The English Colonies

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Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Why did the population of Jamestown plummet between 1609 and the spring of 1610?

a.	The Algonquian Indians attacked and burned down much of the colony.
b.	The London Company closed the settlement because it wasn’t making a profit.
c.	A combination of famine, disease, and a harsh winter killed many in the colony.
d.	Infertile soil caused many settlers to seek better farmland in the middle colonies.

How did the Powhatan Confederacy help the Jamestown colonists?

a.	The Powhatan taught the colonists how to grow North American crops such as corn.
b.	The Powhatan worked as indentured servants on plantations and farms.
c.	The Powhatan introduced a rare kind of tobacco that became popular in England.
d.	The Powhatan showed the colonists how to build better housing with adobe.

What brought the Powhatan Confederacy to an end?

a.	A Virginia colonist killed a Powhatan leader.
b.	Englishman John Rolfe married Pocahontas, a Powhatan leader’s daughter.
c.	Nathaniel Bacon led angry colonists in burning American Indian villages.
d.	The English Crown canceled the London Company’s charter.

How did the London Company’s “headright system” work?

a.	It attracted farmers, carpenters, and hunters to Virginia by paying their way and guaranteeing them work.
b.	It motivated colonists to stay in Virginia by promising 50 acres of land to anyone who devoted ten years to plantation work.
c.	It invited colonists to bring servants and relatives to Virginia by discounting fares for every additional person brought from England.
d.	It encouraged colonists to move to Virginia by giving 50 acres of land per person to individuals and groups who paid their own way.

Why did many English Catholics come to America in the 1600s?

a.	to escape a kingdom that did not allow them to worship freely
b.	to protest England’s separation from the Roman Catholic Church
c.	to provide assistance to Catholic countries such as France and Spain
d.	to found a proprietary colony in a southern region of the New World

Who proposed the Toleration Act of 1649, and why?

a.	the British, to restore order in Massachusetts after the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party
b.	Nathaniel Bacon, to prevent Jamestown’s indentured servants from rebelling against the Algonquian Indians
c.	the Puritans, to allow men to vote in their colonies even if they did not belong to God’s “elect”
d.	Lord Baltimore, to outlaw the restriction of the religious rights of Christians in Maryland

Why was the Toleration Act of 1649 significant to America’s development?

a.	It stopped all conflicts between Catholics and Protestants and united them as American patriots.
b.	It symbolized the American value of protecting the freedom of individuals and minority groups.
c.	It provided an example of how a representative democracy can pass laws in a fair and just manner.
d.	It proved that conflicts over beliefs about God can be solved once-and-for-all by human beings.

Which was a factor in Virginia colonists’ decision to use slave labor?

a.	They could purchase more land if they put more slaves to work.
b.	There were not enough indentured servants to meet the high demand for workers.
c.	There had not been a significant slave rebellion in the northern colonies.
d.	The cost of purchasing slaves had fallen dramatically.

Which statement is true of the Southern colonies in the late 1600s?

a.	There were many large plantations and some small farms.
b.	African servants lived separately from white indentured servants.
c.	Skilled craftspeople were essential to the economy.
d.	The important cash crops were tobacco, rice, and indigo.

10.

Which colonies had the strictest slave codes?

a.	The colonies with the largest farming areas.
b.	The colonies with the most slaves.
c.	The colonies that had freed the most slaves.
d.	The colonies that had experienced rebellions.

11.

Which of the following statements fails to explain why the Pilgrims migrated to America?

a.	They tried to reform the Church of England because they thought bishops and priests had too much power over members.
b.	They wanted to escape from religious tension in England, which remained high after the Protestant Reformation.
c.	Some of them had tried to separate from the Church of England and feared punishment by English leaders.
d.	Some of them developed a new form of Protestantism and dreamed of founding a Church of New England.

12.

The Mayflower Compact could best be described as

a.	a detailed list of reasons why the Pilgrims left England for the United States.
b.	a trade contract between Great Britain and merchants in the Virginia colony.
c.	an early attempt at self-government in the English colonies.
d.	a basic agreement requiring colonists to obey Virginia law.

13.

What effect did the Mayflower Compact have on the development of constitutional democracy in America?

a.	It rested the authority of governments on covenants, or sacred agreements.
b.	It called for a separation of church from government.
c.	It allowed men who were not church members to vote.
d.	It stated that government must protect the religious rights of a small minority.

14.

