Standard 3 (c): Common Sense

In Common Sense, Thomas Paine made a case for American independence on which grounds?

• British leaders had little regard for the best interests of the colonists.

• British institutions were failing to provide sufficient aid to the colonists.

• British leaders were overlooking the important contributions of colonists.

• British institutions placed too many political responsibilities on the colonists.

Which of the following BEST describes Thomas Paine's argument in Common Sense?

• Diplomacy with the British Parliament is the best way to settle differences.

• The colonists have far more to lose by continuing to be a part of the British Empire.

• Parliament is simply slow to respond so the colonists must be patient in seeking their goals.

• Breaking free of English control will hurt the colonists' chances of gaining economic freedom.

Why was Thomas Paine's Common Sense so influential in the colonies?

• Paine presented his arguments in language most colonists could understand.

• Paine was a highly respected military leader with extensive political experience

• Paine was a member of the British aristocracy who chose to live in the colonies.

• Paine resigned his seat in the House of Lords to protest British colonial policies.

Why did American colonists resent British taxes?

• American colonists were unhappy that the high taxes were keeping the nobility in luxury.

• Unlike American colonists, people who lived in Great Britain did not have to pay any duties .

• Americans did not elect representatives to Parliament as people who lived in Great Britain did.

• Great Britain did not offer the American colonists any protection from the French and the Indians.

Britain responded to the Boston Tea Party by:

• Enacting a new set of taxes known as the Townshend Acts.

• "Tarring and feathering" the colonial leaders of Boston.

• Rounding up suspected participants and sending them to Australia.

• Enacting a series of restrictive measures known as the Intolerable Acts.

The Massachusetts colonial Assembly created a group to communicate shared matters of concern between all of the 13 colonies, their main point being that England was denying them their legal civil liberties, by not allowing them to participate in the policies created by Parliament.

• Sons of Liberty

• Daughters of Liberty

• Committees of Correspondence

Known as the ‘punishment laws’, which included five different restrictions placed on the colonists; were designed to make an example of Massachusetts and hopefully stop the growing resistance to British authority throughout the colonies.

• The Intolerable Acts

• The Stamp Act

• The Sugar Act

Document stating that the colonists couldn't go any farther west than the Appalachian Mountains. 

• Treaty of Paris 
• Declaration of Independence 
• Proclamation of 1763 

Which of the following was an important impact of the French and Indian War?

• Increased British Empire in North America

• The British had to look for new ways to make money, which caused contempt int he colonies

• It dramatically increased British debt

• All of the above

Why did Britain strengthen its control over the American colonies after the French and Indian War?

• To limit further colonial trade with Native American peoples.

• To recover the economic cost of fighting a war with France.

• To prevent the colonies from declaring their independence from Britain

• To prepare for an invasion of Spanish outposts in the Louisiana Territory