Question

1) Read the passage about the American Revolution

2) Answer the question

"The English lost, but it took seven years and a world war to beat them. The effects of the military struggle thus had time to make themselves felt in every corner of the colonies (or states, as they soon began to call themselves). Soldiers, sailors, members of Congress, farmers, town-dwellers, men, women and children, all experienced the war, whether as a bloody struggle on their doorsteps, or as a terrible inflation which upset all the familiar patterns of trade, or as a general scarcity of goods (which was fine for those who produced them, and especially for the farmers who grew the goods the armies needed), or, most of all, as a revolution: an overturning of all the old political ways and means. War hurried on the change and in many cases determined its direction. It could not have done this if victory had come to either side as promptly as was hoped at Philadelphia and Westminster."

If victory in the colonies had not taken so long, what might have been the outcome?

A. Change would have taken longer.
B. The colonists would not have been as united through the war effort.
C. The English would have won
D. Both A. and B.

Answer 1

A quicker victory in the American Revolution might have led to less unity among the colonists, as the prolonged conflict created a collective sense of identity and purpose.

Step-by-step explanation:

If victory in the American Revolution had not taken so long, it is likely that the colonists would not have experienced the same level of unity and shared hardship that was a result of the prolonged conflict. The passage suggests that the extended duration of the war allowed for a deeper impact on every corner of the colonies, affecting soldiers, sailors, Congress members, farmers, townspeople, men, women, and children in various profound ways.

These shared experiences contributed to a collective sense of identity and purpose, which might not have been as pronounced had victory come quickly.

Answering the question, if victory had not taken so long, the outcome might have been that the colonists would not have been as united through the war effort (option B), as the extended struggle contributed to a unity and direction of change that would otherwise not have been as strong.