WorksheetsAm Gov Ch 2 The Beginnings of American Government Quiz
Total questions: 38
Worksheet time: 19mins
Use this quotation to answer the question.
"No freeman [person] shall be taken or imprisoned, . . . or outlawed, or banished, or in any way destroyed, unless by the lawful judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land. . . .”
—Magna Carta, 1215
Which of the following principles does this quotation from the Magna Carta explain?
guarantee of freedom of speech
guarantee of due process
prohibition against excessive fines and bail
protection of the right of the state to organize a militia
Which of the following accurately summarizes the different purposes of the First and the Second Continental Congresses?
The First Continental Congress was held to write new laws for the colonies, while the Second Continental Congress implemented those laws.
The First Continental Congress was held to write new State constitutions, while the Second Continental Congress ratified those constitutions.
The First Continental Congress was held to limit the authority of royal governors in the colonies, while the Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Rights.
The First Continental Congress was held to determine a response to British policies, while the Second Continental Congress governed the nation during the Revolutionary War.
Which of the following BEST explains the main differences among royal, proprietary, and charter colonies?
Royal colonies were governed directly by the king, proprietary colonies were led by elected officials in England, and charter colonies were led by religious officials.
Royal colonies were made up of a two-house legislature, proprietary colonies were governed by a unicameral body, and charter colonies were composed of colonial courts.
Royal colonies had governors appointed by the king, proprietary colonies were organized by a person who was granted land, and charter colonies were led by governors elected by male property owners.
Royal colonies had governors who were appointed by Parliament, proprietary colonies were organized by religious dissidents, and charter colonies were set up by officials who received charters for the land.
Which of the following events happened FIRST?
The colonies declared their independence from Great Britain.
The States began to adopt written constitutions.
The Stamp Act Congress met in New York.
The colonies rejected Benjamin Franklin's Albany Plan of Union.
Use the quotation to answer the question.
"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
—Benjamin Franklin
What message was Franklin trying to convey to the Second Continental Congress when he spoke these words?
The thirteen colonies should make peace with Great Britain since they were much more likely to thrive as a colony than as a separate nation.
Each of the thirteen colonies should make its own trade and other agreements with Great Britain.
The thirteen colonies should work together to better their chance of success of winning independence from Great Britain.
The thirteen colonies should enlist the suppport of other countries as they negotiate with Great Britain over its colonial policies.
Which of the following MOST DIRECTLY led to the calling of the First Continental Congress?
the Stamp Act Congress
the Stamp Act
the Intolerable Acts
.the Boston Tea Party
Read the excerpt and answer the question.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, . . .”
—The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America
Which of the following BEST paraphrases this statement?
People must show allegiance to their king and country throughout their lives.
People need to help others understand their basic rights as citizens.
People owe their allegiance first to God, then to the monarch.
People are born with certain rights that no one can take from them
In 1754, Ben Franklin drew this cartoon.
For what purpose did he draw it?
to unite the colonists against French and Native American attacks
to urge the colonists to fight the British after the British Tea Party
to warn the colonists about the political oppression of the British
to convince the colonists to unite against British authority
In 1643, a group of colonies banded together to form a confederation, or league of friendship against Native American groups.
Identify the areas on the map in which this Confederation was formed.
Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, New Haven, and Connecticut
New Haven, New Netherland, and Massachusetts Bay
Rhode Island, Plymouth, and Connecticut
New Netherland, Rhode Island, Plymouth, and New Haven
The guarantee of religious liberty found in this proposed law is the sort of guarantee of individual rights that Anti-Federalists demanded be added to the Constitution.
"We the General Assembly of Virginia do enact, that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious Worship place or Ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened [burdened] in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise [way] diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities." —Virginia General Assembly, 1777
This resulting listing of basic liberties in the Constitution is called
the 1st Amendment.
Article V.
the Bill of Rights.
the Declaration of Independence.
Use the quotation to answer the question.
“. . . it is expedient that on the second Monday in May next a Convention of delegates who shall have been appointed by the several States be held in Philadelphia for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation. . . .” —The Continental Congress, 1787
This quotation is historically significant because at this meeting, the Framers
planned to write a constitution but were delayed by delegates who would not attend the convention.
debated to resolve the Articles of Confederation, but ended up voting for a new President.
organized documents to ratify the Articles of Confederation, but could not resolve the Virginia Plan.
met to address the Articles of Confederation but ended up creating a new form of government.
Use the excerpt from The Federalist essays to answer the question.
“[A] people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same principles of government, very similar in their manners and customs, and who . . . have nobly established general liberty and independence.This country and this people seem to have been made for each other . . . united to each other by the strongest ties, should never be split into a number of unsocial, jealous, and alien sovereignties” —The Federalist No. 2, John Jay
Based on this excerpt, which statement best describes the Federalist view of the proposed Constitution?
The Federalists believed that similarities of the people in the United States was a source of strength and should be further strengthened by a strong national government.
The Federalists believed that similarities of the people in the United States was a weakness and could only be strengthened by a strong national government.
The Federalists believed that the variety of the people in the United States was a strength that could only be further strengthened by strong state government.
