Ready to ace your AP US History exam? Dive into our free apush unit 3 practice test designed to sharpen your understanding of colonial developments in Period 3. Whether you're reviewing British policies, revolutionary ideas, or early constitutional debates, this unit 3 apush practice test will let you measure your mastery. With instant scoring and clear explanations, you'll pinpoint strengths and weaknesses to focus your study sessions. Tackle the period 3 apush practice test at your own pace or push yourself with a timed challenge - explore our ultimate review . Perfect for students seeking a focused apush chapter 3 quiz, this chapter 3 apush review is your ticket to confidence. Jump in now and conquer Period 3 with your next quiz !
Which conflict is considered the starting point of Period 3 in American history, beginning in 1754?
French and Indian War
King George's War
American Revolution
War of Jenkins' Ear
The French and Indian War began in 1754 as the North American front of the global Seven Years' War. It pitted British colonists and their Native American allies against the French and their allied tribes, shaping colonial attitudes toward Britain. This conflict dramatically increased British debt, leading to new taxes on the colonies that fueled colonial resistance. See History.com French and Indian War.
Which treaty formally ended the French and Indian War in 1763?
Treaty of Paris (1763)
Treaty of Ghent
Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Paris in 1763 ended the French and Indian War, ceding Canada and all French territory east of the Mississippi to Britain. Spain ceded Florida to Britain, while France gave Louisiana west of the Mississippi to Spain. The treaty significantly reshaped North American colonial possessions. See Britannica on Treaty of Paris.
Which act passed in 1765 required colonists to purchase stamped paper for all legal documents and publications?
Stamp Act
Townshend Act
Sugar Act
Tea Act
The Stamp Act of 1765 required colonists to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used, from newspapers to legal documents, sparking widespread protest. It was the first direct tax levied solely on American colonists and led to the slogan 'no taxation without representation.' Colonial assemblies and the Stamp Act Congress petitioned for its repeal in 1766. See History.com Stamp Act.
What slogan captured colonial protest against parliamentary taxation without elected representation?
“No taxation without representation”
“Give me liberty or give me death”
“Join or Die”
“Taxation is tyranny”
Colonists used the phrase “no taxation without representation” to argue that Parliament could not tax them because they did not elect its members. This slogan united various colonial protests against British-imposed taxes after the French and Indian War. It became a rallying cry leading up to the American Revolution. See Mount Vernon Digital Encyclopedia.
Which series of 1774 measures by Parliament closed Boston Harbor and altered Massachusetts' charter?
Intolerable Acts
Navigation Acts
Quartering Act
Declaratory Act
The Intolerable Acts of 1774 were punitive laws passed in response to the Boston Tea Party, including closing Boston’s port and revoking Massachusetts’ charter. They aimed to isolate Massachusetts and punish colonists but instead united the colonies against British rule. The First Continental Congress convened partly in reaction to these acts. See History.com Intolerable Acts.
What was the primary goal of the First Continental Congress in 1774?
Petition the king to address colonial grievances
Draft the Declaration of Independence
Organize colonial militias for war
Declare independence from Britain
The First Continental Congress sought to address colonial grievances by petitioning King George III and organizing a boycott of British goods. Delegates from twelve colonies met in Philadelphia to coordinate resistance, but they stopped short of declaring independence. Their petitions and economic measures aimed to restore colonial rights. See Battlefields.org on First Continental Congress.
Who wrote the pamphlet Common Sense in 1776 advocating colonial independence?
Thomas Paine
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Franklin
John Adams
Thomas Paine authored Common Sense in January 1776, arguing persuasively for American independence from Britain. His clear, accessible language galvanized colonial public opinion toward supporting revolution. The pamphlet sold over 100,000 copies and is credited with shifting popular sentiment. See History.com on Common Sense.
On what date was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
September 17, 1787
April 19, 1775
March 1, 1781
The Continental Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring the thirteen colonies free from British rule. This date became the national holiday now known as Independence Day. Though voting occurred on July 2, the finalized document was approved two days later. See National Archives Declaration.
