Grade 8 U.S. History (including Advanced) Study Guide
Unit 1: Colonizing America
1. How did colonial settlement affect existing Native
American populations? Native Americans were forced off
their lands; many died from disease
2. How did slavery develop and expand in the Americas?
In Central and South America African- American slaves
were used to replace enslaved Native Americans who died
off quickly from disease and over-work.
In North America, slaves were imported to work on large
Southern tobacco, rice, and sugarcane plantations
3. What difficulties were encountered in establishing early
colonial settlements? Lack of preparation, Native
American attacks, lack of food and water, harsh winters
4. What were the main economic activities of the following
colonial regions?
• Southern- large farms; mostly tobacco, rice,
sugarcane, indigo
• Middle- agriculture of staple crops (corn, wheat,
barley, oats), trade
• New England – fishing, trade, shipbuilding,
merchants
5. List examples of colonial self-government.
Mayflower Compact (MASS); House of Burgesses (VA);
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
6. What role did religion play in shaping colonial life? The
Great Awakening was a religious movement that swept
through the colonies in the 1730’s and 1740’s which
changed colonial religionand added to the believe that
governments should protect the rights of the people.
7. How did the British and French relationships with Native
Americans differ? Britain had rapidly growing colonies
characterized by near constant conflict with NA’s. The
French traded for furs in the interior of the continent and
maintained friendly relations with NA’s.
8. How did British policies change towards its American
colonies following the French and Indian War?
New taxes; prohibited colonists west of Appalachian
Mtns.; restricted trade
ADDITIONAL TERMS TO KNOW: (Define AND
understand relationships between terms and to the
time period)
Columbian Exchange, House of Burgesses, Fort Mose,
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, Jamestown,
Mayflower Compact, Massachusetts Bay Colony,
mercantilism, St. Augustine, triangular trade
The Columbian Exchange brought new foods and products to
Europe and the Americas.
Fort Mose was the first free African American Settlement. It
was in the Spanish Territory of Florida. The Fort provided a
first line of defense from attack by the British.
Mercantilism is an economic theory that states a nation’s
power depends on its wealth.
Triangular trade was the trade routes that exchanged goods
between the American colonies, England, and West Africa
Unit 2: Revolutionary America
1. Explain the Patriot slogan, “no taxation without
representation”. England had no authority to tax the
American colonists because the colonists had no
elected officials in Parliament.
2. Describe how the five (5) events below moved colonists
towards war with Britain.
• Stamp Act- (1765) Tax on printed materials.
Colonists protested by harassing tax
collectors, demonstrations and boycotting
English goods. The Stamp Act was repealed.
• Boston Massacre- (1770) British soldiers fire
into a crowd of protestors, killing 5
• Boston Tea Party- (1773) Protesting the tax on
tea, the Sons of Liberty dump tea into Boston
harbor.
• Intolerable Acts- (1774) Series of acts designed
to punish Boston for the Tea Party. Closed
down Boston harbor and forced citizens to
quarter troops.
• Lexington and Concord- (1775) The opening
shots of the American Revolution
3. How did the words of political thinkers such as
Patrick Henry and Thomas Paine maintain the morale
and resolve of American patriots? Patrick Henry words
“give me liberty, or give me death” encouraged colonist
to support the Patriot cause. Thomas Paine’s Common
Sense argued that because the king had abused his
power that citizens should have the right to self rule.
4. What reasons did the authors of the Declaration of
Independence give for declaring the colonies free from
British control? The king had violated colonists’ rights
by passing unfair laws and all men possess the
unalienable rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness”
The king had broken the social contract with the
colonist and the colonist wanted to create a new plan
of government
5. Explain the significance of the following events
associated with the American Revolution:
• Battle of Bunker Hill- while the Patriots lost, they
proved they could take on the Redcoats. The British
suffered heavy losses.
