Question 1

Why was the French alliance beneficial to the Americans?

Accepted Answer

A)   The alliance widened the war, making it impossible for the British to concentrate solely on the American mainland.
B)   French military officers began the process of retraining soldiers in the Continental Army to fight military engagements in the European style.
C)   French influence was essential in negotiating Dutch loans for the United States.
D)   The alliance led Russia and Spain to negotiate treaties of alliance with the United States. A

Question 2

Which of these statements is most consistent with the sentiments expressed in Common Sense?

Accepted Answer

A)   Our disagreements with Parliament concern minor constitutional points; therefore, Americans should compromise and seek reconciliation with the mother country.
B)   These American colonies have had the privilege of serving a loving and enlightened king; nevertheless, independence is still the best course of action.
C)   If America declares its independence, it must erect a government much like England's in order to ensure the continuation of liberty.
D)   America's independence is inevitable, just as it is inevitable that children grow up and leave their parents. D

Question 3

What is virtue? Why did Americans believe virtue to be essential in their society after the Revolution? What efforts were made to promote virtue?

Accepted Answer

Virtue can be defined as moral excellence, goodness, or righteousness. After the American Revolution, Americans believed virtue to be essential in their society because they saw it as a way to maintain the newfound freedom and independence they had fought for. They believed that a virtuous society would be more stable, just, and prosperous.

Efforts were made to promote virtue in American society after the Revolution through various means. One of the most significant efforts was the establishment of public education, as it was believed that an educated populace would be more virtuous. Additionally, religious institutions played a key role in promoting virtue, as they emphasized moral values and ethical behavior. The government also promoted virtue through legislation and policies that encouraged civic engagement, community service, and moral conduct.

Overall, Americans believed that a virtuous society was essential for the success and well-being of their new nation, and they made concerted efforts to promote virtue through education, religion, and government initiatives.

Question 4

Which battle brought France into the war as an American ally?

Accepted Answer

A)   Battle of Trenton
B)   Battle of Bunker Hill
C)   Battle of Yorktown
D)   Battle of Saratoga

Question 5

Why did sugar producers in the British Caribbean islands decide not to join the mainland colonies in opposing Great Britain?

Accepted Answer

A)   Parliament had not imposed any taxes on its possessions in the Caribbean islands.
B)   They were afraid that joining the resistance movement would leave them unprotected in the event of a slave uprising.
C)   Quaker pacifists had far greater influence in the British Caribbean islands than in Britain's mainland colonies.
D)   Sugar producers in the British Caribbean islands had elected representatives who sat in Parliament.

Question 6

The main source of funding for the new United States in the war against Britain was

Accepted Answer

A)   a tax on each of the colonies.
B)   loans from prominent citizens.
C)   the sale of public lands.
D)   printing paper money.

Question 7

Which of the following was true of the officers of the Continental Army?

Accepted Answer

A)   There was little sense of camaraderie among them.
B)   Their primary sense of devotion was to their respective states.
C)   They developed an intense commitment to the patriot cause.
D)   Most refused to serve for more than six months.

Question 8

George Washington's primary goal as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army was to

Accepted Answer

A)   avoid decisive military losses.
B)   prevent British reinforcements from coming ashore.
C)   destroy the British army.
D)   secure financial aid from foreign sources.

Question 9

Which of the following was most likely to have been an active patriot?

Accepted Answer

A)   A city artisan
B)   An African American slave
C)   An Anglican clergyman
D)   A Pennsylvania Quaker

Question 10

Discuss the 1776 battle for New York, concentrating on the errors committed by the commanders of both sides, and explain British actions in the aftermath of the battle.

Accepted Answer

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Question 11

Analyze the threat posed by Native Americans to the revolutionary cause, and explain why that potential threat never fully materialized.

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

Which of the following is true of American soldiers and sailors held as prisoners of war by the British?

Accepted Answer

A)   Over half of them joined the British army and joined the battle against the Continental Army.
B)   Many died of disease because they received meager rations and were confined in prisons that were crowded and unsanitary.
C)   They were usually treated decently and humanely.
D)   At the end of the Revolutionary War, many of them sailed with their captors back to England.

Question 13

Where was the site of the largest defeat of British forces during the Revolutionary war?

Accepted Answer

A)   Breed's Hill
B)   Long Island
C)   Trenton
D)   White Plains

Question 14

Camp followers were usually

Accepted Answer

A)   women who worked as cooks, nurses, and launderers while traveling with the American forces.
B)   reporters who followed the American forces and issued daily news dispatches to colonial newspapers.
C)   British spies who followed and watched the activities of the American forces.
D)   people who followed the forces of either side for the purpose of watching their military engagements.

Question 15

As the Revolutionary War began, British officials attempted to persuade the interior Indian tribes to

Accepted Answer

A)   remain neutral in the British-American conflict.
B)   form a pan-Indian alliance in order to prevent further British or American encroachment on Indian lands.
C)   conduct raids against white settlements along the frontier.
D)   actively ally with the British against the American rebels.

Question 16

Which of the following statements best explains the ineffectiveness of the Native Americans in defending their interests during the Revolutionary War?

Accepted Answer

A)   They steadfastly refused to take up arms on behalf of either side.
B)   The various tribes were unwilling to set aside their differences in order to pursue a common goal.
C)   Their methods of fighting were so primitive that they were not in a position to be of much use to either side.
D)   They made the mistake of siding consistently with the British.

Question 17

In the 1776 battle for New York City,

Accepted Answer

A)   the British won, but their army was demoralized by the number of casualties suffered.
B)   Washington successfully defended New York City and demonstrated his abilities as a military tactician.
C)   Washington and his men made crucial mistakes that resulted in defeat and the British occupation of the city.
D)   Washington lost Manhattan but was able to retain control of most of New Jersey.

Question 18

When the delegates to the Second Continental Congress voted to accept the Declaration of Independence, they

Accepted Answer

A)   established a stable government for the new nation.
B)   risked their lives by committing treason.
C)   demonstrated complete confidence that America would achieve victory against Great Britain.
D)   continued to express a desire for reconciliation with England.

Question 19

Discuss the common failings of William Howe, John Burgoyne, and George Cornwallis. To what extent were their failings personal, and to what extent did they reflect general British misunderstanding about the nature of the Revolutionary War?

Accepted Answer

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Question 20

Examine the division of opinion among the American colonists at the beginning of the Revolution, and indicate the major factors that determined a person's loyalties.

Accepted Answer

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Exam 6: American Revolutions, 1775-1783