The Big Practice Test
part 1
Early America thru Founding
Chuck
Norris
says
“Kick the
SOL in
the rear”
Part I Early European
Exploration and Colonization
The phrase, "gold, God, and glory" best
describes the motivations of which of the
following groups during the Age of
Discovery?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Pilgrims
Puritans
conquistadors
Native Americans
Shortly after the initial contact with
Europeans, American Indian (First American)
populations began to decrease rapidly
because of —
a)
b)
c)
d)
warfare
famine
disease
genocide
Which letter on the map shows the first
permanent British settlement in North
America?
Which country did not have largeimmigration to new areas in the New World
and developed friendly relations with the
native people?
a)
b)
c)
d)
France
Portugal
Spain
England
One reason for conflict between the
American Indians and the Europeans was
a)
b)
c)
d)
the struggle over money.
the desire for American Indian corn.
the struggle over the concept of land.
disagreement over sailing ships.
“Our fathers had plenty of deer and skins, our plains were full
of deer, as also our woods, and of turkeys, and our coves full
of fish and fowl. But, these Englishmen having gotten our land,
they with scythes cut down the grass…and their hogs spoil our
clam banks.” – Miatonomo, 1642
Which statement BEST describes this American
Indian view of interaction with English settlers?
a) The settlers improved the land by clearing trees and
planting crops.
b) The American Indians were willing to share the land.
c) The American Indians worried about food sources
for the future.
d) The settlers used land not needed by the Indians.
A pattern of colonial commerce in which
slaves were bought on the African Gold
Coast with New England rum and then
traded in the West Indies for sugar or
molasses, which was brought back to New
England to be manufactured into rum.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Triangular Trade
Middle Passage
Rum and Slave Trade
Triangular Passage
The first successful colony in the New
World was
a)
b)
c)
d)
Roanoke
Richmond
Raleigh
Jamestown
Which date on this timeline represents the
beginning of a permanent British presence in
North America?
a)
b)
c)
d)
1565
1587
1607
1620
The first English colonies in North America
were set up in the hope of achieving
a)
b)
c)
d)
financial gain for investors.
religious freedom for settlers.
political freedom for settlers.
military supremacy for England.
According to the excerpt above, settlers to
Virginia in the early 17th century, in
contrast to New England settlers, were
motivated mainly by ______.
a) a desire to
b) a desire to
c) a desire to
follow
d) a desire to
gain profit
live free or die
set an example for the entire world to
promote religious freedom
Most individuals settling in Virginia were
a)
b)
c)
d)
relocated prisoners.
nobility seeking adventure.
seeking economic opportunities.
Christian missionaries.
To encourage settlers to come to
Jamestown, the headright system offered
them
a)
b)
c)
d)
land.
profit-sharing.
employment.
passage to Virginia.
As more and more settlers arrived in
Jamestown, relations between the settlers
and the Powhatan peoples
a)
b)
c)
d)
worsened.
improved slightly.
stayed about the same.
improved dramatically.
Which of the following turned Jamestown
into a profitable enterprise?
a)
b)
c)
d)
gold
timber
corn
tobacco
In the early years of the Virginia colony, a
field laborer was most likely to be
a)
b)
c)
d)
a slave.
a landholder.
a Powhatan.
an indentured servant or a former
indentured servant.
The first slaves introduced to the American
colonies arrived in which state in 1619?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Georgia
Kentucky
Virginia
South Carolina
What was the economy of the Southern
Colonies based upon?
a)
b)
c)
d)
lumbering
cash crops
fur trading
shipbuilding
Which of the following occurred as a result
of Virginia’s being made a royal colony?
a) Colonists had to pay taxes to the king.
b) It came under the direct control of the king.
c) Joint-stock companies became willing to invest in
the colony.
d) The king received one-fifth of the gold and silver
found there.
What was the House of Burgesses?
a)
b)
c)
d)
the U.S. House of Representatives the
Virginia colonial assembly
a Virginia family's home
the hereditary line of England's kings
Which colony was established as a place for
Catholics but welcomed all faiths?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Georgia
New Hampshire
Connecticut
Maryland
Economic and Political Life in
the Colonies; Slavery
Part II
Which group settled New England?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Puritans
Cavaliers
Dutch
Germans
“We…do…combine ourselves together into a civil body politic,
for our better ordering and preservation…[and to] frame such
just and equal laws…as shall be thought most [fitting] and
convenient for the general good of the colony, unto which we
promise all due…obedience.”
– Mayflower Compact
Which early colony does this quote
describe?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Jamestown
Plymouth
Rhode Island
Pennsylvania
Which term best describes the chart above?
a) Mercantilism
b) Navigation Acts
c) Salutary Neglect
Early European exploration and colonization
resulted in
a) cooperation between European powers for trade
with the colonies.
b) redistribution of the world’s population.
c) cooperation between France and England.
d) England’s intent to transfer power to the colonies.
