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. What was the main role of the Second Continental Congress?
- A. To act as a government for the colonies
- B. To write letters to the King asking for help
- C. To organize protests against British goods
- D. To manage trade between the colonies only
7. What was one major step the Second Continental Congress took to fight Great Britain?
- A. They asked the king for more soldiers
- B. They created the Continental Army
- C. They surrendered to the British army
- D. They built a large wall around Philadelphia
8. Creating an army and choosing a leader showed that the Congress was acting like a...
- A. bank
- B. court
- C. government
- D. trading company
9. What major event led the colonies to form the Second Continental Congress?
- A. The signing of the Declaration of Independence
- B. The start of fighting with Great Britain
- C. The end of the war with Great Britain
- D. The decision to create a new currency
10. Why was the Second Continental Congress formed?
- A. To create new taxes
- B. To unite the colonies for the war effort
- C. To make a peace treaty with France
- D. To choose a new king for the colonies