a. the clause naming King George a tyrant
b. the clause establishing the right of the people to form a House of Representatives
c. the clause regarding the consent of the governed
d. the clause listing grievances against King George
e. the clause condemning the inhumanity of the slave trade
64. Which of the following statements accurately describes the Declaration of Independence?
a. It was originally drafted by John Adams and then edited by Benjamin Franklin.
b. It claimed a natural right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
c. It deliberately limited its arguments to colonists of the British empire.
d. It argued that the British constitution implicitly guaranteed the right to claim independence.
e. The final version contained a stern condemnation of the slave trade.
65. What role did Samuel Seabury play during the Revolutionary period?
a. He led the British troops that fought Washington throughout the Northeast.
b. He served as a representative in the Continental Congress from New York.
c. He was a silversmith who spoke eloquently against taxation without representation.
d. He headed the publishing house that produced Common Sense.
e. He was a colonial minister who remained loyal to the British.
66. The author of “An Alarm to the Legislature of the Province in New–York” equated freedom with
a. religion.
b. British tyranny.
c. sedition.
d. property ownership.
e. Indians’ right to use land.
67. Who wrote the following: “One of the strongest natural proofs of the folly of hereditary right in kings is that
nature disapproves it, otherwise she would not so frequently turn it into ridicule, by giving mankind an ass for
a lion”?
a. Thomas Jefferson
b. Jonathan Boucher
c. Samuel Seabury
d. Ben Franklin
e. Thomas Paine
68. Which of the following approaches did Thomas Paine take when writing Common Sense?
a. He refused to liken the king to a tyrant and emphasized the need for Patriots to act with caution and show him
respect to avoid further taxation.
b. He emphasized that the conflict with Britain was highly localized, involving merely a country, not the entire
globe or even the continent.
c. He used formal, detached legal language to outline the complaints of both the British and the Americans to
allow the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.
d. He showed his frustrations at Britain’s treatment of the colonies, yet advocated for reconciliation if at all
possible to avoid bloodshed.
e. He presented the case for American independence as backed by simple facts while also passionately
describing it as a chance to fight oppression.
69. Which of the following figures is considered to have been a key influence on the arguments presented in the
Declaration of Independence?
a. John Dickinson
b. Benedict Arnold
c. Charles Cornwallis
d. John Locke
e. Samuel Seabury
70. In writing the Declaration of Independence, which of Locke’s natural rights did Jefferson replace, and with
what?
a. He replaced “liberty” with “the pursuit of happiness.”
b. He replaced “property” with “liberty.”
c. He replaced “life” with “property.”
d. He replaced “the pursuit of happiness” with “liberty.”
e. He replaced “property” with “the pursuit of happiness.”
71. The idea of “American exceptionalism” that developed in the Revolutionary era refers to what belief?
a. American slavery and dispossession of Native Americans of their lands prevented the United States from
representing freedom to the world.
b. The swift equalizing of women’s rights after the founding of the United States made the nation a great
symbol of freedom for the world.
c. The swift equalization of political power among all economic classes after the founding of the United States
made the nation a great symbol of freedom for the world.
d. The United States has a special mission to serve as a refuge from tyranny and a model of universal freedom
for the rest of the world.
e. The United States is unique in its position as the first democracy the world has ever seen.
72. In the Declaration of Independence, what justification did Thomas Jefferson provide as the basis for breaking
with Britain?
a. “There is something absurd in supposing a Continent to be perpetually governed by an island.”
b. Great Britain had never actually played a role in the economy of the colonies, and their trade remained
“completely separate.”
c. Since new British rules had forbidden the colonies from continuing the slave trade and slavery was “so
central to colonial agriculture,” the colonists had no choice.
d. The “heritage of a freeborn Englishman” provided each colonist with the political right to seek democratic
representation so long as they were British themselves.
e. Because government derived from the “consent of the governed,” the governed had the right to remove that
consent.
