8th grade Social Studies practice sheet
California Content Standards · from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
Question 1
Which amendment guarantees a speedy and public trial with a lawyer?
- The Fourth Amendment
- The First Amendment
- The Tenth Amendment
- The Sixth Amendment
The Sixth Amendment
Hint: Rights of the accused at trial.
Question 2
Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction was called the Ten Percent Plan because…
- Taxes were set at 10%
- 10 states joined
- 10% of slaves were freed
- A state could rejoin when 10% of its 1860 voters swore loyalty to the Union
A state could rejoin when 10% of its 1860 voters swore loyalty to the Union
Hint: A lenient plan.
Question 3
The Federalist Papers were written to persuade New York to…
- declare war
- reject the Constitution
- ratify the Constitution
- join Canada
ratify the Constitution
Hint: Hamilton, Madison and Jay wrote them.
Question 4
George Washington's Farewell Address warned against…
- farming
- political parties and permanent foreign alliances
- public schools
- building roads
political parties and permanent foreign alliances
Hint: He gave it in 1796.
Question 5
The California Gold Rush began in…
- 1812
- 1897
- 1848–1849
- 1776
1848–1849
Hint: "Forty-niners."
Question 6
How did the Erie Canal affect trade?
- It only carried people
- Moving goods became much cheaper and faster
- Trade stopped
- Goods became more expensive
Moving goods became much cheaper and faster
Hint: New York became a giant port.
Question 7
"Bleeding Kansas" refers to…
- A flood
- Violence between proslavery and antislavery settlers
- A gold rush
- A Civil War hospital
Violence between proslavery and antislavery settlers
Hint: A preview of war.
Question 8
Some Northern states ended slavery after the Revolution through…
- foreign treaties
- the Gold Rush
- their state constitutions and laws
- royal orders
their state constitutions and laws
Hint: Vermont banned it first in 1777.
Question 9
Thomas Edison's inventions included the phonograph and a practical…
- automobile
- telephone
- light bulb
- airplane
light bulb
Hint: His lab was in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
Question 10
Which amendment protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures?
- The Eighth Amendment
- The First Amendment
- The Sixth Amendment
- The Fourth Amendment
The Fourth Amendment
Hint: Police usually need a warrant.
Answer key
- 1. The Sixth Amendment (Rights & Amendments)
- 2. A state could rejoin when 10% of its 1860 voters swore loyalty to the Union (Reconstruction)
- 3. ratify the Constitution (Founding Ideals)
- 4. political parties and permanent foreign alliances (A New Nation)
- 5. 1848–1849 (Westward Expansion)
- 6. Moving goods became much cheaper and faster (Factories & Reformers)
- 7. Violence between proslavery and antislavery settlers (The Civil War)
- 8. their state constitutions and laws (A Nation Divided)
- 9. light bulb (Industrial America)
- 10. The Fourth Amendment (Rights & Amendments)
Want more than 10 questions?
In Gradelings the questions change every time and adjust to your child, with hints and kind feedback. See all social studies units.