WorksheetsEnlightenment and Colonial America - Multiple Choice Questions
Total questions: 67
Worksheet time: 36mins
Voltaire’s philosophical position emphasized:
Empirical science and personal liberties over metaphysical speculation
Blind faith in religious leaders
Divine predestination
Only metaphysical reasoning
In Voltaire’s novel Candide, what is he mocking?
Poor farming practices
Metaphysical explanations that everything happens for the best
Military hierarchy
Enlightenment philosophers
David Hume argued that knowledge comes from:
Divine revelation
Human senses and personal experiences
Ancient texts
Philosophical speculation only
Which method did Hume use to study human knowledge?
Reading scripture exclusively
Observing himself and applying the experimental method
Conducting public debates
Writing novels
Deism, as practiced by some Founding Fathers, believes:
God created the world and natural laws but does not intervene
God intervenes constantly in human affairs
God has no role in the world
Humans have no responsibility over the world
How did the Enlightenment challenge traditional European authority?
By questioning kings, churches, and the divine right of rulers
By strengthening monarchies
By rejecting science entirely
By promoting religious orthodoxy
What did Benjamin Franklin do to spread Enlightenment ideas in the colonies?
Published Poor Richard’s Almanac and ran a newspaper
Preached sermons outdoors
Became a royal governor
Wrote novels
What was the Junto club created by Franklin?
A political party
A civic club to discuss ideas and promote learning
A church organization
A mercantile guild
How did the Great Awakening contribute to democratic ideals in the colonies?
What social effect did the Great Awakening have on the South?
It reinforced social hierarchies
Slaves and free people were welcomed in church, promoting a more democratic experience
It limited church attendance to wealthy landowners
It suppressed religious enthusiasm
Republicanism in colonial America taught that:
Leaders derive authority from God
Citizens get rights from the monarch
Leaders derive authority from the people, citizens get rights from God
Only the church can decide leaders
Which Enlightenment thinker's ideas strongly influenced American concepts of government and rights?
Galileo
John Locke
Dante
Socrates
What was the main purpose of the revivals mentioned in the transcript?
To entertain people with music and drama
To encourage people to repent and turn their hearts toward God
To enforce strict Puritan rules
To provide free food and shelter
Who are the two preachers most associated with the First Great Awakening?
James Davenport and Frederick the Great
Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield
David Hume and Voltaire
Isaac Newton and Baron de Montesquieu
Jonathan Edwards’ famous sermon compared God’s anger to:
A) A raging storm over a town
B) Holding a spider over a fire
C) A punishing king on his throne
D) A teacher scolding students
What was George Whitefield’s key advice to attendees of religious revivals?
Attend for curiosity and entertainment
Attend to reform their hearts, not just for enjoyment
Avoid all public gatherings
Preach only inside churches
What nickname was George Whitefield given because of his eye and fundraising practices?
Dr. Squintum
Saint Money Trap
Both A and B
Reverend Outdoors
What was James Davenport known for during the First Great Awakening?
Burning books and luxury items in public bonfires
Leading debates on Enlightenment philosophy
Founding new churches for religious tolerance
Writing satirical novels
One major effect of the Great Awakening was:
Reducing the number of religious denominations
Encouraging religious choice and diversity in the colonies
Eliminating emotional religious experiences
Reaffirming the absolute authority of the Puritan church
Montesquieu’s “Spirit of Laws” (1748) contributed to which principle still important in modern democracies?
Absolutism of kings
Separation of powers and checks and balances
Mandatory state religion
Military conquest as central to governance
What did Voltaire emphasize in his philosophy?
The need for metaphysical explanations over science
Personal liberties, empirical science, and skepticism of fanaticism
Blind obedience to monarchy
That humans are the property of the state
How did David Hume define the source of human knowledge?
Divine revelation through scripture
Personal experience and empirical observation
Abstract metaphysical reasoning
Classical philosophical texts only
How did Hume apply Isaac Newton’s experimental method to philosophy?
By studying stars and planets
By observing himself and human experience as experiments
By following religious rituals
By memorizing classical texts
Which two historical events were influenced by Enlightenment ideas on personal freedom and social contracts?
The Great Awakening and the Enlightenment
The American Revolution and the French Revolution
The Puritan migration and the War of 1812
The Industrial Revolution and the Glorious Revolution
Why were people in the Middle Ages unable to challenge authority?
They preferred to follow orders
They could not read scripture or laws for themselves
They had complete trust in their leaders
They had strong democratic systems
What is the Enlightenment also known as?
The Great Awakening
The Age of Reason
The Age of Kings
The Age of Exploration
What did the Renaissance help reawaken?
Belief in monarchy
Knowledge of science, art, and culture
Isolation from the world
The power of the Catholic Church
Why was Galileo imprisoned?
For refusing to pay taxes
For attacking the Church
For stating that the Earth revolves around the sun
For trying to overthrow the government
What major claim did Martin Luther make?
That science was false
That the Church was interpreting the Bible incorrectly
That the pope should resign
That everyone should become monks
During the Enlightenment, people began to focus on:
Obeying kings without question
Explaining events only through scripture
How they might shape the world around them
Keeping education exclusive
What became more important during the Age of Reason?
Accepting tradition
Memorizing scripture
Conducting one’s own experiments
Avoiding new ideas
What was John Locke’s influential idea in the Second Treatise?
