Introduction to the American Revolution

Which act required colonists to purchase stamped paper for legal documents, newspapers, and other publications?

• Townshend Acts

• Stamp Act

• Quartering Act

• Tea Act

What phrase became a rallying cry for the colonists protesting British taxation policies?

• Join or Die

• No taxation without representation

• We the People

• Liberty or Death

Which group was formed to organize protests against British taxes like the Townshend Acts?

• The Loyalists

• Sons of Liberty

• Continental Congress

• Patriots' Alliance

What was the primary goal of the Townshend Acts?

• To increase British military presence in the colonies

• To impose taxes on imported goods like glass, paper, and tea

• To require colonists to quarter British soldiers

• To ban colonial trade with France

Which Enlightenment thinker argued that individuals are born with inalienable rights such as life, liberty, and property?

• John Locke

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• Thomas Hobbes

• Montesquieu

The idea that governments require the consent of the governed is most closely associated with which Enlightenment principle?

• Natural rights

• Social contract

• Separation of powers

• Checks and balances

Which battle is considered the turning point of the American Revolution, convincing France to join the war?

• Lexington and Concord

• Saratoga

• Yorktown

• Bunker Hill

What was the main purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

• To create a new government for the United States

• To formally declare the colonies’ intention to separate from British rule

• To outline the Articles of Confederation

• To negotiate peace with King George III

Explain why the colonists opposed the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts. Include the phrase "no taxation without representation" in your response.

• The colonists supported the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts as a fair way to fund the government.
• The colonists believed they should pay taxes to the British monarchy without any representation.
• The colonists opposed the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts because they believed in 'no taxation without representation,' arguing that they should not be taxed by a government in which they had no elected representatives.
• The colonists thought the taxes were necessary for their protection and well-being.

How did Enlightenment ideas, such as natural rights and the social contract, influence the colonists’ decision to declare independence?

• Enlightenment ideas of natural rights and the social contract justified the colonists' decision to declare independence by asserting their right to self-governance and protection of individual liberties.
• The colonists were influenced by religious doctrines that emphasized obedience to the monarchy.
• Natural rights were seen as irrelevant to the colonists' grievances against British rule.
• The social contract was primarily about maintaining loyalty to the British crown.