Mid-Semester Benchmark Study Guide
Geography – American Revolution
Name: ______________________
Part I: Important People – Please complete this table with some of the important people we have
learned so far this year.
Person
Description
Francisco Coronado
French explorer who established the settlement of Quebec.
French explorer who sailed the Mississippi and claimed Louisiana for
France.
John Cabot
Portuguese explorer who traded with African kingdoms
Sir Walter Raleigh
Leader of Jamestown who helped the colonists survive the starving times.
John Winthrop
William Penn
Founder of Maryland
James Oglethorpe
English philosopher who developed the idea of a social contract.
King George III
George Washington
British general who surrendered at Yorktown
Patrick Henry
Championed the cause for independence and assisted with writing the
Declaration
Thomas Jefferson
Altered colonists that the British were coming.
Wrote poems and plays about American independence
Thomas Paine
Ambassador to France during the American Revolution
Part II: Fill-in the Blanks – In the blank, please write in the word that BEST completes the sentence.
1. Large landowners were most likely to live in the _______________ colonial region.
2. The ______ River is known as the “Gateway to the West”.
3. The Coastal Plains contains broad lowlands with many excellent ________________.
4. A ______________ resource comes directly from nature.
5. According to the authors of the Declaration of Independence, people have certain _______________
rights, which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
6. The Proclamation of ______ prohibited the western movement of colonists.
Part III: Multiple Choice – Please read each question and select the BEST answer.
_____ 1. One of the oldest archeological sites in North America is Cactus Hill. Where is this located?
A. Southeast Virginia
C. Near the Niger River in Africa
B. Along the Mississippi River
D. Northern Canada
_____ 2. Which of the following is not a continent?
A. Europe
B. Asia
C. Australia
D. United States
_____ 3. Which American Indian tribe lived in a dry, desert climate?
A. Inuit
B. Pueblo
C. Kwakiutl
D. Iroquois
_____ 4. Which of the following is not a reason for European exploration to the New World?
A. Economic
C. Enslavement of American Indians
B. Competition for Empire
D. Spread of Christianity
_____ 5. Which of these colonies was established as an economic venture?
A. Maryland
B. Roanoke Island
C. Pennsylvania
D. Plymouth
_____ 6. Which of the following was an advantage to the colonies during the Revolution?
A. Strong leadership
C. Plenty of supplies
B. Best military in the world
D. Traitors
_____ 7. Which three African kingdoms dominated Western Africa from 300 – 1600 AD?
A. Kenya, Mali, Ghana
C. Mali, Ghana, Songhai
B. Zimbabwe, Ghana, Songhai
D. Songhai, Mali, Kenya
_____ 8. Which of the following is the best definition of artifact?
A. Natural resource made by American Indians
B. Human resource such as a fisherman
C. Bones from animals
D. Man-made objects from the past
_____ 9. Which land-related geographic feature is surrounded by water on three sides?
A. Mountains
B. Plateaus
C. Islands
D. Peninsulas
_____ 10. Which American Indian tribe lived among the Eastern Woodlands?
A. Inuit
B. Lakota
C. Iroquois
D. Pueblo
_____ 11. Which of the following was an obstacle to early North American exploration?
A. Fear of the unknown
C. Trading with American Indians
B. Exchange of goods and ideas
D. Claim territories for Europe
_____ 12. Of these people, who had the ability to vote?
A. Freed African Americans
C. Slaves
B. Large landowners
D. Women
_____ 13. Which battle served as the turning point in the American Revolution?
A. Bunker Hill
B. Yorktown
C. Saratoga
D. Trenton
_____ 14. Which is not a key philosophy in the Declaration of Independence?
A. Government receives its power from the people
B. People establish governments to protect their rights
C. People have a right and duty to change a government if it no longer serves its purpose
D. Governments should always have a king or a president
_____ 15. Which is a true statement about the relationship between Great Britain and the colonies?
A. Great Britain allowed the colonies to trade with other countries.
B. Colonists were required to obey laws passed by Parliament.
C. The king allowed colonists to elect their colonial governors.
D. Britain refused to protect the colonies in the French and Indian War.
Part IV: Geography – Please complete each map below.
1. Next to each of the regions, please write the
number that corresponds to the correct region on
the map.
_____ Coastal Plains
_____ Appalachian Highlands
_____ Canadian Shield
_____ Interior Lowlands
_____ Great Plains
_____ Basin and Range
_____ Rocky Mountains
_____ Coastal Range
2. Please match each river with its name below.
_____ St. Lawrence River
_____ Ohio River
_____ Missouri River
_____ Mississippi River
_____ Rio Grande
_____ Columbia River
_____ Colorado River