Monarchs should rule for life
Government should be run by the Church
Government should exist only with the consent of the governed
Kings are chosen by God
Montesquieu proposed:
the separation of powers in government
absolute monarchy
direct democracy
the divine right of kings
What did Jean-Jacques Rousseau suggest?
A) A hereditary monarchy
B) Divine right rule
C) Government by the general will of the people
D) Decisions made only by elites
How did Benjamin Franklin help spread Enlightenment ideas in America?
By sending private letters
By preaching in churches
By printing inexpensive pamphlets and newspapers
By teaching in universities only
What was one purpose of Poor Richard’s Almanac?
To argue against democracy
To promote religious doctrine
To entertain colonists and teach enlightenment values
To publish only weather forecasts
What was the Junto (or Junto Club)?
A) A political party
B) A club Franklin formed to discuss ideas and improve society
C) A group of British officials
D) A religious order
How did Franklin expand the spread of information?
By banning competing newspapers
By printing newspapers throughout the colonies and Caribbean
What important institution did Franklin help create with James Logan’s support?
The first American university
A public library in Philadelphia
The first national bank
A colonial court system
What made Poor Richard’s Almanac especially popular?
Long religious sermons
Scientific diagrams
Witty sayings and lively writing
Exclusive membership access
Rational Christianity taught that:
Only clergy could understand morality
Humans could use reason to understand moral teachings
Science must be rejected
God micromanages every event on Earth
What is Deism?
Belief that God punishes every lightning strike
Belief in a creator who sets natural laws but does not intervene
Belief that humans should be ruled by kings
Rejection of all scientific thinking
Enlightenment thinking led to the belief that:
Rights come from the king
Humans have natural rights given by God
The Church should control government
Only nobles deserve rights
According to republicanism (Enlightenment version):
Kings get authority from God
Leaders get authority from the people
Citizens get rights from the government
Politics should be controlled by royalty
Why were Americans especially open to republicanism?
They had always rejected self-government
They feared local rule
They had successfully governed themselves for years
They wanted stronger monarchy
What invention did Franklin begin experimenting with that eventually became known as the Franklin stove?
An early refrigerator
A heating stove placed in the center of the room
A water-powered mill
A gas-powered lantern
What natural phenomenon did Franklin believe he could harness?
Tides
Gravity
Wind pressure
Lightning/electricity
What did Justice Hill claim lightning represented?
Scientific law
God’s punishment
Nature’s randomness
Electrical discharge only
When Justice Hill was struck, what point did the scene make?
That lightning always hits bad people
That lightning does not strike based on morality
That Franklin caused the storm
That the city needed a new judge
What major claim does Benjamin Franklin make in his declaration?
Lightning is a punishment from God
Lightning and electricity are completely different
Lightning and electricity are the same thing
Electricity should never be controlled
Why does Justice Hill accuse Franklin of blasphemy?
Franklin refuses to attend church
Franklin claims lightning can be controlled
Franklin says God does not exist
Franklin wants to ban tall buildings
Why does Franklin believe lightning hits certain buildings?
God is choosing the wicked buildings
Lightning is attracted to the tallest object
Lightning strikes randomly
Buildings conduct electricity equally
What invention does Franklin later create to protect buildings?
Bifocals
The printing press
The lightning rod
The laid-on jar
Why does Franklin tell Justice Hill that he will “hold God’s justice in his hands”?
He wants to prove God wrong
He’s threatening the town
What problem does Franklin face during the kite experiment?
Tornadoes interfere
There is no lightning, only rain
His kite breaks immediately
William refuses to help
What does Franklin have William retrieve when he senses electricity in the kite string?
A telescope
A compass
A ladder
The Leyden (Laden) jar
Why is Justice Hill hesitant about installing the lightning rod on his building?
He thinks it will make the building collapse
He fears it invites God to strike the building
He believes it's too expensive
He does not trust Franklin’s science
Why does Gabby travel back in time?
To become a newspaper editor
To fix a mistake in history
To visit Benjamin Franklin
To study meteorology
How does the transcript describe Benjamin Franklin’s impact on Philadelphia?
He ruins the city’s economy
He becomes a political rival to everyone
What major public institutions does Franklin help establish?
Hospitals, schools, and a state capital
Prisons and gambling halls
The U.S. Supreme Court
The Boston Tea Company
What innovation did Franklin and his friends make to improve street lighting in London?
Adding bells
Using four-paned glass lights
Making them taller
Using candles instead of oil
According to the transcript, why was Franklin such an effective political broker?
He controlled the military
He was wealthy and intimidating
He had the trust of both the gentry and the working class
He bribed both sides
What literary form did Samuel Richardson popularize?
Third-person omniscient novels
Oral tradition storytelling
Illustrated manuscripts
Epistolary novels (written as letters)
What is Pamela (the novel) mainly about?
A girl solving a murder mystery
A maid pursued by her mistress’s son, Mr. B
A woman who becomes queen
A war between two villages
Why did Pamela begin writing in a journal instead of sending letters?
She lost her writing supplies
Her parents told her to stop writing
Mr. B intercepted her letters
She wanted to publish a book
What made Pamela especially shocking or exciting for 18th-century readers?
It attacked the king
It contained magic and dragons
It challenged traditional class expectations
It was written entirely in poetry
What was one of Richardson’s goals when writing Pamela?
To teach moral behavior (a conduct book)
To prove Samuel Richardson was the best writer
To create the first comedy novel
To mock social etiquette
