Social Studies Practice Test

The Women’s Suffrage Movement in the United States was a decades-long fight to win the right to vote for women. It began in earnest in the mid-19th century, with leaders like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth advocating for women’s rights. These activists organized protests, gave speeches, and lobbied lawmakers to support women’s suffrage.

The movement faced significant opposition, but it gained momentum in the early 20th century, particularly during World War I. Women’s contributions to the war effort demonstrated their capabilities and furthered the argument for their right to vote. After years of persistent campaigning, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1920, granting women the right to vote.

Which statement represents a cause-and-effect relationship?

A) Because women contributed to the war effort, they gained the right to vote in 1920.

B) Because the 19th Amendment was ratified, the Women’s Suffrage Movement began.

C) Because Susan B. Anthony gave speeches, World War I started.

D) Because the Women’s Suffrage Movement faced opposition, the 19th Amendment was proposed.

This excerpt is from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, delivered on November 19, 1863:

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

In paragraph 1, what does the word “proposition” mean?

A. Assumption
B. Statement
C. Calculation
D. Request

Which conclusion is supported by the information in the timeline?

A) In March 1861, Lincoln ended the Civil War with his inauguration.
B) In January 1863, Lincoln took a major step toward ending slavery in the United States.
C) In April 1861, Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.
D) In April 1865, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Great Depression of the 1930s had a profound impact on the United States. Unemployment rates soared, and many families struggled to make ends meet. A good example of the government’s response to this crisis is the New Deal programs initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. These programs aimed to provide relief, recovery, and reform to the nation’s economy. While some critics argued that the New Deal expanded federal government power too much, many others saw it as essential for economic recovery. In the end, the New Deal was the most transformative series of programs in U.S. history.

Which sentence from the passage expresses a bias of the author?

• A) A good example of the government’s response to this crisis is the New Deal programs initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
• B) These programs aimed to provide relief, recovery, and reform to the nation’s economy.
• C) Unemployment rates soared, and many families struggled to make ends meet.
• D) In the end, the New Deal was the most transformative series of programs in U.S. history.

Read the quotations from Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board. Then answer the question.

“The object of the [Fourteenth] Amendment was undoubtedly to enforce the absolute equality of the two races before the law, but, in the nature of things, it could not have been intended to abolish distinctions based upon color, or to enforce social, as distinguished from political, equality, or a commingling [mixing] of the two races upon terms unsatisfactory to either.”
Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896)

“to separate [children in grade and schools] from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone . . . . We conclude that in the files of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place.”
Brown v. Board, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)

The differences in the decisions in Plessy and Brown demonstrate

These excerpts are from a debate in the U.S. Congress concerning the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

Excerpt 1:

“The proposed Constitution grants too much power to the federal government at the expense of state sovereignty. Under this new framework, the federal government will have the authority to impose taxes, regulate commerce, and maintain a standing army. This concentration of power poses a threat to the liberties of the people and the rights of the states. We must ensure that state governments retain their independence and ability to govern their own affairs without interference from a centralized authority.”

—Anti-Federalist statement, 1787

Excerpt 2:

“The Constitution provides a necessary balance between federal and state powers. It establishes a strong national government capable of addressing issues that affect the entire nation, such as defense, trade, and foreign relations, while reserving powers to the states for local matters. The separation of powers and checks and balances will prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. This framework is essential for maintaining unity and stability, and for protecting the rights and freedoms of all citizens.”

—Federalist statement, 1787

Based on the excerpts, which statement expresses an assumption behind the Anti-Federalist position that is not an assumption behind the Federalist position?

A. The federal government should have the power to regulate commerce.

B. The concentration of power in a central authority poses a threat to liberties.

C. A strong national government is necessary for addressing national issues.

D. The separation of powers will prevent any branch from becoming too powerful.

This paragraph is the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or [limiting] the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government [to settle] grievances.

Which circumstance shows an application of the First Amendment?

A) A church is shut down by the government for its controversial teachings.

B) A blogger is arrested for posting opinions critical of government policies.

C) An individual sues the government for prohibiting a public rally on environmental issues.

D) A radio station is fined for broadcasting news about government corruption.

This excerpt is from a 1965 speech by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

“We have talked long enough about equal rights in this country. It is now time to write the next chapter and to write it in the books of law. The Voting Rights Act will remove the last major stumbling block in the way of achieving true equality for all Americans. The wrongs of the past must not stand in the way of the rights of the future.”

Based on the excerpt from President Johnson’s speech, how did the historical circumstances shape his point of view?

A) The end of World War II led him to focus on economic recovery.
B) The space race influenced his commitment to scientific advancements.
C) The Civil Rights Movement prompted him to address racial discrimination and voting rights.
D) The Vietnam War shaped his focus on military strategy.

In the years before Pearl Harbor and American involvement in WW II, there were two different schools of thought in America. Proponents of American intervention argued that America needed to be involved in the war to prevent Hitler and his allies from succeeding and then setting their sights on America. Opponents, on the other hand, argued that America needed to stay out of European affairs and focus on bringing America out of the Great Depression and that the events in Europe would have no effect on America.

Which statement most accurately expresses the point of view of the cartoonist?

This excerpt is from Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution: