Civics test about American colonies

What is direct democracy?

A form of government in which citizens directly participate in decision-making.

What is representative democracy?

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

What is the Magna Carta?

A charter signed in 1215 that limited the powers of the king and established certain legal rights.

What is limited government?

A principle of governance where governmental power is restricted by law, often through a constitution.

What is the English Bill of Rights?

A document passed in 1689 that outlined specific rights of the citizens and limited the powers of the monarchy.

What is the Enlightenment?

An intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism of authority.

What are natural rights?

Rights that individuals are born with, which include life, liberty, and property.

What is the social contract?

A theory that individuals consent to form a government that will protect their rights in exchange for some of their freedoms.

What is a legislature?

A deliberative assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or state.

What is a republic?

A form of government in which the country is considered a 'public matter' and is not the private concern of the rulers.

Who was Thomas Hobbes?

An English philosopher known for his social contract theory and his work 'Leviathan,' advocating for a strong central authority.

Who was John Locke?

An English philosopher who argued for natural rights and government by consent, influencing democratic thought.

Who was Jean-Jacques Rousseau?

A French philosopher who proposed the idea of the social contract and the concept of general will.

Who was Voltaire?

A French Enlightenment writer known for his advocacy of civil liberties and criticism of the church and state.

Who was Baron de Montesquieu?

A French political philosopher known for his theory of the separation of powers in government.

What are the New England Colonies?

Colonies in North America that included Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, known for their Puritan culture.

What are the Middle Colonies?

Colonies that included New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, known for their diverse population and agriculture.

What are cash crops?

Crops produced for commercial value rather than for use by the grower, such as wheat in the Middle Colonies.

What is the 'bread basket'?

A term used to describe regions that produce a large amount of grain, particularly in reference to the Middle Colonies.

What is tolerance?

The acceptance of different beliefs, practices, and cultures, particularly in a religious context.

Who were the Pilgrims?

Separatists who left England to establish a colony in America, known for their journey on the Mayflower.

What is the Mayflower Compact?

An agreement made by the Pilgrims in 1620 to establish a government based on majority rule.

Who were the Puritans?

A religious group that sought to purify the Church of England and established a colony in Massachusetts.

What is subsistence farming?

A type of farming in which farmers grow enough food to feed themselves and their families, with little surplus for trade.

Who were the Quakers?

A religious group known for their pacifism, equality, and opposition to slavery.

What is an abolitionist?

A person who advocated for the end of slavery.

What was the French & Indian War?

A conflict between Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763, which led to British dominance in the region.

What was the Proclamation of 1763?

An order issued by the British government prohibiting colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

What was the Great Awakening?

A religious revival movement in the 18th century that emphasized personal faith and emotional connection to religion.

What is smuggling?

The illegal movement of goods in violation of trade laws.

What is a boycott?

A refusal to buy or use goods and services as a form of protest.

What are the Southern Colonies?

Colonies that included Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, known for agriculture and plantations.

What was Jamestown?

The first permanent English settlement in North America, established in 1607 in Virginia.

What was the House of Burgesses?

The first elected legislative assembly in the American colonies, established in Virginia in 1619.

What are indentured servants?

Individuals who worked for a set number of years in exchange for passage to America and eventual freedom.

What was the Middle Passage?

The sea route used to transport enslaved Africans to the Americas as part of the triangular trade.

What are plantations?

Large agricultural estates that grew cash crops, often using enslaved labor.

What was the Sugar Act?

A 1764 law that imposed taxes on sugar and molasses imported into the colonies.

What was the Stamp Act?

A 1765 law that required colonists to pay a tax on printed materials, leading to widespread protest.

What were the Townshend Acts?

A series of laws passed in 1767 by the British Parliament that was placed on leads, glass, paint and tea

What are Writs of Assistance?

Legal documents that allowed British customs officials to search any location for smuggled goods.

What does repeal mean?

To revoke or annul a law or act.

What was the Boston Massacre?

A confrontation in 1770 in which British soldiers killed five colonists, escalating tensions between Britain and the colonies.

What was the Boston Tea Party?

A 1773 protest against British taxes in which colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

What is the Declaration of Independence?

A document adopted on July 4, 1776, declaring the American colonies independent from British rule.

Who was Thomas Jefferson?

The principal author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States.

Who was John Adams?

A Founding Father, the second President of the United States, and a key advocate for independence.

What are grievances?

Formal complaints or issues that individuals or groups have against a government or authority.

What were the Intolerable Acts?

A series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party.

What was the 1st Continental Congress?

A meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies in 1774 to respond to British policies.

What was the 2nd Continental Congress?

A convention of delegates from the 13 colonies that met in 1775, which managed the colonial war effort.

What was the 'Olive Branch' Petition?

A final attempt by the colonists to avoid war with Britain by asserting their loyalty while seeking redress of grievances.

What were Lexington & Concord?

The first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War, occurring in April 1775.

What was Jefferson's 'rough draft' (slavery)?

An early version of the Declaration of Independence that included a condemnation of slavery, which was later removed.

What does 'consent of the governed' mean?

The idea that a government's legitimacy comes from the agreement of the people it governs.

Who was Thomas Paine?

An English-American political activist and philosopher known for his pamphlet 'Common Sense,' advocating for independence from Britain.

What is 'Common Sense'?

A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1776 that argued for American independence from Britain.