• Battle of Saratoga- major American victory; turning
point of the War; after the American victory they
joined in alliances with France and Spain
• Battle of Yorktown- last major battle of the
American Revolution.
• Treaty of Paris 1783- Great Britain recognized the
independence of the U.S. ; set U.S. borders and
granted Americans rights to settle and trade west of
the original thirteen colonies.
ADDITIONAL TERMS TO KNOW: (Define AND
understand relationships between terms and to the
time period)
John Adams, Sam Adams, Continental Congress, Declaration of
Independence, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, John Locke,
loyalists, Navigation Acts, Olive Branch Petition, Thomas Paine,
patriots, taxation without representation, George Washington
Unit 3: Creating a Nation
1. Explain the effects of the following discussions during
the Constitutional Convention:
• Great Compromise- compromise between large
and small states. 2 house legislature…The
House representation based on population
(favored large states) and the Senate
representation based on equal representation
(favored small states)
• 3/5 Compromise- compromise with Southern
states. Allowed the slave states to count slaves
as 3/5 of a person for representation in the
House of Representatives.
2. What shortcomings in the Articles of Confederation
were resolved in the U.S. Constitution? Inability of the
Federal government to tax; no ability to regulate
trade; no Executive or Judicial branches…all resolved
with the US Constitution
3. How did states’ rights compare under the Articles of
Confederation and the U.S. Constitution? Under the
Articles of Confederation the States had more rights.
The Constitution has a federal system which is a
sharing of power between the national and state
governments.
4. Identify contributions of European Enlightenment
thinkers such as John Locke and Baron de
Montesquieu on the development of the U.S.
Constitution. John Locke believed that a “social
contract” existed between the government and the
people. The government should protect the “natural
rights” (life, liberty, and property) of its citizens.
Montesquieu argued that the only way to achieve
liberty was through the separation of government
powers.
5. Which rights are guaranteed citizens within the Bill of
Rights?
1. to have freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly and
petition
2. to bear arms
3. to have no soldier quartered in your house
4. To have a warrant issued to search you house
5. not be tried for the same crime twice
6. to a speedy and public trial
7. to know the charges against you
8. to trial by jury, to post bail, no cruel or unusual
punishment
9. for courts and congress to decide citizen rights
10.
for congress to delegate powers to keep a balance of
powers between state and federal governments
6. Describe three (3) precedents established by President
Washington.
1. Appropriate way to address the President
2. Stepped down after two terms
3. Held cabinet meetings of department heads
7. Describe two (2) controversies during President Adam’s
administration.
The XYZ Affair and the Alien and Sedition Acts
ADDITIONAL TERMS TO KNOW: (Define AND
understand relationships between terms and to the
time period)
John Adams, amendments, Articles of Confederation, Bill
of Rights, checks and balances, constitution, elastic
clause, executive branch, Federalists, Alexander
Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, judicial branch, legislative
branch, James Madison, New Jersey Plan, Northwest
Ordinance, Neutrality Proclamation, ratification, separation
of powers, Shays Rebellion, states’ rights, Virginia Plan,
George Washington, Whiskey Rebellion
Unit 4: A New Nation
1. Identify three (3) key differences between the Federalist
and the Democratic-Republican.
Rule by : wealthy (F); the people (D-R)
 Government: Strong Federal (F); Strong state (D-R)
 Economy: manufacturing (F); agriculture (D-R)
 Interpretation of the Constitution: Loose (F); Strict (D-R)
 Foreign Alliances: Britain (F); France (D-R)
 Banking System: National (F); State (D-R)
 Trade: Protective Tariffs (F); Free Trade (D-R)
2. List three (3) achievements of the Lewis and Clark
Expedition.
1. Established contact with many Native American
groups (tribes)
2. Collected valuable information about western
plants and animals
3. Learned about western lands and paths across
the Rocky Mountains which began the westward
expansion.
3. What were three (3) long-term effects of purchasing
Louisiana from France?