73. In the same year the Declaration of Independence was signed,
a. the Spanish established a mission at San Diego.
b. the Lakota Sioux settled in the Black Hills.
c. the French and Indian War ended.
d. the steam engine was invented.
e. the Boston Massacre occurred.
74. Today, more than ________ of the countries have issued declarations of independence.
a. 10 percent
b. 20 percent
c. 30 percent
d. 40 percent
e. 50 percent
75. What was one of the lasting impacts of the arguments made in the Declaration of Independence?
a. The American colonists were distracted by guaranteeing human rights for the rest of the world rather than at
home.
b. The explicit references to equality of the sexes were a boon to women’s rights and helped ensure women’s
role in the new government.
c. The claims regarding natural rights—life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness—have inspired many other
colonies to assert their own independence,
d. The class-based arguments and rejection of individual self-fulfillment have often been used to justify social
inequality in the United States.
e. The extensiveness of the arguments ensured that a separate constitution did not need to be written in the
future.
76. What was one important legacy of the Declaration of Independence?
a. It immediately resulted in Great Britain granting independence to its colonies.
b. Spain welcomed the document, printing multiple copies for its citizens.
c. It inspired future revolutions against despotic governments.
d. It led to an immediate alliance with France.
e. It weakened the resolve of British military commanders fighting against the Patriots.
77. Which of the following was an important factor in the colonies’ victory in the American Revolution?
a. George Washington’s major assaults on New York City
b. the French invasion of England near the end of the war
c. the French blockade of Philadelphia
d. Washington’s ability to keep an army together in the face of defeat and difficulties with supplies
e. an alliance between the American colonies and Spain
78. In fighting the Revolutionary War, the Americans on their own could not match what British advantage?
a. deployment of a navy
b. an army with armed men
c. the ability to fire artillery
d. the use of African-American soldiers
e. the ability to lure slaves to fight for the British in exchange for their freedom
79. During the eight years of war, approximately how many Americans bore arms in the Continental army and
state militias?
a. 80,000
b. 125,000
c. 200,000
d. 350,000
e. 500,000
80. Which of the following is true of the American fighting forces at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War?
a. Many had the benefit of intensive militia training prior to the outbreak of the war.
b. Enlisted men increased in number and education level as the war progressed.
c. Although fewer in number, they were as well equipped as the British forces.
d. The majority of them had defected from the British army.
e. Initially, only men who owned land were allowed to enroll in the Continental army.
81. What proportion of the colonies’ free white male population aged 16–45 died in the Revolutionary War?
a. one in ten
b. one in twenty
c. one in fifty
d. one in seventy-five
e. one in one hundred
82. Which of the following is true of the soldiers who fought for American independence?
a. During the war’s later years, the Continental army relied increasingly on young men with limited economic
prospects.
b. Relatively few—only one in sixty—ultimately lost their lives in the war.
c. Nearly one-third of all American soldiers were slaves fighting as substitutes for their masters.
d. Because they had the most to gain, men of substantial property served in disproportionately high numbers
throughout the war.
e. Lacking any military experience and unsure of their cause, the soldiers performed so poorly that it took the
addition of 25,000 French ground troops to prevent a British victory.
83. Why did George Washington eventually allow African-Americans to serve in the Continental army?
a. Southern colonies stopped their opposition.
b. Many northern colonies immediately abolished slavery.
c. He had freed all of his slaves during the second year of the war.
d. The British started offering freedom to slaves who signed up to fight for their army.
e. He became convinced that African-Americans could fire a musket.
84. What was the primary reason that motivated slaves to join the Continental army?
a. To enlist in the army meant they were automatically free, since only freemen could legally fight.
b. Many were promised their freedom after the war was over.
c. They were forced by their masters to join.
d. They felt an overwhelming duty to protect American soil from the British.
e. Their fields were overrun with combatants, and they were swept along with them.
85. The main point of The American Crisis is
a. that the Continental Congress should agree to peaceful reunification with Britain.
b. to inspire American soldiers to continue to fight despite demoralizing military losses.
c. that independence was too costly a goal for the colonies.
d. to encourage European powers to provide military assistance.
e. a prediction that the war would end unhappily for supporters of independence.
