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Events Leading to the Declaration & The Declaration of Independence

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 30mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which document addressed colonial concern with English Policies?

a)

U.S. Constitution

b)

Declaration of Independence

c)

Articles of Confederation

d)

Magna Carta

2.

What law required a tax on many printed goods?

a)

Stamp Act

b)

Townshend Acts

c)

Sugar Act

d)

Tea Act

3.

Why did the English Parliament repeal the Stamp Act?

a)

Colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor

b)

The king decided it was too harsh

c)

Colonists began boycotting British goods

d)

They signed a treaty with the colonists

4.

______ is the idea that it is unfair to tax someone without giving them a voice in government.

a)

Taxation without notification

b)

Boycotting

c)

Taxation without representation

d)

Violating individual rights

5.

Following the _______, England taxed the colonies to pay its debt and limited westward expansion with the Proclamation of 1763. Both of these actions angered the colonists.

a)

French and Indian War

b)

American Revolution

c)

War of 1812

d)

Civil War

6.

As a result of conflicts with England, colonists wrote the ________, which expressed their grievances against the King of England and proclaimed that they wanted to be independent states.

a)

Declaration of Independence

b)

U.S. Constitution

c)

Articles of Confederation

d)

Bill of Rights

7.
What are our natural rights according to Jefferson?  (He got the idea from John Locke, but he changed the last right.)
a)
Freedom of speech, religion, and press
b)
Life, liberty, and property
c)
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
d)
Voting, rebelling, and health
8.

According to the Declaration of Independence, where does government get its power?

a)

From the King

b)

From the Supreme Court

c)

From God

d)

From the people (consent of the governed)

9.
Why was the Declaration of Independence written?
a)
To stop taxes from the British Empire.
b)
To make a United States army.
c)
To gain independence from the British Empire
d)
To install their own king in America
10.
How do natural rights, as described in the Declaration of Independence, differ from other rights?
a)
People are born with natural rights.
b)
People can vote to choose natural rights
c)
Natural rights are given only to citizens.
d)
Natural rights come from the government.
11.

Which complaint is listed here

"He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people."

a)

quartering soldiers

b)

dissolving legislatures

c)

suspending trial by jury

d)

limiting judicial power

12.
What is the connection between natural rights and government? 
a)
government is meant to provide services 
b)
people have the right to alter government 
c)
people have certain unalienable rights
d)
government is meant to protect rights
13.

What is the meaning of this quote form the Declaration of Independence?

"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men..."

a)

Only men have rights in the government

b)

The purpose of government is to ensure people’s rights

c)

Governments must be destroyed to secure rights

d)

Rights can only be given by the government

14.

Which quote from Declaration of Independence reflects the colonial complaint about no taxation w/o representation?

a)

"For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world"

b)

"for imposing taxes on us without our consent"

c)

"for depriving us of trial by jury"

d)

"for quartering large bodies of armed troops among us"

15.

According to the DOI, how did the Americans justify their separation from Britain?

a)

the Americans did not think King George III was very intelligent

b)

the King had violated the rights of Americans, therefore they had the right to overthrow the government

c)

the Americans were tired of being ruled by a king who was 3,000 miles away

d)

King George was doing an adequate job as a ruler, but the Americans were ready for a change

16.

"For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us". This quote from the DOI likely refers to which complaint?

a)

having colonial governments dissolved

b)

having to house British troops

c)

having to pay taxes on certain goods

d)

having no say in the British government

17.

According to John Locke, which agreement did individuals enter into when forming their own society?

a)

constitution

b)

social contract

c)

Mayflower Compact

d)

English Bill of RIghts

18.

According to the Declaration of Independence, what was an "unalienable right" that all governments should protect?

a)

the right to social equality

b)

the right to personal liberty

c)

the right to religious equality

d)

the right to elect government officials

19.

The passage below comes from the Declaration of Independence (1776)

"He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the Consent of our legislatures"


Which section of the Declaration of Independence contained this passage?

a)

its list of colonial grievances

b)

its justification of the conduct of the colonists

c)

its theory of government based on social contract

d)

its announcement of American independence from Britain

20.

The passage below comes from the Declaration of Independence


"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, that among those are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed"


According to the passage, what is the principal role of government?

a)

To promote greater social equality

b)

To protect the natural rights of citizens

c)

To glorify the ruler in the eyes of the creator

d)

To help individuals cooperate against the forces of nature