Name: _____________________

Date: ____________
Test #2 Unit: Road to the Revolutionary War
8th Grade U.S. History
Unit Objective: Students will understand the causes and origins of the U.S. Revolutionary War
by drawing connections to key figures, significant events, conflicts, and ideas.
Directions: You will have 60 minutes to complete this test. Please answer each question honestly
and to the best of your ability. Scratch paper will not be necessary for this test. There is room to
write on this packet and a planning sheet is provided for the essay question. As mentioned in
class, I would suggest completing the essay question first, before working on the other sections.
*Correct answers are marked in red.

Multiple Choice Questions (4 points each):

Please circle the best choice clearly. Unclear answers will NOT be graded.
1. Which country were the colonists trying to break away from?
A. France
B. Britain
C. Spain
D. Italy
2. What is known about womens role in the events leading to the revolution?
A. Women were great spies
B. They created ammunition for weapons
C. They nursed injured soldiers
D. Nothing because documents were destroyed
3. Which one is NOT an example of a tax from before the revolution?
A. Tax on sugar
B. Tax on Whig party members
C. Tax on tea
D. Tax on legal documents
4. Which State was considered a colony before the revolution?
A. Colorado
B. California
C. Ohio
D. Massachusetts
5. The First Continental Congress was in response to:
A. The Boston Massacre
B. Rebellious behavior of some colonists
C. The Intolerable Acts
D. Legalizing slavery
6. Which Freedom did colonist at this time firmly believe in?
A. Religious freedom
B. Fashion freedom
C. Art freedom
D. Freedom to sloth

7. The image above is Paul Reveres engraving The Bloody Massacre, a work of propaganda in
the American Colonies prior to the American Revolution. What was Paul Reveres intention
when he created this image?
A. To show an accurate, truthful depiction of the event
B. To demonstrate his fine art skills
C. He wanted to exaggerate what happened in order to get support for the patriot cause
D. He wished to make the Red Coats feel bad for what they did to the unarmed citizens
and their families.
8. from the Declaration of Independence
WHEN, in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve
the Political Bands, which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the
Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of
Nature's GOD entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they
should declare the Causes which impel them to the Separation.
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are
endowed, by their CREATOR, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. . . .
The above quote from the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence introduces the
idea that all people have rights. According to the text, what unalienable rights do all people
have?
A. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
B. Life, liberty, and equality
C. Separate and equal stations
D. Political bonds
9. What is the role and importance of the United States Constitution?
A. It establishes a system of public schools in the United States
B. It explains what can be bought and sold in each of the states in the United States
C. It creates laws for local cities and towns across the United States
D. Its the supreme law of the land and creates a government structure for the U.S.

10.

Based on the Triangular Trade Routes map above, what goods did Britain depend on the 13
colonies to provide?
A. Enslaved persons, gold, and pepper
B. Rice, indigo, furs, and tobacco
C. Cloth, manufactured goods, and iron tools
D. Sugar, molasses, and fruit

Fill in the Blank Questions (3 points each):

11. In 1776, the book Common Sense was published to challenge the British government and
speak to everyday Americans. It was written by the political activist Thomas Paine.
12. The Revolutionary who said, Give me Liberty or Give my Death was Patrick Henry.
13. The three men composed the Declaration of Independence were John Adams, Benjamin
Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson.
14. . The final Colonial War from 1689 to 1763 was the French and Indian War.
15. The activist who is known for his Midnight-ride from Boston to Lexington is Paul Revere.
16. A well-organized Patriot paramilitary political organization shrouded in secrecy was the Sons
of Liberty.
17. The name of the King of Britain before the Revolutionary War was George III.

18. A street fight that occurred on March 5, 1770, between a "patriot" mob, throwing snowballs,
stones, and sticks, and a squad of British soldiers was the Boston Massacre.
19. When over 100 men acted out in protest by dumping tea in the Boston Harbor, the event later
became known as the Boston Tea Party.
20. Paul Revere's ride on April 19, 1775 was to announce the approach of British soldiers to
stamp out colonist resistance in the towns of Lexington and Concord.

Matching Questions (2 points each):

Match the term on the left side with the definition on the right side. Place the letter in the blank
space next to the definition using the letters next to the term. Do NOT connect the term with the
answer by using lines.
21._G_ required the American colonies to
A. The Sugar Act
provide food and shelter for British troops.
22._D_ essentially gave Parliament the right to
control the colonial system and put the
colonies at an economic disadvantage in
trade with British merchants.

B. The Stamp Act

23. _A_ a three-cent tax on foreign refined

sugar and increased taxes on coffee, indigo,
and certain kinds of wine.

C. The Tea Act

24. _I_ a series of agreed upon commercial

restrictions the colonists put in place with
regard to trade with the mother country.

D. The Currency Act

25._H_an attempt to establish a western border

of the thirteen colonies in America by having
the Appalachian Mountains as the border.

E. Townshend Acts

26._E _ a series of laws that placed taxes

on glass, paper, lead, paint, and tea in 1767.

F. Intolerable Acts

27._B_ taxes on all legal documents, newspapers,

and playing cards.

G. Quartering Acts

28._F__ The series acts enacted in 1774 as response

the Boston Tea Party.

H. Proclamation of 1763

29._C_granted the British East India Company Tea

a monopoly on tea sales in the American colonies.

I. Boston Non-Importation
Agreement

Essay Question (12 points total)

30. Choose ONE prompt to write on. A page to plan your writing on is provided on the next
page.
Prompt #1
There are many factors involved in the causes of the American Revolution. Write 3-4 paragraphs
giving at least 3 reasons why you think the colonies wanted to break away from Britain
providing evidence from class and at least one assignment.
Prompt #2
In class we learned that not all the colonist wanted independence. Write 3-4 paragraphs giving at
least 3 reasons why you think the colonies did NOT wanted to break away from Britain giving
evidence from class and at least one assignment.

Planning Page for Prompt