Deck 8: America Secedes From the Empire

Question 1

The colonial army eventually lost the Battle of Bunker Hill because its troops

A) were tactically outmaneuvered.
B) ran out of gunpowder.
C) were poorly led.
D) were unable to stop the final British charge.
E) lacked adequate naval and artillery support.

Answer 1

ran out of gunpowder.

Question 2

When fighting between the colonies and Great Britain began in 1775,

A) America immediately declared its independence.
B) the colonists sought alliances with France and Holland.
C) the colonists denounced the Parliament.
D) the colonists still affirmed their loyalty to the King.
E) all of these.

Answer 2

the colonists still affirmed their loyalty to the King.

Question 3

Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense

A) was published before any fighting took place between the colonists and the British.
B) focused on the legal case against British taxation.
C) stirred Americans to acknowledge their disloyalty to the British king.
D) called on the British people to overthrow the monarch.
E) led to Paine's arrest.

Answer 3

stirred Americans to acknowledge their disloyalty to the British king.

Question 4

Perhaps the most important single action of the Second Continental Congress was to

A) select George Washington to head the army.
B) draft new appeals to the king.
C) adopt new taxes to provide revenue.
D) adopt the Articles of Confederation.
E) organize a committee to recommend independence.

Question 5

Thomas Paine argued that all government officials

A) were corrupt.
B) should derive their authority from popular consent.
C) should be part of a "natural aristocracy."
D) should be elected.
E) should be able to impose taxes only by referendum.

Question 6

As commander of America's Revolutionary army, George Washington exhibited all of the following traits except

A) moral force.
B) courage.
C) a sense of justice.
D) a great military mind.
E) patience.

Question 7

Thomas Paine called not just for independence but for a republic where power

A) is passed down through inherited tradition.
B) is rooted in a belief in God.
C) comes from the people themselves.
D) is equally distributed among three branches of government.
E) belongs only to the educated.

Question 8

One purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to

A) warn other nations to stay out of the Revolution.
B) appeal to the Indians to join the revolutionary cause.
C) assert the superiority of American democracy.
D) explain to the rest of the world why the colonies had revolted.
E) condemn Parliament for its actions.

Question 9

When the Second Continental Congress met in 1775,

A) its members felt a strong desire for independence.
B) it cut off communications with the British government.
C) it continued to stall on the creation of a navy.
D) it was hoped that the British would redress the colonists' grievances.
E) the conservatives were largely in retreat.

Question 10

The colonists' invasion of Canada in 1775

A) was a narrowly missed success.
B) was of little strategic value for the colonists.
C) was eagerly welcomed by French-Canadian leaders.
D) resulted in the capture of both Montreal and Quebec.
E) caused many Americans to question the army's competence.

Question 11

The Revolutionary War began in 1775-1776 with fighting in ____; then in 1777-1778 the fighting was concentrated in ____; and most of the fighting concluded in ____ in 1779-1781.

A) the South, the middle colonies, New England
B) the middle colonies, New England, the South
C) New England, the South, the middle colonies
D) New England, the middle colonies, the South
E) the middle colonies, the South, New England

Question 12

Arrange the following events in chronological order: (A) fighting at Lexington and Concord, (B) convening of the Second Continental Congress, (C) publication of Common Sense, (D) adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

A) B, C, A, D
B) A, B, C, D
C) A, C, D, B
D) C, D, A, B
E) A, B, D, C

Question 13

The Americans invaded Canada in 1775 primarily because

A) it was the best strategic move to outflank the British army.
B) the Canadians had appealed for their assistance.
C) Benedict Arnold tricked them into a dead-end venture.
D) a successful attack would deprive Britain of its Indian allies.
E) it would add a fourteenth colony and deprive the British of a valuable base.

Question 14

Examples of colonial experience with self-governance that prepared Americans to create a republic included all of the following except

A) New England town meetings.
B) committees of correspondence.
C) the absence of a hereditary aristocracy.
D) the relative equality of landowning farmers.
E) militia service.