Which weakness of the Articles of Confederation prevented the federal government from raising revenue effectively?
Lack of power to tax
No requirement for unanimity in amendments
Absence of a legislative branch
Unlimited executive authority
Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress could not levy taxes and had to request funds from the states, leading to chronic underfunding. This lack of revenue hindered national defense and debt repayment after the Revolutionary War. Calls for reform culminated in the Constitutional Convention of 1787. See Britannica on Articles of Confederation.
What was the main purpose of Benjamin Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union in 1754?
Create a unified colonial government for defense
Establish the Confederation Congress
Draft the Northwest Ordinance
Promote independence from Britain
The Albany Plan of Union proposed a unified colonial government to coordinate defense and Indian policy under a president-general appointed by the Crown. Drafted by Benjamin Franklin, it was rejected by both colonies and Parliament but influenced later federal structures. Its failure highlighted the difficulty of colonial cooperation. See Britannica on Albany Plan.
Which Native American uprising in 1763 challenged British control around the Great Lakes?
Pontiac’s Rebellion
King Philip’s War
Powhatan Uprising
Pequot War
Pontiac’s Rebellion in 1763 was led by Ottawa leader Pontiac and involved multiple tribes resisting British postwar policies in the Great Lakes region. The revolt prompted the Proclamation of 1763, restricting colonial expansion west of the Appalachians. It underscored tensions between colonists, Native Americans, and the Crown. See Mount Vernon on Pontiac’s Rebellion.
What did the Proclamation of 1763 do?
Restricted colonial settlement west of the Appalachians
Raised colonial taxes to pay war debt
Granted religious freedom in Quebec
Abolished slavery in new territories
The Proclamation of 1763 prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains to stabilize relations with Native Americans. Colonists resented this limitation on westward expansion, fueling discontent with British policies. It was one of several imperial measures after the French and Indian War. See Britannica on Proclamation of 1763.
The Townshend Acts of 1767 imposed duties on all the following except:
Paper
Land
Tea
Glass
The Townshend Acts in 1767 placed duties on imported British glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea to raise revenue. No tax was levied on land; land was not an imported good and remained untaxed. The revenue funded colonial governors and judges, provoking colonial boycotts. See History.com Townshend Acts.
Which event in 1770 resulted in British soldiers killing five colonists in Boston?
Boston Tea Party
Boston Massacre
Lexington Massacre
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770, when British troops fired into a crowd of colonists, killing five. The incident was exploited by colonial propagandists like Paul Revere to fuel anti-British sentiment. It led to trials in which John Adams defended the soldiers. See History.com Boston Massacre.
What was the primary motive behind the Boston Tea Party of 1773?
Protest British tea tax and monopoly
Support East India Company profits
Celebrate repeal of Stamp Act
Encourage local tea production
The Boston Tea Party was a direct action by colonists protesting the Tea Act, which granted the East India Company a tea monopoly and maintained a tax. Colonists boarded ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea to oppose taxation without representation. This act of defiance prompted the Intolerable Acts. See History.com Boston Tea Party.
Which petition did the Continental Congress send to King George III in 1775 in hopes of avoiding full-scale war?
Olive Branch Petition
Declaration of Rights and Grievances
Articles of Confederation
Petition of Right
The Olive Branch Petition was adopted in July 1775 as a final attempt to assert colonial loyalty and request royal intervention in Parliament’s policies. King George III declined to read it and declared the colonies in open rebellion. The rejection pushed many colonists toward independence. See USHistory.org Olive Branch Petition.
Which American victory in 1777 convinced France to enter the war on the American side?
Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Yorktown
Battle of Trenton
The American victory at Saratoga in October 1777 demonstrated colonial capability to defeat British forces, persuading France to sign the Treaty of Alliance in 1778. French military and financial support was crucial to American success. Saratoga is often cited as the turning point of the Revolution. See Britannica on Saratoga.
What did the Treaty of Paris (1783) accomplish regarding territorial gains?
