APUSH: Practice Exam
D
Although women made few gains in the eighteenth century, they did achieve a degree of progress in 1790 when they won which of the following? a. The right to hold office in Rhode Island b. Suffrage in New York State c. The right of entry into college in Virginia d. Equal access to public education in Massachusetts
A
American antifederalist Patrick Henry opposed the ratification of the Constitution for which of the following reasons? a. He feared high taxes, a large bureaucracy, and a standing army. b. As an American from Virginia, he objected to provisions that ran counter to the interests of slaveholders. c. Henry objected to provisions that protected the interests of slaveholders. d. He was concerned that it would deprive the central government of necessary powers.
D
Americans responded to the Stamp Act by comparing it to which past event? a. The Glorious Revolution b. The Counter-Reformation c. The Stono Rebellion d. The Dominion of New England
A
At the First Continental Congress in 1774, New England delegates advocated which of the following plans? a. Political union and defensive military preparations b. Immediate war with Britain c. The pursuit of a military alliance with Spain d. The Congress's seizure of British Canada
A
At the same time that Parliament imposed the Stamp Act, it also passed the Quartering Act, which required a. colonial governments to provide barracks and food for British troops sent to America to protect them. b. that collectors of the Stamp Tax receive a commission of one-quarter of the revenue they took in.This answer is incorrect. c. Americans to vacate their houses or take in British troops on the demand of any commander. d. that treasonous Americans be hanged and "quartered"; that is, cut into four pieces by the hangman.
A
By 1770, after five years of crisis and debate over American sovereignty, a. outspoken colonial leaders had repudiated Parliament and claimed equality for their own assemblies under the king. b. most Americans wanted to sever their connection to the British Empire and renounce loyalty to George III. c. Thomas Hutchinson and many other British officials accepted the idea of a colonial representatives serving in Parliament. d. George III was willing to take the title of "King of America," but Parliamentary leaders refused to divide sovereignty in this manner.
B
How did Britain's skyrocketing national debt affect its government in England and America in the 1760s? a. In response to the fiscal crisis, Parliament reduced the size of its domestic and colonial tax bureaucracies, but it increased their power dramatically. b. The need for higher taxes spurred Britain to increase the size and power of its bureaucracy in England and America. c. Americans' cooperation with the new tax code allowed Britain to transfer government officials from the colonies back to London.This answer is incorrect. d. Britain's debt crisis led the Parliament to suspend the colonies' royal governorships and decrease its subsidies to the monarchy.
B
How did British politicians respond to the American's cry of "no taxation without representation"? a. They suggested that Americans had representation through their own colonial legislatures. b. Politicians argued that the colonists already had virtual representation. c. They passed the Revenue Act to replace the Stamp Act. d. Parliament pursued stricter enforcement of the Stamp Act.
B
How did the Daughters of Liberty contribute to the American boycott of British goods in the late 1760s? a. They published the names of merchants who imported British goods. b. They promoted nonimportation by making and wearing homespun cloth. c. Women joined public protests demanding the resignation of British officials. d. The group amassed signatures and sent petitions to Parliament for redress.
B
How did the Stamp Act crisis of 1765 compare to the crisis over the Townshend duties in 1768? a. The Americans won both confrontations, reinforcing convictions in Parliament that the colonies were not to be trifled with; only George III and Lord North stubbornly kept demanding concessions. b. The stakes had risen: In 1765, American resistance to taxation had provoked an argument in Parliament; in 1768, it produced a British plan for military coercion. c. The Americans were victors in the first crisis, but in the second they had to retreat and accept humiliating British terms, which they resolved to throw off at the first opportunity. d. The two crises had the cumulative effect of greatly increasing the strength of England's pro-American radicals, led by John Wilkes, in Parliament.
