1. According to the ideas in the Declaration of Independence, what is the main reason governments are formed?
- A. To create wealth for the nation's leaders
- B. To protect the basic rights of the people
- C. To conquer new territories and expand the country
- D. To enforce the traditional rule of a king
2. The Declaration of Independence lists "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" as examples of what kind of rights?
- A. Privileges granted by a king
- B. Laws created by the government
- C. Unalienable rights that cannot be taken away
- D. Responsibilities that citizens owe to their country
3. The Declaration of Independence states that a government gets its power from the "consent of the governed." What does this phrase mean?
- A. A government's power comes from a strong military.
- B. A government's authority comes from the people it rules.
- C. A government has the power to do whatever it wants.
- D. A government's power is passed down through a royal family.
4. What does the Declaration of Independence argue that people have the right to do if their government becomes destructive of their rights?
- A. They must obey the government without question.
- B. They can change or create a new government.
- C. They should ask the king for permission to protest.
- D. They must wait for the next election to happen.
5. Which statement best summarizes a key argument made by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence?
- A. The government's purpose is to protect the people's rights.
- B. The colonies needed more representatives in the British Parliament.
- C. A country's economic strength is more important than its citizens' freedoms.
- D. The king himself was a good person, but his government advisors were corrupt.
6. Who was the author of the influential pamphlet *Common Sense*, which argued for American independence?
- A. George Washington
- B. Thomas Jefferson
- C. Thomas Paine
- D. Benjamin Franklin
7. In early 1776, before *Common Sense* became widely read, how did many colonists feel about separating from Great Britain?
- A. They were confident they could easily win a war.
- B. They were eager to create a new country immediately.
- C. They were unsure and nervous about such a big change.
- D. They were all in agreement that independence was best.
8. According to the ideas in *Common Sense*, the power to govern the American colonies should belong to whom?
- A. The British King
- B. The people themselves
- C. The British Parliament
- D. A governor chosen by the king
9. What was the main argument presented in the pamphlet *Common Sense*?
- A. The colonies should send representatives to the British Parliament.
- B. It was logical for the colonies to rule themselves and not be governed by a distant king.
- C. The colonists should pay higher taxes to fund their own army.
- D. A new king should be chosen to rule the colonies from America.
10. How did the publication of *Common Sense* affect many ordinary colonists?
- A. It made them more loyal to King George III.
- B. It persuaded them to support the idea of independence.
- C. It frightened them into stopping their protests.
- D. It explained how to form a new government with a king.