Grade 8 Social Studies Practice Test: The Age of Jackson and Manifest Destiny
- Age of Jackson and Manifest Destiny
- 10 questions
- 13 minutes
From the 1820s to the 1840s, democracy expanded for some Americans while the country pushed west at the cost of Native nations and Mexico. Tip: tie each law or treaty to its date.
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Question 1
What did the Monroe Doctrine (1823) tell European nations?
Correct answer: C
President Monroe warned Europe to stay out of the Western Hemisphere, and the U.S. promised to stay out of European affairs. Florida had already been gained in 1819.
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Question 2
Andrew Jackson's supporters saw him as a champion of the "common man." Which change helped this image?
Correct answer: A
More white men without land could now vote, and many supported Jackson. Women's suffrage, direct election of senators and the 18-year-old vote came much later.
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Question 3
What did the Indian Removal Act of 1830 do?
Correct answer: D
The law led to the forced removal of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw and Seminole. The Cherokee journey of 1838-1839 is called the Trail of Tears.
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Question 4
In Worcester v. Georgia (1832), the Supreme Court ruled that Georgia had no authority over Cherokee lands. What did President Jackson do?
Correct answer: B
Jackson ignored the decision, and the Cherokee were later forced to leave. This showed that a court ruling depends on the executive to carry it out.
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Question 5
Giving government jobs to loyal supporters after winning an election is called
Correct answer: A
The name comes from the phrase "to the victor belong the spoils." Jackson used it widely, and critics said it rewarded loyalty over skill.
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Question 6
During the Nullification Crisis, South Carolina claimed the right to
Correct answer: C
South Carolina said it could cancel, or nullify, the tariff of 1828 inside the state. Jackson insisted that federal law must be obeyed.
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Question 7
"Manifest Destiny" was the belief that
Correct answer: B
Many Americans in the 1840s believed expansion westward was natural and certain. This idea was used to justify taking land from Native nations and Mexico.
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Question 8
Texas won independence from Mexico in 1836 after battles that included the Alamo. When did the United States annex Texas?
Correct answer: D
Texas was an independent republic for about nine years before joining the U.S. in 1845. 1803 was the Louisiana Purchase.
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Question 9
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) ended the Mexican-American War. What did the United States gain?
Correct answer: B
Mexico gave up a huge area, including present-day California, Nevada and Utah and most of Arizona and New Mexico. Oregon came from a separate treaty with Britain.
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Question 10
The Oregon Treaty of 1846 with Great Britain set the border in the Pacific Northwest at
Correct answer: A
The two countries extended the existing 49th-parallel border west to the Pacific coast. The Rio Grande became the border with Mexico.
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