Question 15

The key resolution that "These United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states...." was introduced into the Second Continental Congress by delegate

A) Patrick Henry.
B) Thomas Jefferson.
C) Richard Henry Lee.
D) Thomas Paine.
E) John Adams.

Question 16

The feasibility of representative government in the American colonies had been demonstrated by the

A) Minute Men militia movement.
B) Boston Tea Party.
C) Declaration of Independence.
D) Committees of Correspondence.
E) French and Indian War.

Question 17

George Washington's selection to lead the colonial army was

A) based on recognition of his personal character.
B) more for political reasons than for his leadership.
C) based solely on military experience.
D) opposed by New Englanders.
E) done with no misgivings.

Question 18

With the American invasion of Canada in 1775,

A) the French Canadians took the opportunity to revolt against British control.
B) Benedict Arnold seized the occasion to betray his army to the British.
C) the colonials' claim that they were merely fighting defensively for a redress of grievances was contradicted.
D) the Revolution became a world war.
E) the St.Lawrence River valley became a key military objective.

Question 19

The colonists delayed declaring their independence until July 4, 1776, for all of the following reasons except

A) lack of military victories.
B) support for the tradition of loyalty to the empire.
C) the realization that the colonies were not united.
D) fear of harsh British reprisals against rebels.
E) a continued belief that America was part of the transatlantic British community.

Question 20

King George III officially declared the colonies in rebellion just after

A) the armed clash at Lexington and Concord.
B) the First Continental Congress convened.
C) the Battle of Bunker Hill.
D) Benedict Arnold's forces captured Ticonderoga and Crown Point.
E) hiring Hessian solders to fight in America.

Question 21

Most Americans considered which of the following to be most fundamental for any successful republican government?

A) free public education
B) the guarantee of individual property rights
C) the right to vote for all adult white males
D) a written constitution with a bill of rights
E) the virtue of the citizens

Question 22

The passage of Lee's resolution of independence on July 2, 1776, occurred after

A) Thomas Jefferson's eloquent arguments on its behalf.
B) it appeared that the British army might squash the revolt.
C) George Washington's first military victories in New York.
D) Benjamin Franklin negotiated an alliance with France.
E) a month of extensive debate.

Question 23

Loyalists were least numerous in

A) New York.
B) Pennsylvania.
C) Virginia.
D) the Carolinas.
E) New England.

Question 24

Arrange these battles in chronological order: (A) Trenton, (B) Saratoga, (C) Long Island, (D) Charleston.

A) B, C, A, D
B) C, A, B, D
C) C, B, A, D
D) C, B, D, A
E) A, B, C, D

Question 25

Americans who opposed independence for the colonies were labeled ____ or ____, while the independence-seeking Patriots were also known as ____.

A) Tories, Whigs, Loyalists
B) Loyalists, Tories, Whigs
C) Whigs, Tories, Loyalists
D) Loyalists, Whigs, Tories
E) Sons of Liberty, Tories, Whigs

Question 26

After the humiliating defeat at Saratoga in 1777, the British Parliament

A) removed Lord North as prime minister.
B) rejected an American peace offer.
C) appealed to the Dutch for mediation.
D) offered the Americans home rule within the British empire.
E) took control of the war effort away from King George III.

Question 27

The Declaration of Independence did all of the following except

A) invoke the natural rights of humankind to justify revolt.
B) provide a long list of allegedly tyrannical actions by King George III.
C) explain the reasons for revolt to "a candid world."
D) blame the British Parliament and public for oppressing Americans.
E) charge the king with inciting Indian hostility.

Question 28

General William Howe did not pursue and defeat George Washington's army after the Battle of Long Island for all of the following reasons except

A) he remembered the slaughter of Bunker Hill.
B) the country was rough.
C) supplies were slow in coming.
D) he did not relish the rigors of a winter campaign.
E) he lacked sufficient naval support.

Question 29

The Patriot militia played a crucial role in the Revolution in all of the following ways except

A) taking up the task of "political" education.
B) as effective agents of Revolutionary ideas.
C) convincing people that the British army was an unreliable friend.
D) mercilessly harassing small British detachments.
E) defeating the British army in battle.