Recognized US independence and ceded territory east of Mississippi
Returned all territories to France
Granted Florida to the US
Established US control of Western Canada
The Treaty of Paris in 1783 officially ended the Revolutionary War, with Great Britain recognizing US independence and ceding land east of the Mississippi River and south of the Great Lakes to the United States. Spain regained Florida, but US territorial gains were substantial. The treaty set the stage for westward expansion. See National Archives Treaty of Paris.
What ordinance established a procedure for admitting new states from the Northwest Territory in 1787?
Northwest Ordinance
Land Ordinance of 1785
Homestead Act
Missouri Compromise
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided a process for territories north of the Ohio River to become states on equal footing with original states, banned slavery in the territory, and guaranteed civil liberties. It was a significant achievement of the Articles of Confederation government. See National Archives Northwest Ordinance.
Which Act under the Articles of Confederation outlined a plan for surveying western lands?
Land Ordinance of 1785
Northwest Ordinance
Homestead Act
Ordinance of Nullification
The Land Ordinance of 1785 established a standardized system whereby settlers could purchase title to farmland in the undeveloped west, dividing land into townships and sections. Its revenue helped pay national debts and it was a precursor to orderly westward expansion. See Britannica on Land Ordinance of 1785.
Which pseudonym did Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay use when writing the Federalist Papers?
Publius
Cato
Brutus
Common Sense
Hamilton, Madison, and Jay published essays under the shared pseudonym “Publius” to argue for ratification of the Constitution, addressing concerns about centralized power. The Federalist Papers remain key to understanding founding principles. “Cato” and “Brutus” were used by Anti-Federalist writers. See Mount Vernon on Federalist Papers.
At the Constitutional Convention, the Virginia Plan proposed representation based on:
Population of each state
Equal representation for each state
Religious affiliation
Military contribution
The Virginia Plan advocated for representation in the national legislature to be proportional to state population or financial contributions, favoring larger states. This proposal contrasted with the New Jersey Plan’s equal representation and led to the Great Compromise. See Britannica on Virginia Plan.
What compromise created a bicameral legislature with one house based on population and one on equal state representation?
Great Compromise
Three-Fifths Compromise
Commerce Compromise
Electoral College
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, established a bicameral Congress with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate granting each state two senators. It balanced large and small state interests and was vital to the Constitution’s ratification. See History.com Great Compromise.
How did the Three-Fifths Compromise resolve representation issues at the Constitutional Convention?
Counted three-fifths of enslaved persons for representation
Granted voting rights to free Blacks
Prohibited slavery in new states
Equalized slavery contributions payments
The Three-Fifths Compromise determined that each enslaved individual would count as three-fifths of a person for both taxation and representation, appeasing Southern delegates concerned about underrepresentation. This compromise increased the political power of slaveholding states in the House of Representatives. See Britannica on Three-Fifths Compromise.
Which group opposed the ratification of the Constitution fearing a too-powerful central government?
Anti-Federalists
Federalists
Loyalists
Whigs
Anti-Federalists, including Patrick Henry and George Mason, argued that the Constitution granted excessive power to the national government and lacked protections for individual rights. Their pressure led to the adoption of the Bill of Rights. Federalists supported ratification. See History.com on Anti-Federalists.
Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?
To protect individual liberties from federal encroachment
To abolish slavery nationwide
To create a national bank
To outline taxation powers
The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments ratified in 1791, were added to assure skeptics the federal government would not infringe on fundamental rights like speech, assembly, and due process. It mollified Anti-Federalist concerns and secured broader support for the new Constitution. See National Archives Bill of Rights.
Which 1794 treaty with Britain angered Democratic-Republicans for failing to address impressment?
Jay’s Treaty
Pinckney’s Treaty
Treaty of Greenville
Treaty of Ghent
Jay’s Treaty sought to resolve lingering issues after the Revolutionary War but did not stop the Royal Navy’s impressment of American sailors or fully protect American shipping. Democratic-Republicans led by Madison and Jefferson vehemently opposed it as too conciliatory to Britain. See History.com Jay’s Treaty.
