Lesson 6 "Declaration of Independence"

Which of these describes the mood in the colonies immediately following the events at Lexington and Concord?

• a. Most colonists were RELUCTANT to start a war.

• b. Most of the colonists were EAGER to declare war.

• c. Most of the colonists sided with the Loyalists against the Patriots.

• d. Most of the colonists wanted to move to Great Britain.

Patrick Henry gave a famous speech that ended with the words "give me liberty, or give me death!" With which group did he identify himself?

• a. Patriots

• b. Loyalists

• c. British citizens

• d. members of Parliament

What effect did Common Sense have in the colonies?

• a. It instilled fear of war in the colonists.

• b. It convinced the colonies to remain loyal to Great Britain.

• c. It persuaded many colonists that America should be independent.

• d. It petitioned the king to end the quarrel between the colonies and Great Britain.

Why was the Declaration of Independence written?

• a. to start the American Revolution

• b. to offer a peace settlement to Great Britain

• c. to instruct how a country wins its freedom

• d. to explain why the colonies were separating from Great Britain

In a draft of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson charged the king with violating the "sacred rights of life and liberty... of a distant people [by] carrying them into slavery." This passage was removed for ALL of these reasons EXCEPT...

• a. it might lead to demands to free slaves.

• b. it was an unimportant issue in the colonies.

• c. it was unfair to blame the king for enslaving Africans.

• d. it might offend merchants who profited from the slave trade.

According to Thomas Jefferson, the power to rule comes from

• a. God

• b. the king

• c. Parliament

• d. the citizens

Why did Thomas Jefferson say that King George III was an unfit ruler?

• a. He was not born in Great Britain.

• b. He denied the colonists their rights.

• c. He was not elected by Parliament.

• d. He lived far away from the colonies.

How do natural rights, as described in the Declaration of Independence, differ from other rights?

• a. People are born with natural rights.

• b. People can vote to choose natural rights.

• c. Natural rights are given only to citizens.

• d. Natural rights come from the government.

Which of the following events occurred on July 4th, 1776?

• a. Common Sense published

• b. Olive Branch Petition sent

• c. American Revolution ends

• d. Declaration of Independence signed

What was the purpose of the Olive Branch Petition?

• a. to persuade British troops to leave Boston

• b. to encourage colonists to join the army

• c. to convince Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act

• d. to ask King George to make peace with the colonies