Social StudiesSocial StudiesSocial StudiesSocial Studies

CRCT PracticeCRCT Practice

Rebecca McNutt Kincaid

1. The Bill of Rights lists basic freedoms of citizens. One is freedom of assembly. Which of the following is an example of freedom of assembly?

• A. Marshall can attend a town meeting.• B. Wendy can vote in an election.• C. Hans can place Christmas decorations on

his house.• D. Bishop can write a letter supporting lower

taxes.

2. Federalism is the division of powers between the different levels of government -national, state, and local. Which part of government at the state level enforces the laws?

• A. governor• B. state legislature• C. state court• D. assembly

3. Francis Scott Key wrote the words to a poem that became our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Some of the words to that poem are as follows: “Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming. . .”What did Key mean by these words?

• A. Key saw the American flag still flying over Ft. McHenry after the British attack.

• B. Key saw the fireworks over the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor.

• C. Key saw the British being defeated at the Battle of New Orleans.

• D. Key saw the celebration over the signing of the Declaration.

4. The Congress of the United States is divided into two chambers (houses): the Senate and the House of Representatives. The number of senators from each state is

• A. the same for each state - five.• B. based on the size of each state.• C. the same for each state - two.• D. based on the population of each state.

5. Which of the following protects the right of Americans to publish newspapers, magazines, and books?

• A. states' rights• B. freedom of religion• C. freedom of the press• D. separation of powers

6. The President of the United States represents which branch of government?

• A. legislative• B. executive• C. judicial• D. international

7. A person driving a car needs to be very responsible. Which of the following BEST describes the driver's responsibilities?

• A. The driver needs to know how to drive and the rules of driving.

• B. The driver needs to know the rules of driving.

• C. The driver needs to know how the car works.

• D. The driver needs to know how to drive.

• A. freedom of religion.

B. freedom of speech.

C. freedom of petition.

D. freedom of the press.

8. In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, D.C. This was an example of

9. Which of the following is ONE responsibility of a good citizen?

•A. owning a house

B. obeying the laws

C. raising a family

D. attending a college

10. Which region of the United States does NOT have any coastal plains?

• A. Northeast

• B. Midwest

• C. Southeast

• D. Northwest

11. The Bill of Rights lists certain basic freedoms guaranteed to Americans. One is freedom of the press. Which is an example of freedom of the press?

• A. Mary writes articles in the paper about city government.

• B. Brenda moves to another city.

• C. Blake helps in a clean-up campaign.

• D. Jose attends one of the state universities

12. There are many different systems of government. Why is the United States system of government considered a form of self-government?

• A. Citizens can veto laws passed by Congress.

• B. The public votes officials into office.

• C. There are specific guidelines for officeholders.

• D. Candidates are nominated through closed elections

13. Members of the state legislature are thinking about raising the driving age. Some people are not in favor of thischange. Which of the following would be the MOST effective action they could take?

• A. contact the person in charge of the state police

• B. write a letter to members of their city council

• C. contact members of the state legislature

• D. write a letter to their United States Senator

14. Thomas Paine was famous for his writings during the struggle for independence from Great Britain. Today, his writings would be protected by

• A. freedom of religion.

• B. freedom of the press.

• C. freedom of petition.

• D. freedom of assembly.

15. The Supreme Court decides that a law passed by Congress is unconstitutional. This example of checks and balances shows the

• A. legislative branch checking the judicial branch.

• B. judicial branch checking the legislative branch.

• C. executive branch checking the judicial branch.

• D. legislative branch checking the executive branch.

The physical environment affected the lives of Native Americans. Which one of the following statements best describes the life of the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest?

• A. They hunted buffalo and deer on the plains.

• B. They herded cattle and goats.

• C. They fished along the coast, rivers, and lakes.

• D. They grew corn and squash in the fields.

25. What was the boundary for westward expansion in 1763?

• A. a desert

• B. a plateau

• C. mountains

• D. coastal plains

The British colonies of North America were divided into three areas - New England, Middle, and Southern. Which of the following physical features would have been located in the New England area?

• A. eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains

• B. southern part of the Mississippi River

• C. northern edge of the Appalachian Mountains

• D. western part of the Ohio River

2. Several important inventions changed the way Americans lived and worked during the early history of the United States. During the 1800s, which of the following made the greatest change in travel and trade?

• A. trains

• B. horse-drawn carriages

• C. ironclad ships

• D. barges and rafts

3. In 1778, the British decided to move their troops to the Southern colonies. One of the first cities captured by theBritish in 1778 was

• A. Washington.

• B. Atlanta.

• C. Savannah.

• D. Yorktown.

During the Revolutionary War, there were things that helped the Americans and things that helped the British.Which of the following helped the Americans?

