Final answer:
The correct paraphrasing of the excerpt from 'History of the United States' is that Congress began functioning as a conventional government by establishing an army and handling diplomatic affairs.The correct option is: 1) Congress began exercising the powers of a regular government, from establishing an army to maintaining diplomatic relations with foreign countries.
Step-by-step explanation:
The excerpt from History of the United States by Charles and Mary Beard discusses the actions taken by the Congress in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War. The best paraphrasing of this excerpt is: 'Congress began exercising the powers of a regular government, establishing an army to maintaining diplomatic relations with foreign countries.'
This paraphrase encapsulates the key points that Congress was moving towards defending American rights by force if necessary, transforming the assembly of militiamen into the Continental Army, appointing George Washington as commander-in-chief, raising money, waging war, and carrying out diplomatic relations with other countries.The correct option is: 1) Congress began exercising the powers of a regular government, from establishing an army to maintaining diplomatic relations with foreign countries.