Civics Practice Assessment Part 4:Colonial Period & Independence

What is one reason colonists came to America?

• Avoid taxes

• Democratic government

• Education

• Economic opportunity

Answer explanation

One reason colonists came to America was for economic opportunity. They sought better prospects for wealth and land, which were often limited in their home countries.

Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

• Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

• French

• Vikings

• Indigenous Peoples

Answer explanation

Before Europeans arrived, the Americas were inhabited by Indigenous Peoples, who had diverse cultures and societies. The French and Vikings did explore parts of America, but they did not establish permanent settlements before the Indigenous populations.

What group of people were stolen and enslaved in America?

• People from Australia

• People from India

• People from Africa

• People from Northern Europe

Answer explanation

The correct answer is 'People from Africa' because during the transatlantic slave trade, millions of Africans were forcibly taken and enslaved in America, making them the primary group affected by this atrocity.

What is NOT a reason the colonists fought the British?

• Taxation without representation

• They wanted equal rights for men and women of all races

• They wanted self-government

• British soldiers were boarded in their homes

Answer explanation

The colonists did not fight for equal rights for men and women of all races; their primary grievances included taxation without representation, self-government, and the quartering of British soldiers.

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

• Thomas Jefferson

• George Washington

• John Hancock

• Alexander Hamilton

Answer explanation

Thomas Jefferson is considered the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, although Jefferson's draft went through a process of revision by his fellow committee members and the Second Continental Congress.

When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

• April 19, 1775

• April 15, 1776

• July 4, 1776

• July 4, 1776

Answer explanation

The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, marking the formal separation of the thirteen colonies from British rule. This date is celebrated annually in the United States as Independence Day.

There were thirteen original states. Name three.

• Florida, Massachusetts, and New York

• New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont

• Maryland, Rhode Island, and Virginia

• New Jersey, North Carolina, and Texas

Answer explanation

The United States of America initially consisted of 13 states that had been British colonies until their independence was declared in 1776 and verified by the Treaty of Paris in 1783: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

• The Constitution was written

• The Declaration of Independence was written

• The Federalist Papers were read

• The Articles of Confederation were written

Answer explanation

The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia met between May and September of 1787 to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. The United States Constitution that emerged from the convention established a federal government with more specific powers.

When was the Constitution of the United States written?

• 1776

• 1787

• 1800

• 1865

Answer explanation

The Constitution of the United States was written in 1787 during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. This document established the framework of the U.S. government, replacing the Articles of Confederation.

 The Federalist Papers supported passage of the Constitution of the 

      United States. Name one of the writers.

• Benjamin Franklin

• Thomas Jefferson

• George Washington

• Alexander Hamilton

Answer explanation

The Federalist, commonly referred to as the Federalist Papers, is a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison between October 1787 and May 1788. Hamilton wrote roughly 51 of the 85 essays, which are still consulted today by scholars and the Supreme Court.