Colonial period and independence
Questions and answers
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What is one reason colonists came to America?
- freedom
- political liberty
- religious freedom
- economic opportunity
- practice their religion
- escape persecution
The Pilgrims who founded Massachusetts in 1620 wanted to practice their religion freely, while many Jamestown settlers hoped for cheap farmland or gold.
Textbook · The 13 Original Colonies ↗ -
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
- American Indians
- Native Americans
Native Americans had lived in the Americas for around 20,000 years, in many tribes with their own languages, religions and governments, before Spain sent the first ships across the Atlantic.
Textbook · Native Americans ↗ -
What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
- Africans
- people from Africa
Colonists growing tobacco and cotton needed more workers, so millions of people from Africa were forced onto ships and sold in the Americas. The first enslaved Africans reached Jamestown in 1619.
Textbook · Slavery in the Colonies ↗ -
Why did the colonists fight the British?
- because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
- because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
- because they didn’t have self-government
In the 1760s Great Britain raised taxes on the colonies to pay for its wars but let no colonial representatives vote on them, then outlawed the colonial congresses when the colonists protested.
Textbook · Causes of the American Revolutionary War ↗ -
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
- (Thomas) Jefferson
Jefferson drafted the statement adopted in 1776 that announced the break from Great Britain and said everyone has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Textbook · The Declaration of Independence ↗ -
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
- July 4, 1776
The Declaration announced independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, which is why Independence Day is celebrated on the Fourth of July.
Textbook · The Declaration of Independence ↗ -
There were 13 original states. Name three.
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Connecticut
- New York
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- Maryland
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
England created 13 colonies along the East Coast, from New Hampshire down to Georgia, and when they declared independence in 1776 they became the first 13 states.
Textbook · The 13 Original Colonies ↗ -
What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
- The Constitution was written.
- The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.
In 1787 leaders from all 13 states met in Philadelphia because the states kept disagreeing on trade, taxes and other laws, and there the Founders wrote the Constitution.
Textbook · The Constitutional Convention ↗ -
When was the Constitution written?
- 1787
The Founders wrote the Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787, 11 years after the Declaration of Independence of 1776.
Textbook · The Constitutional Convention ↗ -
The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
- (James) Madison
- (Alexander) Hamilton
- (John) Jay
- Publius
Not everyone wanted the new Constitution, so Madison, Hamilton and Jay published papers in newspapers across the country urging the states to vote for it.
Textbook · The Constitutional Convention ↗ -
What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
- U.S. diplomat
- oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
- first Postmaster General of the United States
- writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
- started the first free libraries
Franklin represented the United States abroad and negotiated the 1783 treaty in which Great Britain accepted American independence. He was also the oldest member of the Constitutional Convention.
Textbook · Winning the American Revolutionary War ↗ -
Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
- (George) Washington
Washington commanded the colonial army through the Revolutionary War and later became the first President, which is why he is called the "Father of Our Country".
Textbook · The Declaration of Independence ↗ -
Who was the first President?
- (George) Washington
After the states passed the Constitution and the new government began, Washington was elected the first President and served from 1789 to 1797.
Textbook · A New Government and an Expanding Nation ↗