Question 30

Match each British officer below with the battle in which he was involved.

A) A-1, B-2, C-3
B) A-3, B-1, C-2
C) A-3, C-2, D-1
D) B-1, C-2, D-3
E) C-1, B-2, D-3

Question 31

In late 1776 and early 1777, George Washington helped restore confidence in America's military by

A) defeating the Hessians at Trenton and the British at Princeton.
B) securing the support of France for the American war effort with his victory in the Battle of Long Island.
C) convincing Baron von Steuben to professionally train his army.
D) making Alexander Hamilton his top military aide.
E) uncovering General Benedict Arnold's treasonous conspiracy.

Question 32

To assist the British, Loyalists did all of the following except

A) fight for the British.
B) serve as spies.
C) incite the Indians.
D) keep Patriot soldiers at home to protect their families.
E) organize counter-revolutionary colonial governments.

Question 33

Various Americans remained Loyalists during the Revolution for the following reasons except

A) they were directly dependent on the British government for their livelihood.
B) they were ethnic or religious minorities.
C) some were promised freedom from slavery.
D) they hoped to confiscate the revolutionaries' property.
E) they believed that independence would bring social anarchy.

Question 34

Which of the following fates befell Loyalists after the Revolutionary War?

A) Some fled to Canada or Britain.
B) Some re-established themselves in America.
C) Some had their property confiscated.
D) A few were hanged or imprisoned.
E) All of these

Question 35

The Battle of Saratoga was a key victory for the Americans because it

A) led the Dutch and Russians to recognize America's independence.
B) brought the colonists much-needed aid and a formal alliance with France.
C) opened the door to the invasion of Canada.
D) prevented Albany from being captured by the British.
E) forced the British to fight an all-out war.

Question 36

The Americans who continued to support the crown after 1776 were more likely to be all of the following except

A) well educated.
B) from among the older generation.
C) affiliated with the Anglican church.
D) from New England.
E) wealthy.

Question 37

Like many revolutions, the American Revolution was

A) a majority movement.
B) a minority movement.
C) started by forces outside the country.
D) a revolt by an oppressed class against the aristocracy.
E) essentially an international movement.

Question 38

The large majority of Loyalists

A) were tarred and feathered and then released.
B) remained in America and eventually rehabilitated themselves.
C) were subject to a reign of terror.
D) were exiled to Canada.
E) were quickly forgiven by the victorious Patriots.

Question 39

The basic military strategy the British developed to crush the Revolution in 1777 was to

A) seize the cities and impose a naval blockade on American trade.
B) conquer the Delaware Valley and then attack Virginia.
C) isolate New England by invading New York from several directions.
D) attack New England from Canada and the Carolinas from Georgia.
E) coordinate Indian attacks in the West with an invasion from Canada.

Question 40

More conservative Americans worried that a democratic republic would produce

A) constant revolutions.
B) atheistic doctrines and an attack on the churches.
C) too much equality and a lack of social order.
D) a potential military dictatorship.
E) an inadequate guarantee of individual rights.

Question 41

George Rogers Clark's frontier force

A) was large and well armed.
B) spent most of their time fighting Indians.
C) flirted with the idea of a separate western nation.
D) captured key British forts in the Ohio country.
E) depended on the French for weapons and reinforcements.

Question 42

When the alliance with France came into effect, Americans were able to

A) gain access to large sums of money.
B) double the size of their fighting forces.
C) avail themselves of French naval strength.
D) gain immense amounts of weapons and equipment.
E) all of these.

Question 43

America's first continuing military alliance was with

A) Great Britain.
B) France.
C) Spain.
D) Holland.
E) Russia.

Question 44

Britain gave America generous terms in the Treaty of Paris because British leaders

A) realized that they had been badly beaten in the war.
B) wanted to use the Americans against the Spanish.
C) were effectively tricked by John Jay and Benjamin Franklin.
D) were trying to persuade America to abandon its alliance with France.
E) feared continued war might lead to the loss of Canada.

