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Why did the colonists fight the British?

Reviewed by Jordan Morley, Editorial Lead at 247SimpleTests. Written by the 247SimpleTests Editorial Team from the official source material cited on every question.

Correct answer

Because of high taxes (taxation without representation); because the British army stayed in their houses; because they didn't have self-government

  1. A Because of a soccer match
  2. B Because Britain was too far away
  3. C Because of high taxes (taxation without representation); because the British army stayed in their houses; because they didn't have self-government
  4. D To gain new colonies

Why this is the answer

COLONISTS FOUGHT THE BRITISH because of: high taxes (TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION — they were taxed but had no representatives in the British Parliament); the British army staying in their houses (quartering, boarding); lack of self-government (they wanted to govern themselves). USCIS Civics Question: 'Why did the colonists fight the British?' — Accepted answers: because of high taxes (taxation without representation); because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering); because they didn't have self-government. These grievances led to the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) and the Declaration of Independence (1776). 'No taxation without representation' was a key rallying cry.
Source: USCIS Civics — Why Colonists Fought Britain

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This question is from our US Citizenship Test Practice practice test. Take the full practice test to test your knowledge across all American History and other topics.

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About this topic: American History

Colonial era, independence, the Constitution, slavery and the Civil War, the world wars, civil rights movement, recent events. Key figures, dates, and reasons matter. This is one of 12 Civics (100 Questions) questions on american history, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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