• A. They knew the land where they were fighting.

• B. They had a large army and navy.

• C. They knew they had the support of all of the colonists.

• D. They had better weapons and supplies.

European settlers came to North America beginning in the 1600s. Their settlements were often limited because of physical features. The Appalachian Mountains were one of the features that kept them from moving west. Which of the following helped settlers get through the mountains?

• A. Chisholm Trail

• B. Pike's Peak

• C. Northwest Passage

• D. Wilderness Trail

Thomas Paine wanted to express his view that America should be independent from England. As a result, which of the following actions did he take?

• A. He wrote a book titled Uncle Tom's Cabin.

• B. He wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense.

• C. He wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner."

• D. He painted the famous picture "The Boston Tea Party."

The British colonies in North America stretched from what is today the state of Maine to the Florida peninsula. During the 1700s, what physical feature stopped many colonists from moving west?

• A. Appalachian Mountains

• B. Mississippi River

• C. Ohio River

• D. Rocky Mountains

In 1777, the American army won a big battle at Saratoga, New York. They surrounded the British army and forced General Burgoyne to surrender. Why was this battle important?

• A. The British surrender meant that the war was over at last.

• B. The Americans won control of New York and Canada.

• C. The British brought over more troops to control most of the colonies.

• D. The French agreed to help the Americans fight the British.

The colonies in North America that were settled by the British are divided into three areas - New England, Middle, and Southern. Which of the following BEST describes the climate of the Middle Colonies?

• A. warm summers and winters with areas that are cold and snowy and areas that are mild

• B. wet; cold summers and mild winters with little or no snow

• C. cold summers and winters with areas that are cold and snowy and areas that are mild

• D. wet; cold summers and cold winters with much snow

During the years before the American Revolution, some colonists formed a group that wanted independence. This group was called the…

• A. Grange.

• B. Sons of Liberty.

• C. Green Mountain Boys.

• D. Regulators.

In 1752, Georgia became a royal colony under the control of the King of England. Which of the following changes took place?

• Settlers were permitted to take any lands • they wanted from Native Americans.

• B. The Church of England became the official church of Georgia.

• C. The settlers were forced to give up their land to the colony.

• D. Rules were created concerning the sale of land and products.

The Townshend Acts were a tax passed by Parliament in 1767 on goods such as tea, lead, and glass. The acts included writs of assistance which allowed the government to check homes to see if the tax had been paid. These writs were like a

• A. deed.

• B. search warrant.

• C. grant.

• D. tax bill.

Beginning in the late 1400s, European explorers began arriving in the "New World." They would come into contact with Native Americans. Which of the following BEST describes the Native Americans they met?

• A. The tribes were very similar in the ways in which they lived.

• B. All of the tribes were warlike.

• C. The tribes were very different in the ways in which they lived.

• D. All of the tribes were peaceful.

During the Revolutionary War, some colonists were called Patriots and other colonists were called Loyalists. Which of the following BEST states a Loyalist's point of view?

• A. The colonists should not be paying taxes on tea.

• B. The colonists should sign the Declaration of Independence

• C. The colonists should stop buying British goods.

• D. The colonists should stop complaining about the king of England

There were many reasons why the Revolutionary War took place between Great Britain and the colonies in North America. Some of the colonists were unhappy with "no taxation without representation." What did they mean by this?

• A. The colonists should not be taxed unless they were represented in Parliament.

• B. The colonists should not be taxed because they could not vote for the King.

• C. The colonists should not be taxed unless the taxes were used in the colonies.

• D. The colonists should not be taxed because no one should be taxed.

The Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in 1787. The chairman (president) of the Constitutional Convention was

• A. George Washington.

• B. Samuel Adams.

• C. Benjamin Franklin.

• D. James Madison.

Many of the settlers who headed west after the French and Indian War took the Wilderness Trail, while others used the Ohio River. Both of these led to the rich lands of

• A. Texas.

• B. Kentucky.

• C. Florida.

• D. Canada.

To help raise money for Britain, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts in 1767. These acts taxed certain products and allowed the government the power to search homes and businesses for proof that the tax had been paid. These searches were called

• A. writs of assistance.

• B. committees of correspondence.

• C. charters.

• D. grants.

The Revolutionary War ended in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris. The new United States stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. Many of the settlers headed into the land that would become the state of

• A. Florida.

• B. Ohio.

• C. Maine.

• D. West Virginia.

During the 1400s Europeans were trading with Asia. The land route was long and dangerous. To avoid the danger, Europeans

• A. formed military treaties to fight the Asians.

• B. decided to search for a water route to Asia.

• C. stopped trading for Asian goods.

• D. forced the Asians to bring goods to Europe.