The Federalists believed that a strong national government would weaken the strength of the diversity of the American people.
Use this excerpt to answer the question.
". . . Doctor Franklin, looking towards the President’s chair, at the back of which a rising sun happened to be painted, observed to a few members near him, that painters had found it difficult to distinguish in their art a rising sun from a setting sun. ‘I have,’ said he, ‘often and often in the course of the Session . . . looked at that behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting: But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting Sun."—Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, James Madison
Which of the following best summarizes Franklin's thoughts on the future of the new United States?
Franklin believed that the new country was doomed to fail.
Franklin believed from the outset that the new country would prosper.
Franklin never had any doubt in the ability of the delegates to create a new government and was saddened that Madison believed otherwise.
Franklin initially had some doubts about the ability of the delegates to create a government but eventually came to see a bright future for the new country.
Use the photo to answer the question.
How does the event depicted in this painting fit into the sequence of events leading to independence?
George Washington led troops across the Delaware River after Congress finished the Articles of Confederation.
George Washington led troops across the Delaware River at the same time Congress worked on the Articles of Confederation.
George Washington led troops across the Delaware River one year before Congress finished the Articles of Confederation.
George Washington led troops across the Delaware River one year after Congress finished the Articles of Confederation.
Which plan foresaw the benefits of colonial unity? Who proposed it?
the Virginia Plan; Thomas Jefferson
the Albany Plan; Benjamin Franklin
the New Jersey Plan; William Patterson
the Plan of Confederation; James Madison
In the early years of settlement in North America, most settlers, traders, and explorers were French, Dutch, Spanish, and Swedish. Based on the chart, what is the best summary of the population much later, in 1790?
Irish, French, English, and African
English, African, Irish, German
African, English, Dutch, German
Scottish, African, English, Dutch
Based on this chart, which of the following explains why some States supported the Three-Fifths Compromise?
Virginia and South Carolina had the highest slave populations and could add three-fifths of each slave to their population for representation.
Only six States had slave populations of more than thirty percent to add three-fifths of each slave to their population for representation.
Fewer than fifty percent of the States had a significant slave population to take advantage of the Three-Fifths Compromise.
New Hampshire and North Carolina had insignificant slave populations and the Three-Fifths Compromise was of no advantage.
The colonists built their governments based on customs and ideas borrowed from England and early civilizations, including unwritten, judge-made law developed over centuries. This type of law is known as
constitutionalism.
common law.
Hammurabi's Code.
the rule of law.
Which of the following is MOST directly related to the idea that government should be restricted in what it can do?
representative government
ordered government
limited government
colonial government
The Magna Carta established the idea that
a monarch's power was not absolute
privileged classes were entitled to more rights.
monarchs had the right to make arbitrary laws.
a subject's right to trial by jury was not guaranteed.
Use this excerpt from the English Bill of Rights to answer the question.
"...that the pretended power of suspending the laws, or the execution of laws, by regal authority, without consent of Parliament is illegal...that levying money for or to the use of the Crown... without grant of Parliament...is illegal...that it is the right of the subjects to petition the king... and that prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal..." —English Bill of Rights
Which of the following ideas is embodied in this excerpt?
The king needed the consent of Parliament to appoint advisors and ministers.
The king had the right to prosecute illegal petitions protesting royal laws.
The king had the power to suspend laws without Parliament's consent.
The king needed the consent of Parliament in order to tax people.
Laws passed by the legislatures in the royal colonies had to be approved by the governor and the Crown. This went AGAINST which of the following basic concepts of government?
ordered government
royal government
limited government
charter government
Read this excerpt from the Connecticut royal charter.
"...there shall be One Governor, One Deputy-Governor, and Twelve Assistants, to be from time to Time constituted, elected and chosen out of the Freemen...which said Officers shall apply themselves to take Care for the best disposing and ordering of the general Business and affairs of and concerning the Land...and the Government of the People thereof..." —Charter of Connecticut, 1662
To which aspect of government does this excerpt apply?
the means by which taxes would be levied in the colony
the means by which government leaders would be chosen
the time table by which the colony's government would meet
the methods by which the colony would defend itself
Use these excerpts from the text to answer the question.
"In October of 1765, nine colonies—all except Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Virginia—sent delegates to a meeting in New York, the Stamp Act Congress."
"Delegates from every colony except Georgia met in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774. . . . For nearly two months, the members of that First Continental Congress discussed the worsening situation and debated plans for action."
What does the difference in the number of colonies that sent delegates to the Stamp Act Congress versus the First Continental Congress indicate about what was happening in the colonies?
The colonies were now ready to break away from Britain.
The colonies were now ready to adopt the Albany Plan.
The conflicts with Britain were slowly uniting the colonies.
The colonies felt their protests against British authority were succeeding.
Use this excerpt from the text to answer the question.
"John Adams, a rising lawyer in Boston, was also present [at the First Continental Congress]. Adams had defended the British officers accused of murder in the Boston Massacre, despite his opposition to British colonial policies. By the time of the First Continental Congress, he had become a staunch supporter of independence as well as a brilliant political analyst."