Question 45

France did not give open assistance to America until after the victory at Saratoga because

A) it trusted General Horatio Gates more than George Washington.
B) there was no effective way to deliver weapons before that time.
C) it thought the colonists' chances of winning were very slim.
D) it was worried that American revolutionary ideas might spread to France.
E) it was hoping to regain French Canada by diplomatic bargaining.

Question 46

Most of the Iroquois nations sided with the British during the Revolutionary War because

A) the British threatened them with destruction if they did not help.
B) they believed that a British victory would restrain American expansion into the West.
C) they disliked American revolutionary rhetoric.
D) they sought revenge for American atrocities.
E) they wanted international recognition of their own independence.

Question 47

The Mohawk chief who led attacks on Americans in New York and Pennsylvania was

A) Seneca.
B) Pontiac.
C) Joseph Brant.
D) Hiawatha.
E) Tecumseh.

Question 48

After the British defeat at Yorktown,

A) the fighting actually continued for more than a year.
B) the war ended within a month.
C) the Loyalists quickly switched to the Patriot cause.
D) King George III decided to end the struggle.
E) Spain finally entered the war on the American side.

Question 49

The American military alliance with France

A) became a permanent source of strength to both countries.
B) was based on shared revolutionary ideals.
C) forced Britain into a worldwide struggle for its life.
D) contained provisions that permitted either party to escape the commitment.
E) was less important to American success than the popular militia.

Question 50

The "Fighting Quaker" American general who eventually drove the British from most of Georgia and South Carolina was

A) Charles Cornwallis.
B) Benedict Arnold.
C) Horatio Gates.
D) George Rogers Clark.
E) Nathanael Greene.

Question 51

Match each individual below with the correct descriptive phrase.

A) A-4, B-3, C-l, D-2
B) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
C) A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1
D) A-1, B-4, C-3, D-4
E) A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1

Question 52

The British forts in the wild Illinois country were

A) scattered and vulnerable to attack.
B) well defended by battle-hardened Redcoats.
C) under frequent attack by Indians allied with the Americans.
D) well positioned to defend the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys.
E) the launching pads for Iroquois attacks on Pennsylvania.

Question 53

American diplomats to the peace negotiations in Paris in 1782-1783 were instructed by the Second Continental Congress to

A) accept any British offer that would bring an end to hostilities without compromising American independence.
B) demand British cession of the trans-Allegheny West to the United States.
C) insist on American access to British markets.
D) consult with the United States' French allies and make no separate peace with the British.
E) play the Spanish off against the British and French.

Question 54

The American morale boost from the arrival of French troops was undermined when

A) America realized that France was acting out of self-interest rather than idealism.
B) General Benedict Arnold turned traitor and tried to hand over West Point to the British.
C) General Nathanael Greene lost Georgia to the British.
D) the French soldiers proved to be an unreliable fighting force.
E) General Lafayette refused any longer to command American troops.

Question 55

French aid to the colonies

A) provided troops and naval support as well as money.
B) forced the British to retreat from Philadelphia to New York City.
C) forced the British to change their military strategy in America.
D) ended the British blockade of America's coasts.
E) all of these.

Question 56

France's essential motive for aiding the American Revolution was

A) its belief in the cause of democracy and human rights.
B) its hope of gaining access to American trade and investment.
C) its desire for revenge against Britain.
D) its hope of recovering its empire in North America.
E) all of these.

Question 57

The most important contribution of the U.S.navy and the American privateers during the Revolutionary War was

A) successfully running the British blockade with supplies.
B) conducting raids on the British West Indies.
C) capturing hundreds of British merchant ships.
D) fighting the British navy to a standstill.
E) providing assistance to the French navy at Yorktown.

Question 58

The Armed Neutrality League was started by

A) Louis XIV of France.
B) Charles VIII of Spain.
C) Catherine the Great of Russia.
D) William IV of the Netherlands.
E) George III of Britain.

Question 59

Benjamin Franklin shocked French aristocratic diplomats but charmed ordinary Parisians with

A) his strong English accent.
B) his folk dancing talents.
C) his tireless advertising of his inventions.
D) his homespun clothing and simple cap of marten fur.
E) his affairs with French mistresses.

