Professional Documents
Culture Documents
HISTORY
Total Possible Score: 68
Needed Correct to Pass: For 2016 - 30 For 2017 - 32
Advanced Performance: 55
This file contains the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) administered in Spring,
2016, along with the answer key, learning objectives, and, for writing tests, the scoring guide. This
document is available to the public under Texas state law. This file was created from information released
by the Texas Education Agency, which is the state agency that develops and administers the tests. All of
this information appears on the Texas Education Agency web site, but has been compiled here into one
package for each grade and subject, rather than having to download pieces from various web pages.
The number of correct answers required to "pass" this test is shown above. Because of where the "passing"
score is set, it may be possible to pass the test without learning some important areas of study. Because of
this, I believe that making the passing grade should not be considered "good enough." A student's goal
should be to master each of the objectives covered by the test. The "Advanced Performance" score is a good
goal for mastery of all the objectives.
The test in this file may differ somewhat in appearance from the printed version, due to formatting
limitations. Since STAAR questions are changed each year, some proposed questions for future tests are
included in each year's exams in order to evaluate the questions. Questions being evaluated for future
tests do not count toward a student's score. Those questions are also not included in the version of the test
made available to the public until after they used as part of the official test.
The test materials in this file are copyright 2016, Texas Education Agency. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of all or portions of this work is prohibited without express written permission from the
Texas Education Agency. Residents of the state of Texas may reproduce and use copies of the materials
and related materials for individual personal use only without obtaining written permission of the Texas
Education Agency. For full copyright information, see:
http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/Welcome_and_Overview/Site_Policies/
Hard copies of the released tests (including Braille) may be ordered online through Pearson Education at
http://www.texasassessment.com/released-tests/ or by calling 855-333-7770.
When printing released questions for mathematics, make sure the Print Menu is set to print the pages at
100% to ensure that the art reflects the intended measurements.
For comments and questions about this file or the web site, you can e-mail me at scott@scotthochberg.com.
Please direct any questions about the content of the test to the Texas Education Agency at the address
above. To download additional tests, go to www.scotthochberg.com.
State of Texas
Assessments of
Academic Readiness
U.S. History
RELEASED
Copyright © 2016, Texas Education Agency. All rights reserved. Reproduction of all or portions of this work is prohibited without express
written permission from the Texas Education Agency.
U.S. HISTORY
U.S. History
Page 3
DIRECTIONS
Read each question carefully. Determine the best answer to the question from
the four answer choices provided. Then fill in the answer on your answer
document.
1
Carnegie Library, Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, c. 1908
Which Andrew Carnegie quotation best explains why he funded libraries like the one in this
photograph?
A “Under the law of competition, the employer of thousands is forced into the strictest
economies, . . . and often there is friction between the employer and the employed.”
B “The price which society pays for the law of competition, like the price it pays for cheap
comforts and luxuries, is . . . great.”
C “The best means of benefiting the community is to place within its reach the ladders upon
which the aspiring can rise.”
D “This, then, is . . . the duty of the man of wealth: To set an example of modest,
unostentatious living, shunning display or extravagance.”
U.S. History
Page 4
2
?
• The rise of militarism upset the balance of power in Europe.
• Political interference in the unstable Balkan Peninsula increased
tensions throughout Europe.
• Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire aligned against
France, Russia, and Great Britain.
3 Why did Chicano migrant workers establish the United Farm Workers?
U.S. History
Page 5
4 What was the initial response of the U.S. government to the attacks of September 11, 2001?
H To reopen military bases in Europe that had been closed after the Cold War
B the refusal of federal courts to hear cases concerning civil rights violations
C the denial of First and Fifth Amendment freedoms by southern state legislatures
D resistance by state and local governments to the Brown v. Board of Education ruling
U.S. History
Page 6
6
U.S. History
Page 7
7
1962 In her book Silent Spring, Rachel Carson warned the public of the consequences
of widespread pesticide use.
1972 The Clean Water Act was passed, regulating the quality of surface waters.
1973 The Endangered Species Act was passed, protecting threatened wildlife.
A The Centers for Disease Control petitioned Congress to eliminate waste treatment plants.
D The president ordered the Public Health Service to deal with environmental pollution.