By making sure the British officers got a fair trial, Adams upheld which cornerstone of English law?
no quartering of soldiers in homes
no martial law in times of peace
the right to petition the Crown
the right to due process
John Jay represented New York at the First and Second Continental congresses. He was a moderate and favored a cautious approach to a formal separation from Britain.
Which of the following actions by the Second Continental Congress shows John Jay's influence?
The Second Continental Congress drafted the Articles of Confederation.
The Olive Branch petition was written, signed, and sent to King George III.
The Second Continental Congress created the continental army.
George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of the army.
Which of the following was one compromise related to the Declaration of Independence that was agreed to by the delegates to the Second Continental Congress?
Language condemning the slave trade was removed.
Language criticizing the English people was strengthened.
A list of grievances against the king was removed.
A list of grievances against tax collectors was strengthened.
Use the excerpt to answer the question.
...whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." —The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America
To what concept of government does this excerpt refer?
the divine right of kings
the social contract
unalienable rights
absolute rule
Which of the following did all of the first State constitutions have in common?
military rule, separation of power, checks and balances
limited government, absolute power, checks and balances
limited government, separation of power, checks and balances
separation of power, limited government, unicameral legislatures
In describing the problems created by the Articles of Confederation, George Washington said, "...we are one nation today and 13 tomorrow. Who will treat with us on such terms?" Which of the following most accurately restates this idea?
We are one nation today, but we could be 13 different states tomorrow. This gives us an advantage in dealing with other nations.
We are one nation today, but we could be 13 different states tomorrow. We should form alliances with other nations as soon as possible.
We claim to be one nation, but are on the verge of splitting into 13 separate states. Other nations will take advantage of us if we continue this way.
We should not be divided into state but form a strong unitary government
In 1787, Congress called on the States to send delegates to Philadelphia "...for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation and reporting to Congress and the several legislatures such alterations and provisions therein as shall when agreed to in Congress and confirmed by the States render the [Articles] adequate to the exigencies of Government and the preservation of the Union."
What does this request reveal about the general attitude in Congress toward the Articles of Confederation?
The general idea was that the Articles of Confederation would be replaced by a new constitution.
The general idea was that the Articles of Confederation could not be satisfactorily revised.
The general idea was that the Articles of Confederation needed revision, but not complete replacement.
The general idea was that most States would not send delegates to the meeting and needed to be persuaded to do so.
Which of the following are considered to have contributed the MOST to creating the Constitution?
Patrick Henry and John Adams
James Wilson and James Madison
.Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine
Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton
Early on, the Constitutional Convention adopted the following proposal.
"Resolved...that a national government ought to be established consisting of a supreme Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary."
What debate among the delegates to the Convention was solved by this resolution?
whether or not the new government should be based on checks and balances
whether the Articles of Confederation should be revised or replaced
whether or not the new government should include an executive branch
whether the government should be national or federal in form
Use the chart comparing the Virginia and the New Jersey plans to answer the question.
A third difference between the plans was concerned with which topic?
the way States would be represented in Congress
the way a judiciary would be formed
the way the government would raise money
the way Congress would legislate power
Use this excerpt from the text to answer the question.
"The Virginia Plan set the agenda for much of the convention's work. Its major support came from the three most populous States: Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. But some delegates—especially those from New York (then only the fifth most populous State) and the smaller States of Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey—found it too radical. Soon they developed their counterproposals."
What does this suggest was an important factor in determining how alliances among convention delegates were formed?
The past relationships between States was a major factor.
The size of a State's delegation was a major factor.
The geographic location of a State was a major factor.
The population of a State was a major factor.
In deciding the population of a State for purposes of representation, a disagreement arose as to whether enslaved persons should be counted. Study the map. Which statement is consistent with what the map shows?
Northern States would likely benefit from counting enslaved persons as part of their populations.
Georgia was most likely against including its enslaved persons in its total population count.
Connecticut would be likely to benefit more than Virginia from counting enslaved persons in its population.
North and South Carolina probably favored counting enslaved persons as part of their populations.
Use the quotation to answer the question.
"The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom." —John Locke, The Second Treatise of Government, 1690
Which statement BEST reflects Locke's meaning?
The ideal situation for protecting freedom is a state where there is no law.
The purpose of law is to protect freedom by abolishing restraint.
To be truly free, people have to abolish laws.
Laws actually make people more, not less, free.
After the Constitution was signed, Benjamin Franklin said:
"...I agree with this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such;...I doubt... whether any other Convention we can obtain, may be able to make a better Constitution. For when you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men, all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views.... It therefore astonishes me, Sir, to find this system approaching so near to perfection as it does..."—Benjamin Franklin
Which of the following is the most accurate rewording of his statement?
The Constitution has many faults, so we should consider assembling the same people for another convention to improve it.
The Constitution is not perfect, but considering all the different points of view of the men at the convention, it is remarkably good.
The Constitution is not perfect, so we should consider another meeting of different people to write a better one.
The Constitution has faults because, even though everyone here is wise, we were unable to overcome our prejudices and selfish views.
