8Th Grade Social Studies Checkpoint Assessment Mid-Year

8th Grade Social Studies Checkpoint Assessment Mid-year Study Guide

Chapter 8: Creating the Constitution

1. Articles of Confederation: p. 103

It was the first plan of ______for the US.

It created a ______union between the states and was run by ______

Congress could make ______and ______, raise an ______

and a ______, print ______and establish a ______

Congress could not impose ______.

2. The Northwest Ordinance: p. 104

It was passed in ______and divided the territory into ______.

It included a list of ______for settlers and described how the territory could become a

______. It banned ______.

3. Shay’s Rebellion: p. 105

Shay was a ______who was upset about the money shortage. He and a group of farmers closed

down ______and seized ______stored in Springfield.

Many people felt this was a sign that the new nation was ______.

The rebellion shocked Congress into calling for a ______to revise the Articles of Confederation.

4. The Constitutional Convention: p. 106-114

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention are known as the ______

Representation: The Virginia Plan called for a ______national government with ______branches.

Congress would be made up of ______houses, and the number of representatives from each state

depended on its ______. Delegates from ______states

liked this plan. The New Jersey plan called for a government with ______branches, but Congress would be

made up of only ______house. Each state would have an ______vote regardless of

its size. ______states liked this plan. Finally, a ______

was reached. The framers agreed to a ______House Congress with representation in the

H______of R______being based on ______

and representation in the S______being equal with each state having ______

Senators. This agreement is now called the ______Compromise.

Slavery:

The framers also had to decide if slaves were going to be counted as people or ______.

Delegates from the south wanted slaves counted as ______so they would get more

representation in Congress. Delegates from the north wanted the slaves counted as ______so

they could be taxed. In the ______-______Compromise, the delegates agreed to count

slaves as ______of a person for both representation and taxes.

Electing a Chief Executive: The framers agreed to a single executive, to be called the ______. This person’s

power was limited to ______years, and a ______would be elected to

fill in if the president ______while in office. Some delegates wanted ______

to appoint the president. Others thought that the ______should elect the president. Some wanted

the president chosen by a special group of ______. A compromise was reached by agreeing that a

special body called the ______would elect the president and vice

president. Representatives for this group would be chosen from each state.

Chapter 9: The Constitution: A More Perfect Union

1. The Legislative Branch: p. 121-122

Congress is made up of ______houses---the ______of ______and the

______. The framers of the Constitution designed Congress to balance the rights of

______and ______states. Congress’s main job is to make ______.

The president can ______any proposed law, but Congress can override it with a ______

majority vote in both houses. The ______clause allows Congress to make any laws necessary

to carry out it’s other ______.

2. The Executive Branch: p. 123-124

The main job of the executive branch is to ______the laws passed by Congress.

The head of the executive branch is the ______. The executive branch gets help

carrying out its duties from a variety of departments. The heads of these departments are members of a

formal group of advisors called the president’s ______.

3. The Judicial Branch: p. 124-125

The Judicial branch consists of the system of ______and judges.

Its principal responsibility is to protect the ______.

Judicial review is the power to decide whether laws and actions by Congress and the president are

______.

4. Checks and Balances: p. 126

The framers of the Constitution divided the federal government into 3 branches because they wanted to

______the government’s ______. This system is called Checks

and Balances. The president can ______a bill from Congress, but they can override this by a

______vote in both houses. The Supreme Court can declare laws, treaties or executive actions to

be ______. The president can appoint ______, ambassadors and

cabinet members, but ______must approve them. Even though the Supreme Court can

declare laws unconstitutional, the ______chooses the judges and ______

must approve the appointments.

Chapter 10: The Bill of Rights p. 482 Know the 1st 10 Amendments and the rights they protect. 1. 6.

5. 10.

Chapter 11: Political Developments in the Early Republic

1. The Whiskey Rebellion: p. 147

After the Revolutionary War the new government faced a shortage of ______.

Congress finally agreed to place a tax on ______and other luxury items, but settlers

living in the ______protested. Farmers refused to pay the tax. Congress lowered the tax,

but a group of rebels in western ______began to ______and

______the tax collectors who tried to enforce the law. President Washington thought

this rebellion was a ______to the ______of the new

government so Washington sent the ______to stop the revolt.

2. Washington’s Farewell Address: p. 148

Two political parties that arose during Washington’s term in office: the ______

and the ______. Before leaving office at the end of his 2nd term, Washington

prepared a ______(message). He reminded

Americans they were all bound together as one ______and he warned of two ______

to the country’s future. One was getting involved in ______with other countries and

the other was the danger of being too loyal to any particular political ______.

3. Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Party: p. 149-151

Alexander Hamilton was the leader of the ______party. They believed that

people were basically ______and the nation should be ruled by those who were

______, ______and ______-spirited. They wanted a

______national government and felt that the rights of the states were less important

than ______power and unity. Hamilton wanted to expand the ______

and increase the nation’s ______by promoting ______. Hamilton asked

Congress to establish a national ______to help the government collect ______,

and give the nation a stable ______. This institution would also make

______to ______.

4. Thomas Jefferson and the Republican Party: p. 152-154

Jefferson was a leader within the ______party. They felt that informed citizens

could make ______decisions and they had great faith in the wisdom of ______.

Republicans believed the best government was small and had ______power. They insisted

on a ______interpretation of the Constitution. They believed in ______state governments and an economy based on ______.

5. The Alien and Sedition Acts: p. 155

The ______in Congress passed four laws called the Alien and Sedition Acts.

They said the laws were necessary to protect the nation from ______, but they were

really intended to make life difficult for ______. The Alien Acts lengthened the

time it took for an ______to become a ______with the right to

______. Since most ______voted Republican, Jefferson felt

this law was an ______on his party. The Alien Acts also allowed the president to

______or ______any aliens who were suspected of causing

______.

The Sedition Act made it a crime to encourage ______against the government.

Hamilton felt this law would punish only those who ______lies intended to

______the government but instead it was used to punish Republican ______

______who insulted President Adams.

6. States’ Rights: p. 156

Republicans thought the Sedition Act was an ______on the rights of free

______and free ______. Jefferson drew up a statement opposing

these laws and sent them to state ______for approval. He thought that Congress had

gone beyond the Constitution in passing these acts and the states had a duty to ______them

(declare them to be without ______force). This argument is based on the

______right theory. This idea proposes that states created the ______

and gave up certain ______but the rights not specifically given to the

______government remains with the ______. Of these, one of the

most important is the right to ______whether the ______government

is using its powers ______.

Chapter 12: Foreign Affairs in the Young Nation

1. President Washington’s Foreign Policy: p. 163

After the Revolutionary War, the army Washington had commanded had gone ______and not

been replaced because having an army would cost ______and people had learned that an

army could be used to ______away their ______. The new

nation faced threats because it was surrounded by ______powers. President

Washington faced a difficult decision because ______was having a revolution against

their king. The US had signed a ______with France and promised to aid them in time of

______but Washington knew the US was not prepared for more fighting. Instead he announced

a policy of ______which said the US would do ______to help either

______or ______in their war against each other. In his

Farewell Address, Washington said the US could gain ______by getting involved in other

nations’ ______. This policy of avoiding ______became known as

______.

2. Impressments and Barbary pirates: p. 166-167

By 1803, ______and ______were again at war. Both nations

began seizing American ______that were ______with their

______. Britain began ______American sailors to serve in

their ______. They claimed the men were ______.

American ships faced another threat from the ______States of North

______. The pirates seized ______ships entering the

______Sea and held the crews for ______. Presidents

Washington and Adams had both paid ______to the Barbary State ______

in exchange for the ______of American ships. President Jefferson hated paying

______. In 1802 he sent a small fleet of ______to the

______to protect American shipping. Jefferson also tried to convince

______and ______to leave US Ships along. His efforts

______so he proposed an ______to halt ______

with these nations in the hopes that it would prove so ______to them that they would

leave US ships alone. Instead, many ______lost their jobs and ships ______

at their docks.

3. President Madison and the War of 1812: p. 168-169

President Madison decided to abandon the policy of ______. He asked Congress to

declare war on ______in 1812. A group called the War ______was

overjoyed at this decision. They wanted to conquer ______. In 1814, the ______army invaded ______, burning the

______and the ______. They also

attacked Baltimore and an American lawyer named ______

wrote about the battle in a poem that later became “The ______”

4. The Battle of New Orleans: p. 170

New Orleans was being defended by General ______with an army of free

______Americans, ______and pirates. Many more

______soldiers were killed than Americans. The Battle of New Orleans was the

______American victory of the war but it was also ______

because diplomats had signed a peace treaty ______weeks before the battle took place.

5. The Monroe Doctrine: p. 171-172

President Monroe made a ______to Congress in 1823 announcing a policy that

became known as the ______. He stated that

the nations of ______and ______American were “Not to be

considered as subjects for future ______by any ______powers.”

Europeans thought Monroe’s message was ______but Americans felt

______to see the US stand up for the people of Latin America.

Chapter 13: A Growing Sense of Nationhood

1. American Differences: p. 176-177

A surge of ______followed the War of 1812 and helped create a new national

______. Most Americans looked at their country with ______.

Two out of every three Americans still lived near the ______coast. Less than

10% of the population lived west of the ______. Travel was

______and ______. Regional lifestyles developed which led to ______of different groups. The ______from the

Northeast were seen as ______, thrifty and interested in money. In the

______, the ______owners were thought to be

______, cultured and ______.

______, who had gone west were considered ______, hardy

and ______. Congress wanted to create a sense of ______in the

government so they rebuilt the ______and the ______in grand,

Stately styles.

2. The Era of Good Feelings: p. 178-179

The new ______spirit was reflected in suggestions that the government take a more

active role in building the ______. Many believed the country’s future lay in

______, an economic system in which individuals and ______

produce and distribute goods for ______. John Marshall was a Supreme Court

______Justice who wrote several important court ______,

including Marbury vs Madison that established the policy of Judicial Review. His decisions

strengthened the ______of the court and ______power over

______. They encouraged the growth of ______by confirming

Congress’s power to create a national ______and ruled that business ______

could not be broken, even by state ______. He further limited the ______

ability to regulate transportation.