British Settlements and Rule 1605-1774 — Practice Quiz
A US History cheat sheet for British Settlements and Rule 1605-1774 — every key formula with its symbols defined — plus a medium-level practice quiz to test recall.
Formulas & key concepts
British colonial possessions in North America divided into New England, Middle, and Southern colonies
Where: Established 1607-1732; diverse economies, religions, and social structures
Colonies governed directly by the British Crown through appointed governors (Virginia, Massachusetts, New York, etc.)
Where: Most common type by 1750; king appointed governor and council
Colonies granted to individuals or groups by the king (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware)
Where: Proprietors had governing authority; could appoint officials
Self-governing colonies with charters from the king (Connecticut, Rhode Island)
Where: Elected own governors; greatest degree of self-government
Proprietary colony founded by Lord Baltimore as refuge for English Catholics
Where: Act of Toleration (1649) granted religious freedom to Christians
Colony founded by Roger Williams after banishment from Massachusetts, established religious freedom and separation of church and state
Where: First colony with complete religious liberty
Puritan minister who advocated for religious freedom and fair treatment of Native Americans, founded Rhode Island
Where: Banished from Massachusetts Bay for his radical views
Puritan woman banished from Massachusetts Bay for challenging religious authority and holding unauthorized religious meetings
Where: Settled in Rhode Island; early advocate for religious freedom
Proprietary colony founded by William Penn as Quaker refuge, emphasized religious tolerance and peaceful relations with Native Americans
Where: Philadelphia became major colonial city; "Holy Experiment"
Quaker leader who founded Pennsylvania, paid Native Americans for land and established fair treaties
Where: Frame of Government established representative assembly
Last of 13 colonies, founded by James Oglethorpe as buffer against Spanish Florida and refuge for debtors
Where: Initially banned slavery and alcohol; restrictions later lifted
British policy of loose enforcement of colonial trade regulations, allowing colonies significant self-governance (1607-1763)
Where: Ended after French and Indian War, leading to colonial resistance
Series of English laws restricting colonial trade to benefit England, requiring goods to be shipped on English vessels
Where: Part of mercantilism; often violated through smuggling
Economic system where colonies existed to benefit mother country by providing raw materials and markets for manufactured goods
Where: Colonies forbidden from manufacturing many goods
Three-way trading system between colonies, West Indies, Africa, and Europe involving rum, slaves, molasses, and manufactured goods
Where: Middle Passage: brutal voyage bringing enslaved Africans to Americas
Horrific ocean voyage transporting enslaved Africans to the Americas, characterized by disease, death, and inhumane conditions
Where: Approximately 12-15% mortality rate during voyage
Religious revival movement emphasizing personal faith and emotional religious experience, challenged traditional religious authority
Where: Led by Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield; increased religious diversity
Puritan minister and Great Awakening leader famous for "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon
Where: Emphasized predestination and divine judgment
Intellectual movement emphasizing reason, science, and natural rights, influenced colonial political thought
Where: Benjamin Franklin exemplified Enlightenment values; influenced Founders
Bloody conflict between New England colonists and Native American confederation led by Metacom (King Philip)
Where: Devastating to both sides; ended Native resistance in New England
Uprising of Virginia frontier settlers and indentured servants against colonial government, led by Nathaniel Bacon
Where: Highlighted tensions between frontier and tidewater; increased reliance on slavery
North American theater of Seven Years' War between Britain/colonies and France/Native allies for control of Ohio Valley
Where: British victory; France lost North American territories
Benjamin Franklin's proposal for unified colonial government for defense, rejected by colonies and Britain
Where: Early attempt at colonial unity; influenced later constitutional thinking
Ended French and Indian War; France ceded Canada and lands east of Mississippi to Britain, Louisiana to Spain
Where: British debt from war led to increased colonial taxation
British decree prohibiting colonial settlement west of Appalachian Mountains to prevent conflicts with Native Americans
