Econ 1740
VERSION A - MARK ON YOUR SCANTRON ANSWER SHEET
Fall, 2002
Dr. Alston
Quiz #3, Walton and Rockoff, Chapters 5 & 6
1.
According to a 1964 speech by George R. Taylor, the economic growth rate in the colonies
a. was essentially zero for most of the 18th century.
b. was large enough to allow for a doubling of incomes every decade.
c. implies that income almost doubled between 1710 and 1775.
d. can never be accurately estimated due to insufficient data.
2.
During the colonial period, the United States relied on “privateers.” Which of the following most
accurately describes privateers?
a. Privateers were also known as pirates.
b. Privateers were private citizens who owned ships that attacked vessels from other nations.
c. Privateers were groups of convicts who stole from American sailing vessels.
d. Privateers were a formal group part of the American Navy.
3.
On the eve of the Revolution, the quality of life in the colonies
a. was comparable to that of Third-World countries today.
b. compared favorably with that of other countries during the same period.
c. had reached a level that would not be achieved again until the late 19th century.
d. was declining.
4.
What was the most immediate impact of introducing the horse to the plains Indians?
a. a large increase in the size of hunting groups
b. less intensive and less efficient use of animal carcasses
c. an increase in the amount of agricultural work the Indians did
d. more time was spent in fixed locations
5.
What best describes the economic standing of the colonies on the eve of the Revolution?
a. The colonies were one of the richest nations in the world and had little income inequality because
of the many opportunities that existed.
b. The colonies were in the middle of nations in terms of per capita income and had little income
inequality.
c. The colonies were one of the richest nations in the world and had a significant amount of income
inequality.
d. The colonies were in the middle of nations in terms of per capita income
and had a significant amount of income inequality.
6. Which of the following statements best describes pre-1763 British colonial policy?
a. Britain taxed the colonies extensively, making the colonists pay a substantial portion of the costs
of protection.
b. Britain vetoed most of the laws passed in the colonies.
c. Britain loosely enforced most of the policies directed at the colonies.
d. Britain passed many revenue-generating laws during this period, such as the Stamp Act and the
Townsend Duties.
7.
Which of the following provisions was not a component of the Intolerable Acts?
a. Permitted British officials charged with crimes to be tried in Britain.
b. Raised taxes in Boston to pay for the tea destroyed during the Boston Tea Party.
c. Provided for the quartering of troops in the city of Boston.
d. Revised the charter of Massachusetts to make some rights dependent on the decisions of a
governor who was appointed by England.
8.
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 and the Quebec Act of 1774 had all of the following effects except:
a. increased the price of farm labor.
b. increased the price of farm land.
c. decreased competition for existing farmers.
d. encouraged Scotch, Irish, and German immigrants to rebel against England
9.
An economic analysis of the burdens imposed on the colonists by the Navigation Acts for commodities
that were imported from Europe via England can best be described as a shift
a. back in the demand curve and a resulting decrease in the price of the goods.
b. back in both the supply and demand curves.
c. out of the supply curve and a shift back in the demand curve.
d. back in the supply curve, which increases the price and decreases the quantity.
10. According to quantitative estimates of the burden of the Navigation Acts on the colonies, what can be
said about the (net) effect of the Acts ?
a. The Navigation Acts placed a serious economic burden on the colonies, with estimates of this
burden equalling roughly 40 percent of 1770s GNP.
b. The Navigation Acts were the critical reason why colonists revolted against the British.
c. After accounting for the protection provided by the British, there was very little economic burden
to colonists from the Navigation Acts.
d. Existing data do not allow for credible estimates of the economic burden of the Navigation Acts
on the colonies.
Answers: Quiz No. 3, Econ 1740 Fall, 2002, Walton and Rockoff, Chapters 5 & 6, Version A
1. ANSWER: c. implies that income almost doubled between 1710 and 1775.
2. ANSWER: b. Privateers were private citizens who owned ships that attacked vessels from other nations.
3. ANSWER: b. compared favorably with that of other countries during the same period.
4. ANSWER: b. less intensive and less efficient use of animal carcasses
5. ANSWER: c. The colonies were one of the richest nations in the world and had a significant amount of
income inequality.
6. ANSWER: c. Britain loosely enforced most of the policies directed at the colonies.
7. ANSWER: b. Raised taxes in Boston to pay for the tea destroyed during the Boston Tea Party.
8. ANSWER: a. increased the price of farm labor.
9. ANSWER: d. back in the supply curve, which increases the price and decreases the quantity.
10. ANSWER: c. After accounting for the protection provided by the British, there was very little economic
burden to colonists from the Navigation Acts.
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