American Revolution Test
1. What was a result of the French and Indian War that was a cause of the American Revolution?
a The British lost most of their colonies in the Americas.
b. French colonies expanded west of the Appalachians.
c. Native American Indians were given land west of the Appalachians.
d. England decided to make the American colonists help pay war debts.
2. Proclamation of 1763 angered colonist because it
a. Stopped them from moving west
b. Removed British troops from the frontier
c. Gave land west of the Appalachians to the French
d. Caused Native Americans to attack settlers.
3. The slogan “No taxation without representation” referred to taxes enacted (passed) by
a. Colonial legislators
b. Town meetings
c. The English Parliament
d. The First Continental Congress
4. “The only representatives of the people of these colonies are persons chosen therein by themselves; and that no taxes ever have been, or can be constitutionally imposed on them but by their respective legislatures.”
-Statement by the Stamp Act Congress, 1765
What is a valid conclusion that can be drawn from this quotation?
a. The colonial legislatures should be appointed by the English King with the consent of Parliament.
b. Only the colonists’ elected representatives should have the power to levy taxes
c. The English King should have the right to tax the colonists.
d. The colonists should be opposed to all taxation.
5. Colonial boycotts of British goods before the Revolutionary war were effective measures because they
a. Reduced the profits of British merchants
b. Lowered the prices of imported products
c. Left British troops short of supplies in the colonies
d. Allowed the Americans to start their own factories
6. When colonist boycotted British goods, they
a. Bought as many goods as possible
b. Refused to buy the goods
c. Bought the goods at low prices
d. Bought goods at high prices
7. The Tea Act passed by the British Parliament, led to the
a. Boston Tea Party
b. French and Indian War
c. Pontiac’s War
d. Boston Massacre
8. Which statement most accurately expresses the main idea of the political cartoon
(Join or Die! Picture of severed snake)
a. colonists that do not unite are not loyal
b. colonies cannot survive unless they are united
c. each colony should maintain its independence
d. any colony that does not unite will be attached.
9. Which heading best completes the partial outline below?
I. ____________________________________
§ Committees of Correspondence
§ Nonimportation Agreements
§ Boston Tea Party
§ First Continental Congress
- Protests Against Slavery in the American Colonies
- British Parliamentary Actions to Punish Colonial Americans
- Colonial Responses to British Mercantile Policies
10. This British Act taxed legal documents, such as wills, diplomas, and marriage papers
a. Intolerable Acts
b. Boston Tea Party
c. Stamp Act
d. Quartering Act
11. During the colonial period, the British Parliament used the policy of mercantilism to
a. limit manufacturing in America
b. prevent criticism of royal policies
c. deny representation to the colonists
d. force colonists to worship in the Anglican Church
12. The British system of mercantilism was opposed by many American colonists because it
a. placed quotas on immigration
b. discouraged the export of raw materials to England
c. placed restrictions on trading
d. encouraged colonial manufacturing
13. The main goal of most of the policies shown in the illustration below was to
(Policies: Stamp Act, Tea Act, Intolerable Acts, etc.)
a. allow American colonists greater self-government
b. enable Great Britain to raise revenues (money) and control trade
c. encourage immigration to the colonies
d. encourage Americans to trade with other European countries
14. During the Revolutionary War period, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was important because it
a. described a military plan for the defeat of England
b. convinced many Americans who had been undecided to support independence
c. contained a detailed outline for a new form of government
d. argued for the addition of a bill of rights to the Constitution
15. The pamphlet Common Sense, by Thomas Paine, aided the American cause in the Revolutionary War because it
a. led to the repeal of the Stamp Act
b. created a new system of government for the United States
c. convinced France to join in the fight against England
d. persuaded individuals who were undecided to support independence
16. According to the Declaration of Independence, the people have the right to alter or abolish a government if that government
a. is a limited monarchy
b. violates natural rights
c. becomes involved in entangling alliances
d. favors one religion over another
17. Which fundamental political idea is expressed in the Declaration of Independence?
a. The government should guarantee every citizen economic security.
b. The central government and state governments should have equal power.
c. If the government denies its people certain basic rights, that government can be overthrown.
d. Rulers derive their right to govern from God and are therefore bound to govern in the nation’s best interest.
18. Which conclusion about the American Revolutionary War is most clearly supported by information in this chart?
a. England had few advantages in a war with her American colonies.
b. The thirteen colonies had more advantages than disadvantages upon entering the war.
c. England did not believe that the thirteen colonies were worth the expense of a war.
d. The thirteen colonies had few, but important advantages in the war with England
19. A major argument for American independence found in the Declaration of Independence was that the British
a. stopped participating in the slave trade
b. refused to sell products to Americans
c. deprived Americans of their natural rights
d. censored American representatives in Parliament
20. Which statement is most accurate about the movement for independence in the thirteen colonies?
a. The independence movement began soon after the founding of the Plymouth Colony.
b. Protests against British colonial policies gradually led to demands for independence.
c. The King of England required the colonists to become economically self-sufficient.
d. The movement for independence was equally strong in all of the colonies
21. According to the Declaration of Independence, the fundamental purpose of government is to
a. protect people’s natural rights
b. equalize opportunities for all citizens
c. provide for the defense of the nation
d. establish a system of free public education
22. One of the principles stated in the Declaration of Independence is that government should
a. guarantee economic equality among citizens
b. have unlimited power to rule the people
c. be based upon the consent of the governed
d. be led by educated citizens
23. "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 these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; . . ."
This quotation is evidence that some of the basic ideas in the Declaration of Independence were
a. limitations of the principles underlying most European governments of the 1700’s.
b. adaptations of the laws of Spanish colonial governments in North America
c. adoptions of rules used by the Holy Roman Empire.
d. reflections of the philosophies of the European Enlightenment
Answer Key
1. D
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. A
6. B
7. A
8. B
9. C
10. C
11. A
12. C
13. B
14. B
15. D
16. B
17. C
18. D
19. C
20. B
21. A
22. C
23. D