U.S. History
Page 8
8
U.S. Cattle Industry in the Nineteenth Century
J The need to process large amounts of cattle made meatpacking a major industry.
U.S. History
Page 9
10
A Environmental preservation
B Assimilation
C Education
D Cultural pride
U.S. History
Page 10
12
F Sonar
G Jet engines
H Radar
J Cipher machines
U.S. History
Page 11
14
15 Which government action was intended to ensure that African Americans could exercise their
Fifteenth Amendment rights?
U.S. History
Page 12
16
Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, 2005
Hurricane Katrina
Many residents were
?
moved inland with
trapped in the city,
high winds, storm
while others were
surges, and heavy
evacuated.
rain.
17
What was the primary reason for the raids described in this excerpt?
U.S. History
Page 13
18 President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points supported Poland by calling for its —
19
Which situation does this cartoon from an early 1900s pamphlet illustrate?
D The lack of available resources in the East to support a large influx of Chinese immigrants
U.S. History
Page 14
20 Why did the “Return to Normalcy” agenda of U.S. presidential candidate Warren G. Harding
appeal to many voters in the 1920 election?
21 Which headline describes the primary issue faced by the federal government at the onset of
the Great Depression?
D a i l y N ew s D a i l y N ew s
D a i l y N ew s D a i l y N ew s
U.S. History
Page 15
22
The events described in this excerpt provide evidence of which political situation?
23 The Social Security Act affected the role of the federal government by —
U.S. History
Page 16
24
The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years
of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any State on account of age.
This amendment gained support based on the belief that people should have the right to vote if
they are old enough to —
25
Post–World War II Events
?
devastates Europe’s • Improved political
infrastructure and stability
economies. • Closer ties with the
United States
• Recovering economies
A The president authorizes a military strike against forces threatening the borders of
Western Europe.
U.S. History
Page 17
26
Which factor was a primary reason for the shift described in this excerpt?
F Kinship networks
G Economic transformation
H Government reform
J Climate change
27 During the Korean War, what prevented the southern part of the peninsula from falling
permanently to the invading forces?
U.S. History
Page 18
28
Source: NARA
H lack of women with the skills necessary to join the labor force
29 How did President Ronald Reagan’s administration support Contra rebels in Nicaragua after
Congress cut funding for military aid?
U.S. History
Page 19
30 Why did the United States seize Pacific islands during World War II?
31
African Americans
Northern black
organize black
?
churches are
churches in the
influenced by
South during the
southerners during
post-Reconstruction
the Great Migration.
era.
U.S. History
Page 20
32
Differences in Maritime Shipping Distances
Before and After the Panama Canal Opened
Liverpool–
San Francisco
New York–
San Francisco KEY
via Panama Canal
via Magellan Straits
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000
Nautical Miles
Courtesy of Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
What was the main effect of the changes shown in this graph on the western United States?
G Western U.S. businesses traded more efficiently with the East Coast and Europe.
H Asian businesses bypassed the West Coast to trade directly with the East Coast.
J Western states recruited guest workers from the Caribbean and South America.
A The discovery of goldfields in the West led to an increase in the amount of money issued
for circulation.
B Industrialists used their connections with corrupt government officials for material gain
and political power.
C In the Deep South a sharp increase in immigration brought a boom in construction and
industry.
D Small, family-owned farms were bought and consolidated to form large agricultural
corporations.
U.S. History
Page 21
34
One reason this provision was included in the Treaty of Versailles was to —
U.S. History
Page 22
35
36 During World War I, tanks were used on the western front primarily to —
U.S. History
Page 23
37
U.S. History
Page 24
38
Achievements of Ida B. Wells
F a religious leader
H a supporter of Prohibition
J an advocate of equality
U.S. History
Page 25
40
A high school teacher wrote these bullet points on the whiteboard. What was the most likely
topic of discussion?
41
Increased population
growth
Increased demand
for higher crop yields ?
Which outcome best completes this diagram?
U.S. History
Page 26
42 Which of the following is most characteristic of the Cold War?
F The growth of nuclear arsenals in the United States and the Soviet Union
43 Which of the following directly contributed to the economic instability of the United States in
1929?