86. In the winter of 1776–1777, Washington won important victories that improved American morale. These battles
were at
a. Saratoga and Albany, New York.
b. Morristown and East Orange, New Jersey.
c. Long Island and White Plains, New York.
d. Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.
e. Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey.
87. A key consequence of the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777 was
a. France becoming an ally to the United States.
b. the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress.
c. the immediate surrender of all British troops to the Continental army.
d. British commanders taking the war into the heart of New England for the first time.
e. General Washington’s decision to retreat to Valley Forge for the winter.
88. Which of the following statements accurately describes American allies during the War for Independence?
a. While the French offered their help freely, Spain was promised a cash payment for its aid.
b. France and Spain were initially reluctant to aid America, as the colonies were entirely Protestant.
c. The Americans only managed to gain the support of Portugal, while France and Spain supported the
British.
d. Spain was promised extensive territory in the American Southwest if the Americans won.
e. France and Spain fought with the Americans largely because of well-established rivalries with Britain.
89. Which statement is accurate about France’s involvement in the Revolutionary War?
a. France withdrew its support and signed a peace treaty with the British just before the Battle of Saratoga in
1777.
b. By entering the war, France hoped to strengthen Britain and seize Spain’s American colonies.
c. France’s assistance to the American colonists played a decisive role in the colonists’ victory.
d. France spent most of the time fighting Spain.
e. France supported the British by supplying warships, rations, and weapons, but refused to send any
soldiers.
90. Which of the following statements accurately describes the allegiance of Native American tribes during the
War for Independence?
a. Tribes living east the Mississippi River exclusively supported the Americans, while tribes in the West
exclusively supported the British.
b. The tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy all agreed to support the Americans and doubled the size of the
American army.
c. Tribes individually decided which side to support based on which they believed more likely to support their
own ideas of freedom.
d. Most tribes successfully maintained neutrality throughout the conflict and, thus, were able to protect their
towns.
e. The Cherokees exclusively supported the British and ensured that they followed the traditional rules of
warfare.
91. What strategy worked well for the colonists in fighting the British in the South during the American Revolution?
a. Washington’s army used frontal assaults.
b. The Continental army and militias deployed hit-and-run tactics.
c. Washington preferred to let the Native Americans fight for the colonists.
d. The Continental Congress handed over most of the war effort to the French.
e. Washington kept the training of his men to a minimum to ensure that morale stayed high.
92. In 1778, the focus of the war shifted
a. from minor skirmishes of fewer than 100 men to major battles, each involving thousands of soldiers.
b. from fighting in the southern states to fighting in New York and New England.
c. to an emphasis on the Continental army’s trying to capture British strongholds in the Ohio Valley.
d. to the South, where the British captured Savannah that year.
e. to emancipation, when General Washington freed all slaves who fought for American independence.
93. During the Revolutionary War, tensions between backcountry farmers and wealthy planters
a. enabled the British to reverse their previously unsuccessful performance during the war.
b. prompted several mutinies within colonial ranks.
c. gave the British hope that they might be able to enlist the support of southern Loyalists.
d. led Benedict Arnold to defect to the British.
e. caused Francis Marion’s eventual defeat at the Battle of Cowpens.
94. What was the significance of the Battle of Yorktown?
a. It was an American victory that inspired the French to ally with the Americans.
b. It resulted in British surrender and evaporated British public support for the war.
c. It is considered a turning point for the Americans following a dismal period.
d. It is considered the first battle in what would become the Revolutionary War.
e. It was the first major defeat for British troops and revealed the war would be longer than they thought.
