Question 1

The Declaration of Independence was remarkable for its assertion that there are certain unalienable rights including

Accepted Answer

The Declaration of Independence famously states that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These three rights are reiterated throughout the document and are considered foundational to American values and the pursuit of freedom.

Question 2

To show their displeasure with the Stamp Act of 1765, colonists in Boston

Accepted Answer

Organizing demonstrations, parades, and mass meetings was a common form of protest used by the colonists to show their displeasure with the Stamp Act of 1765. This was known as the Stamp Act Congress, and it was a gathering of colonial leaders who wrote a letter of protest to King George III and the British Parliament. The congress was held in New York City and was attended by representatives from nine of the thirteen colonies.

Question 3

In the mid-eighteenth century, the revenues that governments relied on came mostly from

Accepted Answer

During the mid-eighteenth century, governments relied on tariffs and duties as their primary source of revenue. Tariffs were taxes on goods imported into a country, while duties were taxes on specific products or services, such as alcohol or tobacco. Governments imposed tariffs and duties in order to raise revenue and protect their domestic industries from foreign competition. This system of taxation became known as mercantilism and was widely used in Europe during this time period.

Question 4

The Declaration of Independence was almost entirely written by

Accepted Answer

Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, although he did receive input and edits from committee members and others before it was finalized.

Question 5

On March 5, 1770, nervous British soldiers opened fire on the mob surrounding them, killing five colonists and wounding eight others. News of this event spread quickly throughout the colonies and was used to fan anti-British sentiment by radicals who called the incident the

Accepted Answer

The incident described is commonly known as the Boston Massacre.

Question 6

Colonial society was made up of conflicting economic and political interests that made British rule possible. The Stamp Act and the Tea Act altered the interests of certain key sectors of colonial society, creating incentives to

Accepted Answer

The Stamp Act and the Tea Act affected many different sectors of colonial society, such as merchants, printers, and lawyers, who were all impacted by the new taxes and regulations. As a result, these groups began to see their interests as more aligned with one another and sought to engage in collective action to protest against British rule. This ultimately led to the formation of the Continental Congress and other forms of organized resistance.

Question 7

The British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre were defended by __________, a pillar of Boston society and future president of the United States.

Accepted Answer

The British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre were defended by John Adams, a prominent lawyer in Boston and future president of the United States.

Question 8

The radicals led by Samuel Adams hoped that the Boston Tea Party would goad the British into strong reprisals. Which principle does this strategy illustrate?

Accepted Answer

The strategy illustrates the rationality principle, which suggests that political actors (in this case, the radicals led by Samuel Adams) have goals and pursue the strategies they believe will best achieve those goals. By provoking the British into strong reprisals, they hoped to galvanize public opinion against British rule, furthering their cause for independence.

Question 9

Why did the British government impose taxes such as the Stamp Act specifically on the American colonies instead of in England only?

Accepted Answer

The British government had spent a significant amount of money protecting the American colonies during the French and Indian War and had accumulated debt. They believed that the colonists should bear some of the burden of repaying that debt and began imposing taxes on items like the Stamp Act specifically on the colonies. This was seen as a way to recapture some of the revenue spent defending and maintaining the colonies.

Question 10

The Boston Tea Party was led by

Accepted Answer

Samuel Adams was one of the leaders of the Sons of Liberty, a group that organized protests against British policies, including the infamous Boston Tea Party in 1773.

Question 11

What was the ultimate goal of the radical participants in the Boston Tea Party?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What was the ultimate goal of the...

Question 12

Colonists organized and participated in the Boston Tea Party of 1773 as a direct response to

Accepted Answer

The Boston Tea Party was specifically organized in response to the British granting of a monopoly on tea export to the East India Company. This move threatened the livelihoods of American merchants and smugglers who were used to importing tea from other sources. The colonists saw this as a violation of their rights and protested by dumping the tea into Boston Harbor. There was no military seizure of tea, atrocities by troops, or withdrawal of military protection involved in this event.

Question 13

After years of relatively little interference in the local affairs of its American colonies, the English government passed a tax on all printed and legal documents, including newspapers, pamphlets, advertisements, notes and bonds, leases, deeds, and licenses. Mass protests declaring "no taxation without representation" erupted throughout the colonies against the

Accepted Answer

The tax described in the passage is known as the Stamp Act, which was passed by the English government in 1765. This tax required colonists to purchase special stamped paper for all legal documents, and played a significant role in bringing about the American Revolution. The other choices (A, C, and D) are not accurate descriptions of the tax in question.

Question 14

The Stamp Act of 1765 and the Sugar Act of 1764 created incentives for which two groups to engage in collective action?

Accepted Answer

The Stamp Act of 1765 and the Sugar Act of 1764 created tensions between British authorities and American colonists, particularly New England merchants and southern planters. These two groups faced increased costs and restrictions on their trade, leading them to engage in collective action, such as boycotts and protests, to push back against these policies.

Question 15

The Boston Tea Party set into motion a cycle of provocation and retaliation that, in 1774, resulted in the convening of an assembly of delegates from all parts of the colonies called the

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is the First Continental Congress because it was the assembly of delegates from all parts of the colonies that was convened in 1774 as a result of the cycle of provocation and retaliation set in motion by the Boston Tea Party. The other options are not accurate: there was no First Colonial Convention, Boston Confederated Congress or Philadelphia Constitutional Convention convened in 1774.

Question 16

In November of 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the United States' first written constitution. It was known as the

Accepted Answer

The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union were adopted by the Continental Congress in November of 1777, making it the correct choice. The Virginia Plan was a proposal for a new form of government presented in 1787, the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776 and is not a constitution, and the Seneca Falls Declaration was a document related to women's suffrage in 1848 and is not related to the creation of the United States' first constitution.

Question 17

In 1773, the British government granted a monopoly on the export of tea from Britain to the politically powerful East India Company, which sought to bypass the colonial merchants and sell the tea directly to the colonies. The merchants called on their radical adversaries for support, and the most dramatic result was

Accepted Answer

The granting of a tea monopoly to the East India Company led to the Boston Tea Party, where American colonists, including members of the radical Sons of Liberty, dumped tea off British ships into the harbor as a protest against what they saw as unfair taxation without representation.

Question 18

By dumping the East India Company's tea into Boston Harbor, Samuel Adams and his followers pressured the British into enacting a number of harsh reprisals that

Accepted Answer

The dumping of tea in Boston Harbor, also known as the Boston Tea Party, was a significant event that fueled anti-British sentiment among American colonists. It became a symbol of resistance and a catalyst for revolutionary forces. The harsh reprisals enacted by the British, such as the Coercive Acts, only served to radicalize Americans further in their quest for independence.

Question 19

The result of the 1777 Continental Congress was a constitution concerned primarily with

Accepted Answer

The 1777 Continental Congress resulted in the Articles of Confederation, which were primarily concerned with limiting the powers of the central government to prevent any single entity from gaining too much control, reflecting the colonies' recent experiences with British rule.

Question 20

Dramatic events like the Boston Massacre provide an issue for individuals to organize around when putting together revolutionary activities. This provides a way to overcome the

Accepted Answer

The collective action problem refers to the difficulty in getting individuals to work together towards a common goal when there are barriers to coordination and communication. Dramatic events like the Boston Massacre can help to overcome this problem by providing a clear and tangible issue for people to rally around.

Quiz 2: Constructing a Government: The Founding and the Constitution