8th Grade Social Studies Review

You will be taking your Social Studies Midterms on January 22ND-24th. This study guide
is filled with notes and important information that will help prepare you for your midterm.
Remember our goal is to score 80% or higher. Study this study guide and use it to answer the
guided questions and you will do it.

A. Age of European Exploration

I.

The Columbian Exchange

a. Exchange of food, people, precious metals, animals and diseases from the Europe and
Africa to the Americas.

II.
III.
IV.

Old War=Europe
New World=Americas
Causes and Effects
a. 1st Europeans explore the Americas
b. 2nd New diseases are introduced that killed a many of the Native Americans
c. 3rd Native Americans lose their lands

B. American Revolutionary War

Summary: During the Revolutionary War (17751783) the Patriot colonists declared their
Independence from British rule because of unfair
taxes and other injustices (unfair practices). The
colonists who rebelled against Britain were called
Patriots, but other colonists who sided with Britain
were called Loyalists.

C. Womens Rights Review

Summary: While the 13th (abolished slavery), 14th (right to citizenship), and 15th (right to vote)
Amendments gave Blacks certain rights, women stood watching. Remember women during the 1800s
couldnt

Vote or run for political office

Any money they made was their husbands
Their husbands could beat them as long as their were no serious injuries

The Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 was the first time that women got together to have an organized
campaign to fight for womens rights. At this convention they wrote the Seneca Falls Declaration.

D. Dawes Act and Westward Expansion

As settlers expanded West they wanted more and more land yet they had the major problem of dealing
with Native Americans that were already on the land. In an effort to make the Native Americans more
American, the settlers passed a law (The Dawes Act) that required the Native Americans to own
individualized private property. Each Native American was given around 160 acres and the settlers sold
the rest of their land. The Native Americans lost around 100 million acres because of this law.

ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS BELOW

USING INFORMATION FROM ABOVE, WHAT
IS PROVIDED BELOW, AND YOUR CLASS
NOTES
Directions: Answer all questions in complete sentences in order to receive full credit. Use the
study guide notes as well as your knowledge of social studies to answer the study guide
questions.
A. Columbian Exchange
1. What items were exchanged during the Columbian Exchange? _____________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. List three continents involved in the Columbian Exchange? _______________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. *List two negative effects of the Columbian Exchange
a. ________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________
4. *Smallpox, measles, and typhus are the names of ________________________________.

B. American Revolutionary War

Directions: Use your prior knowledge on Patriots and Loyalists to answer the questions below. If a
Loyalist/Patriot would agree with the statement below write it in and then say why based on the
chart above.
Example: I will fight to the end in order to be freegive me liberty or give me death.
a) Who would have said this statement? A Patriot
b) Why would they have said this statement? A Patriot would have said this statement
because they disagreed with the unfair taxes that Britain was putting on them and they
were willing to die in fighting against the Redcoats (British)

1) I cannot stand the King and the Tea Act and Stamp Act.
a) Who would have said this statement? _________________________
b) Why would they have said this statement? ____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2) Even though I am a colonist I am completely against my other colonist friends joining militias
and fighting against Britain.
a) Who would have said this statement? _______________________
b) Why would they have said this statement? ____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3) Just because I support their troops doesnt mean that my home should be taken away.
a) Who would have said this statement? _______________________
b) Why would they have said this statement? ____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Now lets see what you learned!

Directions: Based on what you just learned above answer the following questions below.
Remember to use chart.
1) A Loyalist would most likely agree with which statement below
a) We should tar and feather the next official that knocks on our door
b) I am loyal to the colonies
c) If the King has bills its only right that he taxes us
d) As colonists in America we should be free
2) A Patriot
a)
b)
c)
d)

Supports
Supports
Supports
Supports

the King
British culture and practices
people who tar and feather protestors of the Tea Act
those who oppose the King

C. Womens Rights Review

Directions: Answer the questions below.
1) How do you think women felt about the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments? ______________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
2) Why was the Seneca Falls Convention important? __________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
3) What was the purpose of the Seneca Falls Declaration?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

D. Primary Sources v. Secondary Sources

Define primary source ___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Define secondary source __________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
1) What is an autobiography?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
A. Is an autobiography a (primary or secondary) source? __________________________
How do you know? _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2) What is a biography?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
B. Is a biography a (primary or secondary) source? __________________________
How do you know? _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Determine whether the following is either a primary or secondary source.

5. A soldiers diary.
6.

A social studies textbook.

7.

A speech by Barack Obama.

8.

An encyclopedia.

9.

A book on the challenges soldiers

primary
primary

or
or

Primary

secondary
secondary

or

primary
primary

secondary
or
or

secondary
secondary

faced during the American Revolution

10. Biography of George Bush

primary

or

secondary

Civil War Review

Summary: During the Civil War the Union (North) fought
the Confederates (South). There were many different
causes of the Civil War, but when Abraham Lincoln was
elected President in 1860 South Carolina soon seceded
from the Union. Once the Confederates bombed Fort
Sumter the Civil War began. There were many bloody
battles in the Civil War including Antietam and
Gettysburg. Although the Confederates put up a good
fight the North eventually won as General Lee surrendered
at Appomatox Court House.
1) What does secession mean?
_______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

2) What happened after Fort Sumter? _________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Directions: Use your Interactive Notebook and class notes to answer the following questions.
3) John Brown, Frederick Douglas, and Harriet Tubman were all considered
a) Freedom fighters
b) Confederates
c) Pro-slavery
d) Abolitionists
4) Carpetbaggers
a) Moved from South to North
b) Moved from East to West
c) Moved from Northeast to Southwest
d) Moved from North to South

5) Why did Carpetbaggers move? ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
6) The Dawes Act was used to
a)
b)
c)
d)

cheat Native Americans out of land

help them become better people
allow Native Americans to retain their customs and heritage
give more land to Native Americans