95. Next to national independence, what was the second most significant concession the United States gained in
the Treaty of Paris in 1783?
a. rights to the entire Canadian territory
b. rights to annex Spanish Florida
c. a large piece of territory with the Mississippi River as its western border
d. any and all property from Loyalists
e. exclusive trading rights with Germany
96. Which of the following did the Treaty of Paris stipulate?
a. Mexico was to become independent from Spain.
b. Americans had the right to fish in waters off Canada.
c. Loyalists were to surrender their property to the new state governments.
d. The West Indies were to become a colony of the new United States.
e. Native Americans were to be guaranteed land east of the Mississippi.
97. Cornwallis was defeated at Yorktown because
a. he had no land or water escape route.
b. he was overwhelmed by Washington’s much larger and better-trained army.
c. General Clinton had withdrawn from Yorktown, leaving Cornwallis vulnerable.
d. most of his troops were cold, starving, and ready to surrender.
e. King George III ordered an end to the war.
98. Which of the following occurred after the Treaty of Paris of 1783?
a. Late in the conflict, Canada agreed to join the Revolutionary War on the side of the Americans to protect its
southern boundaries.
b. Public support in Britain for the Revolutionary War persisted, and any negotiations for an end to the war fell
apart.
c. France formed a close alliance with Britain, as it had only sent supplies rather than engaged in combat on
the Americans’ behalf.
d. By law, Loyalists were required to forfeit all their property and would face prolonged persecution by the
new government.
e. The United States became the Western Hemisphere’s first independent nation, with its boundaries reflecting
the circumstances of its birth.
99. British possessions in the West Indies
a. were handed over to the new United States in the Treaty of Paris.
b. issued their own declarations of independence in the late 1770s.
c. remained loyal to the crown because their leaders feared slave uprisings.
d. all fell into the hands of the French as a result of the American Revolution.
e. were divided during the American Revolution, with some islands sending regiments to the Continental
army.
Matching
TEST 1
___ 1. Thomas Hutchinson
___ 2. Thomas Paine
___ 3. George Washington
___ 4. Charles Townshend
___ 5. Crispus Attucks
___ 6. Thomas Jefferson
___ 7. Lord Dunmore
___ 8. Sir William Howe
___ 9. Patrick Henry
___ 10. Benedict Arnold
___ 11. John Dickinson
a. was the British governor in Virginia who offered freedom to slaves if they fought for the British
b. was one of Washington’s ablest commanders who became an American traitor
c. wrote Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania
d. served as British chancellor of the exchequer and devised a set of new taxes on the colonists
e. served as Massachusetts lieutenant governor and saw his home destroyed in a riot
f. wrote Common Sense and The American Crisis
g. served as commander of the Continental army and was a slaveholder from Virginia
h. wrote A Summary View of the Rights of British America and the Declaration of Independence
i. served as British commander, including at the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Saratoga
j. was a sailor of mixed Indian-African-white ancestry who died in the Boston Massacre
k. declared “Give me liberty, or give me death!” while urging a Virginia convention to begin military preparations
TEST 2
___ 1. Stamp Act
___ 2. Sons of Liberty
___ 3. Common Sense
___ 4. Committees of Correspondence
___ 5. Quebec Act
___ 6. virtual representation
___ 7. Regulators
___ 8. East India Company
___ 9. Saratoga
___ 10. Loyalists
___ 11. homespun virtue
___ 12. Ethiopian regiment
a. was the first significant American victory of the American Revolution
b. was the beneficiary of the Tea Act and the victim of the Boston Tea Party
c. granted religious tolerance for Catholics in Canada and extended Canada’s boundaries
d. was another name for colonists who remained supportive to Britain during the events of and leading up to the
Revolutionary War
e. was composed of black Loyalist forces that, according to legend, wore uniforms with the motto “Liberty to
Slaves”
f. was a pamphlet that argued for American independence and declared America “an asylum for mankind”
g. was the idea that each member of Parliament represented the entire empire
h. exchanged ideas and information about resistance and sprang up in various colonies
i. street protesters that had a large following and helped enforce the boycott of British goods
j. protested the underrepresentation of western settlements in South Carolina’s assembly
k. was the idea of avoiding buying British goods and making do with nonimported goods
l. created one of the first new taxes on the colonies that went on to spur a crisis because colonists felt it violated their
liberty
True/False
1. Prior to the Seven Years’ War, Britain had not tried to regulate the colonies’ economy.
2. Although a few were outraged by the Stamp Act, most politically active colonists actually supported it.
3. American colonists widely believed that Britain had no authority to tax the colonists since the colonists had no
elected representative in Parliament.
