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Causes of the American Revolution

Total questions: 60

Worksheet time: 30mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

During the era of the American Revolution, Samuel Adams' major influence was in

a)

organizing protests against the British Sugar Act and Stamp Act

b)

being the president of the Continental Congress

c)

writing the Declaration of Independence

d)

leading colonial forces at Yorktown.

2.

The hatred for the Quartering Act, passed by Parliament to affect the British colonies in North America, can be seen in which Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?

a)

3rd Amendment

b)

1st Amendment

c)

2nd Amendment

d)

10th Amendment

3.

"They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us."

Patrick Henry

March 23, 1775


Who/what is the adversary Patrick Henry speaks of?

a)

British

b)

Congress

c)

liberty

d)

inaction

4.

"They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us."

Patrick Henry

March 23, 1775


The likely audience of Patrick Henry's speech is

a)

American people

b)

The French

c)

Sir Peter Townsend

d)

British Guard

5.

The central point of Thomas Paine's Common Sense was that it

a)

suggested economic reforms for the colonies

b)

suggested a plan of reconciliation with Britain

c)

outlined a logical approach to protesting against Parliament

d)

pointed out the absurdity of continued loyalty to King George III

6.

The poster shown most likely refers to protests concerning which one of these?

a)

taxation during the colonial period

b)

an increase in postage rates

c)

American involvement in WWI

d)

slaver before the Civil War

7.

Both John Locke and Thomas Jefferson wrote about the natural rights of man. In what document are these "unalienable rights" specifically mentioned?

a)

The Declaration of Independence

b)

The Bill of Rights

c)

The Preamble to the Constitution

d)

The Mayflower Compact

8.

The MAIN reason why Britain's American colonies were most angered by the taxes imposed on them by Britain was because

a)

the colonists felt like they had no say in the taxation

b)

very few colonists were making enough money to be taxed

c)

most colonists did not consider themselves British subjects

d)

the colonists felt like they were still endangered by the Spanish

9.

Britain responded to the Boston Tea Party by

a)

enacting a series of restrictive measures known as the Intolerable Acts

b)

rounding up suspected participants and sending them to Australia

c)

enacting a new set of taxes known as the Townshend Acts

d)

"tarring and feathering" the colonial leaders of Boston

10.

How did the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, and the Intolerable Acts encourage American colonists to consider revolution against British rule?

a)

by raising taxes in the American colonies without granting the colonies any representation in Parliament

b)

by representing an effort in Britain to end the slave trade in the colonies

c)

by revealing the British plan to expand the American colonies farther west on the continent

d)

by increasing conflict between the colonists and neighboring Indian tribes.

11.

All of these statements are descriptions of what colonial leader?


· commander of a Virginia regiment in French and Indian War

· tobacco plantation owner

· commander of The Continental Army

· member of the Continental Congress

a)

George Washington

b)

Thomas Jefferson

c)

John Adams

d)

James Madison

12.

The Proclamation of 1763 and the Quebec Act of 1774 BOTH helped lay the groundwork for the American Revolution because they each

a)

interfered with colonial claims to western lands.

b)

were repealed after numerous citizen protests

c)

granted greater religious freedoms to Catholics

d)

levied new taxes on goods imported from Europe

13.

Thomas Jefferson was important in the Revolutionary era because

a)

he wrote much of the Declartion of Independence

b)

he was elected the President of the Continental Congress

c)

his philosophies were used in the influential pamphlet Common Sense

d)

his leadership and moral stand lead to the colonies to fight for the abolition of slavery

14.

All of these statements are descriptions of what colonial leader?


· Born in 1751 in Virginia

· An author of the Federalist Papers

· Considered the "Father of the Constitution"

· 4th President of the United States

a)

George Washington

b)

Thomas Jefferson

c)

John Adams

d)

James Madison

15.

Why did American colonists resent British taxes?

a)

Americans did not elect representatives to Parliament as people who lived in Great Britain did.

b)

American colonists were unhappy that the high taxes were keeping the nobility in luxury.

c)

Great Britain did not offer the American colonists any protection from the French and the Indians.

d)

Unlike American colonists, people who lived in Great Britain did not have to pay any duties .

16.

