Social Studies Grade 8 Unit 01 Assessment Items: Exploration and Colonization
2014-2015
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08/12/14
1 Which of the following was a chief economic cause for colonization in the Americas?
A Slavery
B
Mercantilism
C
Industrialization
D Plantation system
2 Which of the following sequence of events is in correct chronological order?
F
Establishment of the Virginia House of Burgesses
Founding of Jamestown
Signing of the Mayflower Compact
Writing of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
G
Founding of Jamestown
Establishment of the Virginia House of Burgesses
Signing of the Mayflower Compact
Writing of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
H
Founding of Jamestown
Signing of the Mayflower Compact
Writing of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
Establishment of the Virginia House of Burgesses
J
Signing of the Mayflower Compact
Founding of Jamestown
Establishment of the Virginia House of Burgesses
Writing of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
3 Which colony was founded in 1607?
A Jamestown
B
Pennsylvania
C
Rhode Island
D Roanoke
4 Which of the following was a motivation for British colonization in North America?
F
Escape famine
G
Exploit Indian labor
H
Seek religious freedom
J
Develop vast plantations
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Sixteenth-century England was a tumultuous place. Because they could make more money from
selling wool than from selling food, many of the nation’s landowners were converting farmers’ fields
into pastures for sheep. This led to a food shortage; at the same time, many agricultural workers
lost their jobs.
The 16th century was also the age of mercantilism, an extremely competitive economic philosophy
that pushed European nations to acquire as many colonies as they could. As a result, for the most
part, the English colonies in North America were business ventures. They provided an outlet for
England’s surplus population and (in some cases) more religious freedom than England did, but
their primary purpose was to make money for their sponsors.
—“The Thirteen Colonies," 2010
http://www.history.com (accessed July 22, 2014)
5 Based on the information in the above excerpt, the thirteen colonies were mainly established
because of —
A political unrest in Europe
B
religious changes in Europe
C
social inequalities in Europe
D economic conditions in Europe
6 Early colonial Maryland was predominately home to Catholics, while colonial Pennsylvania was
home to —
F
Anglicans
G
Quakers
H
Puritans
J
Mormons
7 Which of the following conditions contributed to the development of representative government
in the American colonies?
A French merchants desired to control the fur trade in Canada.
B
British colonists were accustomed to parliamentary systems.
C
Many of the colonial charters were written by early revolutionary leaders.
D American Indian tribes shared successful agricultural products with colonists.
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8 Why was the creation of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut an important milestone in the
growth of representative government in the colonies?
F
It was a written constitution and is considered the first in the colonies.
G
It was a social contract requiring settlers to sign a loyalty oath to Britain.
H
It established the first legislature in the colonies, the House of Burgesses.
J
It set the precedent for the idea of judicial review for laws from Congress.
9 Which of the following was a characteristic of the Virginia House of Burgesses?
A It had 435 members.
B
Members were chosen by the governor.
C
The governor had no power in its decisions.
D Representatives were elected by the people.
10
Religious leaders contributed to the growth of representative governments in the thirteen
colonies by —
11
F
establishing self-governing bodies in the colonies
G
writing constitutions for the colonies in New England
H
advocating for political rights for both men and women
J
requiring religious training before allowing citizens to vote
One way the lives of free blacks differed from the lives of enslaved people was that free blacks
were able to —
A join the army
B
run for political office
C
work in small businesses
D vote in national elections
12
How did the practice of slavery influence colonial life in the South prior to and after the
American Revolution?
F
African American-owned businesses contributed to colonial wealth.
G
An agrarian economy developed based on the plantation system.
H
Textile industries relocated to the South where slavery provided free labor.
J
The Southern colonial economy grew wealthy from trading enslaved people.
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13
Which of the following is located at #1 on the map?
A Boston
B
Jamestown
C
New York City
D Philadelphia
14
Which of the following is located at #2 on the map?
F
Boston
G
Jamestown
H
New York City
J
Philadelphia
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15
Which of the following is located at #4 on the map?
A Boston
B
Jamestown
C
New York City
D Philadelphia
16
17
Which of the British colonies in North America was settled mostly by Puritans?
F
New England colonies
G
Middle colonies
H
Southern colonies
J
Western territories
Which of the following geographic factors contributed to the colonization and rapid development
of the North Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts Bay colonies?
A They were located along the Atlantic Coast.
B
They were established by farmers and artisans.
C
They were home to many American Indian tribes.
D They were protected by the Appalachian Mountains.
18
How did physical geography influence the settlement patterns that emerged in the American
colonies?