4. Patrick Henry’s call for outright resistance to taxation was initially deemed too radical to be enacted.
5. The Sons of Liberty enforced a boycott of British goods.
6. Both North Carolina and South Carolina had Regulator movements.
7. Homespun clothing became a symbol of American resistance during the American boycott on British goods.
8. The British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre were put on trial, with most found not guilty and two
convicted of manslaughter.
9. To resist the Intolerable Acts, a Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia.
10. The First Continental Congress raised an army and appointed George Washington as its commander.
11. Benedict Arnold almost succeeded in turning over to the British the important Fort Ticonderoga on Lake
Champlain.
12. Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense as a response to Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence.
13. The sales of Common Sense made Thomas Paine, who came from a poor background, wealthy.
14. The vast majority of nations that have adopted declarations of independence have picked up Jefferson’s language
regarding natural rights.
15. Blacks who fought under George Washington did so in segregated units.
16 Siding with the British offered slaves far more opportunities for liberty than did siding with the pro–
independence Americans.
17. Washington’s army was demoralized by repeated failures early in the war, and many soldiers simply went home.
18. Washington’s troops successfully defeated Hessians—German soldiers paid to fight for the British—at Trenton,
New Jersey.
19. Poor communication between generals contributed to the British defeat at the Battle of Saratoga.
20. Adherence to the idea of American exceptionalism made colonists reluctant to accept the military aid of France
during the Revolution.
21. The American victory at Trenton convinced the French to join the American cause.
22. British commanders were never able to consolidate their hold on the South.
23. The French played a significant role in the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.
24. During the American Revolution, Canada was eager to join the American independence movement.
Short Answer
Identify and give the historical significance of each of the following terms, events, and people in a paragraph or two.
1. Stamp Act
2. Sons of Liberty
3. Thomas Paine
4. Declaratory Act
5. Treaty of Paris (1783)
6. Dunmore’s Proclamation
7. Continental Association
8. East India Company
9. virtual representation
10. Battle of Yorktown
11. Thomas Jefferson
12. Daughters of Liberty
13. Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania
Essay
1. What problems did the British government face after the Seven Years’ War, and what solutions did it propose? How
reasonable were London’s solutions, and in what ways did the colonists view them as an attack on their liberty?
2. Discuss the debates that occurred over virtual representation. How did the leaders in London and the leaders in
America view participation in governing the empire differently?
3. Describe how Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, Common Sense, “An Alarm to the Legislature of the
Province in New-York,” and the Declaration of Independence dealt with the concept of liberty.
4. Revolution is a dynamic process with consequences no one can anticipate. Explain the initial goals of the colonists
in 1765 at the time of the Stamp Act and the evolution of their ultimate decision to declare independence in 1776.
5. What were the political and social consequences of the Revolution that had emerged by 1783?
6. Many students believe that the Revolutionary War was a short and relatively painless war. However, for Americans,
only the Vietnam War and the modern war in Afghanistan lasted longer than the Revolutionary War. In a thoughtful
essay, describe why the war was so lengthy and what costs were involved for the British and for the Americans.
7. Compare the relative advantages of the American and the British militaries. How was George Washington able to
secure a victory over the most powerful nation in the world?
8. Discuss the ways in which both supporters and opponents of independence used the concepts of “freedom” and
“slavery” during the American Revolution. Be sure to consider the perspectives of Thomas Paine and Samuel
Seabury (both in Voices of Freedom), the slaves who fought for both sides, and others whose ideas you consider
significant.
9. How did the colonists justify their protests and ultimate rebellion? What sources did they call on? What
philosophies were influential? How was the language of freedom and liberty used?