DISTRICT_STAAR 2023 Prep U.S. History Assessment ID: 2223015544 1. Use the drop-down menus to describe the foreign policy focuses of contemporary U.S. presidents. During both the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, a substantial portion of the U.S. foreign policy budget was directed toward Inline Choice 1 . During the Reagan administration, this was driven by efforts to Inline Choice 2 , while the Bush administration sought to Inline Choice 3 . Inline Choice 1: 1. defense spending 2. environmental initiatives Inline Choice 2: 1. reduce greenhouse gas emissions 2. combat international terrorism 3. prevent overfishing in international waters 4. counter the Soviet Union's global influence Inline Choice 3: 1. reduce greenhouse gas emissions 2. combat international terrorism 3. prevent overfishing in international waters 4. counter the Soviet Union's global influence Powered by Illuminate Education. Page 1 of 7 DISTRICT_STAAR 2023 Prep U.S. History Assessment ID: 2223015544 2. Use the drop-down menus to describe the decision in a landmark civil rights case. In 1954, the Supreme Court in Inline Choice 1 overturned the decision in Inline Choice 2 . The court held that segregation was inherently unequal and a violation of the Inline Choice 3 , and was therefore prohibited in public institutions. Inline Choice 1: 1. Brown v. Board of Education 2. Sweatt v. Painter Inline Choice 2: 1. Dred Scott v. Sandford 2. Plessy v. Ferguson Inline Choice 3: 1. establishment clause of the First Amendment 2. equal protection clause of the First Amendment 3. establishment clause of the Fourteenth Amendment 4. equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment 3. How were different industries affected by increased investment in new highways in the mid-twentieth century? Select the TWO correct answers. A. The computer industry grew. B. The motel industry grew. C. The radio industry declined. D. The fast food industry declined. E. The steel industry grew. Powered by Illuminate Education. Page 2 of 7 DISTRICT_STAAR 2023 Prep U.S. History Assessment ID: 2223015544 4. The word web below shows information about an era in U.S. history. What era belongs in the center of the word web? Move ONE correct answer to the box. Choices: Political Reform II Powered by Illuminate Education. War, Prosperity, and Depression Sectional Controversy, War, and Reconstruction Second Industrial Revolution Page 3 of 7 DISTRICT_STAAR 2023 Prep U.S. History Assessment ID: 2223015544 5. Choices: Bill Clinton George H.W. Bush Ronald Reagan George W. Bush Based on your knowledge of the foreign policies of past administrations, match each quotation with the president to whom it can be attributed. Move ONE correct answer to each box. Not all answers will be used. President Quotation Iraq must withdraw from Kuwait completely, immediately, and without condition. Kuwait’s legitimate government must be restored. The security and stability of the Persian Gulf must be assured. And American citizens abroad must be protected. Out of these troubled times, our fifth objective – a new world order – can emerge: a new era – freer from the threat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice and more secure in the quest for peace. My fellow citizens. At this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger. On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein's ability to wage war. These are opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign. 6. Which line of the excerpt explains the biggest impact of the Transcontinental Railroad on the United States? Choose ONE correct answer. The building of the Transcontinental Railroad was completed on May 10, 1869. With the completion of the track, the travel time for making the 3,000-mile journey across the United States was cut from a matter of months to under a week. Connecting the two American coasts made the economic export of Western resources to Eastern markets easier than ever before. The railroad also facilitated westward expansion, escalating conflicts between Native American tribes and settlers who now had easier access to new territories. Powered by Illuminate Education. Page 4 of 7 DISTRICT_STAAR 2023 Prep U.S. History Assessment ID: 2223015544 7. Which line of the excerpt BEST explains what led to high unemployment in the U.S. during the 1920s? Choose ONE correct answer. During the 1920s the rush to buy stocks created an excessive rise of stock market prices beyond what the stocks were actually worth. As stock market prices fell in September 1929, people rushed to sell their stock, and the stock market began to collapse. When shares fell, many investors and ordinary people lost large sums of money and went bankrupt. Banks started to see loan defaults where people could not afford to pay their mortgages. There were concerns banks were running out of money. This led to bank runs where people sought to withdraw all their money. People who had money invested in the stock market lost much of their savings during the Wall Street Crash of 1929. This caused them to spend less, which created lower demand for goods and services. Businesses cut back on output and employed fewer workers. Adapted from https://www.britannica.con/summary/Great-Depression-Causes-and-Effects This question has two parts. 8a. Secretary of State John Hay first wrote a plan that aimed to secure an agreement of promoting international trade and business in China. British and American policies toward China had long operated under similar principles. In 1900, however, internal events in China threatened this strategy. An anti-foreign movement known as the Boxer Rebellion began attacking foreign missionaries and Chinese converts to Christianity. With the backing of the Empress and the imperial army, the Boxer Rebellion turned into a violent conflict that claimed the lives of hundreds of foreign missionaries and thousands of Chinese nationals. With foreign armies fighting to rescue their citizens in China, the Empress fled, and her high-ranking officials negotiated a peace agreement. As a result of the rebellion, foreign influence in China expanded throughout most of the 20th century. Adapted from https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/ Which U.S. foreign policy is described in the excerpt? A. Entanglement Policy B. Open Door Policy C. Treaty of Paris D. Monroe Doctrine Powered by Illuminate Education. Page 5 of 7 DISTRICT_STAAR 2023 Prep U.S. History Assessment ID: 2223015544 8b. What evidence from the excerpt BEST supports the answer to Part A? A. “…began attacking foreign missionaries and Chinese converts…” B. “…the Boxer Rebellion turned into a violent conflict…” C. “…promoting international trade and business…” D. “…foreign armies fighting to rescue their citizens in China…” This question has two parts. 9a. The “Roaring Twenties” was an era when the nation’s total income rose from $74.3 billion in 1923 to $89 billion in 1929. The United States accounted for nearly half of the world’s industrial output. According to a 1929 study done by the Brookings Institute, the top 0.1% of Americans had a combined income equal to the bottom 42%. Automotive industry mogul Henry Ford provides a striking example of the unequal distribution of wealth between the rich and the middle class. Henry Ford reported a personal income of $14 million in the same year that the average personal income was $750. The large and growing disparity of wealth between the well-to-do and the middle-income citizens made the U.S. economy unstable. Adapted from: https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/ What claim is supported by this excerpt? A. Most Americans enjoyed economic prosperity during the Roaring Twenties. B. Many young people made smart investments that protected their wealth. C. Presidents during the 1920s adopted strict trading regulations. D. The wealth gap between the rich and poor continued to grow throughout the 1920s. 9b. What evidence from the excerpt BEST supports the answer to Part A? A. “…the nation’s total income rose from $74.3 billion in 1923 to $89 billion in 1929.” B. “The United States accounted for nearly half of the world’s industrial output.” C. “…the top 0.1% of Americans had a combined income equal to the bottom 42%.” D. “…mogul Henry Ford provides a striking example of unequal distribution…” Powered by Illuminate Education. Page 6 of 7 DISTRICT_STAAR 2023 Prep U.S. History Assessment ID: 2223015544 10. The diagram shows several historical events from the early 1900s. Which event was a reason for the entry of the U.S. into World War I? Select ONE correct answer. 11. How did mass-manufacturing help create the transportation industry? What is at least one example from U.S. history? Think about the question carefully. Then enter your answer in the box provided. Powered by Illuminate Education. Page 7 of 7
