Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumSocial Impact and the Influence of Revolutionary Ideals

"And I do hereby further declare all indentured Servants, Negroes, or others, (appertaining to Rebels,) free that are able and willing to bear Arms, they joining His Majesty's Troops, as soon as may be, for the more speedily reducing this Colony to a proper Sense of their Duty, to His Majesty's Crown and Dignity."
—Lord Dunmore, Royal Governor of Virginia, Proclamation, November 1775

Which of the following was a major social and political consequence of the proclamation excerpted above?

  1. It encouraged thousands of enslaved individuals to seek freedom by fleeing to British military lines, while prompting white southern colonists to rally behind the patriot cause.Answer
  2. B
    It led directly to the adoption of the Three-Fifths Compromise at the Constitutional Convention to secure southern support.
  3. C
    It established the primary policy disagreement that divided Hamilton's Federalists and Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans.
  4. D
    It was issued as a direct royal response to the Stamp Act riots and colonial boycotts of British goods.

Answer

The proclamation encouraged thousands of enslaved individuals to seek freedom by fleeing to British military lines, while prompting white southern colonists to rally behind the patriot cause.
The proclamation issued by Lord Dunmore in 1775 offered freedom to enslaved individuals who fled rebel masters to join the British forces. This caused massive social disruption as thousands of enslaved people took the opportunity to seek freedom behind British lines. Politically, the proclamation outraged and alarmed white southern planters who feared slave insurrections, driving many previously moderate colonists into the Patriot camp and strengthening their support for independence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source context and content.
The document is Lord Dunmore's Proclamation from November 1775, which offered freedom to indentured servants and enslaved people who were owned by rebels if they agreed to fight for the British.
Understanding the source's provisions is necessary to trace its direct social and political impacts.
2
Evaluate the social impact on enslaved individuals and the political reaction of southern colonists.
The proclamation led thousands of enslaved people to escape to British lines to secure their freedom. This threat to the slave system terrified southern white planters, driving many previously moderate colonists to support the Patriot cause.
Connecting the military policy of Dunmore to the social changes and shifting political alliances helps identify the correct consequence.
3
Differentiate the correct historical consequence from chronological and conceptual distractors.
Distractors relating to the Three-Fifths Compromise (1787), Federalist/Democratic-Republican factions (1790s), and the Stamp Act (1765) are ruled out due to incorrect timeline or context.
Ensuring that the final selection accurately matches the 1775 context of the Revolutionary War.

Key Concept

The social impact of the Revolutionary War, specifically the agency of enslaved people seeking freedom and the political reactions of southern elites.
Rate this question

Topics

Social Impact and the Influence of Revolutionary Ideals

More questions from this topic