Where: Angered colonists who wanted western lands; widely ignored
British tax on sugar and molasses imported into colonies, aimed at raising revenue and enforcing trade laws
Where: First law passed specifically to raise revenue from colonies
British tax on printed materials in colonies (newspapers, legal documents, playing cards), first direct tax
Where: Sparked "no taxation without representation"; repealed 1766
Colonial resistance organization that organized protests against British policies, including Stamp Act demonstrations
Where: Led by Samuel Adams in Boston; used both peaceful and violent tactics
British taxes on imported goods (glass, lead, paint, paper, tea) with revenue to pay colonial governors and judges
Where: Led to colonial boycotts; most repealed 1770 except tea tax
Confrontation where British soldiers killed five colonists in Boston, used as propaganda against British rule
Where: Crispus Attucks among the dead; soldiers defended by John Adams
Colonial communication network organized by Samuel Adams to share information about British actions and coordinate resistance
Where: Helped unify colonial opposition; spread revolutionary ideas
British law giving East India Company monopoly on colonial tea trade, angered merchants and led to Boston Tea Party
Where: Not a new tax but enforced existing tax; threatened smuggling
Colonial protest where Sons of Liberty dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor
Where: Disguised as Mohawk Indians; led to Coercive Acts
Harsh British laws punishing Massachusetts for Tea Party: closed Boston port, restricted self-government, quartered troops
Where: United colonies in opposition; prompted First Continental Congress
Meeting of colonial delegates in Philadelphia to coordinate response to Intolerable Acts, called for boycott of British goods
Where: All colonies except Georgia attended; agreed to meet again if needed
Practice quiz
Which type of colony had the greatest degree of self-government, with colonists electing their own governors?
- Royal Colonies
- Proprietary Colonies
- Charter Colonies
- Crown Colonies
Answer: Charter Colonies
Which colony was founded by William Penn as a refuge for Quakers and was known for its policy of religious tolerance and peaceful relations with Native Americans?
- Maryland
- Rhode Island
- Pennsylvania
- Georgia
Answer: Pennsylvania
The British policy of loose enforcement of colonial trade regulations, which allowed the colonies significant self-governance from 1607 to 1763, was known as what?
- Mercantilism
- Navigation Acts
- Salutary Neglect
- Triangular Trade
Answer: Salutary Neglect
The religious revival movement of the 1730s-1740s that emphasized personal faith and emotional religious experience, challenging traditional religious authority, was called the:
- Enlightenment
- Great Awakening
- Puritan Reformation
- Protestant Revival
Answer: Great Awakening
What was the primary outcome of the French and Indian War (1754-1763) for France in North America?
- France gained control of the Ohio Valley
- France ceded Canada and lands east of the Mississippi River to Britain
- France established new colonies in the Caribbean
- France formed a permanent alliance with Native American tribes
Answer: France ceded Canada and lands east of the Mississippi River to Britain
The British decree issued in 1763 that prohibited colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to prevent conflicts with Native Americans was the:
- Quebec Act
- Stamp Act
- Proclamation of 1763
- Sugar Act
Answer: Proclamation of 1763
Which British act was the first direct tax on printed materials in the colonies, including newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards, sparking the cry of "no taxation without representation"?
- Sugar Act (1764)
- Stamp Act (1765)
- Townshend Acts (1767)
- Tea Act (1773)
Answer: Stamp Act (1765)
The colonial resistance organization that organized protests against British policies, notably the Stamp Act demonstrations, and was led by figures like Samuel Adams in Boston, was known as the:
- Committees of Correspondence
- Sons of Liberty
- Continental Congress
- Whig Party
Answer: Sons of Liberty
What event in 1773 involved colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians dumping 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act?
- Boston Massacre
- Lexington and Concord
- Boston Tea Party
- Paul Revere's Ride
Answer: Boston Tea Party
The series of harsh British laws passed in 1774 to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party, which included closing Boston port and restricting self-government, were collectively known as the:
- Navigation Acts
- Declaratory Act
- Intolerable Acts
- Quartering Act
Answer: Intolerable Acts
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