Captain Thomas Preston’s Account of the Boston Massacre On this a general attack was made on the men [the British soldiers] by a great number of heavy clubs and snowballs being thrown at them, by which all our lives were in imminent danger, some persons at the same time from behind calling out, damn your bloods-why don't you fire. Instantly three or four of the soldiers fired, one after another, and directly after three more in the same confusion and hurry. The mob then ran away . . . On my asking the soldiers why they fired without orders, they said they heard the word fire and supposed it came from me. This might be the case as many of the mob called out fire, fire, but I assured the men that I gave no such order; that my words were, don't fire, stop your firing.Captain Thomas Preston, 1770

Each of these statements is supported by Preston’s account of the Boston Massacre EXCEPT

a)

Preston and his soldiers were in danger.

b)

Preston never ordered his soldiers to fire on the colonists.

c)

The colonists were attacking the British with clubs and snowballs.

d)

The British soldiers intended to shoot the colonists even though they were not provoked.

17.

Anonymous Account of the Boston MassacreTHE HORRID MASSACRE IN BOSTON, PERPETRATED IN THE EVENING OF THE FIFTH DAY OF MARCH, 1770, BY SOLDIERS OF THE TWENTY-NINTH REGIMENT . . . In passing to this station the [British] soldiers pushed several persons with their bayonets, driving through the people in so rough a manner that it appeared they intended to create a disturbance. This occasioned some snowballs to be thrown at them which seems to have been the only provocation that was given. . . . Captain Preston is said to have ordered them to fire, and to have repeated that order. One gun was fired first; then others in succession and with deliberation, till ten or a dozen guns were fired; or till that number of discharges were made from the guns that were fired. By which means eleven persons were killed and wounded.Anonymous, 1770


Each of these statements is supported by this anonymous account of the Boston Massacre EXCEPT

a)

the colonists fired on the British in self defense.

b)

Captain Preston repeatedly ordered his soldiers to fire

c)

the British soldiers charged at the colonists with bayonets

d)

the only action the colonists took against the soldiers was to throw some snowballs.

18.

For what purpose was the phrase "One if by land, two if by sea!" used?

a)

to plan an assault to The Alamo during the conflict with Mexico.

b)

to suggest a plan of attack for Union forces in the siege of Richmond

c)

to prepare Canadian fortresses for battle in the French and Indian War

d)

to warn people in Massachusetts about an impending attack by British forces.

19.

All of these statements are descriptions of what colonial leader?


· Massachusetts delegate to First and Second Continental Congress

· Co-author and signer of the Declaration of Independence

· First Vice President of the United States

· Second President of the United States

a)

George Washington

b)

Thomas Jefferson

c)

John Adams

d)

James Madison

20.

Revolutionary hero Paul Revere was from Massachusetts. Which number on the map represents the state of Massachusetts?

a)

1

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4

21.

Which of these played an important role in causing the American Revolution?

a)

slavery

b)

the War of 1812

c)

The French and Indian War

d)

Indian rebellions in the Ohio Territory

22.

Which of these groups was organized to fight back against the British government in the years leading up to the American Revolution?

a)

the Tories

b)

the Loyalists

c)

the Know-Nothings

d)

the Sons of Liberty

23.

According to the Founding Fathers, the United States was founded on the idea that all people are entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." In which document would you find the phrase "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"?

a)

The United States Constitution

b)

The Declaration of Independence

c)

The Federalists Papers

d)

The Bill of Rights

24.

Thomas Paine's Common Sense encouraged support for the American independence movement by

a)

appealing to the colonists' sense of inalienable rights and liberty.

b)

blaming the British for starting the "peculiar institution" of slavery.

c)

listing specific grievances against King George III and the British government.

d)

reminding Americans that colonies fighting for independence rarely resulted in success.

25.

All of these are arguments that supported the position of which of these people?

Great Britain is a better established nation.

Great Britain has a strong army and navy.

Great Britain can prevent chaos and mob rule.

a)

Carpetbagger

b)

Loyalist

c)

Patriot

d)

Whig

26.

What role did Crispus Attucks play in the Revolutionary War era?

a)

He led the Boston Tea Party

b)

He was shot during the Boston Massacre

c)

He assisted George Washington at Yorktown

d)

He switched from the Colonial to the British side

27.

This popular image shows this group "tarring and feathering" a tax collector as a protest against the Tea Tax. Who is this group?

a)

Sons of Liberty

b)

Boston Tea Party

c)

Green Mountain Boys

d)

Committees of Correspondence

28.

