Unit 3 Quiz 1
Which nation provided the foundation for the concept of limited government that is embodied in the US Constitution? a) England b) France c) Greece d) Spain
a) England Many of the ideas expressed in the US Constitution find their basis in the Magna Carta, the Petition of Rights, and the English Bill of Rights.
The people who came to the American colonies in the 17th century had already been exposed to the idea of limited government thanks mainly to a) the Magna Carta b) the Constitution c) the Council of Trent d) the Articles of Confederation
a) the Magna Carta The Magna Carta was signed in 1215 by King John of England, limiting his rights. The Council of Trent was a Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation, while the final two choices come after the colonists arrive in North America.
The "Sons of Liberty" were formed in the 1760s primarily as a reaction to a) the Stamp Act b) the Boston Massacre c) the Treaty of Paris, 1783 d) the French and Indian War
a) the Stamp Act They became a vital organization in the spreading of information and the unification of public opinion in the move to protest against Britain's policy in the American colonies.
1) Protection of the church 2) Council to manage the King 3) Males were able to vote for King 4) No taxes without approval from Council 5) Protection from illegal imprisonment Which items were part of the Magna Carta? a) 1, 2, and 5 b) 1, 2, 4, and 5 c) 1, 2, 3, and 4 d) 2, 3, and 4
b) 1, 2, 4, and 5 The English monarchy was hereditary and not elected. The Magna Carta was to limit the powers of the King.
The document signed as a result of the Glorious Revolution is the a) Declaration of Independence b) English Bill of Rights c) Petition of Rights d) Magna Carta
b) English Bill of Rights The English Bill of Rights was signed in 1689. It created limits on the monarchs and was used as an inspiration for the United States' Bill of Rights.
In English history, the Magna Carta (1215) and the English Bill of Rights (1689) both reinforced the concept of a) universal suffrage b) a limited monarchy c) religious toleration d) a laissez-faire economy
b) a limited monarchy King John was forced by wealthy barons to sign the Magna Carta limiting his control over them. Similarly, the Glorious Revolution resulted in the creation of the English Bill of Rights which limited the monarch's ability to ignore acts of Parliament.
After the Glorious Revolution, England became a constitutional monarchy when William and Mary recognized Parliament as their partner in governing. How does a constitutional monarchy differ from an absolute monarchy? a) in an absolute monarchy, the ruler is elected by the people b) in a constitutional monarchy, laws limit the ruler's power c) in a constitutional monarchy, the king takes power by force d) in an absolute monarchy, a Bill of Rights protects individual freedoms
b) in a constitutional monarchy, laws limit the ruler's power In an absolute monarchy, the ruler has unlimited power. To limit the powers of the monarch, Parliament created the English Bill of Rights.
This 1765 revenue law of the British parliament succeeded in angering the American colonists, not because it taxed most documents but because the colonists had no voice in its passage. a) the Tea Act b) the Stamp Act c) the Sugar Act d) the Townshend Acts
b) the Stamp Act A "stamp tax" was common in Britain, but, unlike British citizens in Europe, the colonists had no voice in the passage of the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act spurred one of the earliest cries of "taxation without representation is tyranny."
"This is the place to affix the STAMP" The message of this political cartoon is to a) support the early Pirate trades b) urge the repeal of the Stamp Act c) alert people of British war crimes d) represent the dangers of the Pony Express
b) urge the repeal of the Stamp Act Colonists especially hated this tax, for it was needed to make documents (such as birth and marriage certificates, contracts, deeds) official and legally binding.
Why did American colonists resent British taxes? a) American colonists were unhappy that the high taxes were keeping the nobility in luxury b) unlike American colonists, people who lived in Great Britain did not have to pay any duties c) Americans did not elect representatives to Parliament as people who lived in Great Britain did d) Great Britain did not offer the American colonists any protection from the French and the Indians
c) Americans did not elect representatives to Parliament as people who lived in Great Britain did Colonists argued that, since they had no representation in Parliament, Parliament did not have the right to tax them. This was a motivating issue when future governing documents were drafted in what would become the United States.
"This is the place to affix the STAMP" This cartoon printed in 1760 was most likely a protest against a) pirates b) food safety c) British taxes d) cruelty of British soldiers
c) British taxes The Stamp Act required a stamp be placed on all official documents, including marriage licenses and contracts. This cartoon is protesting the Stamp Act.
The "Rule of Law" states that a) there should be no barriers to the right to vote b) a just government derives its power from the governed c) all people, including those who govern, must obey the law d) a country's citizens are the source of the governments power
c) all people, including those who govern, must obey the law The "Rule of Law" is an underpinning of US law, and holds that all people, including those in the government, must obey the law. This can be seen in the Constitution's power of impeachment of federal officials.