Question 60

The colonists suffered their heaviest losses of the Revolutionary War at the Battle of

A) Charleston.
B) Cowpens.
C) Valley Forge.
D) Long Island.
E) Brandywine Creek.

Question 61

Even before they threw off the monarchy, Americans had experience with republican principles

A) in the New York patroonships.
B) in New England town meetings.
C) in the committees of correspondence.
D) on the frontier.
E) from their school textbooks on republican Rome.

Question 62

Provisions of the Treaty of Paris in 1783 included

A) British recognition of American independence.
B) establishment of the boundaries of the new United States from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River between the Great Lakes and Spanish Florida.
C) British collection of prewar American debts.
D) an end to American persecution of the Loyalists.
E) that Loyalists should have their confiscated property restored.

Question 63

List the three most important battles of the Revolutionary War.Justify your selections.

Question 64

Regarding the provisions of the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the Revolution,

A) America faithfully adhered to each one.
B) France was pleased with the results.
C) America broke the assurances regarding treatment of the Loyalists.
D) Spain gained all it wanted.
E) the United States did not gain all that it hoped to.

Question 65

Why was there such a widespread and enthusiastic colonial reception of Thomas Paine's radical pamphlet Common Sense? Which was more important: Paine's advocacy of independence or of creating a republic?

Question 66

Colonists had quarreled with Parliament and protested its actions since 1763 while continually professing loyalty to the king.Why, then, did the Declaration of Independence single out King George III as the tyrant threatening their liberties and barely mention Parliament at all?

Question 67

What was the essential cause of the American victory in the War for Independence? Did the Americans (and French) really win the war on the battlefield, or was it more the loss of British political will that led to independence?

Question 68

The British decided to negotiate an end to the Revolutionary War because

A) they were demoralized by their defeat at Yorktown.
B) there were indications that the Americans might settle for peace terms short of complete independence.
C) they were suffering heavy military losses against the French and Spanish elsewhere.
D) a new, more pro-American ministry came to power.
E) their military strength in America had been completely crushed.

Question 69

When the Second Continental Congress convened,

A) delegates attended from all thirteen colonies.
B) there was strong sentiment for declaring independence from Britain.
C) it adopted measures to raise money and create an army and navy.
D) it sent new written appeals to the king and the British people.
E) the conservatives remained a strong force.

Question 70

In what ways should the American Revolution be considered a civil war among Americans as well as a war for independence? Why are the Loyalists so often forgotten in American history?

Question 71

During the Revolutionary War, the British captured and occupied

A) New York City.
B) Charleston.
C) Philadelphia.
D) Boston.
E) Albany

Question 72

Yorktown was as much a French as an American victory because

A) The French general Rochambeau had overall command of both the American and French armies.
B) the French supplied all the sea power.
C) French troops made up half the besieging army.
D) the French forces suffered more casualties than the Americans.
E) Washington borrowed the strategic battle plan from the French.

Question 73

Many historians argue that without French aid the colonies could never have won their independence.Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Question 74

New York was chosen as the base of British operations against the American revolutionaries because

A) of its splendid seaport.
B) of its central location.
C) it was a stronghold of Loyalist support.
D) New York City was the largest city in the colonies.
E) it provided a good starting point for attacking New England.

Question 75

Thomas Jefferson and many of the other founding fathers were slave owners.Why, then, did Jefferson state in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal"?

Question 76

How did the conduct of the American War for Independence reflect the ideals for which the Revolution was fought? Were there any American actions that challenged or contradicted those ideals?

Question 77

George Washington was chosen commander of the colonial armies because he

A) was widely recognized as a brilliant military theorist.
B) had been a successful militia commander in the recent French and Indian war.
C) was a southerner who would balance New England's influence.
D) was a colonial aristocrat.
E) possessed great character and personal virtue.

Question 78

The Revolutionary War began in spring 1775.Why did colonists all insist until early 1776 that they were only fighting for their "rights of Englishmen," not for independence?

Question 79

What qualities made George Washington a good choice to command the revolutionary army? Which contributed more to American victory: his military ability, his political skill, or his personal character?