B
John Dickinson's Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania was a response to which of the following policies? a. The Townshend Acts b. The Stamp Act c. The Proclamation of 1763This answer is incorrect. d. The Currency Act
A
Members of activist groups, such as the Sons of Liberty, were typically which of the following? a. Artisans, shopkeepers, poor laborers, and seamen b. Leading colonial lawyers and merchants c. Outside agitators looking to create disorder d. Unemployed workers with little to lose from rioting
D
"Common Sense, written in a style designed to reach a mass audience, was central to the explosion of political argument and involvement beyond the confines of a narrow elite to 'all ranks' of Americans. . . . Paine's message . . . was that anyone could grasp the nature of politics and government. He flaunted his contempt for precedent and authority. . . . Politics, Paine insisted, could and must be reduced to . . . the possibility of change. Men could, by the exercise of reason, throw off the dead weight of tradition and 'see government begin, as if we lived in the beginning of time.'" — Eric Foner, historian, Tom Paine and Revolutionary America, 2005 The ideas expressed in the excerpt most strongly suggest which of the following about that time? a. Most Americans in the 1770s lacked the education necessary to understand complex political writings. b. The American Revolution was led by common men like Thomas Paine, not by wealthy and educated elites. c. Without Thomas Paine's prodding, Americans would never have resisted Great Britain's control. d. American colonists eagerly sought out news and information related to their ongoing struggle with Britain.
A
"Common Sense, written in a style designed to reach a mass audience, was central to the explosion of political argument and involvement beyond the confines of a narrow elite to 'all ranks' of Americans. . . . Paine's message . . . was that anyone could grasp the nature of politics and government. He flaunted his contempt for precedent and authority. . . . Politics, Paine insisted, could and must be reduced to . . . the possibility of change. Men could, by the exercise of reason, throw off the dead weight of tradition and 'see government begin, as if we lived in the beginning of time.'" — Eric Foner, historian, Tom Paine and Revolutionary America, 2005 Which of the following events was the most direct consequence of the developments described in the excerpt? a. Patriot conventions urged the Continental Congress to break with Britain. b. Bostonians dumped the East India Company's tea from British ships into Boston harbor. c. Violence broke out between the colonists and the British at Lexington and Concord. d. Four Massachusetts slaves petitioned the legislature to abolish slavery.
A
Despite the favorable terms Americans achieved in the 1783 Treaty of Paris, they could not ultimately secure which of the following? a. Forgiveness of their debts to British merchants. b. Britain's formal recognition of the thirteen colonies' independence c. Rights to fish off the coast of British Newfoundland d. The lands between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River
A
England had a clear advantage at the outset of the Revolutionary War, but Americans had which of the following factors operating in their favor? a. A more motivated military b. Experienced and well-trained recruits c. A much larger population d. Newer weaponry
B
For which of the following reasons did the British government resolve to punish the boycotters and enforce the Townshend Duties by 1769? a. Disappointed by American-made products, many colonists had stopped boycotting British products by this time. b. Hard-hit by the boycott, British merchants and manufacturers petitioned Parliament to repeal the Townshend Duties. c. The Radical Whig John Wilkes, an American sympathizer, became leader of the majority in the House of Commons. d. The boycott's negative effect was less than the government expected because so few people complied.
C
George Grenville conceived the Sugar Act of 1764 to replace which of the following acts? a. The Excise Act of 1756 b. The Currency Act of 1764 c. The Molasses Act of 1733 d. The Proclamation of 1763
B
George Grenville designed the Sugar Act of 1764 to accomplish which of the following? a. Prohibit colonists from importing molasses from the West Indies b. Improve colonial merchants' compliance with customs laws d. Shut down the production and sale of rum in the American colonies (i guess i deleted answer c oops)
D
How did the authorities in Great Britain respond to the American boycott of 1768-1769? a. Parliament expanded the Townshend duties by adding tea to the list of taxable products. b. Parliament urged removal of British troops to avoid a military confrontation with American rebels. c. Convinced by colonists' constitutional objections, Parliament repealed the Townshend duties for all of the colonies. d. Lord Hillsborough--secretary of state for American affairs--dispatched British troops to Boston.
C
In the 1760s and early 1770s, lawyers and other educated Americans used common-law arguments mainly to a. justify violent resistance to the Stamp Act. b. justify smuggling in violation of the Navigation Acts. c. assert the colonists' rights and liberties as Englishmen. d. call for the overthrow of King George III.
D
In the decade before the American Revolution, the colonists' achieved the greatest effect by using which of the following means of protest? a. Strikes b. Petitions c. Riots d. Boycotts
A
In which of the following ways did the Rockingham ministry in Britain fashion a compromise to the Stamp Act crisis in 1766? a. It repealed the Stamp Act, lowered the molasses tax, and crafted the Declaratory Act b. It revised the Sugar Act to apply only to molasses produced on British sugar islands. c. The Earl of Rockingham repealed both the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act.This answer is incorrect. d. The ministry reaffirmed the Sugar Act, repealed the Stamp Act, and stationed troops in Boston.
