Passage
1
Bernard
Bailyn has recently reinterpreted the early history of the United States by
applying new social research findings on the experiences of European migrants.
In his reinterpretation, migration becomes the organizing principle for
rewriting the history of preindustrial North America. His approach rests on
four separate propositions.
The
first of these asserts that residents of early modern England moved regularly
about their countryside; migrating to the New World was simply a “natural spillover.” Although at first
the colonies held little positive attraction for the English—they would rather
have stayed home—by the eighteenth century people increasingly migrated to
America because they regarded it as the land of opportunity. Secondly, Bailyn
holds that, contrary to the notion that used to flourish in America history
textbooks, there was never a typical New World community. For example, the
economic and demographic character of early New England towns varied considerably.
Bailyn’s
third proposition suggests two general patterns prevailing among the many
thousands of migrants: one group came as indentured servants, another came to
acquire land. Surprisingly, Bailyn suggests that those who recruited indentured servants were the driving
forces of transatlantic migration. These colonial entrepreneurs helped
determine the social character of people who came to preindustrial North
America. At first, thousands of unskilled laborers were recruited; by the
1730’s, however, American employers demanded skilled artisans.
Finally,
Bailyn argues that the colonies were a half-civilized hinterland of the
European culture system. He is undoubtedly correct to insist that the colonies
were part of an Anglo-American empire. But to divide the empire into English
core and colonial periphery, as
Bailyn does, devalues the achievements of colonial culture. It is true, as
Bailyn claims, that high culture in the colonies never matched that in England.
But what of
seventeenth-century New England, where the settlers created effective laws,
built a distinguished university, and published books? Bailyn might respond
that New England was exceptional. However, the ideas and institutions developed
by New England Puritans had powerful effects on North American culture.
Although
Bailyn goes on to apply his approach to some thousands of indentured servants
who migrated just prior to the revolution, he fails to link their experience
with the political development of the United States. Evidence presented in his
work suggests how we might make such a connection. These indentured servants
were treated as slaves for the period during which they had sold their time to
American employers. It is not surprising that as soon as they served their time
they passed up good wages in the cities and headed
west to ensure their personal independence by acquiring land. Thus, it is in
the west that a peculiarly American political culture began, among colonists
who were suspicious of authority and intensely anti-aristocratic.
1. Which of the
following statements about migrants to colonial North America is supported by
information in the passage?
(a) A larger percentage of migrants
to colonial North America came as indentured servants than as free agents
interested in acquiring land.
(b) Migrants who came to the
colonies as indentured servants were more successful at making a livelihood
than were farmers and artisans.
(c) Migrants to colonial North
America were more successful at acquiring their own land during the eighteenth
century than during the seven-tenth century.
(d) By the 1730’s, migrants already
skilled in a trade were in more demand by American employers than were
unskilled laborers.
(e) A significant percentage of
migrants who came to the colonies to acquire land were forced to work as field
hands for prosperous American farmers.
2. The author of the passage states that Bailyn
failed to
(a) give sufficient emphasis to the
cultural and political interdependence of the colonies and England
(b) describe carefully how migrants
of different ethnic backgrounds preserved their culture in the united States
(c) take advantage of social
research on the experiences of colonists who migrated to colonial North America
specifically to acquire land
(d) relate the experience of the migrants
to the political values that eventually shaped the character of the United
States
(e) investigate the lives of
Europeans before they came to colonial North America to determine more
adequately their motivations for migrating
3. Which of the following best summarizes the
author’s evaluation of Bailyn’s fourth proposition?
(a) It is totally implausible.
(b) It is partially correct.
(c) It is highly admirable.
(d) It is controversial though
persuasive.
(e) It is intriguing though
unsubstantiated.
4. According to the passage, Bailyn and the author
agree on which of the following statements about the culture of colonial New
England?
(a) High culture in New England
never equaled the high culture of England.
(b) The cultural achievements of
colonial New England have generally been unrecognized by historians.
(c) The colonists imitated the high
culture of England, and did not develop a culture that was uniquely their own.
(d) The southern colonies were
greatly influenced by the high culture of New England.
(d) New England communities were
able to create laws and build a university, but unable to create anything
innovative in the arts.
5. According to the passage, which of the
following is true of English migrants to the colonies during the eighteenth century?
(a) Most of them were farmers rather
than trades people or artisans.
(b) Most of them came because they
were unable to find work in England.
(c) They differed from other English
people in that they were willing to travel.
(d) They expected that the colonies
would offer them increased opportunity.
(e) They were generally not as
educated as the people who remained in England.
6. The author of the passage is primarily
concerned with
(a) comparing several current
interpretations of early American history
(b) suggesting that new social
research on migration should lead to revisions in current interpretations of
early American history
(c) providing the theoretical
framework that is used by most historians in understanding early American
history
(d) refuting an argument about early
American history that has been proposed by social historians
(e) discussing a reinterpretation of
early American history that is based on new social research on migration
7. It can be inferred from the passage that
American history textbooks used to assert that
(a) many migrants to colonial North
America were not successful financially
(b) more migrants came to America
out of religious or political conviction that came in the hope of acquiring
land
(c) New England communities were
much alike in terms of their economics and demographics
(d) many migrants to colonial North
America failed to maintain ties with their European relations
(e) the level of literacy in New
England communities was very high
8. The author of the passage would be most likely
to agree with which of the following statements about Bailyn’s work?
(a) Bailyn underestimates the effects of Puritan thought on
North American culture.
(b) Bailyn overemphasizes the economic dependence of the
colonies on Great Britain.
(c) Bailyn’s description of the colonies as part of an
Anglo-American empire is misleading and incorrect.
(d) Bailyn failed to test his propositions on a specific
group of migrants to colonial North America.
(e) Bailyn overemphasizes the experiences of migrants to the
New England colonies, and neglects the southern and the western parts of the
New World.
9. What
according to writer does natural
spillover means in this passage?
(a) The economic and demographic character of
early New England towns varied considerably
(b) Residents of early modern England moved
regularly about their countryside; migrating to the New World
(c) The colonies were a half-civilized hinterland
of the European culture system
(d) Those who recruited indentured servants were
the driving forces of transatlantic migration
(e) None of these
10.
According to the passage the phrase ‘passed up’ implies
(a) To pass
an examination or inspection
(b) To exchange greetings
(c
) To exchange greetings
(d) To let go by
(e) To lose consciousness.
Pick
out the most appropriate synonym of the following words as used in the passage
11.
Periphery
(a) realm (b) arena (c) circumference (d) isolation (d) disruption 12. Indentured
(a) exonerated (b) yielded (c) To bind into (D) inspected (d) supervised
Passage 21
1. D 2. D 3. B 4. A 5. D 6. E 7. C 8. A 9.B 10.D 11.D 12.C
1. D 2. D 3. B 4. A 5. D 6. E 7. C 8. A 9.B 10.D 11.D 12.C
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