U.S. History
Page 27
44
F Containment
G Peaceful coexistence
H Constructive engagement
J Deterrence
U.S. History
Page 28
45
The business practice described above eventually led to the enactment of legislation that —
46 Which groups were most influential in passing the Pure Food and Drug Act?
U.S. History
Page 29
47
Source: NARA
D supporting the war effort by reducing demand for commercially grown food
U.S. History
Page 30
48
• Ultraviolet-filtering lenses
• High-resolution optical scanners
• Remote medical diagnostics
• Earth-imaging technology
F Telecommunications
G Energy
H Aerospace
J Transportation
49
Civil Rights Organizations
Important
Martin Luther King, Jr. Huey P. Newton
Leader
Name of
Organization
Southern Christian
Leadership Conference ?
Use nonviolent resistance Use all necessary means to
Basic
to eliminate racial segregation defend the community and
Philosophy
and discrimination provide for community needs
A Nation of Islam
D NAACP
U.S. History
Page 31
50 Which of these is an example of a successful innovation of the assembly-line production
model?
51
Which of the following provides evidence to support President Obama’s assertion that “America
became more free and more fair”?
U.S. History
Page 32
52 Which action prompted the United States to officially enter World War II?
53
U.S. History
Page 33
54
55 Which constitutional issue was debated after the release of the Pentagon Papers?
A Freedom of religion
U.S. History
Page 34
56
57 How did the expansion of railroad transportation most benefit farmers in the United States?
U.S. History
Page 35
58
The white people were sitting in the white section. More white
people got on, and they filled up all the seats in the white section.
When that happened, we black people were supposed to give up
our seats to the whites. But I didn’t move. The white driver said,
“Let me have those front seats.” I didn’t get up. I was tired of
giving in to white people.
How did the event described by Rosa Parks in this excerpt affect the Civil Rights movement?
U.S. History
Page 36
60
“What Our Navy Costs Us,” 1909
Which of the following was primarily responsible for the change depicted in this illustration?
61 Which statement best explains how the application of electricity in the early 1900s affected
the development of the U.S. economy?
U.S. History
Page 37
62
Source: NARA
U.S. History
Page 38
63
How was the goal set forth in this excerpt advanced during President Nixon’s administration?
64
Alvin York Led 7 men in the capture of 132 German soldiers World War I
Vernon Baker Destroyed German defensive positions World War II
Roy Benavidez Rescued wounded soldiers during a firefight Vietnam War
Which action did the federal government take to recognize these soldiers?
G Awarding them the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions above the call of duty
H Providing them with monetary bonuses for demonstrating courage under fire
U.S. History
Page 39
65
The United States was founded, in large part, on the desire of its
people to participate in the decisions of their government.
66 During the time between the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the start of the Tet
offensive, what happened in the Vietnam War?
G Peace talks between South Vietnam and North Vietnam were conducted in Paris.
U.S. History
Page 40
67 How did Steve Jobs influence business in the twenty-first century?
B By developing popular devices that changed the way people used electronics
68
Lines for gas such as the one in this photograph resulted from — © Mary Evans/Classic Stock/Ewing Galloway
Reporting Category 1:
History
The student will demonstrate an understanding of issues and events in U.S.
history.
(1) History. The student understands the principles included in the Celebrate
Freedom Week program. The student is expected to
(A) analyze and evaluate the text, intent, meaning, and importance of the
Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the
Bill of Rights, and identify the full text of the first three paragraphs of
the Declaration of Independence; Supporting Standard
(B) analyze and evaluate the application of these founding principles to
historical events in U.S. history; and Supporting Standard
(C) explain the contributions of the Founding Fathers such as Benjamin
Rush, John Hancock, John Jay, John Witherspoon, John Peter
Muhlenberg, Charles Carroll, and Jonathan Trumbull Sr.