What have some historians called minister Thomas Hooker?

a.	“the father of American democracy”
b.	“a member of God’s ‘elect’”
c.	“the fundamental leader of Connecticut”
d.	“the best in the ‘Society of Friends’”

15.

Anne Hutchinson believed that people could have a relationship with God without guidance from ministers. Why did that belief anger Puritan church leaders?

a.	Her idea challenged their views on religious toleration.
b.	Her idea posed a threat to their authority in the community.
c.	They didn’t believe that women should serve as ministers.
d.	They were certain she was a witch who should be put on trial.

16.

Which quotation best expresses the point of view of a New England colonist on education?

a.	“All children need to learn to read, write, and do arithmetic.”
b.	“Only a literate community can keep a record of its successes and failures for the benefit of future generations.”
c.	“Trade is important to our community, which means people have to be able to make simple calculations.”
d.	“All children need to be able to read the Bible.”

17.

Compared with the South, what disadvantage did New England farmers face?

a.	Regional farms did not support many cash crops.
b.	Few slaves were available to work the rich soil.
c.	Demand for farm labor could not be met by supply.
d.	Rules prevented raising animals for individual use.

18.

Which group did not participate in New England’s early economy?

a.	merchants	c.	manufacturers
b.	shipbuilders	d.	fishermen

19.

New England had plenty of forests. How does this fact connect to the economic importance of shipbuilding to the region?

a.	The supply of wood enabled shipbuilders to construct vessels to meet the demands of various traders.
b.	The protection offered by forests along the coast encouraged colonists to build a naval fleet to fight the British.
c.	Bundles of logs called “pick-up-sticks” were shipped cheaply to England and other colonies for a high fee.
d.	Shipbuilders sold the forests for a large sum to a joint stock company owned by a British paper manufacturer.

20.

How were the middle colonies different from the northern and southern colonies?

a.	There were Jews in the middle colonies.
b.	Most colonists there were fur traders.
c.	Generous land grants and religious tolerance brought people to the middle colonies.
d.	Most colonists there suffered religious persecution.

21.

What one thing made the middle colonies different from both northern and southern colonies?

a.	staple crops	c.	slave labor
b.	livestock	d.	indentured servants

22.

What contribution did slaves make to the economy of the middle colonies?

a.	They planted and harvested cash crops in the rocky soil.
b.	They worked in cities at skilled crafts such as blacksmithing and carpentry.
c.	They helped women run clothing and grocery shops.
d.	They earned money for their owners by selling products such as butter.

23.

The staple crops that supported the middle colonists included

a.	corn, tomatoes, and tobacco.	c.	wheat, oats, and barley.
b.	corn, indigo, and tobacco.	d.	wheat, rice, and barley.

24.

In large part, who filled the growing labor needs of the economy of the middle colonies?

a.	indentured servants	c.	apprentices
b.	slaves	d.	skilled craftsmen

25.

How did trade support the economy of the middle colonies?

a.	Merchants in Philadelphia and New York City exported wheat to foreign markets.
b.	Merchants sold dried corn and corn meal grown in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
c.	Merchants imported large quantities of molasses from Britain and the West Indies.
d.	Merchants traded indigo from Pennsylvania for barley and oats from the South.

26.

What was the objective of the English Bill of Rights?

a.	to limit the power of the English Parliament
b.	to reduce the power of the English Monarch
c.	to end the taxation of colonies without their consent
d.	to require colonists to trade only with England

27.

The political ideas of which event shaped the English Bill of Rights?

a.	the French and Indian War	c.	the Glorious Revolution
b.	the Enlightenment	d.	the Great Awakening

28.

What was the significance of the English Bill of Rights?

a.	It led to the bloodless overthrow of James II.
b.	It influenced the writers of the U.S. Constitution.
c.	It emphasized the authority of the English monarchs.
d.	It resulted in the Committees of Correspondence.

29.

In European nations, the practice of carefully controlling trade to create and maintain wealth was called

a.	mercantilism.	c.	capitalism.
b.	brokering.	d.	profiteering.

30.

What was the purpose of the series of Navigation Acts passed by Parliament between 1650 and 1696?

a.	to require colonists to do their trading only with England
b.	to establish duties, or taxes, on items exported to the colonies
c.	to benefit the colonists by promoting a spirit of free trade
d.	to give England freedom to buy and sell goods in any market

31.

From the late 1600s to the early 1700s, colonists did all of the following to undermine British restrictions on trade, except

a.	complain to representatives of the Crown.
b.	smuggle sugar, molasses, and rum into the colonies.
c.	trade with plantation owners in the West Indies.
d.	charge taxes on goods exported to England.