New taxes passed such as the Stamp Act and the Townshend Act marked an end of the period known as a) mercantilism b) colonial period c) salutary neglect d) taxation without representation
c) salutary neglect After the French and Indian War, the British began to take a more active role in collecting taxes and regulating mercantilistic laws as a result of the debt incurred during the war. This angered the colonists, who were used to more self-government.
Following Parliament's passage of the Stamp Act, South Carolina reacted by a) refusing to buy any British products b) attacking British soldiers in Charles Town c) sending delegates to New York to discuss further action d) sending the colonial governor to London to talk to King George III
c) sending delegates to New York to discuss further action Despite being angered by yet another tax without proper representation in Parliament, South Carolina responded not with violence but with diplomacy. Thomas Lynch, John Rutledge, and Christopher Gadsden all went to New York to participate in what became known as the Stamp Act Congress.
Which important event of the American Revolution is shown here? a) the Stamp Act b) Boston Massacre c) the Boston Tea Party d) Lexington and Concord
c) the Boston Tea Party In 1773, the Sons of Liberty organized this revolt to protest the Tea Act and the fact that the colonists were being taxed heavily but had no representation in British Parliament.
Which shows an accurate relationship between these English and American political doctrines in terms of structure and purpose? a) Magna Carta => Petition of Rights b) Petition of Rights => US Constitution c) Magna Carta => Articles of Confederation d) English Bill of Rights => US Bill of Rights
d) English Bill of Rights => US Bill of Rights Both documents preserve and protect citizens' rights to freedom of speech, assembly, and due process, for example.
What event led to the creation of the English Bill of Rights? a) War of the Roses b) English Civil War c) American Revolution d) Glorious Revolution of 1688
d) Glorious Revolution of 1688 This act of Parliament guaranteed the rights of the English from the power of monarchy and crown.
In United States history, the period known as "salutary neglect" is BEST described as having taken place a) after the Civil War b) after the American Revolution c) before the American Revolution d) before the French and Indian War
d) before the French and Indian War This refers to the period of time in which laws and restrictions placed on American colonists by Parliament were not strictly enforced. The period after the French and Indian War was one in which Parliament was much more strict in their enforcing of colonial laws.
How did the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, and the Intolerable Acts encourage American colonists to consider revolution against British rule? a) by representing an effort in Britain to end the slave trade in the colonies b) by increasing conflict between the colonists and neighboring Indian tribes c) by revealing the British plan to expand the American colonies father west on the continent d) by raising taxed in the American colonies without granting the colonies any representation in Parliament
d) by raising taxed in the American colonies without granting the colonies any representation in Parliament *taxation without representation is tyranny The passing of these acts convinced many Americans that continued loyalty to Britain might not be logical. A few years later, Thomas Paine's Common Sense convince most others of that fact.
The British policy of enforcing the writs of assistance on colonial citizens resulted in the passage of which amendment in the Bill of Rights? a) first b) second c) third d) fourth
d) fourth The writs of assistance allowed British officers to arbitrarily search colonial homes for evidence, without documentation. American citizens later insisted on the inclusion of the Fourth Amendment to prevent illegal searches and seizures without a search warrant by officers.
The Magna Carta is MOST important for which reason? a) it created Parliament b) it was the "great charter" c) it created the first democracy in England d) it put limits on the monarch's powers
d) it put limits on the monarch's powers This concept of "limited monarchy" applies to the United States in that the President, while not a king, still must follow the rules like any other citizen.
Which goods did Great Britain pass a direct tax on that led to boycotts and a group of delegates to meet to determine how to protest it? a) tea and syrup b) weapons and bullets c) sugar, rum, and molasses d) newspapers, wills, and licenses
d) newspapers, wills, and licenses Delegates formed the Stamp Act Congress to demand that Parliament get rid of the tax. This led to more division between the colonists and the British before the Revolution.
The political theory that people form governments for their mutual protection and that government rules only with the consent of those people is known as a) communism b) socialism c) divine right theory d) social contract theory
d) social contract theory The social contract theory is an Enlightenment ideal that has been incorporated into the US government. Free elections of the citizenry ensure that the "social contract" between the people and their government is consistently upheld.
What was the purpose of the English Bill of Rights? a) to reinstate King James II b) to weaken the role of Parliament c) to establish the British cabinet system d) to limit the power of the British monarch
d) to limit the power of the British monarch For example, as a result of the English Bill of Rights, no British ruler could levy taxes without the consent of Parliament.
