Consider the following statements concerning the American War of Independence: 1. The Americans raised the slogan, 'No taxation without representation'. 2. The American merchants resorted to the boycott of the British products. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a)1 only
- (b)2 only
- (c)Both 1 and 2
- (d)Neither 1 nor 2
Correct — C, Both 1 and 2. 'No taxation without representation' was the rallying cry of the American colonists, who objected to being taxed by a British Parliament in which they had no elected voice, so statement 1 is true. Statement 2 is also true: in protest against measures like the Stamp Act and the Townshend duties, American merchants organised non-importation agreements and boycotted British goods to force their repeal. Both economic protest and the representation slogan were features of the run-up to independence.
- (a)1 only — The slogan was real, but so were the merchants' boycotts of British goods, so statement 2 is not false.
- (b)2 only — Boycotts did happen, but 'No taxation without representation' was equally a genuine and central colonial slogan.
- (d)Neither 1 nor 2 — Both the slogan and the merchant boycotts are well-documented features of the American resistance, so 'neither' is wrong.
The American War of Independence (1775-1783) grew out of colonial resistance to British taxation without consent. Colonists combined a constitutional argument — no taxation without representation — with economic pressure such as boycotts and non-importation of British goods, culminating in the Declaration of Independence (1776).
Both statements name real forms of protest. Tie the slogan to the constitutional grievance over Parliament's taxes, and the boycotts to the merchants' economic weapon against Acts like the Stamp Act and Townshend duties.
- 'No taxation without representation' expressed the colonists' objection to taxes imposed by an unrepresentative Parliament.
- American merchants used non-importation agreements and boycotts of British goods as protest.
- The Stamp Act (1765) and Townshend Acts (1767) were major triggers of the boycotts.
- The war ran 1775-1783; independence was declared in 1776 and recognised by the Treaty of Paris (1783).
Both the representation slogan and the merchant boycotts were real, so the answer is 'Both 1 and 2'.
- Assuming only one form of protest existed — the colonists used both a constitutional slogan and economic boycotts.
- Confusing the American War of Independence with the later French Revolution's slogans.
Statement-based on the causes and methods of the American Revolution, or matching events (Stamp Act, Tea Party) to their significance.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The 1773 protest in which colonists destroyed British tea shipments in an American harbour is known as the
- (a)Boston Massacre
- (b)Boston Tea Party
- (c)Stamp Act Congress
- (d)Continental Congress
Answer(b) Boston Tea Party — a protest against British taxation of tea.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The American Declaration of Independence was adopted in the year
- (a)1765
- (b)1773
- (c)1776
- (d)1783
Answer(c) 1776 — declaring the thirteen colonies free of British rule.