B
On what basis did the American colonists object to the vice-admiralty courts in which violators of the Sugar Act were tried? a. Colonists did not believe they should be prosecuted by the same courts as British criminals. b. The courts were run by British-appointed judges and did not involve juries. c. They were administered by the British Navy rather than civilian officials. d. These courts were located in Britain and defendants were required to pay for travel.
D
Patriot women contributed to the war effort in the 1770s by a. working as government officials. b. working in army offices to free men to fight. c. joining the women's regiment. d. increasing production of homespun cloth.
D
Patriots' widely publicized use of natural rights arguments to protest British actions in the 1760s inspired which of the following? a. Native Americans in New York and western Pennsylvania to declare their national sovereignty b. Irish Catholics to start their own movement to oust British colonizers from their country c. Great Britain's decision to clamp down on American newspapers and printing businesses d. African American slaves to petition the Massachusetts legislature for the abolition of slavery
D
Pennsylvania's constitution of 1776 contained which of the following provisions? a. A bicameral legislature b. A prohibition on slavery c. The right of all male property owners to vote d. The right of all taxpaying men to hold office
D
Question 63 To finance the war during its first two years, the new American state governments relied primarily on a. raising taxes to unprecedented levels. b. selling public landholdings. c. forced requisitions from the wealthy. d. printing large quantities of paper money.
A
Question 64 Which of the following was a consequence of the large increase of paper currency in circulation in the states during the Revolutionary War years? a. The paper bills quickly fell in value, becoming nearly worthless. b. It caused many Loyalists to switch their allegiance to the Patriot cause. c. Paper currency made it easier for American families to buy goods. d. The printing of additional bills allowed most Americans to become very wealthy.
D
Question 65 How did the finances of the Continental Congress compare to those of the states during the first two years of the Revolutionary War? a. The states collected sufficient revenue through tax collection, but the Continental Congress lacked the authority to tax. b. Because they benefited from both land and excise taxes, neither the states nor the Continental Congress experienced financial burdens at this time. c. While states suffered from the lack of funds, the Continental Congress achieved financial solvency through tax collection. d. Like the states, the Continental Congress lacked income and issued paper money in an effort to sustain itself.
B
Question 66 Which of the following statements characterizes events at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778? a. The Continental army was ill-equipped, but the British troops in nearby Philadelphia also struggled to find adequate food and shelter during the harsh winter. b. Through the training of Baron von Steuben, the Continental army emerged as a much tougher and better-disciplined force. c. Of the 30,000 troops encamped at Valley Forge, one-third deserted and another third died of malnutrition or disease before the winter was over. d. The sufferings of the Continental army were largely a myth, disseminated to win greater sympathy for the Patriot cause.
B
Question 67 France gave serious consideration to an alliance with the rebel colonies primarily because it regarded the war as an opportunity to a. defend Catholics in Maryland and Quebec against the potentially hostile Protestant Patriots. b. exact revenge on Britain for defeat in the French and Indian War and the loss of Canada. c. persuade the Americans to accept King Louis XVI's younger brother as their new constitutional monarch. d. annex Maine and regain the province Quebec that it had lost during the Great War for Empire.
A
Question 68 The Treaty of Alliance that the French and Americans signed in 1778 included which of the following stipulations? a. Neither side would sign a separate peace that failed to recognize American independence. b. If the Americans won, they would never interfere with French territory west of the Mississippi. c. American generals would not interfere with French troops' weekly Catholic mass attendance. d. The French would aid the Americans but refrain from seeking new territory in the West Indies.
B
Question 69 How did the British respond after their loss at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777? a. The British doubled the size of its army in the colonies. b. They tried to broker a negotiated settlement with the Americans. c. The British retreated to ships in New York Harbor to consider their options. d. Britain attempted to bolster its forces by a military alliance with Spain.