Supporting Standard
(2) History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in
U.S. history from 1877 to the present. The student is expected to
(A) analyze political issues such as Indian policies, the growth of political
machines, civil service reform, and the beginnings of Populism;
Readiness Standard
(B) analyze economic issues such as industrialization, the growth of
railroads, the growth of labor unions, farm issues, the cattle industry
boom, the rise of entrepreneurship, free enterprise, and the pros and
cons of big business; Readiness Standard
(C) analyze social issues affecting women, minorities, children,
immigrants, urbanization, the Social Gospel, and philanthropy of
industrialists; and Readiness Standard
(D) describe the optimism of the many immigrants who sought a better life
in America. Supporting Standard
(4) History. The student understands the emergence of the United States as a
world power between 1898 and 1920. The student is expected to
(A) explain why significant events, policies, and individuals such as the
Spanish-American War, U.S. expansionism, Henry Cabot Lodge, Alfred
Thayer Mahan, Theodore Roosevelt, Sanford B. Dole, and missionaries
moved the United States into the position of a world power;
Readiness Standard
(B) evaluate American expansionism, including acquisitions such as Guam,
Hawaii, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico; Supporting Standard
(C) identify the causes of World War I and reasons for U.S. entry;
Readiness Standard
(D) understand the contributions of the American Expeditionary Forces
(AEF) led by General John J. Pershing; Supporting Standard
(E) analyze the impact of significant technological innovations in World
War I such as machine guns, airplanes, tanks, poison gas, and trench
warfare that resulted in the stalemate on the Western Front;
Supporting Standard
(F) analyze major issues such as isolationism and neutrality raised by U.S.
involvement in World War I, Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, and
the Treaty of Versailles; and Readiness Standard
(G) analyze significant events such as the Battle of Argonne Forest.
Supporting Standard
(A) analyze causes and effects of events and social issues such as
immigration, Social Darwinism, eugenics, race relations, nativism, the
Red Scare, Prohibition, and the changing role of women; and
Readiness Standard
(B) analyze the impact of significant individuals such as Clarence Darrow,
William Jennings Bryan, Henry Ford, Glenn Curtiss, Marcus Garvey,
and Charles A. Lindbergh. Supporting Standard
(7) History. The student understands the domestic and international impact of
U.S. participation in World War II. The student is expected to
(A) identify reasons for U.S. involvement in World War II, including Italian,
German, and Japanese dictatorships and their aggression, especially
the attack on Pearl Harbor; Readiness Standard
(B) evaluate the domestic and international leadership of Franklin D.
Roosevelt and Harry Truman during World War II, including the U.S.
relationship with its allies and domestic industry’s rapid mobilization
for the war effort; Supporting Standard
(C) analyze the function of the U.S. Office of War Information;
Supporting Standard
(D) analyze major issues of World War II, including the Holocaust; the
internment of German, Italian, and Japanese Americans and Executive
Order 9066; and the development of conventional and atomic
weapons; Readiness Standard
(E) analyze major military events of World War II, including the Battle of
Midway, the U.S. military advancement through the Pacific Islands, the
Bataan Death March, the invasion of Normandy, fighting the war on
multiple fronts, and the liberation of concentration camps;
Supporting Standard
(A) describe U.S. responses to Soviet aggression after World War II,
including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization, the Berlin airlift, and John F. Kennedy’s role in
the Cuban Missile Crisis; Readiness Standard
(B) describe how Cold War tensions were intensified by the arms race, the
space race, McCarthyism, and the House Un-American Activities
Committee (HUAC), the findings of which were confirmed by the
Venona Papers; Supporting Standard
(C) explain reasons and outcomes for U.S. involvement in the Korean War
and its relationship to the containment policy; Readiness Standard
(D) explain reasons and outcomes for U.S. involvement in foreign
countries and their relationship to the Domino Theory, including the
Vietnam War; Readiness Standard
(E) analyze the major issues and events of the Vietnam War such as the
Tet Offensive, the escalation of forces, Vietnamization, and the fall of
Saigon; and Supporting Standard
(F) describe the responses to the Vietnam War such as the draft, the 26th
Amendment, the role of the media, the credibility gap, the silent
majority, and the anti-war movement. Readiness Standard
(9) History. The student understands the impact of the American civil rights
movement. The student is expected to
(A) trace the historical development of the civil rights movement in the
19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, including the 13th, 14th, 15th, and
19th amendments; Readiness Standard
(B) describe the roles of political organizations that promoted civil rights,
including ones from African American, Chicano, American Indian,
women’s, and other civil rights movements; Supporting Standard
(A) describe U.S. involvement in world affairs, including the end of the
Cold War, the Persian Gulf War, the Balkans Crisis, 9/11, and the
global War on Terror; Readiness Standard
(B) identify significant social and political advocacy organizations, leaders,
and issues across the political spectrum; Supporting Standard
(D) analyze the impact of third parties on presidential elections; and
Supporting Standard
(E) discuss the historical significance of the 2008 presidential election.
