The Beginning of the American Revolution Practice Exam

Welcome to the AP American History Practice Test focused on “The Beginning of the American Revolution.” This test is designed to help students review and deepen their understanding of the crucial events, figures, and policies that shaped the early stages of the American Revolution. The following 25 multiple-choice questions cover a range of topics from the period leading up to and including the early years of the conflict. Good luck, and use this practice to gauge your readiness for the AP exam.

Question 1

What was the primary catalyst for the American Revolution?

A) Religious conflicts
B) Economic policies and taxation by the British
C) Land disputes with Native Americans
D) The influence of French philosophies

Question 2

The “Shot Heard Round the World” refers to the first shot of the American Revolution, fired at which location?

A) Bunker Hill
B) Lexington and Concord
C) Yorktown
D) Saratoga

Question 3

Which act passed by the British Parliament in 1765 imposed a direct tax on the colonies?

A) Navigation Acts
B) Townshend Acts
C) Stamp Act
D) Sugar Act

Question 4

The Boston Tea Party was a response to which British policy?

A) Intolerable Acts
B) Tea Act
C) Stamp Act
D) Quartering Act

Question 5

Who primarily authored the Declaration of Independence?

A) George Washington
B) Benjamin Franklin
C) John Adams
D) Thomas Jefferson

Question 6

What was the purpose of the First Continental Congress?

A) To declare independence from Britain
B) To coordinate a military response to British aggression
C) To address grievances against British policies
D) To establish a new government for the colonies

Question 7

Which of the following was NOT a consequence of the Boston Massacre?

A) Heightened tensions between colonists and British soldiers
B) The repeal of the Townshend Acts
C) The formation of the Continental Army
D) Propaganda fueling anti-British sentiments

Question 8

The phrase “No taxation without representation” was a rallying cry for what issue?

A) Colonists’ lack of representation in Parliament
B) High taxes on tea
C) Land taxes in the colonies
D) The enforcement of the Navigation Acts

Question 9

Which event marked the official start of the American Revolutionary War?

A) The signing of the Declaration of Independence
B) The Boston Tea Party
C) The battles of Lexington and Concord
D) The formation of the Continental Army

Question 10

What role did the French play in the American Revolution?

A) They remained neutral throughout the conflict
B) They provided crucial military aid to the British
C) They supplied the colonies with weapons and later joined the war
D) They mediated peace talks between Britain and the colonies

Question 11

The Intolerable Acts were a series of laws passed by the British Parliament to punish the colonists for what event?

A) The Boston Massacre
B) The Boston Tea Party
C) The signing of the Declaration of Independence
D) The battles of Lexington and Concord

Question 12

Who was the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army?

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) John Adams
C) George Washington
D) Benjamin Franklin

Question 13

What was the primary goal of the Committees of Correspondence established in the 1770s?

A) To coordinate legislative efforts among the colonies
B) To oversee the colonial militia
C) To draft the Declaration of Independence
D) To manage colonial trade agreements

Question 14

Which influential pamphlet, written by Thomas Paine, argued for American independence from Britain?

A) “Common Sense”
B) “The Rights of Man”
C) “The American Crisis”
D) “Age of Reason”

Question 15

What was the significance of the Battle of Bunker Hill?

A) It was the final battle of the American Revolution.
B) It demonstrated the effectiveness of the Continental Army.
C) It was the first major battle of the war and showed that the colonists could stand up to British troops.
D) It resulted in a decisive victory for the British and ended the war.

Question 16

The Sugar Act of 1764 was primarily aimed at:

A) Punishing the colonists for smuggling.
B) Raising revenues to pay for British troops in the colonies.
C) Encouraging the production of sugar in the colonies.
D) Reducing the consumption of sugar in the colonies.

Question 17

Which document, drafted in 1775, was a final attempt by the colonists to avoid war with Britain?

A) The Declaration of Independence
B) The Olive Branch Petition
C) The Continental Association
D) The Articles of Confederation

Question 18

The Sons of Liberty were a group that:

A) Negotiated trade agreements on behalf of the colonies.
B) Advocated for peaceful resistance to British rule.
C) Organized protests and acts of resistance against British policies.
D) Served as the primary governing body in the colonies.

Question 19

The Proclamation of 1763 issued by the British government was intended to:

A) Encourage settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.
B) Prevent colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
C) Impose new taxes on the colonies.
D) Announce the end of the French and Indian War.

Question 20

Which of the following colonies did NOT send delegates to the First Continental Congress?

A) Georgia
B) Massachusetts
C) Virginia
D) New York

Question 21

What was the primary purpose of the Townshend Acts?

A) To punish the colonies for the Boston Tea Party.
B) To raise revenue from the colonies by imposing duties on imports.
C) To establish British military rule in the colonies.
D) To encourage the colonies to produce more goods for export.

Question 22

Patrick Henry, a prominent figure in the American Revolution, is famous for which quote?

A) “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
B) “Give me liberty, or give me death!”
C) “I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
D) “United we stand, divided we fall.”

Question 23

The Quebec Act of 1774 was resented by the American colonists because:

A) It established English as the official language of Quebec.
B) It allowed the French citizens of Quebec to maintain their legal and religious rights.
C) It granted land to the colonists in Quebec.
D) It imposed new taxes on the colonists.

Question 24

Which group was primarily responsible for organizing the Boston Tea Party?

A) The Continental Congress
B) The Sons of Liberty
C) The British East India Company
D) The Committee of Safety

Question 25

The Battle of Saratoga is significant because:

A) It was the final battle of the American Revolution.
B) It was the first major victory for the Continental Army.
C) It convinced France to officially support the American cause.
D) It resulted in the surrender of British General Cornwallis.

Answer Key

  1. B) Economic policies and taxation by the British
  2. B) Lexington and Concord
  3. C) Stamp Act
  4. B) Tea Act
  5. D) Thomas Jefferson
  6. C) To address grievances against British policies
  7. C) The formation of the Continental Army
  8. A) Colonists’ lack of representation in Parliament
  9. C) The battles of Lexington and Concord
  10. C) They supplied the colonies with weapons and later joined the war
  11. B) The Boston Tea Party
  12. C) George Washington
  13. A) To coordinate legislative efforts among the colonies
  14. A) “Common Sense”
  15. C) It was the first major battle of the war and showed that the colonists could stand up to British troops.
  16. B) Raising revenues to pay for British troops in the colonies.
  17. B) The Olive Branch Petition
  18. C) Organized protests and acts of resistance against British policies.
  19. B) Prevent colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
  20. A) Georgia
  21. B) To raise revenue from the colonies by imposing duties on imports.
  22. B) “Give me liberty, or give me death!”
  23. B) It allowed the French citizens of Quebec to maintain their legal and religious rights.
  24. B) The Sons of Liberty
  25. C) It convinced France to officially support the American cause.

Make sure to study The American Revolution Begins and More notes on the Revolution to get ready for the in-class exam.