B
The 1774 Coercive Acts applied to which of the following colonies? a. Virginia, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island b. Massachusetts only c. Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia d. All thirteen
A
The British strategy in its military campaign in the South in 1778 relied on which of the following factors? a. A plan to use Loyalists to administer the territories they expected to capture b. Their refusal to exploit racial divisions, fearing that such a strategy might backfire c. Quick and easy victory in Virginia, which they viewed as the most important southern colony d. A plan to use Loyalists to fight backcountry Patriots
B
The Constitution, as completed on September 17, 1787, gave the national government which of the following? a. Fewer powers than those reserved to the states b. Broad powers over taxation, military defense, and commerce c. Powers equal to those that were granted to the states d. A weak chief executive with carefully limited powers
B
The Great Compromise led to which of the following outcomes? a. The separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. b. A bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives and a Senate. c. Interstate and foreign trade controlled by the national government. d. A division of powers between the states and the national government.
D
The Stamp Act was instituted by Parliament in the colonies in 1765; it was a. problematic because it bore heavily on the poorest colonists and exempted the rich. b. supported by Benjamin Franklin and other prominent colonial leaders as a reasonable tax. c. barely passed by a divided Parliament deeply concerned about American opposition. d. part of England's plan to create a more centralized imperial system in America.
D
The Townshend Acts of 1767 imposed duties on which of the following goods? a. Indigo, wool, lumber, and naval supplies exported to Britain from the colonies b. All British-manufactured goods and tea imported into the colonies c. Molasses and wheat exported to countries in continental EuropeThis answer is incorrect. d. Paper, paint, glass, and tea imported into the colonies
A
The colonists' real objections to the Sugar Act stemmed from which of the following? a. The growing administrative power of the British government over the colonies b. Britain's intention to make the colonists pay for their own defense c. Its strict penalties, which discouraged smuggling and raised prices d. The high taxes, which would bankrupt many merchants
B
The three-fifths compromise dealt with which of the following issues? a. Presidential terms b. Slavery c. Interstate trade Selected: d. Voting qualifications
A
Through which of the following actions did Sir Henry Clinton launch his southern campaign in 1778? a. Capturing Savannah, Georgia, and mobilizing hundreds of blacks b. Issuing the Philipsburg Proclamation, promising freedom to rebel slaves c. Advancing his troops from Philadelphia toward Virginia to entrap Washington's army d. Fortifying his position at Philadelphia and daring Washington to attack him
D
What did Shays's Rebellion, which took place in Massachusetts in the winter of 1786-1787, demonstrate to American political leaders? a. Patriots in Massachusetts had always been more radical than those in the other states. b. The institution of slavery posed a threat to the American republic. c. Unless they gained the right to vote, propertyless men would destroy the American republic. d. A stronger national government was needed to solve the nation's monetary problems.
A
What happened to the property of Loyalists during the Revolution? a. Most Loyalist property was not seized because doing so would have violated America's republican principles. Selected: b. State governments seized Loyalist lands and redistributed them among Patriot landowners. c. The Continental Congress auctioned off Loyalists' lands to raise money to fund the war. d. Most of the lands of wealthy Loyalists were seized by local governments and redistributed among Patriot tenant farmers.
D
What percentage of the average American colonists' income in the 1760s was typically spent on taxes? a. 5 percent b. 20 percent c. 10 percent d. 25 percent
C
What prompted many southern yeomen and tenant farmers finally to support independence from Britain in 1775? a. The angry Parliament's threat to ban the use of tobacco throughout the British Empire b. The economic blockade imposed by the British Navy in the Atlantic c. Virginia's royal governor's promise to free any slave who joined the Loyalists d. The harsh tactics employed by the British military in the North
C
What spurred the British Parliament to repeal the Tea Act in 1778? a. British tea merchants finally succeeded in convincing members of Parliament that they needed the American market. b. The British East India Tea Company had resurged and the American market was no longer needed. c. Parliament hoped it would aid Britain's efforts to seek a negotiated peace with the Continental Congress. d. The British blockade of the Atlantic coast prevented trade and the Tea Act was no longer necessary.
D
What was significant about George Washington's leading of his troops across the Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776? a. His failed effort to cross the frozen river resulted in the deaths of 200 American troops. b. It was the first time Washington had shown decisive leadership and it saved his job. c. The event allowed the Continental Army to retake New Jersey and most of Long Island. d. Washington's action surprised the enemy and gave the Americans their first real victory.
