Unit 2: American Revolution

Which of the following issues became an obstacle to the drafting of the United States Constitution?

• whether to free enslaved people from plantations in the South

• how to count enslaved people for purposes of state representation

• how the votes of enslaved people should be counted when electing representatives

• whether to count enslaved people in the North as part of the population

The Anti-Federalists’ main objection to ratifying the Constitution was that it

• did not have a judiciary.

• did not divide the central government.

• had no provision for a militia.

• had no bill of rights.

The Great Compromise overcame the obstacle of state representation by establishing

• a bicameral Congress, with representation in one house based on population.

• a bicameral Congress, with representation in one house restricted to large states.

• a unicameral Congress, with an equal number of representatives from each state.

• a unicameral Congress, with representation based on population.

The Federalist Papers mainly argued for ratification of the Constitution and promised that

• a bill of rights would be added to guarantee specific protections for people.

• enslaved people would not be counted in the population.

• the national government would respect state governments’ and citizens’ rights.

• the states would be given more power to check the federal government.

Why did Thomas Paine publish Common Sense?

• to force Southern colonies to support Northern ones in the coming war

• to convince colonists that the colonies should become independent

• to let foreign countries know the colonies were ready to fight Britain

• to convince Britain it could not govern the colonies well

An Enlightenment idea that influenced the Declaration of Independence was that a social contract

• states the rights of rulers and citizens.

• determines which class of people will be powerful.

• controls the way businesses make money.

• specifies how much people must pay in taxes.

A government of our own is our natural right . . . it is infinitely wiser and safer, to form a constitution of our own in a cool deliberate manner, while we have it in our power, than to trust such an interesting event to time and chance.

—Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776

Based on the excerpt, Paine recommends that Americans

• leave American independence to chance.

• conduct business without regulations.

• refuse to pay taxes to the British government.

• write a constitution while the chance exists.

The Second Continental Congress chose to send the Olive Branch Petition to the king instead of Parliament because

• Parliament refused to receive petitions from colonists.

• Parliament was already on the side of the colonists.

• Parliament had passed laws the colonists considered unfair.

• Parliament had offered to address their complaints.

When it met in May of 1775, the Second Continental Congress focused on

• whether to declare independence from Britain.

• how to address grievances from colonists.

• whether to begin fighting against Britain.

• how to respond to the Prohibitory Act.

A British advantage at the beginning of the American Revolution was

• popular support in the colonies.

• knowledge of the colonial terrain

• a well-trained military.

• the leadership of George Washington.