AnswersU.S. GovernmentThe Declaration of Independence

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What event prompted the formation of the First Continental Congress?

A
the Boston Massacre
B
the publication of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
C
the Boston Tea Party
D
the battles of Lexington and Concord
2
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Why did Thomas Paine question British authority to rule the colonies in Common Sense ?

A
He believed the king would only approve laws that benefited Britain.
B
He believed British laws could not be enforced from a distance.
C
He believed Parliament did not understand the needs of the American people.
D
He believed the size of the colonies made them impossible for Britain to rule.
3

Which had the greatest influence in prompting the Second Continental Congress to declare independence?

A
financial support from France and Spain
B
increased open public support for independence
C
King George III’s rejection of peaceful reconciliation
D
the battles of Lexington and Concord
4

The preamble to the Declaration of Independence outlines the principles upon which the new government would be based. Which of these best describes one of those principles?

A
a government based on a social contract
B
the removal of the British military
C
a need for equality regardless of race or gender
D
the end of taxation without representation
5

Which example describes natural rights?

A
rights that should be protected by the government
B
rights that can be restricted by government
C
rights that are given under specific circumstances
D
rights that are granted to only certain citizens
6

What purpose did the introduction to the Declaration of Independence serve?

A
It detailed how to amend the Declaration of Independence.
B
It declared independence from Britain.
C
It listed colonial grievances against the Crown.
D
It indicated why independence was necessary.
7

The Declaration of Independence refers to the Rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness as being unalienable. What does unalienable mean?

A
transferable
B
indisputable
C
negotiable
D
not foreign
8

Which best summarizes the social contract outlined in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence?

A
Government has the power to protect natural rights, but states must also protect their rights.
B
Government has the power to protect natural rights, but people must also protect their rights.
C
Government has the power to protect natural rights, but people can change their government if it fails to do so.
D
Government has the power to protect natural rights, but states can challenge the government if it fails to do so.
9

John Locke, an Enlightenment-era philosopher, influenced the American movement for independence. Locke believed that all people were entitled to natural rights. Which quotation from the preamble to the Declaration of Independence refers to natural rights?

A
“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
B
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
C
“[T]hey are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
D
“[I]t is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
10

As the colonies moved toward independence, the First Continental Congress was created in

A
1774.
B
1776.
C
1760.
D
1768.

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