B
Which Patriot leader persuaded Bostonians to create the first committee of correspondence? a. John Adams b. Samuel Adams c. George Washington d. Benjamin Franklin
C
Which aspect of the Townshend Acts posed a great danger to American political autonomy, according to the colonists? a. High tariffs on paint and paper b. Reduction of the English land tax c. The use of its revenue to pay royal officials d. Its incompatibility with English common law
A
Which constitutional provision demonstrated the framers' lack of trust in the "people"? a. The method of electing the president. b. The election provisions for the House of Representatives Selected: c. The Supremacy Clause d. The existence of a Supreme Court
C
Which event turned the tide of the war after Britain's series of victories in the South in the late 1770s? a. British troops' accidental killing of a group of slaves seeking refuge b. The American troops' seizure of Augusta, Georgia, in 1779 c. French troops' arrival in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1780 d. King Louis XVI's decision to embrace republican ideas
D
Which of the following actions did Lord North's government take in response to the First Continental Congress in 1775? a. Demanding that Americans acknowledge Parliamentary supremacy b. Disarming and decommissioning colonial militias c. Sending commissioners to the colonies to negotiate a settlement d. Labeling the Continental Congress an illegal assembly
D
Which of the following was true under the Articles of Confederation? a. Congress could tax the states and individuals, if necessary. Selected: b. Amendments could be passed with a majority of states approving. c. Bills required a unanimous vote to become laws. d. Most of the power remained with the states.
B
Which of the following actions did the First Continental Congress ultimately decide to implement in 1774? a. Requesting that Thomas Jefferson draft a document outlining the rights and grievances of the American colonies b. Threatening to cut off almost all American exports to Britain, Ireland, and the West Indies c. Declaring itself a sovereign political body composed of representatives from each colony's assembly d. Sending a delegation of representatives to make the American colonies' case in an upcoming meeting of Parliament
B
Which of the following battles marked the end of the American Revolution in 1781? a. Saratoga b. Yorktown c. Quebec d. New York
C
Which of the following describes the Continental army during the Revolutionary War? a. It consisted mainly of yeomen farmers and well-to-do young Patriots. b. Its morale and discipline exceeded the British army's because it was fighting for a patriotic cause. c. Most of its recruits were poor native-born youths and older foreign-born men. d. Although it grew slowly, the force numbered 75,000 men at its peak.
C
Which of the following describes the First Continental Congress of 1774? a. The group united representatives from all of the British colonies in North America. b. Delegates drafted and passed a conciliatory declaration of rights and grievances. c. Patriot leaders convened the group in response to the imposition of the Coercive Acts. d. It reviewed and accepted Joseph Galloway's Plan of Union.
C
Which of the following events took place during the Second Continental Congress in 1775? a. Southerners agreed to emancipate all slaves who helped fight the British. b. The body rejected John Adams's proposal for reconciliation. c. George Washington became head of the Continental army. d. Delegates elected Sam Adams as president.
C
Which of the following factors explains George Washington's success as an American military leader? a. His willingness to overlook the actions of discontented soldiers, which endeared him to his troops. b. His strong personality, which enabled him to keep persistent pressure on the Continental Congress to supply the army. c. His ability to maintain the support and morale of Continental Congress, state governments, and the Continental army. d. The advanced military training he gained during his years fighting with the British Navy in the North Atlantic.
D
Which of the following factors made a critical contribution to the outcome of the Battle of Yorktown in 1781? a. Americans' discovery, capture, and execution of the traitor Benedict Arnold. b. The arrival of General Nathanael Greene's Patriot troops from South Carolina c. The long-awaited arrival of Admiral Rochambeau's fleet in the Chesapeake Bay d. Washington's feigned attack on Manhattan while French troops set on Virginia
B
Which of the following factors posed a major problem for the colonies during the American Revolution? a. A depressed economy b. The high price and scarcity of goods c. The absence of allies d. Slave insurrections
B
Which of the following factors was among those that motivated many merchants, artisans, and journeymen to protest against the Stamp Act? a. Their desire to create an American democracy b. Fear that their personal liberty would be undermined c. Religious fervor stimulated by the Great Awakening d. Widespread wage cuts and price increases
A
Which of the following individuals would have been an unlikely Loyalist in 1776? a. A yeoman farmer in Connecticut. b. An Anglican minister in Virginia c. A tenant farmer in New York's Hudson River Valley d. A Pennsylvania Quaker
D
Which of the following issues formed the basis for the major political and economic challenges that faced postrevolutionary state governments in the 1780s? a. Wealthy citizens' demands for low taxes and the repudiation of state debts b. Conflicts between property owners and those who had nothing c. Poor citizens' demands for government assistance in finding jobs d. Plentiful but worthless paper currency and big debts
D
Which of the following outcomes resulted from the Continental Congress' approval of the Declaration of Independence? a. Britain withdrew its troops from New York. b. It prompted the beginning of the Revolutionary War. c. The British hired mercenaries to fight the Patriots. d. Loyalists and anti-independence moderates left the Congress.
