Unit 2: Reading Questions (chapters 5)

1. The most important economic enterprise in the American colonies wasa. manufacturing. c. fishing.b. agriculture. d. commerce.

2. One of the surest avenues to speedy wealth in the American colonies wasa. a plantation. c. fishing.b. manufacturing. d. a commercial venture.

3. During the colonial era, all of the following peoples created new societies out of diverse ethnic groups in America excepta. Africans. c. Asians.b. Europeans. d. Indians.

4. One outstanding feature common to all of the eventually rebellious colonies was theira. relatively equal wealth. c. economic organization.b. rapidly growing populations. d. similar social structures.

5. In 1775, the __________ churches were the only two established (tax-supported) churches in colonial America.a. Presbyterian and Congregational c. Quaker and Catholicb. Methodist and Anglican d. Congregational and Anglican

6. Colonial newspaper printer John Peter Zenger (Multiple Answers)a. was accused of seditious libel.b. was found innocent of the charges brought against him.c. printed comments accusing the royal governor of corruption.d. had his case dismissed on a legal technicality.

7. Culture in colonial Americaa. involved heavy investment in art.b. was always important to the colonists.c. showed its native creativity in architecture.d. was generally ignored and unappreciated.

8. The case of John Peter Zenger, a newspaper printer, was significant becausea. he was found guilty.b. it supported English law.c. it pointed the way to open public discussion.d. the ruling prohibited criticism of political officials.

9. As a result of the rapid population growth in colonial America during the eighteenth century,a. the need for slave labor declined.b. the colonists became more dependent on Britain for the goods that they

needed to survive.c. the British government was pleased that more workers would be available to

fill an increasing need for laborers in Britain.d. a momentous shift occurred in the balance of power between the colonies

and the mother country.

10. Colonial American taverns were all of the following excepta. another cradle of democracy.b. frequented mainly by the lower class.c. hotbeds of agitation for the Revolutionary movement.

Unit 2: Reading Questions (chapters 5)

d. important in crystallizing public opinion.11. In colonial New England, education was primarily (Multiple Answers)

a. for boys.b. designed to promote good citizenship.c. intended for religious instruction.d. provided to foster independent thinking and aesthetic appreciation.

12. One feature of the American economy that strained the relationship between the colonies and Britain was thea. lack of any British regulations regarding trade with foreign nations.b. British rejection of the Molasses Act.c. growing desire of Americans to trade with other nations in addition to

Britain.d. British demand to halt the importation of slaves.

13. By 1775, population growth in the American colonies (Multiple Answers)a. was beginning to slow down. b. was causing the population to double about every twenty-five years.c. was attributable more to reproduction than to immigration.d. made the American colonies more populous than England.

14. Generally, in the eighteenth-century American colonies (Multiple Answers)a. most people had sufficient food to stay healthy.b. many homes had bathtubs and running water.c. lotteries were a usual source of funds used for civic purposes.d. Christmas was New England's favorite holiday.

15. On the eve of the American Revolution, social and economic mobility decreased, partly becausea. of the religious impact of the Puritans.b. of peacetime economic developments.c. some merchants made huge profits as military suppliers.d. fewer yeoman farmers were arriving from Europe.

16. Colonial legislatures were often able to bend the power of the governors to their will becausea. the governors often had a greater sense of loyalty to their colony than to

the king.b. the king generally held the views of colonial legislators in higher regard

than those of the governors.c. the governors were usually chosen by colonial legislatures and could be

removed from office by the legislatures.d. colonial legislatures controlled taxes and expenditures that paid the

governors' salaries.

17. The time-honored English ideal, which Americans accepted for some time, regarded education asa. reserved for the aristocratic few.b. unimportant for leaders.c. essential training for citizenship.d. designed for men and women.

18. Benjamin Franklin (Multiple Answers)a. was the author of Poor Richard's Almanack.b. celebrated the virtues of thrift, hard work, and common sense.

Unit 2: Reading Questions (chapters 5)

c. was a severe critic of the Great Awakening.d. was John Peter Zenger's defense lawyer.