32.

What was the Great Awakening?

a.	a movement of thinkers who believed in the idea that reason and logic could improve social and political life
b.	the migration of thousands of English people to the New England colonies and the Caribbean islands
c.	the series of witchcraft trials in which groups of young girls accused church ministers of casting spells
d.	a religious movement that swept through the colonies and changed colonial religion, society, and politics

33.

What effect did the ideas of the Great Awakening have on political life in the colonies during the 1730s?

a.	Jonathan Edwards’ sermons persuaded colonists to petition the royal governor, which led to the abolition of tariffs.
b.	Sermons on spiritual equality led colonists to ask for political equality, which set the stage for the American Revolution.
c.	Spiritual leaders argued that a social contract, or covenant, tied colonists to the British Crown in the eyes of God.
d.	George Whitefield preached against slavery, which soon caused slave uprisings against colonists in the South.

34.

What was the social impact of the Great Awakening?

a.	It unified various groups of Americans who shared evangelical beliefs.
b.	It led ministers to condemn non-believers and non-established religions to hell.
c.	It deepened misunderstandings between American Indians, slaves, and white settlers.
d.	It strengthened the cultural authority of the upper-class colonists.

35.

In 1753, who fought the British over settlements in the Ohio River Valley?

a.	the Spanish	c.	American Indians
b.	the French	d.	Canadians

36.

What event marked the start of the French and Indian War?

a.	George Washington surrendered to the French.
b.	The Seven Years’ War broke out in Europe.
c.	George Washington attacked the British in Quebec.
d.	Great Britain and France signed the Treaty of Paris.

37.

How did the French and Indian War change the map of North America?

a.	The French gained all lands east of the Mississippi River.
b.	Britain received Florida from Spain.
c.	Spain received Louisiana from France.
d.	Canada gained all lands north of the Appalachian Mountains.

38.

In 1764, Parliament passed the Sugar Act in response to Prime Minister George Grenville’s request to tax the colonists. Why did the British prime minister make that request?

a.	to replace British goods that had rotted because of a boycott
b.	to pay the costs of the Seven Years’ War
c.	to replace British ships that had been damaged by smugglers
d.	to pay the costs of the French and Indian War

39.

Colonists who were upset by Parliament’s effort to tax them might have made all of the following remarks, except which?

a.	“Just say ‘no’ to British goods!”
b.	“No one asked us if we wanted to be taxed!”
c.	“End the boycotts now!”
d.	“No Taxation without Representation!”

40.

Why was the Stamp Act of 1765 particularly upsetting to the colonists?

a.	It was the first time Parliament had tried to tax colonists directly.
b.	It was the first attempt by Parliament to tax exports, not just imports.
c.	To enforce it, Britain’s standing army used violence to frighten taxpayers.
d.	To enforce it, Britain placed its own judges on the benches of colonial courts.

41.

What event directly sparked the Boston Massacre?

a.	A crowd of sailors dared British troops to shoot at them.
b.	A British soldier standing guard hit a colonist during an argument.
c.	An African-American sailor shot and wounded a British soldier.
d.	Colonists spread negative propaganda about British troops.

42.

What was the significance of the Boston Tea Party?

a.	It showed how easily colonists could tell cheap tea from expensive tea.
b.	It showed how much colonists cared for tea in relation to other imports.
c.	It showed how unhappy colonists were with new British laws.
d.	It showed how angry colonists were even before the Boston Massacre.

43.

Why did Parliament repeal almost all of the Townshend Acts?

a.	It wanted to reduce tension in the colonies.
b.	It could make the same money on taxing tea as it could on almost all other goods.
c.	It wanted to give colonists a sense of independence.
d.	It could make more money paying to catch smugglers than paying to collect taxes.

44.

What word best describes the response of Britain’s Lord North to news of the Boston Tea Party?

a.	relieved	c.	disturbed
b.	impartial	d.	furious

45.

What did colonists call the Coercive Acts, passed by Parliament in spring of 1774?

a.	“the Intolerable Acts”	c.	“Acts of Cruelty”
b.	“the Tariff of Abominations”	d.	“Lord North’s Revenge”

46.

Massachusetts was punished for the Boston Tea Party in the following ways except which one?

a.	Its charter was canceled.
b.	Boston Harbor was closed.
c.	The governor had to approve when the legislature could meet.
d.	Bostonians had to search for and recover the discarded tea.