Name
Date
WKCE Practice Test 2
Directions: Read the following questions and choose the best answer from the four alternatives.
53 The first European explorers of the New
World were looking for
55 The effects of Spanish colonization can still
be seen especially in which part of the
United States?
A land for farming.
B places to establish colonies.
A Southwest
C a direct sea route to Asia.
B Northwest
D a direct sea route to Africa.
C Midwest
D Northeast
54 What physical features of the New World
attracted explorers and settlers from Europe?
A its plentiful supply of fur-bearing animals
B its vast forests and land for farming
C its gold and silver
D all of the above
56 Descendants of early French immigrants to
North America who live in Louisiana are
known as
A Mestizos.
B Cajuns.
C Puritans.
Copyright © McDougal Littell
D Loyalists.
Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam
115
Name
Date
WKCE Practice Test 2
Directions: The chart below describes how key ideas from the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights,
the Declaration of Independence, and the Federalist Papers influenced the U.S. system of government.
Review this chart and then answer the questions on the next page.
Key Ideas in Historic Documents
English Bill of Rights
• King or queen cannot cancel laws or impose taxes
without Parliament’s approval.
• Free elections to Parliament and regular meetings
of Parliament are guaranteed.
• Excessive fines and cruel punishment for crimes
are forbidden.
• People have the right to complain to the king or
queen in Parliament without being arrested.
• Established the principle that government should
be based on laws, not a ruler’s decrees.
Declaration of Independence
• States that all men are created equal and have
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Outlines these political principles:
governments exist to protect people’s rights,
governments get their power from the consent of
the governed, people have the right to overthrow
a government that tramples on their rights.
Federalist Papers
• Argued that the Constitution protects people’s
rights by weakening the power of any particular
group so they cannot dominate.
• Argued that the checks and balances system in the
the Constitution would create a strong central
government while still protecting states’ rights.
116
The three rights listed are protected by the Bill of
Rights in the U.S. Constitution. The framers of the
Constitution gave Congress, an elected body, the
power to impose taxes.
The U.S. system of government is based on the U.S.
Constitution, which includes similar protections and
guarantees and reflects the principle of rule of law.
The ideas that all people are created equal and that
they have natural rights provided the basis for later
Constitutional amendments that extended equal
rights to minorities. Popular sovereignty—the idea
that government gets its power from the people—
is a basic principle of the U.S. Constitution.
These arguments helped get the Constitution
ratified and are still important today in interpreting
the Constitution.
Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam
Copyright © McDougal Littell
Magna Carta
• right to be secure in your property
• right to due process of law
• right to trial by jury
• no taxation without approval of a council
Influence on U.S. System of Government
Name
Date
WKCE Practice Test 2
Directions: Read the following questions and choose the best answer from among the four alternatives.
57 Which of the following rights listed in
the Magna Carta is part of the U.S. Bill
of Rights?
59 Which of the following basic principles of
the U.S. Constitution was stated in the
Declaration of Independence?
A freedom of religion
A federalism
B freedom of speech
B popular sovereignty
C right to trial by jury
C checks and balances
D freedom of the press
D separation of powers
58 The English Bill of Rights established a
principle that guides the U.S. system of
government. This principle is that government should
A be based on the rule of law.
60 How do the Federalist Papers influence the
operation of the U.S. government today?
A They are used to amend the Constitution.
B They are used to justify federalism.
B be based on federalism.
C They are used to interpret the
Constitution.
C divide power among different groups.
D all of the above
Copyright © McDougal Littell
D include a parliament.
Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam
117
Name
Date
WKCE Practice Test 2
Directions: The following chart provides a definition, examples, and discussion of unalienable rights.
Review this chart and then answer the questions on the next page.
Unalienable Rights
Definition: rights that can’t be taken away
Examples
Discussion
The term unalienable rights comes from the
Declaration of Independence, which states that
they include the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness. The idea of unalienable rights comes
from the English philosopher John Locke,
who influenced Thomas Jefferson in writing the
Declaration of of Independence. Locke wrote that all
people possessed “the same natural rights of life,
liberty, and property.” According to Locke, these
rights were God-given, and all people were equal in
possessing them. Jefferson did not include the
ownership of property as an unalienable right.
Copyright © McDougal Littell
• right to life
• right to liberty
• right to pursue happiness
118
Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam
Name
Date
WKCE Practice Test 2
Directions: Read the following questions and choose the best answer from the four alternatives.
61 Which of the following is the best definition
of unalienable rights?
63 Another term for unalienable rights is
A natural rights.
A rights that aliens possess
B legal rights.
B rights that cannot be taken away
C civil rights.
C rights that are protected by written law
D equal rights.
D rights listed in the U.S. Constitution
62 Which of the following is an unalienable
right identified in the Declaration of
Independence?
64 Which of the following is a right that John
Locke identified but that Thomas Jefferson
did not include in the Declaration of
Independence?
A ownership of property
B liberty
B right to bear arms
C pursuit of happiness
C freedom of assembly
D all of the above
D freedom of the press
Copyright © McDougal Littell
A life
Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam
119
Name
Date
WKCE Practice Test 2
Directions: Use the information in the passage and your knowledge of social studies to answer the
following questions.
Throughout much of American history, protective tariffs have sparked political debate. Most manufacturers and their workers, particularly in the North, have favored such tariffs. Farmers and Southern
planters, who relied on foreign markets for the sale of their farm products, usually opposed tariffs. As
American industries grew stronger, however, support for tariffs weakened. Since 1948, the United States
has worked with other nations to lower tariffs on industrial goods. Once highly controversial, by the
1990s, free trade had become the official political position of both Democrats and Republicans.
65 Traditionally, farmers and Southern planters usually opposed tariffs because
A they wanted their goods to stay in the United States.
B they were against the American industrialists.
C they relied on foreign markets for the sale of their products.
D they believed in free trade.
66 Free trade agreements with foreign nations became the official political position of both Democrats
and Republicans as
A industries grew stronger and support for tariffs weakened.
B Southern planters stopped relying on foreign markets.
C protective tariffs were opposed by foreign governments.
Copyright © McDougal Littell
D the last world war came to an end.
120
Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam