Texas History 1st Semester Exam Review 2014
Social Studies Skills:
Many of the question on the test are skill based. Use any of the chapter reviews in your textbook to practice
the following skills. This exam will cover 1st semester material.
1. Be able to read and decipher and interpret a time line while determining what century an event
occurred.
2. Map reading skills, reading a key, determining direction and relative location.
3. Reading and comprehension skills.
4. Be familiar with the differences between primary and secondary sources.
5. Must be able to interpret charts and data tables to reach a conclusion.
6. Be able to identify what century a range of dates comes from.
7. Be able to identify cause and effect relationships.
Unit I: Geography, Native Americans, Exploration & Spanish Colonization:
8. Be familiar with the names and locations of the 4 regions of
Texas.
a. Natural resources and plants by region.
b. Relative locations of regions.
c. Know what regions major cities such as Austin, Dallas
and San Antonio are located.
9. What major factor(s) have influenced the settlement patterns in Texas?
10. Be familiar with the following bodies of water; relative location, states they border, boundaries they
create, etc.
a. Sabine River
b. Gulf of Mexico
c. Rio Grande
d. Red River
11. Be able to identify the cultural traits of each of these Native American groups such as geographic
location (region), food, housing be able to explain how they adapted to their environment:
a. Farmers
b. Gatherers
c. Hunters
12. How did geography influence the different Native American cultures in Texas?
13. Identify the significance of the following individuals:
a. Cabeza de Vaca
b. La Salle
c. Stephen F. Austin
d. Alvarez de Pineda
14. What is the phrase used to best explain the motives for European exploration?
15. What contributions did the Spanish give to Texas that has become part of their legacy?
16. What is the legend of Cibola and how did it influence the Spanish exploration of Texas?
17. Why did most Native Americans not like living in Spanish missions?
18. What did the Native Americans do to the missions?
19. In what region of Texas were most of the Spanish Missions and French Settlements in Texas?
20. How did geography have an impact on where Spanish Missions and French settlements were built?
21. What was the significance of San Antonio Bexar?
Unit II: Struggle for Independence (Filibusters, Anglo-Colonization, Revolution):
22. Identify and define the following terms:
a. Empresario
b. Filibuster
c. Self-determination
d. democracy
23. Which empresario brought the first Anglo-Americans to Texas and became known as the “Father of
Texas”?
24. Empresarios lured Americans to Texas by offering or making these statements about the land and life
in their colonies?
25. Why did the first Anglo settlers come to Texas?
26. What was life like in early Texas?
27. What is the significance of the following years?
a. 1821
b. 1824
c. 1836
28. What recommendation was made by Mier y Teran concerning the control of Texas in the late 1820s?
29. What was the main purpose of the Law of April 6, 1830?
30. Put the following events/periods in order:
a. ____ Empresario system established
b. ____ Filibuster period
c. ____ Spanish Missions built
d. ____ Spanish Exploration
e. ____ Texas Revolution begins
31. What is the significance of the following battles and in what order did they take place?
a. Alamo
b. Massacre at Goliad
c. Gonzales
d. San Jacinto
32. Identify who the following people were and what their role or significance was to the Texas Revolution.
a. Sam Houston
b. William B. Travis
c. Santa Anna
33. What were the causes of the Battle of the Alamo?
34. What were the basic underlying causes of the Texas Revolution?
35. In what year did the Texas Revolution end with the surrender of Santa Anna to Sam Houston’s forces?
Be prepared to answer one of the following short response questions in a well written paragraph, using
evidence to support your main idea.
1. How did geography impact the settlement of Texas?
2. What did early Texas cultures contribute to the Legacy of Texas?
3. In what ways were Texas and Mexico responsible for the Texas Revolution?
4. What role did self-determination play in the Texas Revolution?