19
F
The Southern colonies had too many forests.
G
The New England colonies had the most water resources.
H
The Chesapeake Bay attracted farmers because of the fertile soil.
J
The Appalachian Mountains acted as a barrier to western settlement.
Why were French explorers interested in claiming the Mississippi River and having access to the
Great Lakes?
A They believed that gold was located there.
B
They were mainly fur trappers and traders.
C
They found no eastern coast land available.
D They were farmers who wanted the rich lands.
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20
Trade and Commerce in Colonial America
New
Middle Southern
England Colonies Colonies
Colonies
Furs
Grains
Tobacco Fish
Flour
Indigo
Timber
Metal
-?-
Goods
Which of the following commercial items best completes the table?
21
F
Lumber
G
Rice
H
Ships
J
Textiles
The transatlantic slave trade began when —
A sugar plantations in the West Indies needed labor
B
cotton became a cash crop in the southern colonies
C
American Indians refused to work on southern plantations
D indentured servants went on strike in the southern colonies
22
23
Which of the following colonial regions had the best soil and climate for large-scale agriculture?
F
New England colonies
G
Middle colonies
H
Southern colonies
J
West Indian colonies
What was the primary cause of economic differences among the colonies in North America?
A Geography
B
Nationality
C
Religion
D Tradition
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24
25
William Penn helped to create limited government in the Pennsylvania colony by —
F
supporting a colonial union
G
writing a colonial constitution
H
creating a colonial legislature
J
granting free blacks colonial citizenship
Which of the following people had the most direct influence on the writing of the Fundamental
Orders of Connecticut?
A William Blackstone
B
Thomas Hooker
C
John Locke
D William Penn
26
Montesquieu and Locke were both significant individuals in the development of representative
government in the colonies because —
27
F
each of them trained elected colonial officials
G
many of their ideas influenced colonial leaders
H
their efforts helped to end slavery in the colonies
J
they established the first parliaments in the colonies
Which group settled in New York primarily for economic gains?
A Spanish
B
French
C
Dutch
D German
28
British colonist Eliza Luca Pinckney is most noted for her contributions to —
F
art and literature in the early colonies
G
the founding of the Jamestown colony
H
economic development in South Carolina
J
abolitionist movements in the southern colonies
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Smart, outspoken and opinionated, Anne Hutchinson was the daughter of an English minister, well
versed in the Bible and devoted to the teaching of the popular preacher John Cotton. In 1634,
Anne and her family arrived in Boston, where her husband built a house directly across the street
from the renowned and respected three-time governor of Massachusetts, John Winthrop.
Trained as a midwife and nurse, Hutchinson began to hold small meetings in her home to discuss
John Cotton's sermons. Soon the meetings were attracting up to 60 people -- men and women.
For a woman to engage theological discussions posed a subtle challenge to the patriarchy that
governed the Bay Colony. From across the street, John Winthrop characterized Hutchinson as "a
woman of haughty and fierce carriage, of a nimble wit and active spirit, and a very voluble
tongue, more bold than a man."
Hutchinson gave Winthrop ample reason to worry. In the fall of 1636, she accused Puritan
ministers of making salvation dependent on an individual's good works rather than on divine grace,
which was contrary to Puritan teaching. The ministers denied this charge, arguing that good
works are evidence of conversion and salvation, not the grounds of salvation. They argued that
they were therefore not teaching a Covenant of Works.
Hutchinson persisted, arguing that assurance of salvation came from a mystical experience of
grace -- "an inward conviction of the coming of the Spirit." She believed that by teaching that
good works were evidence of true conversion and salvation, ministers were still preaching a
Covenant of Works rather than a Covenant of Grace.
—"People & Ideas: Anne Hutchinson," God In America, 2010
http://www.pbs.org (accessed July 22, 2014)
29
Based on information in the above excerpt, why were Anne Hutchinson’s ideas so upsetting to
the leaders of Massachusetts Bay Colony?
A She threatened to start her own colony.
B
She encouraged women to leave the Church.
C
She argued for a separation of church and state.
D She challenged the authority of men in the colony.
30
Roger Williams was motivated to establish Rhode Island as a colony because he wanted to —
F
expand slavery into new territory
G
guarantee political rights for women
H
end state interference in church affairs
J
provide a safe haven for persecuted Catholics
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31
Which of the following resulted from the First Great Awakening?
A Religious leaders took on prominent political roles.
B
Newly formed religious groups created their own colonies.
C
Charismatic preachers spread the ideals of the Enlightenment.
D Many religious denominations experienced a growth in numbers.
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