8^th Grade Study Guide

Quarter 1: First Global Age

Describe the political, religious, and economic aspects of North American colonization.

1. The reasons for colonization included religion, desire for land, and economic opportunity.
2. Key differences among the Spanish, French and British colonies involved land use, treatment of the Indians, and religion.
3. Interactions between Indians and European settlers included the agricultural and cultural exchanges, alliances and conflicts.
4. Indentured servitude and slavery were instituted to meet the demand for labor in the colonies.
5. The concept of religious freedom evolved first with the Pilgrims and Puritans, and later included Quakers and other sects.
6. Early representative governments and democratic practices emerged, including town meetings and colonial assemblies, such as Virginia’s House of Burgesses.
7. Conflicts among colonial powers for control of North America culminated in the French and Indian War.

Examine how mercantilism and the establishment of colonies led to global trading.

1. The New England, Middle, and Southern colonies all produced raw materials and cash crops that benefited England.
2. The Navigation Acts, a series of laws passed by Parliament to strictly control colonial shipping, were designed to achieve England’s goal of a favorable balance of trade.
3. The colonies were involved in the triangular trade, which involved the movement of raw materials, finished products, and African slaves.

Quarter 2: Revolution

Explain the causes of, events in, and results of the American Revolution.

a. The causes of conflict with England included the Proclamation of 1763, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, the Quartering Act, the Boston Massacre, the Tea Act, the Intolerable Acts, and the concept of “taxation without representation” in Parliament.

b. Colonial reactions included boycotts, the Boston Tea Party and other actions of the Sons of Liberty, Committees of Correspondence, and various petitions and appeals to Parliament.

c. The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, expressed Enlightenment principles of self-government, natural rights, and the obligation of a people to overthrow a government which denies those rights.

d. The major battles included Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Trenton, Saratoga, and the surrender at Yorktown which resulted in the Treaty of Paris.

Analyze the purposes, structure, and concepts of the U.S. Constitution.

1. The Articles of Confederation, our first Constitution, did not have a strong enough

central government to address economic and governmental problems.

2. A positive legacy of the Articles of Confederation was the adoption of the Northwest Ordinances, which established procedures for the orderly expansion of the United States.
3. The writing of the new U.S. Constitution required many compromises, such as the Great Compromise and the Three-Fifths Compromise.
4. The ratification of the U.S. Constitution was achieved only after vigorous debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists over such issues as a Bill of Rights.
5. The political concepts expressed in the U.S. Constitution are: representative democracy, federalism, bicameralism, separation of powers, and checks and balances.

f. The Bill of Rights limits the powers of government in order to protect the rights of individuals, with emphasis on freedom of expression, due process, and equal protection under the law.

g. The U.S. Constitution describes the process by which a bill becomes a law.

Quarter 3: A New Nation

Describe and analyze the territorial expansion of the United States.

a. The actions taken to build one country from 13 states included the precedents established by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton's actions to create a financially strong country, and the establishment of an independent federal court system.

b. Political parties developed as a result of differences in opinions between Hamilton’s supporters (Federalists) and Jefferson’s supporters (Republicans).

c. The United States acquired much land during the 19^th century because of the Louisiana Purchase and other negotiations, the philosophy of Manifest Destiny, and the Mexican-American War.

d. Poor relations between the U.S. and the Indians resulted in treaties, land acquisition, warfare, and Andrew Jackson’s Indian removal policy.

e. Westward expansion, immigration, and advances in transportation (such as railroads) and communication (such as the telegraph) changed geographic patterns in the U.S.

List and prioritize the factors that caused social, political, and economic rifts among the various sections and peoples of the United States.

1. Sectionalism increased due to disagreement over tariffs, the national bank, internal improvements, slavery, states’ rights, and the doctrine of nullification.
2. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others fought for suffrage and equal rights for women.
3. The abolitionist movement, led by Frederick Douglass and others, sought to end slavery, while Harriet Tubman and others led slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad.

Quarter 4: Civil War and Reconstruction

Explain the causes of, and events in, the Civil War.

a. Slavery had long been an issue, but became even more polarizing in the mid-1800s.

b. The South supported states’ rights, while the North favored stronger federal (national) government.

c. The South was largely based on the plantation economy, while the North was highly industrialized.

d. The addition of new states to the Union had an impact on the balance of power in the Senate, which was temporarily solved by the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850.

e. Slavery extended into the territories, due to the Dred Scott Decision and the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

f. Leaders in the abolitionist movement included Frederick Douglass and John Brown.

g. Key people and events of the Civil War included Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Battle of Gettysburg.

h. There were many reasons why the North won the Civil War, including uneven distribution of resources and population.

Analyze the consequences of Reconstruction.

a. President Lincoln's assassination led to a struggle for control of Reconstruction, and the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson by Radical Republicans in Congress.

b. Attempts to protect the rights of, and enhance opportunities for, the freedmen included the basic provisions of the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

c. The Ku Klux Klan and the enactment of black codes institutionalized racism and discrimination.

Social Studies Skills and Methods

Target Areas

a. Compare accuracy and point of view of fiction and nonfiction sources about a particular era or event.

b. Construct a historical narrative using primary and secondary sources.

c. Write a position paper or give an oral presentation that includes citation of sources.

d. Organize and lead a discussion.

e. Identify ways to manage conflict within a group.

Test-Taking Strategies

Multiple Choice

a. Read the question carefully. Pay attention to key words and vocabulary.

b. Generate your own answer, without looking at the choices provided.

c. Read all the choices. Eliminate the obviously incorrect ones.

d. Look for the best answer among the remaining choices.

Short Answer and Extended Response

1. Read the question completely, and interpret any visuals or documents that accompany it.
2. Address the prompt completely, answering only what is being asked and in the format requested (such as a letter, editorial, etc.). Give your opinion only if directed.

c. Answer in complete sentences. Your essay should have an introductory statement, several supporting sentences, and a conclusion.

d. Proofread for clarity, mechanics, and legibility.