Final Exam Study Guide
Chapter 1, section 3: “Tools of History”
1. What is a primary source? What are examples of primary sources?
2. What is a secondary source? What are examples of secondary sources?
3. How can bias impact the reliability of a source?
Chapter 3: Exploration and Colonization
4. What was the Columbian Exchange? What were some new things introduced to the Native Americans by Europeans? What were some of the new things introduced to the Europeans by the Native Americans?
5. What was the motivation for exploration by European countries such as England, Spain, and the Netherlands?
6. What impact did European exploration and colonization have on Native Americans?
7. What were the origins of the representative government in the English colonies?
Chapter 4: The Thirteen Colonies
8. Briefly describe the three regions of the 13 colonies: (focus on their climate and economy)
a. New England
b. Middle
c. Southern
Chapter 5: Road to the Revolution
9. What caused the French and Indian War? What was the impact of the war?
10. What did King George III and the British Parliament decide to do to help pay for the cost of the French and Indian War?
11. How did the colonists react to the British taxes? What was their reason to oppose the taxes?
12. Identify the following and their impact:
a. Proclamation Line of 1763
b. Stamp Act & Stamp Act Congress
c. Boston Tea Party
d. Intolerable Acts
e. First Continental Congress
13. How did the colonists protest the British?
14. What happened at Lexington and Concord?
Chapter 6: The American Revolution
15. What were the colonists’ arguments (3) in the Declaration of Independence for separation from Britain?
16. Why did Thomas Paine write Common Sense? What impact did it have on the colonists?
17. What were the advantages and disadvantages of the American army? British army?
18. What was the turning point of the Revolution? Why was it a turning point?
19. Why did France decide to help the Continental Army and how did they help? Who went to France to convince them to help?
20. Why was the American army victorious over the superior British army in the Revolution?
Chapter 7: Creating a Republic
21. What fears did the new nation have when creating their first government? What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
22. What was the difference between the Virginia and New Jersey plans? What was the Great Compromise that solved the issue?
23. Who were the Federalists and Antifederalists? What were their arguments?
24. Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?
Chapter 8: The Constitution
25. What is the Preamble of the Constitution?
26. What are the main roles of the three branches of government?
a. Executive
b. Legislature
c. Judicial
27. Identify the following principles that are part of the Constitution:
a. Popular sovereignty
b. Checks and balances
c. Limited government
d. Federalism
28. How can the Constitution be changed? Why was this process included by the Founding Fathers?
29. What rights are protected by the Bill of Rights?
Chapter 9: Launching the New Government
30. What challenges did Washington face as the first President?
31. What impact did Washington’s presidency have on the role of the federal government?
32. What were some of the precedents set by Washington? What did he recommend that the U.S. do regarding foreign policy?
33. What caused the first two political parties to form? What were they?
34. How did Hamilton plan to reduce the National debt? Why did he want to create a national bank?
35. How were Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton different? (what were their differing political views?)
36. Identify the following and their impact
a. Alien and Sedition Acts – what was the reaction to these acts?
b. Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
Chapter 10: The Age of Jefferson
37. Describe Jefferson’s democratic style as president
38. What was the impact of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Marbury v. Madison?
39. Identify and describe the impact of the following:
a. Louisiana Purchase
· Was it constitutional?
b. Lewis and Clark Expedition
40. What were the results of the War of 1812?
Chapter 11: The Nation Grows and Prospers
41. Describe the changes caused by the Industrial Revolution. What was the impact of the Industrial Revolution on American life? What role did immigrants play in the Industrial Revolution?
42. Why did America need improved transportation? How did transportation improve in the early 1800s?
43. What was sectionalism? How were the regions of the country different?
Chapter 12: Age of Jackson
44. Describe the results and conflict of the election of 1824.
45. Who was Andrew Jackson? Describe his background and policies. How did Jackson reflect the “growing spirit of democracy”?
46. How was Jackson criticized?
47. What is a protective tariff?
48. Explain Jackson’s policies, actions and the impact of the following during his administration
a. Spoils System
b. The National Bank
c. Tariff of 1828 and the Nullification Crisis
d. Indian Removal and the Trail of Tears
e. Worcester v. Georgia
Chapter 13: Westward Expansion
49. What attracted settles to the following regions and how did the U.S. acquire these areas?
a. Oregon Territory
b. California
50. What caused the revolt for Texan Independence? What challenges did the new republic face?
51. What was the significance of the Alamo in the Texan war for independence?
52. Explain the belief of Manifest Destiny. Why did some people oppose manifest destiny?
53. What were the causes of the war with Mexico?
54. What were the results of the Mexican War? Why did some Americans oppose the war with Mexico?
55. Why did the Mormons move west to Utah?
56. What was the California Gold Rush? What impact did this have on California and its population?
Chapter 14: North and South
57. Describe the overall differences between the North and the South
a. Economy:
b. Political beliefs:
c. Culture and society (Describe the people who lived and worked there):
58. Why did the regions develop so differently?
59. What was the impact of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin?
Chapter 15: Reform and A New American Culture
60. What were the reform movements emerging in the early to mid-1800s?
61. What was the Seneca Falls Convention? What was the result of the convention?
62. Identify the role of the following people in the abolition movement:
a. Harriet Tubman
b. Frederick Douglass
c. The Grimke Sisters
d. Sojourner Truth
63. How did slaves resist the institution of slavery?
a. Describe the Underground Railroad.
b. What were slave codes and why were they written throughout the South?
Chapter 16: Slavery Divides the Nation
64. What was the main conflict over new territories as they entered the Union?
65. Identify the following and their impact:
a. Missouri Compromise
b. Compromise of 1850
c. Kansas Nebraska Act – “Bleeding Kansas”
66. What was the goal of the Free Soil Party?
67. What was the goal of the Republican Party for slavery? Who did they nominate for President in 1860?
68. What was the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850? How did Northerners and Southerners respond to the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850? What did Harriet Beecher Stowe do in reaction to the new law?
69. What was the significance of the Lincoln/Douglas Debates? What was Lincoln’s “House Divided” speech – what did he say?
70. What was the Supreme Court ruling in the Dred Scott case? How did Northerners and Southerners react to the ruling and how did increase tensions in the country?
71. Who won the Election of 1860? How did regional differences influence the election results? How did the South react?
72. Overall why did the southern states secede from the Union? How did they argue that they were able to secede?
73. What was Lincoln’s position regarding secession?
Chapter 17: The Civil War
74. What were the advantages and disadvantages for each side at the start of the Civil War?
Confederacy: Union:
75. What were the goals for each side at the start of the Civil War?
Confederacy: Union:
76. Identify the following and their impact on the Civil War:
a. Abraham Lincoln
b. Jefferson Davis
c. Robert E. Lee
d. Battle of Gettysburg
e. Gettysburg Address
f. Battle of Vicksburg
g. Ulysses S. Grant
h. total war
77. What was the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation?
78. What role did women and African Americans play in the Civil War?
79. What was the impact of the war on the economies of both sides?
Confederate Economy: Union Economy: