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TEST: United States of America

Total questions: 40

Worksheet time: 40mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

In Boston, colonists rebelled against having to:

a)

Bow to a religion they didn’t believe in.

b)

Pay taxes to a government they had no voice in.

2.

The men in the who met in the First Philadelphia Continental Congress wanted to:

a)

Discuss how to make peace with England

b)

Discuss the colonies gaining independence from England

c)

Discuss how to get England to lower their taxes

3.

TRUE or FALSE: 

The colonists in the New World were healthier, had more children, and had more opportunities than people they left in Europe.

a)

False

b)

True

4.

The Pilgrims left England to seek _________ _______________ in the New World.

a)

Better opportunities

b)

Sources of wealth

c)

Religious freedom

5.

Early colonists often had problems with ___________ and ____________.

a)

Starvation and harsh winters

b)

War and religion

c)

Lack of shelter and low birth rates

6.

This was a new invention by Benjamin Franklin which quickly spread news of the Boston Massacre around America:

a)

Telegraph system

b)

Television system

c)

Postal delivery system

7.

TRUE OR FALSE:

Slavery only happened in North America (or, the USA and Canada).

a)

False

b)

True

8.

Before European settlers and colonists arrived, most of North America was covered by:

a)

Desert

b)

Forest

c)

Mountains

9.

How did some Christian Europeans defend slavery in Europe and the Americas?

a)

They claimed it was acceptable because some Africans were slave traders and sold other tribes as slaves.

b)

They claimed it was acceptable because they had to convert them to Christianity by enslaving them first.

c)

They claimed it was acceptable because Africans were inferior and destined to be slaves.

10.

John Rolfe brings the first _________ seeds which helps Jamestown overcome poverty. This plant later becomes the continent’s largest export.

a)

Tobacco

b)

Sugar

c)

Coffee

11.

The English arrived in what is now the United States and built the first colony, Jamestown, but they soon make enemies with the local:

a)

Powhatan Native American tribe

b)

Irish indentured servants

c)

African slaves

12.

TRUE OR FALSE:

The slave trade affected Africa by making African countries unstable and more open to war between tribes and conquest by Europe.

a)

False

b)

True

13.

The Transatlantic Slave trade affected:

a)

People, economies, and history

b)

Geography, language, and economies

c)

People, religion, and sports

14.

TRUE OR FALSE:

Indentured servants were different from slaves because people had limited terms of service and they could eventually buy their freedom.

a)

False

b)

True

15.

What were 2 major reasons that European colonists brought people as slaves from Africa to the Americas (known as North and South America)?

a)

The lucrative (or, money-making) cash crops started failing and only African slaves knew how to grow the plants properly

b)

The indentured servants started leading revolts with the Native Americans and winning against the colonists.

c)

There weren’t enough settlers and indentured servants to farm crops, and many Native Americans died from new disease.

16.

The first militias were made of ordinary Americans who were taught to use guns to:

a)

Defend their colonies against the British army

b)

Kill any British soldier they wanted

c)

Hunt animals in case the British army evicted them from their homes

17.

What does contiguous mean?

a)

Scattered over a wide mass of land

b)

That you can easily catch an illness or disease from someone else.

c)

Connected together inside a common boundary.

18.

In the 1500s, Europeans started exploring the Americas. The British and northern Europeans settled along the Appalachian Mts. forming ___ ________ in the eastern U.S.

a)

13 colonies

b)

10 colonies

c)

50 colonies

19.

TRUE or FALSE:

The first Americans lived in one part of the continent. Over time, they developed similar ways of life using the resources they traded.

a)

False

b)

True

20.

Paul Revere rode all night to warn colonists when the:

a)

Native American warriors were coming

b)

King was coming

c)

British were coming

21.

Since the US is such a large country, it has a wide variety of ___________.

a)

Plant and animal life

b)

Weather

c)

Climates

22.

What major event did the rebellion of the colonies lead to?

a)

The Civil War

b)

The Iraq War

c)

The American Revolutionary War

23.

The government of the U.S. is now a ______________ _________________, where voters elect representatives to make laws for the benefit of the people. This type of government originated (or, began) in ______________.

a)

Representative democracy, Ancient Greece

b)

Fascist dictatorship, Germany

c)

Direct democracy, Ancient Rome

24.

The U.S. is governed (or, regulated) by a constitution, which gives everyone ___________ _______.

a)

Limited rights

b)

Individual rights

c)

Unlimited rights

25.

TRUE or FALSE:

The U.S. is not rich in resources, but has built the world’s largest economy.

a)

True

b)

False

26.

Why do Americans celebrate the 4th of July (also known as Independence Day)?

a)

To celebrate the day we made peace with Britain

b)

To celebrate the day we declared America a new continent.

c)

To celebrate the day we declared independence and created the United States of America

27.

The purpose of checks and balances is to ensure:

a)

That no one branch of government will be too rich

b)

That no one branch of government is too weak

c)

That no one branch of government has too much power

28.

TRUE or FALSE:

The U.S. has a mixed economy, but is the closest to a pure market economy than any other country, except Canada and Japan.

a)

True

b)

False

29.

Quality ________ and new ___________ are major sources of strength for the U.S. economy.

a)

Schools, technology

b)

Entertainment, companies

c)

Jobs, inventions

30.

The U.S. is referred to as a “melting pot” because it has:

a)

Mainly 2 races of people

b)

Lots of different religious groups

c)

A blend of many different cultures

31.

Why do most immigrants to the U.S. want to come here?

a)

For religious freedom

b)

To make a better life

c)

To escape persecution in their home countries

32.

What do Americans call those in the Executive branch of their government?

a)

Congress

b)

the President & his/her Cabinet

c)

the Supreme Court

33.

What is an example of entrepreneurship?

a)

Owning and opening a coffee shop

b)

Training for a job as a pilot and getting paid a lot of money

c)

Going to college and working for the school while you study

34.

TRUE or FALSE:

There are many different languages spoken by people in America.

a)

True

b)

False

35.

In the U.S. there is a mixture of shared cultural traits such as:

a)

Types of shelter, religion, music, and food

b)

Food, transportation, traditions, and music

c)

Religion, music, political systems, and food

36.

Which branch of government makes laws?

a)

the Executive branch

b)

the Judicial branch

c)

the Legislative branch

37.

What do Americans call the Legislative branch of their government?

a)

the Executive branch

b)

Congress

c)

President & the Cabinet

38.

Which branch of government enforces laws?

a)

the Judicial branch

b)

the Executive branch

c)

President & the Cabinet

39.

Which branch of government makes decisions about laws?

a)

the Judicial branch

b)

the Executive Branch

c)

Congress

40.

What do Americans call the Judicial branch of their government?

a)

Congress

b)

The Supreme Court

c)

House of Representatives