Declaration of Independence test

Name: _______________________________________________________ Date: _____________________ Period: ___________


Chapter 4 Test: Enlightenment and Declaration of Independence
Please highlight what the question is asking you! This is worth points!
1) The economy of the New England colonies depended strongly on… (Level 1)
       A) agriculture                                                    
       B) mining
       C) the sea                                                           
       D) a warm climate


2)  The Southern Colonies were known for their (Level 1)
        A) fertile land                                                   
        B) industry and trade
        C) ports and shipbuilding                                                          
        D) rocky terrain

Use the following chart to answer question 3.
http://assess.k12.mhedu.com/Instructor/GetCogneroMedia.ashx?id=59%3A%251F%2501X%250C%250C%2504%2540du%255D%255B

3)  Why was the colony of Georgia established? (level 2)
         A) to provide religious freedom
         B) as a military defense for the other colonies
         C) as a source of profits for British trading companies
         D) to honor King George III on his fiftieth birthday


4) What is a boycott? (Level 1)
       A) a loud protest with people marching and carrying signs
       B) a tax on goods being brought into the country
       C) the act of moving goods into or out of the country illegally
       D) an organized movement to refuse to buy something




5) Who did the colonists have grievances against during the time leading up to the Revolutionary War?  (level 1)

       A) The tea people
       B) King George III & the British Parliament
       C) King James & the British Legislatures
       D) The British Soldiers



Use the document below to answer questions 6and 7.
http://assess.k12.mhedu.com/Instructor/GetCogneroMedia.ashx?id=21%3AL%2514%250B%2509K%2507QB%250Dm%251F

6) How does paragraph 30 of the Magna Carta protect citizens (freemen) from abuse by the government? (level 2)

        A) It creates courts with justices and juries to decide trials.
        B) It establishes the rule of law, and appoints sheriffs to enforce it.
        C) It requires people to live peacefully according to the laws of the church.
        D) It prevents the government from taking people’s property.


7) The purpose of this document is to (level 2)
       A) limit the power of the king.
       B) limit the rights of free men.
       C) prevent free men from ever being imprisoned.
       D) proclaim the power of the English Church.
8) What was the result of the second Continental Congress? (level 2)
        A)  boycotting British goods
        B) requesting rights of English citizens
       C) the Boston Tea Party
       D) the writing of the Declaration of Independence


Use the document below to answer questions 9-12.

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. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…

The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations (taking away of rights), all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted…

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences…

That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance (loyalty) to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved;

9) What document is the excerpt above taken from? (Level 1)

      A) the Constitution
      B) the Mayflower Compact
      C) Common Sense
      D) the Declaration of Independence

10) All of the following are grievances of the American colonists EXCEPT (Level 2)

      A) interfering with colonial trade.
      B) denying them freedom of religion.
      C) denying colonists the right to trial by jury.
      D) taking colonists to Britain to stand trial.

11) According to the excerpt above, how did the colonists decide to resolve their grievances with Great Britain? (level 2)

      A) to dissolve all political connections with Great Britain
      B) to end trade with Great Britain
      C) to maintain their allegiance to Great Britain
      D) to take no action

12) According to this excerpt how does the source of natural rights compare to the source of government power?(level 3)

      A) Natural rights come from the government; government power comes from the people.
      B) Natural rights come from God; government power comes from the people.
      C) Natural rights come from the government; government power comes from God.
      D) Natural rights come from God; government power comes from God.


13) Which idea from the Enlightenment inspired the Second Continental Congress to seek independence from Great Britain? (level 3)

A) the Social Contract
B) Freedom of Speech
C) the Rule of Law
D) Separation of Power


14) What was the British government’s reaction to the “Boston Tea Party”? (Level 2)
       A) Parliament repealed (removed) the tax on tea.
       B) Parliament passed a series of harsh laws to punish the colonists.
       C) Parliament ignored the colonists’ actions.
       D) Parliament outlawed the sale of tea in the colonies.  


15) Why did many colonists believe that British policies in the mid-1700’s were unfair? (Level 2)
       A) The colonists believed Parliament was trying to create conflict among colonists.
       B) The colonists believed Parliament used the policies to favor some colonies over others.
       C) The colonists viewed the policies as limiting their ability to travel as they wished.
       D) The colonists viewed the policies as a violation of their rights as English citizens.


16) Which three of the following are “Natural Rights” described by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence? (level 2)

Life                              Pursuit of Happiness                        Career
Property                     Tea                                          Health
Liberty                        Independence                        Dreams

______________, ________________, and ____________________.

Short Answer: Remember that a complete answer is one with the question re-worded into the answer!  

17) Explain the concept of Unalienable Rights (natural rights). Use complete sentences: (level 2)







18) Describe at least one differences in each column between a Patriot and a Loyalist in the American colonies?

You may NOT use the words patriot, patriotism, loyal, loyalty, or any other word that contains either loyal or patriot in your answer. (level 2)

 Patriot                                       I                               Loyalist
                                                    I
                                                    I
                                                    I

19) Explain how the location and geography of the Middle Colonies helped turn cities like Philadelphia and New York into large centers of business and trade. Think about the Economy section in your brochure. Write your answer in complete sentences.  (Level 3)





BONUS:   Which of the following documents was influential in persuading the colonists to support independence? (Level 1)

      A) the Constitution
      B) the Articles of Confederation
      C.)Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
      D) the Federalist Papers

Long Answers: Pick one of the following two options below. Answer the following question to the best of your ability. Please provide specific examples and show that you understand the material through your answer. Please answer this on the separate sheet of paper that you took out.(all are level 3)

Option 1: Natural Rights (unalienable rights)
Please explain how natural rights (unalienable rights) connects with the colonists' complaints before they broke away from Great Britain and how they used that to guide the newly developed government. You need to compare and contrast the complaints the colonists about their natural rights before they broke away to the rights that they now hold in the Declaration of Independence. Make sure you use examples.

Option 2:

Pretend you are a colonist at the time: Design a letter to the king showing why you think he is being unfair. Please give examples of why the King and Parliament are making you upset. make sure that they know your reasoning’s. Don't forget to sign off at the end as if you really are a colonist at the time.

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