In contrast to early settlers in Virginia and
many other parts of North America who
came seeking financial gain, the earliest
settlers of Massachusetts came from Britain
seeking
a)
b)
c)
d)
profitable trade
religious purity
land to farm
cleaner air
Given the religious views expressed above, John
Winthrop is most clearly a ______.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Puritan
Anglican
Separatist
Catholic
Which colony was established by dissenters
fleeing persecution from the Puritans?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Rhode Island
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Connecticut
Anne Hutchinson was banished from
Massachusetts because she taught that —
a) colonists should remain loyal to the English king.
b) individuals could interpret the Bible for themselves.
c) the colonists should not trade with local Native
Americans.
d) the Puritans should break away from the English
church.
The New England economy was heavily
dependent on
a)
b)
c)
d)
slave labor
the production of many staple crops
fishing, shipbuilding, and commerce
all of the above
Famous 1692 trials that focused on a
witchcraft conspiracy?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Salem Conspiracy Trial
Massachusetts Mojo
Salem Witch Trials
Trial of Sarah Goodey
The colony founded on principles of social
equality and religious tolerance was
a)
b)
c)
d)
New York
Plymouth
Massachusetts Bay
Pennsylvania
In which colony did the Quakers settle?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Pennsylvania
Virginia
North Carolina
Maryland
Which colonies were part of the middle
colonies?
a)
b)
c)
d)
New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut
New York, New Jersey, Virginia
Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware
Which group did NOT usually settle the
middle colonies?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Dutch
Jews
Puritans
Quakers
The economy of the middle colonies was
based primarily on small-scale farming and
a)
b)
c)
d)
trade.
cash crops.
mining.
whaling.
Which region of the colonies maintained
allegiance to the Church of England and had
closer social ties with England?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Middle colonies
Colonies in the foothills of the Appalachians
Southern colonies
New England colonies
What term describes people who agreed to
a limited term of work in exchange for
passage to North America as well as food
and shelter?
a)
b)
c)
d)
indentured servants
slavery
headright system
separatists
What cargo was carried on what is known as
the middle passage of triangular trade?
a)
b)
c)
d)
enslaved people
rum
lumber
tobacco
Which city did NOT grow as a seaport or
commercial center during the colonial
period?
a)
b)
c)
d)
New York City
Baltimore
Philadelphia
Raleigh
The Great Awakening caused some colonists
to
a)
b)
c)
d)
pay more attention to scientific method.
abandon their Puritan and Anglican congregations.
shift their loyalty from England to America.
seek spirituality through the use of reason.
The Revolutionary War
Base your answer to the following question on the passage
below and on your knowledge of social studies.
The purpose of this statement was to
a)
b)
c)
d)
Urge support for the Albany Plan of Union
Provide justification for declaring independence
Criticize the Articles of Confederation
Advocate obedience to Great Britain
Also known as Tories, these people
supported a continued relationship with
Britain.
a) Anti-Federalists
b) Libertarians
c) Native Americans
d) Loyalists
Britain gave America generous terms in
the Treaty of Paris 1783 because its
leaders
a) had changed from Whig to Tory.
b) were trying to convince America to abandon
its alliance with France.
c) wanted to help Spain, as well.
d) realized they had been beaten badly.
Which European country supported the
American colonies during the
Revolutionary War?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Spain
France
Italy
Germany
Which of the following countries signed the
Treaty of Alliance in 1778, providing
America with military support during the
Revolutionary War?
a)
b)
c)
d)
France
Germany
England
Spain
The Battle of Saratoga was a key
victory for the Americans because it
a) brought the British to offer recognition of
colonial independence.
b) brought the colonists much-needed aid and
a formal alliance with France.
c) prevented the colonial capital from being
captured by the British.
d) prevented the fighting from spreading into
the southern colonies.
The greatest contribution Benjamin
Franklin made to the colonial war
effort was his work
a)
b)
c)
d)
negotiating an alliance with France
printing and distributing copies of Common Sense
representing the colonies in the British Parliament
training colonial citizens to become respectable
soldiers in the Continental Army
During the Revolutionary War, what did
the Continental Army lack?
a)
b)
c)
d)
motivation to fight
knowledge of the land
food and ammunition
good military leadership
The British army was
defeated at Yorktown in
1781. This was the last
battle of the Revolutionary
War. Which location on the
map indicates where the
battle was fought?
a)
b)
c)
d)
I
II
III
IV
Which is NOT true about George
Washington and/or his involvement as the
leader of the Continental Army?
a) He avoided any situation that threatened
the destruction of his army.
b) His leadership kept the army together when
defeat seemed inevitable.
c) He is a colonial aristocrat from Virginia.
d) He did not ask for pay or supplies for his
army.
One major element of George Washington’s
military strategy during the American
Revolution was avoiding—
a)
b)
c)
a)
Direct confrontations
Night attacks
Important cities
Naval battles
What is the significance of the Battle of
Yorktown?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Ends
Ends
Ends
Ends
the
the
the
the
French & Indian War
American Revolution
Civil War
War of 1812
Whose forces are under siege in this
map?
a) French
b) British
c) American
#10 According to this
document, on what
day were hostilities in
America scheduled to
come to an end?
a)
b)
c)
d)
January 20th, 1783
March 20th, 1783
March 23rd, 1783
March 25th, 1783
Which of the following was NOT an
American victory in the first half
of the war?
a) Bunker Hill
b) Trenton
c) Saratoga
d) Monmouth
In the final years of the
war, the battles were
fought primarily in
a) New England.
b) the South.
c) the Middle Colonies.
d) Canada.