Which statement BEST explains why George Washington, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin known as the "Founding Fathers"?

a)

They wrote the Declaration of Independence

b)

They helped create the United States government

c)

They fought in the Continental Army against the British

d)

They helped settle the area known as the Plymouth Colony

29.

???????

The colonial army had a better knowledge of the land.

The British were fighting a war far from home.

The colonists were fighting for their independence.


Which is the BEST title for this list of facts?

a)

Colonial Advantages in the Revolutionary War

b)

French advantages in the French and Indian War

c)

Factors leading to the American Surrender in 1781

d)

British advantages in the Revolutionary War

30.
Saw themselves as fighting for the right to govern their own homeland
a)
Rebel Militias
b)
Tory Militias
c)
Continental Army Soldiers
d)
British Regular Soldiers
e)
Indian (Tory) Militias
31.
Saw themselves as fighting to maintain the traditional government of their homeland.
a)
Rebel Militias
b)
Tory Militias
c)
Continental Army Soldiers
d)
British Regular Soldiers
e)
Indian (Tory) Militias
32.
Saw themselves as fighting to stop the imposition of British rule in the colonies.
a)
Rebel Militias
b)
Tory Militias
c)
Continental Army Soldiers
d)
British Regular Soldiers
e)
Indian (Tory) Militias
33.
Saw themselves as fighting to maintain British control in the colonies.
a)
Rebel Militias
b)
Tory Militias
c)
Continental Army Soldiers
d)
British Regular Soldiers
e)
Indian (Tory) Militias
34.
Saw themselves as fighting to earn their pay and spoils.
a)
Rebel Militias
b)
Tory Militias
c)
Continental Army Soldiers
d)
British Regular Soldiers
e)
Indian (Tory) Militias
35.
Saw themselves as fighting to gain better terms from the British government than from the colonists.
a)
Rebel Militias
b)
Tory Militias
c)
Continental Army Soldiers
d)
British Regular Soldiers
e)
Hessian Mercenaries
36.
This group of Patriots was formed in 1765 and urged colonial resistance to the Stamp Act using any means available... even violence.
a)
Sons of Liberty
b)
Boston Tea Party
c)
French And Indian War
d)
Taxation Without Representation
e)
Stamp Act
37.
This was a political protest by Boston, Massachusetts residents in 1773 against the British parliament led by the Sons of Liberty.
a)
Boston Tea Party
b)
Sons of Liberty
c)
Stamp Act
d)
Intolerable Acts
e)
Taxation Without Representation
38.
Battles between France and England in the new world resulting in the loss of all French possessions.
a)
French And Indian War
b)
Boston Tea Party
c)
Sons of Liberty
d)
Stamp Act
e)
Intolerable Acts
39.
A common complaint of American Colonists, they felt they were taxed from England without having any vote in Parliament.
a)
Taxation Without Representation
b)
Intolerable Acts
c)
Boston Tea Party
d)
Sons of Liberty
e)
Stamp Act
40.
This was an Act passed in 1765 by the British, requiring all legal documents, contracts, newspapers, etc. in the American colonies to carry a tax stamp to help pay for the military presence in the colonies.
a)
Stamp Act
b)
Taxation Without Representation
c)
Intolerable Acts
d)
Boston Tea Party
e)
Sons of Liberty
41.
These were series of laws passed in response to the Boston Tea Party by the British Parliament in 1774. Those laws included the Massachusetts Government Act, Administration of Justice Act, Boston Port Act, and the Quartering Act. These acts are considered a significant cause of the American Revolutionary War.
a)
Intolerable Acts
b)
Stamp Act
c)
Taxation Without Representation
d)
Sons of Liberty
e)
Boston Tea Party
42.
This was an event that occurred on Monday, March 5, 1770 that helped spark the American Revolution.
a)
Boston Massacre
b)
Intolerable Acts
c)
Taxation Without Representation
d)
Sons of Liberty
e)
Stamp Act
43.
This was a political protest by Boston in 1773 against the British parliament led by the Sons of Liberty.
a)
Boston Tea Party
b)
Boston Massacre
c)
Intolerable Acts
d)
Taxation Without Representation
e)
Sons of Liberty
44.
These were series of laws passed by Parliament in 1774 after the Boston Tea Party.
a)
Intolerable Acts
b)
Boston Tea Party
c)
Boston Massacre
d)
Stamp Act
e)
Taxation Without Representation
45.
This group of Patriots was formed in 1765 and urged colonial resistance to the Stamp Act using any means available... even violence.
