Social Studies Theme 4:
Life in the Colonies
Game Show Quiz
Multiple Choice Questions
Choose the best answer for each
question.
Q1: John Winthrop led the
A.
B.
C.
D.
Pilgrims.
Puritans.
Separatists.
dissenters.
Q2: Which of the following was not
a reason to come to the colonies?
A.
B.
C.
D.
to
to
to
to
escape tolerance
own their own land
find religious freedom
work in the fur trade
Q3: The Southern Colonies had
large plantations because of the
A.
B.
C.
D.
cold climate and rocky soil.
lack of workers.
size of the land claims.
warm climate and rich soil.
Q4: Who founded the colony
of Maryland?
A.
B.
C.
D.
William Bradford
James Oglethorpe
Lord Baltimore
John Winthrop
Q5: What is the meaning of
the word persecution?
A.
B.
C.
D.
practices
unjust treatment
prosecution
belief
Q6: What was the official
religion of the colony of Virginia?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Puritanism
Quakerism
Catholicism
Anglicanism
Q7: What was gained from
the First Great Awakening?
A. better relations between settlers
and American Indians
B. an increased interest in government
C. an increased interest in religion
D. an increased interest in moving
westward
Q8: John Smith was a leader in
A.
B.
C.
D.
Massachusetts.
Virginia.
Carolina.
Plymouth.
Q9: What did George Whitefield,
Jonathan Edwards, Gilbert Tennent, and
Samuel Davies have in common?
A. They were generals.
B. They were founders of colonies.
C. They were governors of royal
colonies.
D. They were preachers.
Q10: The town common in
New England Colonies was
A. the most important trading center.
B. where people gathered for prayer
services.
C. an open space in the center where
cattle and sheep could graze.
D. a special kind of market.
Q11: Who were the
supporters of slavery?
A.
B.
C.
D.
preachers
indentured servants
plantation owners
proprietors
Q12: What was the purpose
of the Mayflower Compact?
A. to ensure religious freedom
B. to establish a basis for a
government
C. to establish a House of Burgesses
D. to elect representatives
Q13: What caused slavery to
increase in the Southern Colonies?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Many American Indians died.
Auctions increased.
Indentured servants left.
Plantations grew.
Q14: Why did early American
settlements need governments?
A. to help solve problems and make
rules
B. to help improve relations with
England
C. to raise taxes
D. to advise the king
Q15: What is the advantage
of a free-market economy?
A. Certain products can be very
expensive.
B. The government does not control
prices.
C. There are no taxes on imported
goods.
D. People must pay cash.
Short Answer Questions
Use 1-2 complete sentences to answer
the following questions. Be sure to
include important parts of the question
in your answer!
Q1: Why do you think people in the
Middle Colonies were more tolerant of
other religions?
I think that people in the Middle
Colonies were more tolerant of other
religions because people from all over
Europe came to settle there, so
different cultures and religions
learned to live side by side.
Q2: Explain how a person, a place,
OR an event shaped development in
the colonies.
Possible answer (event): The writing
of the Mayflower Compact helped
shape development in the colonies
because it was the first basis of
government.
Q3: Identify the main religious group in
each of these colonies: Massachusetts,
Maryland, Pennsylvania.
Massachusetts: Puritans
Maryland: Catholics
Pennsylvania: Quakers
Q4: What role did towns play in the
development of a free-market economy in
the English colonies?
Towns in the English colonies played a
key role in the development of a freemarket economy because they were
busy trading centers. Farmers came to
town to sell their crops and buy
manufactured goods.
Q5: Describe the First Great
Awakening.
The First Great Awakening was a new
way to practice the Protestant religion.
It emphasized strong emotions rather
than difficult ideas.
Q6: How were the English settlers
self-sufficient in their new land?
The English settlers were selfsufficient in their new land because
they were able to take care of
themselves by growing their own food
and cutting down trees for shelter and
warmth.
Q7: What is the difference between a
proprietary colony and a royal colony?
The land in a proprietary colony is
controlled by an individual or a group
of owners, while land in a royal colony
belonged to an English monarch (king
or queen).
Q8: What is the difference between
enslaved people and indentured servants?
Enslaved people were considered
property and were bought and sold at
auctions while indentured servants
agreed to work for a set period of
time in exchange for housing, food,
and the trip to North America.
Q9: How did the First Great Awakening
affect religious tolerance?
During the First Great Awakening
people joined new religious groups,
like the Baptists and the Methodists.
Some of these new religions reached
out to African Americans.
Q10: Why were colonial
governments not true democracies?
Colonial governments were not true
democracies because only men who
owned property could vote or be
elected representatives. Also, the
British could pass some laws for the
colonies without the colonists’ consent.
Q11: Who were Roger
Williams and William Penn?
Roger Williams was a dissenter who left
Massachusetts and founded the colony
of Rhode Island. William Penn
established the colony of Pennsylvania.
Q12: Compare and contrast the land in
the Southern and New England Colonies,
and how the colonists used it.
Compare (same): The land in both the
Southern and New England colonies were
used to grow crops.
Contrast (different): The land in the
Southern Colonies was used to grow cash
crops on large soil-rich plantations. The
rocky soil land in the New England
Colonies was used to grow crops and raise
livestock usually on small family-owned
farms.
Q13: Why did shipping become so
important in the Middle Colonies?
Shipping became important in the
Middle Colonies because they had good
harbors which helped shipping grow.
Q14: What differences were there among
the French, Spanish, and English colonial
systems?
The French developed trade with
several American Indian groups, while
the Spanish focused on agriculture
and used enslaved peoples. Of the
three countries, the English had more
settlers all of whom worked either in
agriculture or in various trades.
Q15: What did enslaved people do
to rebel against their situation?
To rebel against their situation,
enslaved people worked slowly, ran
away, or bought their own freedom.
CONGRATULATIONS! You’re done.
(Practice makes perfect … If you
missed any questions please think
about taking the quiz again.)
Bibliography: Pearson Scott
Foresman, History-Social Science
for California Our Nation, Teacher
Resources Grade 5, Unit 4, 2006.