Colonial Government and Key Documents

What was the significance of the Mayflower Compact?

• It declared independence from Britain

• It created the first national bank

• It established self-government based on majority rule

• It banned slavery in New England

Which of the following best explains the growth of representative government in the colonies?

• Geographic distance from Great Britain

• Strict royal control over colonial affairs

• Colonists’ desire for economic equality

• Lack of religious institutions

What was the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut?

• A peace treaty with Native Americans

• The first written constitution in the colonies

• A tax code used by all the colonies

• A trade agreement with England

The Virginia House of Burgesses was important because it—

• Enforced religious laws

• Served as a model for representative legislatures

• Opposed the U.S. Constitution

• Promoted trade with Native tribes

How did religion influence representative government in the colonies?

• It created monarchies in all 13 colonies

• It discouraged dissent and debate

• It promoted moral responsibility in civic life

• It outlawed all forms of government

Which colony was founded as a refuge for English Catholics?

• Virginia

• Massachusetts

• Maryland

• Georgia

What was a key cause of economic differences among colonial regions?

• Differences in religious tolerance

• Universal education systems

• Equal access to natural resources

• Variations in geography and climate

The plantation system in the Southern Colonies relied heavily on—

• Wage labor from the North

• Transatlantic slave trade

• Technology imports from England

• Skilled laborers from Europe

What physical geographic factor most influenced settlement patterns in colonial America?

• Presence of mountain ranges

• Proximity to waterways and coastlines

• Location of ancient ruins

• Climate changes from the Ice Age

Why did the English Bill of Rights influence American colonial government?

• It guaranteed rights that colonists expected in the New World

• It restricted colonial exports

• It prohibited legislative assemblies

• It dissolved colonial charters