Which of the following
statements is
true?
a) The colonial population in
1780 was primarily urban.
b) In 1780 most colonial cities
were located near the
Atlantic coast.
c) Southern regions in 1780
were generally more
crowded than northern
regions.
d) The western frontier was
densely populated in 1780.
Following the treaty of
1783, Americas'
territory extended to
this river
a)
b)
c)
d)
Ohio River
Mississippi River
Missouri River
St. Lawrence River
Match the description in the second column with term or name in
the first column. Write the appropriate letter next to the word.
_____ 19. Molly Pitcher
a. lost Battle of Saratoga
_____ 20. Ethan Allen
b. rising prices
_____ 21. Hessians
c. colonial money
_____ 22. Gen. Horatio Gates
d. was recognized for heroic war efforts
_____ 23. inflation
_____ 24. Continentals
e. helped raise money for Continental army
f. German mercenaries who fought for British
_____ 25. Gen. John Burgoyne
g. leader of Green Mountain Boys
_____ 26. Haym Salomon
h. led colonists to victory at Saratoga
a. Trenton
b. Valley Forge
c. Saratoga
d. Philadelphia
e. New York
______ 27. This is the site of the Continental Army’s camp during the winter of
1777–1778.
______ 28. This victory for the colonists dramatically changed Britain’s war
strategy.
______ 29. British troops occupied this city in the winter of 1777–1778 while
Washington and his troops camped in the woods.
______ 30. After withdrawing from Boston in 1776, the British tried to isolate
New England by seizing this city.
______ 31. This is where, on Christmas night in 1776, George Washington led
2,400 men in rowboats across an ice-choked river.
Creating a New Nation
What was the first written form of laws for
our government called?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Declaration of Independence
The Constitution
Bill of Rights
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation called for a
a)
b)
c)
d)
weak national government
powerful national government
no national government
weak state government
The Articles of Confederation gave Congress
_________ to tax or regulate commerce
between states.
a)
b)
c)
d)
too much power
no power
some power
all power
The Constitution balanced power between
the large and small states by creating a two
house legislature. On what is state
representation for the House of
Representatives based?
a)
b)
c)
d)
land size of the state
when the state joined the union
population of the state
income of the state
The Articles of Confederation provided for
________ common currency.
a)
b)
c)
d)
no
federal
state
none of the above
The Articles of Confederation gave each
state
a)
b)
c)
d)
votes regarding to size.
votes regarding to population
one vote.
votes regarding to state size and population.
Which branch of government was permitted
in the Articles of Confederation?
a)
b)
c)
d)
executive
legislative
judicial
Supreme Court
The Constitution balanced power between
the large and small states by creating a two
house legislature. Which house has equal
representation from each state?
a) Senate
b) House of Representatives
The Constitution made ________ law the
supreme law of the land, and otherwise gave
the__________considerable leeway to
govern themselves.
a)
b)
c)
d)
state, government
democratic, people
federal, states
no, citizens
The Constitution placated the Southern
states by counting slaves as___________of
the population when determining
representation in the ____________ .
a)
b)
c)
d)
1/5, Senate
3/5, House of Representatives
3/4, Senate
4/5, House of Representatives
The Constitution avoided a too powerful
central government by establishing three
co-equal branches. Which of the following
is NOT correct?
a) The executive branch enforces the laws.
b) The legislative branch creates the laws.
c) The judicial branch interprets the laws to make
sure they are constitutional.
d) The executive branch is made up of the Senate
and House of Representatives.
Each branch is overseen by the other two
branches -what term is used for this
method of making sure one branch does not
dominate?
a)
b)
c)
d)
checks and balances
power to oversee
domination
patronage
Who was the chairman of the Constitutional
Convention?
a)
b)
c)
d)
John Hancock
Benjamin Franklin
George Washington
James Madison
Who is known as "the Father of the
Constitution" because of his many debates
and well-scripted notes of the meetings?
a)
b)
c)
d)
George Washington
John Jay
Alexander Hamilton
James Madison
What plan did Madison propose at the
Convention?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Richmond Plan
New Jersey Plan
Virginia Plan
New York Plan
Who authored much of the Bill of Rights?
a)
b)
c)
d)
James Madison
Alexander Hamilton
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
Who proposed a federal government with
three separate branches, which became the
foundation for our government today?
a)
b)
c)
d)
James Madison
Alexander Hamilton
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
Which group favored a strong central
government that shared the power with the
states?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Anti-federalists
Federalists
Both Anti-federalists and Federalists
Neither Anti-federalists or Federalists
Which group believed a strong central
government was necessary to facilitate
interstate commerce, manage foreign trade,
and national defense?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Anti-federalists
Federalists
Both Anti-federalists and Federalists
Neither Anti-federalists or Federalists
Which group believed a national Bill of
Rights is necessary?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Anti-federalists
Federalists
Both Anti-federalists and Federalists
Neither Anti-federalists or Federalists