1. The U.S. focused on Westward Expansion; Addition of
new states to the U.S.
2. Conflict with Native Americans
3. Renewed conversations regarding slavery and its spread
4. How did the Indian Removal Act impact the Cherokee
and Seminole nations?
• Cherokee- were forced off their lands (Trail of
Tears) to live on reservations in Oklahoma
• Seminole- forcibly resisted their removal
5. How did the Tariff of Abominations increase tensions
between the North and the South?
higher tariffs helped the industrial north, but hurt the
agricultural south. South Carolina passed the
Nullification Act (not obey laws that went against state
interests) and threatened to secede. Jackson said he
would use the military to force compliance. A
compromise tariff was worked out.
6. McCulloch v Maryland ruled on the National Bank, but
what was its broader interpretation? The National
Government had sovereignty over state governments.
ADDITIONAL TERMS TO KNOW: (Define AND
understand relationships between terms and to the
time period)
John C. Calhoun, Cherokee Nation v Georgia, Henry Clay,
Era of Good Feelings, Indian Removal Act, Jacksonian
Democracy, Thomas Jefferson, impressment, judicial
review, Lewis and Clark Expedition, James Madison,
Marbury v Madison, McCulloch v Maryland, Missouri
Compromise 1820, Monroe Doctrine, Seminole Wars, Trail
of Tears, War of 1812, War Hawks, Daniel Webster,
Worcester v Georgia
Unit 5: A Growing Nation
1. Describe the consequences of westward expansion on
the following minority groups.
• Native Americans- Loss of land and water rights
• Hispanics- Loss of land and water rights. Mexican land
owners had to go to court to prove they owned the land
and water rights.
• Chinese- Chinese workers were not welcomed and the
targets of violent attacks
• African Americans- Some African Americans like Biddy
Mason were able to purchase land and prosper.
Discrimination was still a major issue.
2. List three (3) results of the California Gold Rush.
1. Immigrants move to California - from China,
Europe, and Mexico; they were drawn by the lure
of wealth
2. Population Explosion made California eligible for
statehood
3. Economic Growth – businesses and industries
transformed the economy
3. What impact did technology have on westward
movement?
Steamboats and railroads led the Transportation
Revolution. They made travel and the transporting
goods to market easier and less costly. Movement
from east to west increased. The telegraph made
communication faster and easier.
4. Identify three (3) groups of American settlers who
moved west of the Mississippi River and describe
their reasons for doing so.
Emigrants- moving to Oregon for new economic
opportunities
49ers- head to California to strike it rich
Mormons- to Utah to escape religious persecution
5. How did westward expansion increase tension between
the North and the South?
When new territories were acquired by the US the
discussion began on whether these lands should allow
slavery or not.
ADDITIONAL TERMS TO KNOW: (Define AND
understand relationships between terms and to the
time period)
California Gold Rush, Gadsden Purchase, Manifest Destiny,
Mexican American War, Mexican Cession, Oregon Territory
Unit 6: A Changing Nation
1. How did the Industrial Revolution increase differences
between the North and the South? Northern politicians passed
higher tariffs on foreign goods to protect American companies
from less expensive foreign imports.
2. Name three (3) inventions of the Industrial Revolution
and explain the importance of each.
3. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of urban
living as a result of the Industrial Revolution.
 • Advantages- New Jobs; Entertainment; Enriched cultural
life; Better Transportation
 • Disadvantages- Overcrowding: Unsafe housing; Lack of
public services; Unhealthy conditions led to disease and
epidemics; Crime; Fire danger; No permanent police force
4. Explain how the law of supply and demand impacted
cotton prices after the invention of the cotton gin.
As the supply of cotton increased due to the cotton
gin, the price of cotton dropped.
5. How did immigration influence the Industrial Revolution
and westward expansion? Many immigrants went to the
Midwest to farm; others filled the need for cheap labor
in towns and cities, especially in the northeast.
6. Describe the main ideas and effects associated with the
movements listed below:
• Educational Reform – increased educational
opportunities for women, and special needs (deaf
and blind) people
• Second Great Awakening- Led to involvement in
social reform movements
• Transcendentalism The belief that people could
transcend, or rise above, material things in life.
• Women’s Rights Women’s concerns became a
national issue when women took a more active and
leading role in reform and abolition.
7. List two (2) examples of slave codes and explain why
Southerners believed they would prevent rebellion.
1. prohibited slaves from traveling far from their
homes; prohibited the education of slaves.
2. These laws were probably passed to keep slaves
isolated, illiterate and powerless; this would help
to prevent slaves from escaping
8. Describe the key contributions of abolitionists listed
below:
• Frederick Douglass- former slave; editor of the
anti-slavery newspaper “The North Star”;
eloquent orator against slavery
• William Lloyd Garrison- editor of “The Liberator”
and founder of American Ant-Slavery Society
• Grimke Sisters- white Southern anti-slavery
women who wrote a pamphlet “Slavery: As It is”
• Harriet Tubman- an escaped slave, known as
“Moses” to her people she led more than 300 to
freedom in the Underground Railroad
9. What impact did Nat Turner’s Rebellion have on
Southern and Northern attitudes and beliefs about
slavery?
In the south people were frightened and angered by
the rebellion. The south began to have stricter slave
codes.
In the north most people like abolitionist
supported the rebellion
ADDITIONAL TERMS TO KNOW: (Define AND
understand relationships between terms and to the
time period)
Abolition, capital, cotton gin, Declaration of Sentiments,
demand (economic), Gibbons v Ogden, Industrial
Revolution, inflation, labor, Lowell System, Nativists,
overproduction, Second Great Awakening, Seneca Falls
Convention, slave codes, suffrage, telegraph, textiles,
trade unions, Transcendentalism, Underground Railroad,
Eli Whitney
Unit 7: A Dividing Nation
1. Describe how the events and individuals below brought
the nation closer to war:

• Uncle Tom’s Cabin- A fiction novel by Harriet
Beecher Stowe, informed people about the evils of
slavery. It educated people about the hardships of
enslaved African Americans, and increased sympathy and
support for the abolitionist movement.
• Fugitive Slave Act- The Fugitive Slave Act enraged
abolitionist and upset Northerners who were
uncomfortable with the commissioners’ power. Northerners
disliked the idea of a trial without a jury. Most were
horrified that some free African Americans had been
captured and sent to the South.
• Bleeding Kansas- Antislavery and pro-slavery
groups rushed supporters to Kansas since popular
vote would decide the slavery issue.
• Dred Scott v Sanford- Supreme Court decision that
slaves were merely property and that restricting slavery
was unconstitutional. The decision strengthened the
determination of abolitionist to achieve their goals.
• John Brown- John Brown’s raid on Harpers
Ferry intensified the disagreement between
free states and slave states.
• Election of 1860- Many Southerners viewed
Lincoln as an abolitionist. His election was the
“straw that broke the camel’s back” for the South.
2. Describe the opposing viewpoints expressed in the
Lincoln-Douglas Debates and how the debates
impacted the presidential election of 1860. Douglas
was the author of “popular sovereignty”. Lincoln
opposed the spread of slavery in any new territory
and believed that slavery was morally wrong.
3. How did the Kansas-Nebraska Act represent an attempt
at compromise on expansion of slavery in the West?
Since the South had lost the balance of slave-free
states in 1850, this act could be seen as a
compromise because it allowed popular sovereignty
in the two territories.
4. How did the admission of new states to the Union
threaten the balance of power between the sectional
interests of Congress? The nation had an equal number
of free and slave states and thus, senators. If new
states life California (an anti-slavery state) were added it
would upset the balance of power between the Northern
and Southern states.
5. In your own words, explain why the South seceded
following the Election of 1860.
