1. In 1763 a French statesman predicted that England would rue the day she expelled France from North America. Did events prove the Frenchman right? How are the French and Indian War and its outcome related to the American Revolution? Discuss.
2. One historian has written, "The British ruled the colonies for one hundred and fifty years and lost them in twelve." Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? Use as many specific facts in your answer as possible.
3. Another historian claims, "A salient feature of our Revolution was that its animating purpose was deeply conservative. The colonials revolted against British rule in order to keep things the way they were, not to initiate a new era." Do you agree? Use as many facts in your answer as possible.
4. Discuss the role of each of the following groups in the events that led to America's break with England: colonial merchants, Virginia planters, workers, sailors, artisans, frontier dwellers, and women.
5. Write an essay about the Declaration of Independence. Who wrote it? Why was it written and adopted? What political ideals did it express? How and why did the Second Continental Congress modify it before adopting it? How close to the political ideals it avowed was America in 1776? What importance has the document had in American and world history since 1776?