Supporting Standard
(A) analyze the impact of physical and human geographic factors on the
settlement of the Great Plains, the Klondike Gold Rush, the Panama
Canal, the Dust Bowl, and the levee failure in New Orleans after
Hurricane Katrina; and Readiness Standard
(B) identify and explain reasons for changes in political boundaries such as
those resulting from statehood and international conflicts.
Supporting Standard
(13) Geography. The student understands the causes and effects of migration and
immigration on American society. The student is expected to
(A) describe how the characteristics and issues in U.S. history have been
reflected in various genres of art, music, film, and literature;
Supporting Standard
STAAR U.S. History Page 8 of 15
(19) Government. The student understands changes over time in the role of
government. The student is expected to
(A) evaluate the impact of New Deal legislation on the historical roles of
state and federal government; Readiness Standard
(B) explain constitutional issues raised by federal government policy
changes during times of significant events, including World War I, the
Great Depression, World War II, the 1960s, and 9/11;
Readiness Standard
(C) describe the effects of political scandals, including Teapot Dome,
Watergate, and Bill Clinton’s impeachment, on the views of U.S.
citizens concerning trust in the federal government and its leaders;
Supporting Standard
(D) discuss the role of contemporary government legislation in the private
and public sectors such as the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977,
USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, and the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009; and Supporting Standard
(E) evaluate the pros and cons of U.S. participation in international
organizations and treaties. Supporting Standard
(20) Government. The student understands the changing relationships among the
three branches of the federal government. The student is expected to
(A) describe the impact of events such as the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
and the War Powers Act on the relationship between the legislative
and executive branches of government; and Supporting Standard
(B) evaluate the impact of relationships among the legislative, executive,
and judicial branches of government, including Franklin D. Roosevelt’s
attempt to increase the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices and
the presidential election of 2000. Readiness Standard
(21) Government. The student understands the impact of constitutional issues on
American society. The student is expected to
(15) Economics. The student understands domestic and foreign issues related to
U.S. economic growth from the 1870s to 1920. The student is expected to
(A) describe the economic effects of World War II on the home front such
as the end of the Great Depression, rationing, and increased
opportunity for women and minority employment;
Readiness Standard
(B) identify the causes of prosperity in the 1950s, including the Baby
Boom and the impact of the GI Bill (Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of
1944), and the effects of prosperity in the 1950s such as increased
consumption and the growth of agriculture and business;
Readiness Standard
(C) describe the economic impact of defense spending on the business
cycle and education priorities from 1945 to the 1990s;
Supporting Standard
(D) identify actions of government and the private sector such as the
Great Society, affirmative action, and Title IX to create economic
opportunities for citizens and analyze the unintended consequences of
each; and Supporting Standard
(E) describe the dynamic relationship between U.S. international trade
policies and the U.S. free enterprise system such as the Organization
of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil embargo, the General
Agreement of Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Readiness Standard
(18) Economics. The student understands the economic effects of increased
worldwide interdependence as the United States enters the 21st century. The
student is expected to
(A) discuss the role of American entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates, Sam
Walton, Estée Lauder, Robert Johnson, Lionel Sosa, and millions of
small business entrepreneurs who achieved the American dream; and
Supporting Standard
(B) identify the impact of international events, multinational corporations,
government policies, and individuals on the 21st century economy.
Supporting Standard
(29) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize
and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including
electronic technology. The student is expected to
(A) use a variety of both primary and secondary valid sources to acquire
information and to analyze and answer historical questions;
(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-
and-effect relationships, comparing and contrasting, finding the main
idea, summarizing, making generalizations, making predictions,
drawing inferences, and drawing conclusions;
(D) use the process of historical inquiry to research, interpret, and use
multiple types of sources of evidence;
(G) identify and support with historical evidence a point of view on a social
studies issue or event; and
(H) use appropriate skills to analyze and interpret social studies
information such as maps, graphs, presentations, speeches, lectures,
and political cartoons.
(30) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual
forms. The student is expected to