 Lincoln insisted he would not change slavery in
South, but would not let it expand.
 People in South believed that their economy and
way of life would be destroyed.
 South Carolina legislature met to consider
secession, formally withdrawing from the Union.
 South Carolina seceded, believing it had the right
because it had voluntarily joined the Union.
ADDITIONAL TERMS TO KNOW: (Define AND
understand relationships between terms and to the
time period)
John Brown, Compromise of 1850, Confederate States of
America, Dred Scott, Election of 1860, Fugitive Slave Act,
Jefferson Davis, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Abraham Lincoln,
Missouri Compromise of 1820, popular sovereignty,
Republican Party, secession, sectionalism, states’ rights,
Stephen Douglas, Uncle Tom’s
Unit 8: A Nation Breaks Apart
1. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the North
and the South at the start of the Civil War.
Northern Strengths:
 Lincoln insisted he would not change slavery in
South, but would not let it expand.
 People in South believed that their economy and
way of life would be destroyed.
 South Carolina legislature met to consider
secession, formally withdrawing from the Union.
 South Carolina seceded, believing it had the right
because it had voluntarily joined the Union.
Southern Strengths:
 Greater Production of Cotton
 Military Tradition
 Fighting on home soil
2. Compare and contrast the military strategies of the
U.S.A. and the C.S.A. during the Civil War.
North- “Anaconda Plan” Blockade the South; Control
Mississippi River; Capture Richmond, VA
South- fight a defensive war until the North gets tired of
fighting
3. Describe Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and its
effects on the war.
The Emancipation freed the slaves in “areas of rebellion
against the US”. Slaves in the South left the plantation
when the Northern army came near. The war was now
about ending slavery in the South.
4. Describe the importance of the following Civil War
battles:
• First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)- first major
battle of the war; Southern victory, “The Great
Skedaddle”
• Battle of Vicksburg- With this victory in July 1863,
the North gained complete control of the
Mississippi River.
• Battle of Antietam- September 17, 1862, the
single bloodiest day of the war. This Union victory
gave Lincoln the impetus to issue the
Emancipation Proclamation.
• Battle of Gettysburg- Lee decided to take the war
to the Northern states. This proved to be a costly
mistake as the Southern army received a
crushing blow in this small Pennsylvania town.
5. How did Lincoln’s goals change during the course of the
Civil War? At the beginning of the war the goal was about
bringing the South back in to the Union. As the war
progressed it became about ending slavery.
6. Describe three (3) ways African-Americans contributed
to Union war efforts.
1. They served as soldiers and fought bravely
2. The volunteered as laborers
3. They formed their own military units
4. They worked for the abolitionist cause
7. What challenges faced the South during
Reconstruction?
 Cities, towns, and farms were destroyed
 High food prices
 Crops destroyed
 Confederate money was worthless
 Failed banks
 Merchants bankrupt
8. How did Lincoln’s assassination alter Reconstruction
plans for the South? Andrew Johnson, a Southerner
became president. Ultimately, Johnson plan called
Restoration gave way to Radical Reconstruction in which
the South (except TN) was put under military control.
9. Describe three (3) ways southern states denied
freedmen their civil rights?
1. required African Americans to sign work contracts
and to have a job or be subject to arrest
2. forbid African Americans the ownership of guns
3. forbid African Americans to rent property in cities
4. Legally segregated from white Americans
5. Forced to pay poll taxes
1.
Discriminated against
ADDITIONAL TERMS TO KNOW: (Define AND
understand relationships between terms and to the
time period)
54th Massachusetts Regiment, Anaconda Plan, Black Codes,
border states, Civil War, Fort Sumter, Freedman’s Bureau,
Gettysburg Address, General Grant, habeas corpus, Jim Crow
laws, Andrew Johnson, impeachment, General Lee, Abraham
Lincoln, Plessy v Ferguson, Radical Reconstruction,
Reconstruction amendments, segregation, sharecropping, total
war