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Prereading Quiz: Teen of the Revolution
Before you read “Teen of the Revolution,” take this five-question quiz to find out how much you already know.
How long ago was the Boston Tea Party?
150 years ago
200 years ago
250 years ago
The Boston Tea Party took place 250 years ago. On December 16, 1773, colonists in Boston dumped about 45 tons of tea into the city’s harbor as an act of protest.
Which country ruled the 13 Colonies along the Atlantic coast of North America?
Canada
Great Britain
France
Great Britain ruled the 13 Colonies along the Atlantic coast of North America. For nearly two centuries, Britain let the Colonies mostly run things on their own.
Which word means “to refuse to buy particular products or to participate in something as an act of protest”?
boycott
import
tax
Boycott means “to refuse to buy particular products or to participate in something as an act of protest.” Colonists boycotted tea imported by the British East India Company because they were angry about a tax on it.
Why did Britain start passing taxes in the 1760s on goods the colonists imported?
It needed to pay off debt from the French and Indian War.
It wanted the colonists to drink Dutch tea.
It hoped to give the colonists taxation and representation.
Britain needed to pay off debt from the French and Indian War (1754-1763). During that war, Britain and France fought for control of North America. Britain won but ended up deeply in debt, owing what today would be trillions of dollars. The British government began taxing the colonists’ imports to raise money.
Which of these men did NOT help stir up the crowd at the Old South Meeting House on the night of the Boston Tea Party?
Samuel Adams
John Hancock
Lord North
Samuel Adams and John Hancock were two of the leaders who stirred up the crowd the night of the Boston Tea Party. They vowed to keep the tea from being unloaded. Lord North was a British official who was not present at the meeting. (But if he had been, he would have wanted the tea to be unloaded and sold!)