B
Which of the following statements characterized Pennsylvania's democratic constitution of 1776? a. It reflected the ideas John Adams articulated in his book, Thoughts on Government. b. Many leading Patriots found its radically democratic elements quite alarming. c. Its radicalism went unnoticed by leading Patriots in other states, whose attention was focused on local concerns. d. Patriots greatly admired it, but they also expressed reluctance to adopt all of its features.
C
Which of the following statements characterizes postwar trends in American trade? a. Domestic industries supplied products unavailable from Britain during the war and flourished after the war's end. b. Economic growth spurred by western land sales stimulated American manufacturing and increased exports. c. The war had crippled American shipping, which reduced the export of tobacco and other farm goods. Selected: d. In the absence of British trade restrictions, the production of tobacco boomed.
B
Which of the following statements characterizes responses to the planned Stamp Act? a. Thinking that Parliament was bluffing, most Americans paid little attention to the issue until the act went into effect. b. British politicians, with the exception of William Pitt, refused to consider the idea of American representation in Parliament.This is the correct answer. c. Many Americans would probably have accepted the act if they had also gained representation in Parliament.This answer is incorrect. d. Colonial leaders agreed with Franklin's proposal, arguing that delegates from the colonies could exert great power in Parliament.
D
Which of the following statements characterizes the British government's attempts to meet its war debt following the Great War for Empire? a. To cut costs, Britain decreased the size of its bureaucracy, especially the customs department. b. Parliament decreased the import duties on consumables to increase both sales and revenue. c. The British Parliament raised the taxes on land throughout North America. d. Parliament increased import taxes on items used by the poor and middling classes such as sugar and beer.
A
Which of the following statements characterizes the participation of farmers in the Patriot movement by 1774? a. Farmers, angered by high taxes and Britain's demands that their sons do military service, increasingly backed the rebel cause. b. American sentiment against the British royal officials was initially aroused by farmers' protests. c. Traditionally conservative, most farmers wanted nothing to do with the urban-based rebel movement. d. Farmers supported the boycotts because increased domestic demand pushed up prices on agricultural products.
B
Which of the following statements characterizes the relative military strengths of the British and Patriot forces during the Revolutionary War? a. The Americans relied mostly on a standing army of about 48,000 men. b. The British could expect support from thousands of Loyalists in the colonies and many Indian tribes. c. Due to American shipbuilding, American naval strength roughly matched that of the British Navy. d. The Patriots could count on more help from Indians than could the British.
D
Which of the following statements describes British military strategy during the first two years of the Revolutionary War? a. The British harassed the Continental army ruthlessly, but with great luck, Washington and his troops repeatedly escaped. b. With the Atlantic standing between them and their country, the British relied on the Loyalists for supplies. c. The British used guerrilla tactics instead of conventional warfare, attempting to outmaneuver the rebels and force their surrender. d. The British were content to demonstrate their superior power and tactics in the hopes of convincing the rebels to surrender.
B
Which of the following statements describes the American Revolution's impact on civilians in areas that saw military conflicts? a. British troops followed the laws of war, but Americans frequently targeted Loyalist civilians. b. Both British and American troops were known to loot farms and harass and rape civilian women. c. Wartime violence was limited to the battlefield and nearby civilians were left unharmed. d. British troops frequently attacked civilian targets despite Patriots' efforts to protect them.
C
Which of the following statements describes the Boston Massacre, which took place on March 5, 1770? a. British troops hung five protesters found guilty of treason against Parliament and the king. b. British troops burned the Massachusetts colonial assembly building and killed two members. c. Five Bostonians were shot and killed by British troops who were later exonerated of the crime.This answer is correct. d. American rioters ransacked the five stores selling British goods and hung their owners in public.
