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Worksheets

Toward Independence

Total questions: 30

Worksheet time: 15mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Before 1760, which statement best describes the colonies?

a)

The colonies had assemblies that passed laws.

b)

The colonies had representation in Parliament.

c)

The colonies were united into one government

d)

The colonies depended upon the British government

2.

Which of these groups benefited from the Proclamation of 1763?

a)

Enslaved Africans

b)

British Soldiers

c)

American Indians

d)

American Colonists

3.

What did the colonists resent most about the Stamp Act?

a)

They did not belive in any form of taxation

b)

They had no representatives to vote on the tax

c)

People in Great Britain did not have to pay taxes

d)

People in Great Britain were taxed only on property

4.

How did many of the Loyalists view the Patriots?

a)

as brave soldiers

b)

as foreign invaders

c)

as ungrateful rebels

d)

as agreeeable neighbors

5.

Cause: The Boston Tea Party

Effect:_____________

a)

the Stamp Act

b)

the Intolerable Acts

c)

the Boston Massacre

d)

the Proclamation of 1763

6.

What was a goal of the First Continental Congress?

a)

to decalre war on great Britain

b)

to find a solution to the conflicts with Great Britain

c)

to create taxes that would be acceptable to the Americans

d)

to bring representative from Great Britain and American together

7.

Which of these best describes how the colonists viewed themselves in 1774?

a)

They saw themselves as united Americans

b)

they saw themselves as dependent on the king

c)

They saw themselves as citizens of their individual colonies

d)

They saw themselves as united under the British government

8.

What became evident when the colonist and British troops clashed at Lexington and Concord?

a)

The British soldiers were fearful of the colonial militia

b)

The British troops were eager to start a war with the colonies

c)

the colonial militia was no match for the well-trained British troops

d)

The colonist were willing to fight for the right to govern themselves

9.

To which of the following events are the two Paul Revere engravings referring?

a)

Boston Tea Party

b)

Boston Massacre

c)

Proclamation of 1763

d)

French and Indian War

10.

Patrick Henry gave a famous speech that ended with the words “Give me liberty, or give me death!” with which group did he identify himself?

a)

Patriots

b)

Loyalists

c)

British citizens

d)

members of Parliament

11.

The continental army was composed of

a)

troops from all the colonies

b)

troops from Great Britain

c)

only troops from the New England colonies

d)

only troops from Virginia and Massachusetts

12.

Which of these describes the mood of most colonies immediately following the events at Lexington and Concord?

a)

They were reluctant to start a war

b)

They were eager to declare war against the British

c)

They sided with the Loyalists against the Patriots

d)

They wanted to move to Great Britain

13.

Why was George Washington chosen to be a military leader?

a)

He had experience

b)

He wanted the role

c)

He was very wealthy

d)

He was highly educated

14.

Look at the men who are shooting in the first engraving. Which group of people do these men represent?

a)

British

b)

Patriots

c)

Loyalists

d)

Parliament

15.

How do natural rights, as described in the Declaration of Independence, differ from other rights?

a)

People can vote to choose natural rights

b)

People are born with natural rights

c)

Natural rights are given only to citizens

d)

Natural rights come from the government

16.

In a draft of the Declaration of Independecce, Jefferson charged the king with violating the “sacred rights of life and liberty…of a distance people (by) carrying them into slavery.” This passage was removed for all these reasons EXCEPT

a)

It might lead to demands to free enslaved Africans

b)

It was an unimportant issue in the colonies

c)

It was likely to prompt concerns about economic effects of banning slavery

d)

It might offend merchants who profited from the trade of enslaved people

17.

According to Thomas Jefferson, the power to rule comes from

a)

God

b)

The King

c)

Parliament

d)

The governed

18.

Why did Thomas Jefferson say that King George III was an unfit ruler?

a)

He was not born in Great Britain

b)

He denided the colonist their rights

c)

He was not elected by Parliament

d)

He lived far away from the colonies

19.

Which of these show cooperation on the part of the colonies?

a)

They came together to form one army.

b)

The Loyalists and the Patriots made peace.

c)

They all believed in the goal of independence

d)

They all opposeed the Declartion of Independence

20.

What was the result of the American vicories at Treton and Princeton?

a)

The Hessians joined the American side

b)

It showed that the Americans could defeat the British

c)

It proved that George Washington was wrong about his soldiers

d)

The British were forced to abandon New York and New Jersey

21.

Cause: African Americans helping the cause for independence

Effect:_______

a)

Slavery was abolished thoughout the colonies

b)

Several colonies began to take steps to end slavery

c)

African Americans who fought were given their freedom

d)

African Americans were respected and their brave acts rewarded

22.

“The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country.” - Thomas Paine, Pennslyvania Journal, 1776

Which word describes the “summer soldier and sunshine patriot”?

a)

traitors

b)

Fighters

c)

Quitters

d)

Optimists

23.

Which of these was an effect of the American victory at Saratoga?

a)

British troops gained confidence

b)

General Burgoyne resigned his post

c)

Great Britain withdrew from Canada

d)

European countries came to aid of America

24.

Cause: The Townshend Act

Effect:__________

a)

Proclamation of 1763

b)

French and Indian War

c)

Boycott of British goods

d)

expansion of the British Empire

25.

Which group prevented a British victory in the South?

a)

Loyalists

b)

Mercenaries

c)

French soldiers

d)

Guerrilla troops

26.

How did the American Revolution impact other parts of the world?

a)

It led to Great Britain giving up its other colonies

b)

It made other nations fearful of American strength

c)

It encouraged other nations to fight for their independence

d)

It made citizens of other nations fearful to fight for independence

27.

In wich colonial region did the Battle of Yorktown take place?

a)

Southern Colonies

b)

Northern Colonies

c)

Western Colonies

d)

It didn’t happen

28.

Which of these was a weakness of the Continental army at the start of the war?

a)

supply shortages

b)

Weak commander

c)

Unfamiliar territory

d)

Long travel distances

29.

Why did African Americans join the Continental army?

a)

They had excellent military skills

b)

They were generously paid to join the army

c)

They blamed Great Britain for their enslavement

d)

They hoped independence would lead to an end of slavery

30.

May 1775- Second Continental Congress meets

June 1775- Battle of Bunker Hill fought

March 1776- Seige of Boston ends

July 1776- ???

a)

Commen Sense published

b)

Olive Branch Petition sent

c)

American Revolution ends

d)

Declaration of Independence signed