Social Studies Fall Benchmark Review

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Options: A, B, C, D

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C

Answer explanation

The Louisiana Purchase was made in 1803 and resulted in the United States gaining a large amount of territory west of the Mississippi River. This negotiated agreement with France resulted in the United States roughly doubling in size. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and interpret information from maps.

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Options: F, G, H, J

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Correct Answer: J

Answer explanation

Separation of powers refers to the division of power among the three branches of government. The diagram shows these branches and the primary power given to each by the U.S. Constitution. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and interpret information from a diagram.

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Options: A, B, C, D

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B

Answer explanation

The economy of the Southern states relied on the production of cash crops such as cotton. To increase their profits, Southern plantation owners chose to rely on the forced labor of unpaid, enslaved people. Using the labor of enslaved people maximized profits for Southern plantation owners. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to contrast two regions of the United States.

Front

.Options: F, G, H, J

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J

Answer explanation

After Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts in 1774, delegates from the colonies met in what became known as the First Continental Congress. During the First Continental Congress, the delegates organized unified resistance to the acts. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to identify cause- and-effect relationships.

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Back

G

Answer explanation

Virginia had hot summers and mild winters, which provided a suitable climate for large-scale farming of tobacco. Furthermore, the rivers of Virginia and the fertile soil supported the cultivation of cash crops such as tobacco. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to draw conclusions.

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Options: A, B, C, D

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A

Answer explanation

Due process requires that legal matters be resolved according to established rules and principles. In the United States, the rights to a speedy and public trial, an impartial jury, and legal counsel are due-process rights that have been established either through constitutional amendment or U.S. Supreme Court decisions. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to categorize information.

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Options: A, B, C, D

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A

Answer explanation

The English Bill of Rights listed the rights of citizens, such as the right to free speech. This idea of listing the rights of the people and guaranteeing certain rights such as free speech influenced the framers of the U.S. Constitution. The Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution therefore reflects the influence of the English Bill of Rights. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to identify cause-and-effect relationships.

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Options: F, G, H, J

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F

Answer explanation

The Three-Fifths Compromise determined that three-fifths of a state’s enslaved people would be counted as part of the population when determining representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Options: A, B, C, D

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B

Answer explanation

The three headlines describe situations in which states claimed their rights against the federal government. Both Kentucky and South Carolina claimed the right to declare a federal law null and void, thought the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the theory of nullification by the states. The delegates at the Hartford Convention debated their rights to secede and to amend the Constitution based on their interpretation of states’ rights. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to compare information.

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Options: F, G, H, J

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J

Answer explanation

The First Amendment protects the right of individuals to practice the religion of their choice. The fact that evangelists led religious meetings in New England without fear of arrest or persecution demonstrates how the First Amendment protected the freedom of religion. For this item, the student applies critical-thinking skills to draw a conclusion.