Social Studies Exam Questions

8th grade social exam review

What were Black Codes and Jim Crow Laws? What was the purpose of these?

were both systems of laws enforced by state and local governments after the Civil War against African Americans (late 19th century-early 20th

What was the purpose of Black Codes and Jim Crow laws

to restrict the freedom of African Americans and create a system of racial segregation and discrimination

What was the goal of Reconstruction?

To restore the Union after the Civil War and ensure that the Southern states were reintegrated into the United States.

How did Lincoln’s Ten Percent Plan differ from

required 10% of voters to pledge allegiance

the Radical Republicans plan compared to lincolns

Confederate officials were unable to regain political power and the protection of African Americans' rights

What is Sitting Bull known for?

Leader of Sioux tribe; defeated Custer at Little Bighorn; known for defiance against federal gov. policies

Why was the Buffalo significant to the lives of Native Americans? 

Provided food, shelter, clothes, tools, and was central to their cultural and spiritual practices

What was the Homestead Act of 1862?

A law that granted 160 acres of public land to settlers who agreed to live on and care for it for 5 years

What were the impacts of the Transcontinental Railroad?

Facilitated westward expansion, promoted trade, connected the East and West coasts, and produced economic growth

John Rockefeller

Creator of the Standard Oil Company who made a fortune on it and joined with competing companies in trust agreements (monopoly).

Andrew Carnegie

industrialist who founded the Carnegie Steel Company in 1892. By 1901, his company dominated the American steel industry

J.P Morgan

An influential banker and businessman who bought and reorganized companies. His US Steel company would buy Carnegie steel and become the largest business in the world in 1901

Thomas Edison

American inventor best known for inventing the electric light bulb, motion pictures, and direct current (DC)

Nikola Tesla

Developed an alternating current (AC) motor which could travel further than a direct current (DC) model

Who founded the Seneca Falls Convention + it’s purpose?

a group of women, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Martha Coffin Wright, Mary Ann McClintock, and Jane Hunt. to promote women's rights

What document did the ‘Declaration of Sentiments’ echo? 

 The 'Declaration of Sentiments'

What was the significance of Ellis Island

immigration processing center that open in New York Harbor in 1892 (European travelers)

Angel island

immigrant processing station that opened in San Francisco Bay in 1910 (Asian travelers

push factors of immigration

Limited land, machines taking over farm jobs, religious and political oppression, poverty, harsh lifestyles, and citizens revolting

pull factors for immigration

promise of liberty and improved life, opportunities to work in factories, and relatives and friends living in the U.S

Who wrote “How the Other Half Lives”? What was the book about? 

Jacob Riis, documented the poor living conditions of the poor in New York slums

purpose of labor unions formation

to protect the rights and interests of workers

Impacts of labor unions formation

improved labor laws and worker protection

Muckraker

a journalist who uncovers abuses and corruption in a society

What was Upton Sinclair’s book The Jungle about?

The meatpacking industry in Chicago, which exposed the unsanitary and dangerous conditions

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire?

a fire in New York's Triangle Shirtwaist Company in 1911 killed 146 people, mostly women; rose awareness on poor working conditions and let to federal regulations to protect workers.

Government response to the railroad strike of 1877 and the Pullman strike of 1894

By siding with the companies and using federal troops to suppress the strikes

By siding with the companies and using federal troops to suppress the strikes

What is imperialism

the process of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force

Why did the U.S. adopt an imperialism agenda? 

Need for New Markets, Access to Raw Materials, and Investment Opportunities etc.

Who was Queen Liliuokalani?

last reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

What happened to Cuba as a result of the Spanish-American War? Who won the war?

Cuba gained independence from Spain in which the US protected. The United States won the Spanish-American War.

Yellow Journalism

type of sensational, biased, and often false reporting for the sake of attracting readers

Yellow Journalism's affect on the Spanish-American War

inflamed public opinion against Spain

What was the impact of Plessy v.s. Ferguson?

established the "separate but equal" doctrine and effectively by giving constitutional sanction to racial segregation.

Why was President Teddy Roosevelt called a ‘trustbuster’? 

He aggressively used antitrust laws to break up monopolies that he thought were harmful to the public interest

What was the goal of prohibition? 

To ban the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the U.S

How did WWI begin?

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Archduke of Austria Hungary assassinated by a Serbian in 1914

M.A.I.N. reasons

Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism

purpose of Wilsons 14 points

the purpose of Wilson's Fourteen Points

How did the Senate respond to the Treaty of Versailles?

rejected

What was the Harlem Renaissance?

An artistic, cultural, and social movement of African American culture during the 1920s in the Harlem section of NYC

What is the purpose of the FDIC?

To provide insurance to depositors in banks, protecting their money in the event of bank failures, and promoting stability in the financial system

Lynching

putting a person to death by mob action without due process of law

What information was Ida B Wells investigating?

the lynching of African Americans

What is the ‘Great Migration’? 

movement of over 300,000 African American from the rural south into Northern cities between 1914 and 1920 in order to escape racial discrimination and to seek better economic opportunities

What kind of movement was the Harlem Renaissance? 

A cultural, social, and artistic movement

Which U.S. document includes the words “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal; that they are endowed with by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”?

Declaration of Independence.

Who were the Scottsboro Boys?

Nine young black men between the ages of 13 to 19 who were falsely accused of of raping two white women in Scottsboro, Alabama

Why was the scottsboro boys case signifigant

highlighted the racial injustice common in the American legal system

How did the scottsboro boys case impact jury selection

The convictions were overturned by the Supreme Court, which also criticized the jury commission for excluding all African Americans off the jury

How was the scottsboro boys case influential to Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird?

the case provided a real life example of racial prejudice and injustice

What was the Dust Bowl?

An ecological and human disaster that struck the Great Plains region of the U.S. during the 1930's, marked by severe drought and dust storms

What were Hoovervilles?

An ecological and human disaster that struck the Great Plains region of the U.S. during the 1930's, marked by severe drought and dust storms

Which Pope was elected on May 8th 2025?

Robert Prevost, Leo XIV.