D
Which of the following statements describes the Stamp Act Congress, which was held in New York in 1765? a. The Congress was a failure because the nine colonies represented could not agree on a unified policy. b. Congressional delegates formulated a set of resolves that threatened rebellion against Britain. c. The group issued a statement that accepted the constitutionality of the Sugar Act, but not the Stamp Act. d. The delegates protested loss of American liberties and challenged the act's constitutionality.
A
Which of the following statements describes the historical significance of the April 1776 Battle of Lexington and Concord? a. The bloodshed that took place made further compromise impossible. b. The British captured rebel weapons and several prominent Patriot leaders. c. Hundreds of British soldiers were killed in each battle. d. Colonial militias were caught off guard by the surprise British attack.
C
Which of the following statements explains the Patriots' successful revolution against Great Britain? a. British officers were inexperienced with combat and committed an incredible series of blunders. b. The number of Loyalists and Indians who supported the British was never large enough to provide critical support. c. About one-third of the population strongly supported the war and was willing to finance the fighting through inflation. d. Guerrilla fighters in the Patriot militias wore down British troops, even though the Continental army rarely won a battle.
B
Which of the following statements most describes the colonial boycott efforts of 1768-1769? a. Consumers in the colonies disagreed over which imported items to boycott. b. Support began in seaport cities, then spread to more major population centers. c. Merchants and consumers needed little persuasion to join the boycott. d. The boycott failed because southern merchants refused to support the northern organizers.
C
Which of the following states were eventually created out of the Northwest Territory? a. Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee b. Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina c. Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana d. New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware
B
Which of the following was a result of the Loyalists' exodus during and after the Revolution? a. Radical democrats replaced entrepreneurial-minded merchants as American leaders. b. Patriot merchants replaced Tories at the top of the economic ladder. c. Their land was confiscated and divided among the landless, who gained new rights. Selected: d. The American Revolution became an economic as well as political revolution.
C
Which of the following was one reason the British sent 7,500 troops to North America after the end of the Great War for Empire in 1763? a. Military reinforcements were needed to protect the colonies from the Spanish. b. The new era of peace in Europe required Britain to contrive another purpose for its troops. c. The British government sought to prevent future Indian uprisings on the frontier. d. Britain deployed new troops to America to rebuild the areas destroyed during the war.
A
Which of the following was part of British Parliament's effort to govern the colonies after the Great War for Empire ended in 1763? a. The seizure of American vessels carrying supplies from the mainland to the French West Indies b. Replacing the Navigation Acts with free-trade reforms to promote rapid economic growth c. Leasing jobs in the royal customs departments in the colonies in order to raise more money d. The practice of turning a blind eye when colonial merchants ignored trade regulations
D
Which of the following was the purpose of the Tea Act imposed by Parliament on the colonies in May 1773? a. It was intended to break the American boycott of tea imports from England. b. Parliament meant to punish the Americans for importing tea from Holland. c. Parliament passed the Tea Act to raise more revenue from the sale of tea in order to cover military costs in North America. d. The British needed to bail out the financially strapped British East India Company.
A
Which of these events occurred at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776? a. General Howe and his British troops forced the Americans to retreat to Manhattan Island. b. Benedict Arnold surrendered a strategic fort to the British, helping them to win the battle. c. The Continental troops quickly surrendered and General Washington barely escaped. d. General Washington and the Continental army won their first major victory over British forces.
D
Who led the moderate faction at the Second Continental Congress and won approval of a petition expressing loyalty to George III and asking for a repeal of oppressive parliamentary legislation? a. John Adams b. Thomas Paine c. Thomas Gage d. John Dickinson
C
Why did British and American diplomats take nearly two years to conclude a peace treaty after the British surrendered at Yorktown? a. Members of Parliament could not reach agreement on the concessions that they were willing to make. b. The lengthy periods necessary for transatlantic travel and communications required a long process. c. France and Spain stalled, hoping for some major naval victory or territorial conquest before the official peace. d. American negotiators sought delays so that state governments could coordinate their demands.