a)
Sons of Liberty
b)
Intolerable Acts
c)
Boston Tea Party
d)
Boston Massacre
e)
Stamp Act
46.
A common complaint of American Colonists, they felt they were taxed from England without having any vote in Parliament.
a)
Taxation Without Representation
b)
Sons of Liberty
c)
Intolerable Acts
d)
Boston Tea Party
e)
Boston Massacre
47.
This was an Act passed in 1765 by the British, requiring all legal documents to carry a tax mark to help pay for the military presence in the colonies.
a)
Stamp Act
b)
Taxation Without Representation
c)
Sons of Liberty
d)
Intolerable Acts
e)
Boston Tea Party
48.
Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that explained the Patriot point of view in simple terms.
a)
Common Sense
b)
Stamp Act
c)
Taxation Without Representation
d)
Sons of Liberty
e)
Intolerable Acts
49.
A colonist who supported Great Britain and wanted the colonies to remain part of Britain.
a)
Loyalist
b)
Common Sense
c)
Stamp Act
d)
Taxation Without Representation
e)
Sons of Liberty
50.
A colonist who supported American independence from Great Britain.
a)
Patriot
b)
Loyalist
c)
Common Sense
d)
Stamp Act
e)
Taxation Without Representation
51.
Adjective describing the point of view of "undecided" colonists during the American Revolution.
a)
Neutral
b)
Patriot
c)
Loyalist
d)
Common Sense
e)
Stamp Act
52.
The idea that political power should rest with the citizens instead of the government.
a)
Consent of the Governed
b)
Neutral
c)
Patriot
d)
Loyalist
e)
Common Sense
53.
Conflict that led to the independence of the United States.
a)
American Revolution
b)
Consent of the Governed
c)
Neutral
d)
Patriot
e)
Loyalist
54.
The crime of betraying one's country; what the Loyalists believed the Patriots were committing.
a)
Treason
b)
American Revolution
c)
Consent of the Governed
d)
Neutral
e)
Patriot
55.
Biased or misleading information presented to promote a particular political point of view.
a)
Propaganda
b)
Treason
c)
American Revolution
d)
Consent of the Governed
e)
Neutral
56.
Choose only the statements that CORRECTLY describe a cause of the American Revolution.
a)
Thomas Paine's pamphlet, "Common Sense" inspired many colonists that independence from Great Britain was necessary.
b)
The Proclamation of 1763 gave the colonists access to land gained from the French & Indian War.
c)
The Intolerable Acts were passed as a punishment for tax agents being tarred and feathered.
d)
As a result of the Intolerable Acts, the colonies immediately declared independence.
57.
Choose only the statements that CORRECTLY describe a cause of the American Revolution.
a)
The Sons and Daughters of Liberty were a secret group formed in response to the new taxes placed on the American colonists.
b)
The Proclamation of 1763 gave the colonists access to land gained from the French & Indian War.
c)
The Intolerable Acts were passed as a punishment for tax agents being tarred and feathered.
d)
As a result of the Intolerable Acts, the colonies immediately declared independence.
58.
Choose only the statements that CORRECTLY describe a cause of the American Revolution.
a)
No taxation without representation became a rallying cry of the colonists.
b)
The Proclamation of 1763 gave the colonists access to land gained from the French & Indian War.
c)
The Intolerable Acts were passed as a punishment for tax agents being tarred and feathered.
d)
As a result of the Intolerable Acts, the colonies immediately declared independence.
59.
Choose only the statements that CORRECTLY describe a cause of the American Revolution.
a)
One of the most effective forms of protest to the Stamp Act was boycotting goods.
b)
The Proclamation of 1763 gave the colonists access to land gained from the French & Indian War.
c)
The Intolerable Acts were passed as a punishment for tax agents being tarred and feathered.
d)
As a result of the Intolerable Acts, the colonies immediately declared independence.
60.
Choose only the statements that CORRECTLY describe a cause of the American Revolution.
a)
Samuel Adams was a prominent member of the Committees of Correspondence, who wrote letters to unite the colonies.
b)
The Proclamation of 1763 gave the colonists access to land gained from the French & Indian War.
c)
The Intolerable Acts were passed as a punishment for tax agents being tarred and feathered.
d)
As a result of the Intolerable Acts, the colonies immediately declared independence.