What diplomatic incident in 1797–1798 involved French agents demanding bribes from American envoys?
XYZ Affair
Whiskey Rebellion
Barbary Piracy
Treaty of Alliance
In the XYZ Affair, French intermediaries labeled X, Y, and Z demanded loans and bribes from American diplomats to begin negotiations, outraging the US public and leading to an undeclared naval war with France known as the Quasi-War. It underscored challenges for the young republic in foreign policy. See History.com XYZ Affair.
The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 were criticized for violating which Constitutional principle?
Freedom of speech and press
Right to bear arms
Protection against unreasonable search
Right to a jury trial
The Sedition Act criminalized “false, scandalous, and malicious” criticism of the government, and the Alien Acts allowed deportation of noncitizens, raising concerns about infringements on First Amendment freedoms and states’ rights. These acts prompted the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. See Britannica on Alien and Sedition Acts.
Which resolutions asserted that states could nullify federal laws deemed unconstitutional, in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts?
Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
Hartford Convention Resolutions
Monroe Doctrine
Missouri Compromise
Drafted by Jefferson and Madison in 1798–1799, the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions argued that states had the right to nullify unconstitutional federal laws, challenging the scope of federal authority and establishing a foundation for states’ rights debates. Though not widely enforced, they influenced later nullification crises. See Britannica on Kentucky Resolutions.
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Study Outcomes
Analyze Colonial Conflicts -
Examine major clashes between European powers and Native American tribes to understand their influence on colonial governance and society during Period 3.
Evaluate British Policies -
Assess the causes and effects of taxation acts, trade regulations, and imperial policies on colonial unity and resistance leading up to the Revolution.
Identify Revolutionary Events -
Recognize key incidents - such as the Boston Massacre and the Intolerable Acts - and their roles in escalating tensions between Britain and its American colonies.
Apply Chronological Ordering -
Sequence major 18th-century events from chapter 3 accurately to strengthen your mastery of the timeline in this apush unit 3 practice test.
Interpret Test-Taking Strategies -
Apply proven techniques for answering multiple-choice questions in this unit 3 apush practice test to enhance accuracy and time management.
Review Period 3 Concepts -
Summarize essential developments from chapter 3, consolidating your chapter 3 apush review and reinforcing your understanding of key Period 3 themes.
Cheat Sheet
French and Indian War & Imperial Strain -
The French and Indian War (1754 - 1763) left Britain £133 million in debt, prompting Parliament to enforce the Sugar and Stamp Acts. Use the mnemonic "FIFA Debt" (French Imperial Fiscal Aftermath) to remember causes and effects. Understanding these taxes is crucial for your unit 3 apush practice test reviews.
Proclamation of 1763 & Colonial Resistance -
The Proclamation Line of 1763 barred colonists from settling west of the Appalachians to appease Native Americans, fueling resentment. Remember "Appalachian Barrier" as a simple phrase to link this policy to colonial discontent. This tension helps explain why many colonists began to question British authority (source: University of Virginia).
Enlightenment & Great Awakening Thought -
Colonists absorbed Enlightenment ideals (Locke's natural rights) and were energized by the Great Awakening's egalitarian message, sowing democratic seeds. A handy mnemonic is "LOCK and AWAKEN": LOCKe + AWAKEning = political and spiritual rebirth. These movements influenced leaders like Jefferson (Johns Hopkins University).
Taxation Acts to Colonial Unity -
The Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, and Tea Act sparked widespread protest, culminating in the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Link them with the 1-2-3 clue: Stamp, Townshend, Tea - Stampede to Unity. Committees of Correspondence and Sons of Liberty emerged as key organization tools (source: National Archives).
Continental Congress & Push for Independence -
The First Continental Congress (1774) coordinated colonial responses, while the Second (1775 - 76) moved toward independence with drafts of the Declaration. Remember "One-Second Quest" to recall the two congresses: One to protest, Second to declare. Mastering this sequence is vital for the period 3 apush practice test (source: Library of Congress).