A
Why did Chesapeake slave owners increasingly rally to the Patriot cause? a. They feared the British would seize control of courts and assemblies in the South if they succeeded in doing so in Massachusetts. b. Southern slave owners needed northerners' support to ensure the preservation of the institution of slavery throughout the colonies. c. They conducted most of their economic transactions through Boston or New York, which were already embroiled in the crisis. d. The Southern gentry blamed British economic regulations for the drop in their standard of living to a level below that of northern farmers.
A
Why did New Englanders resent the Quebec Act of 1774? a. It recognized Catholicism as the official religion of Quebec. b. The measure gave southern colonies an advantage in settling the Ohio region. c. They had land claims that overlapped the new boundaries of Quebec. d. The bill cut severely into the region's thriving trade with French Canada.
B
Why did it take the Continental Congress several years to ratify the Articles of Confederation? a. There was disagreement over how many votes each state should have in the new Congress. b. Disputes over western land claims led some states to block ratification. Selected: c. Fighting the war was a higher priority than creating a new national government. d. Many Patriots feared that any national government, no matter how weak, would eventually abuse its power.
B
Why did radical Patriots in the colonies object to the Tea Act of 1773? a. It threatened to bankrupt most colonial tea merchants. b. They saw it as a bribe to eliminate colonial tax resistance. c. Parliament enacted it without consulting the colonies first. d. The law favored English tea over Dutch tea, which they preferred.
A
Why did the British General Gage refuse to use his military force to protect the stamps that were to be used once the Stamp Act took effect? a. Gage believed that military force would disperse the protests but spark an insurrection. b. He knew his force was too small to quell the widespread protests effectively.This answer is incorrect. c. Gage himself believed that the Stamp Act was constitutionally problematic. d. He recognized that a new military conflict would only drain Britain's coffers further.
A
Why did the British surrender to the Americans in the Battle of Yorktown in 1781? a. The British were outnumbered and cut off from reinforcement or retreat by sea. b. General Cornwallis had already suffered a number of defeats as his army moved through Virginia. c. The British planned to continue the war on the American mainland as soon as they had additional supplies. d. The army was depleted after sending reinforcement troops to General Benedict Arnold.
B
Why was Abigail Adams a notable figure in the Revolutionary era? a. She publicly denounced most Patriot leaders as tyrants because they held power over women. b. She criticized Patriots like her husband John and insisted on equal legal rights for married women. c. Adams was married to the Patriot John Adams and helped him with his work. d. She became the only woman to take part in the deliberations of the Continental Congress.
A
Why was the Battle of Saratoga historically significant? a. The victory ensured the French would join in an alliance with the Americans. b. It lulled the British into a false sense of security. c. The British captured more than 5,000 American troops. d. The loss showed the need for better training for the Patriot troops.
B
Why was the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 significant? a. The land ordinance recognized the newly organized states of Kentucky and Tennessee as members of the Confederation. Selected: b. It prohibited slavery in the territory and earmarked funds from land sales for public schools. c. The ordinance mandated the forced removal of Native Americans from the Confederation's new western lands. d. It created the Bank of North America and charged it with overseeing the sales of western lands.
B
Why was the popular pamphlet entitled Common Sense significant? a. It urged ordinary Americans to revolt, not only against the king and Parliament, but also against wealthy merchants and planters. b. It called for republicanism and convinced many colonists of the need to fight for American independence. c. The pamphlet was ghostwritten by Benjamin Franklin, who refused to attach his name to the work because of its radical message.This answer is incorrect. d. Author Thomas Paine begged the Patriots to use "common sense" and restore harmony with Britain before the colonies were "laid in blood and ashes."
C
Why were Delaware, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut among the first to ratify the United States Constitution? Selected: a. They understood the document's provision for income taxes. b. These states were eager to see the document's Bill of Rights take effect. c. These states wanted a strong government to counter the power of the larger states. d. They hoped to gain protection through an association with larger states.
B
Why were the land ordinances of the 1780s considered a great accomplishment of the Confederation Congress? a. Ordinances limited foreign immigration to the West, ensuring that those areas retained a traditional American culture. b. The ordinances provided for orderly settlement and created a fair process for those areas to eventually become fully equal states. c. The laws funded the building of roads and canals to encourage white settlement throughout the old Northwest. d. They prevented the formation of larger western states that might one day dominate smaller eastern states.