While “give me my livelihood or give me death” could never have been

Question

While “give me my livelihood or give me death” could never have been the slogan of the American Revolution, it was its predominant subtext. Elites deeply resented the Navigation Acts and other acts, including the Currency Act of 1764, imposed after the French and Indian War depleted Britain’s treasury. Just as important, if less often acknowledged, a favorable balance of trade and robust profits for numerous merchants, which had existed generally if intermittently since the middle of the eighteenth century, reversed itself immediately after the war, leaving merchants with an oversupply of goods and the prospect, if not the fact, of bankruptcy.

In the South, the tobacco industry had increasingly slipped into the control of factors, who offered credit to the Southern planters for the expansion of their land and slaveholdings. A sudden collapse of credit for planters, as well as reversals for merchants, in 1762 and again in 1772 resulted in an economic panic and a depression in 1772 and 1773. As the wealthy struggled with loss, sailors, laborers, farmers, and shopkeepers either swelled the ranks of the unemployed or went unpaid. With time on their hands and grievances on their lips, they began to participate actively in political life. The rallying cries of elites for such radical economic transformations as nonimportation of British goods and colonial control of currency be- came their rallying cries, too. 
    1 
 1. The passage mentions all of the following events as causes of conditions that led to the American Revolution EXCEPT:

(A) panic and economic crises in 1762 and 1763.
(B) sudden nonimportation of British goods.
(C) Britain’s need to replenish its treasury after the French and Indian War.
(D) new merchant class that developed between tobacco planter and purchaser. 
(E) excess goods on the shelves of merchants.

2 
 2. The author implies a cause and effect relationship between which of the following?

(A) An increase in the profits of a merchant class and a decrease in the profits of the planter class. 
(B) The enforcement of the Navigation Acts and an oversupply of goods on merchants’ shelves. 
(C) The decrease in wealth and profits for the merchant and planter classes and economic hardship for the working classes. 
(D) The loss of the French and Indian War and the British imposition of levees on colonial trade. 
(E) The rise in domestic taxation rates in England and a commensurate rise in the colonies.

3 
 3. Assuming that the causes asserted by the author for the American Revolution are historically representative of wars of independence, which of the following developments would most likely contribute to a national rebellion?

(A) Families who are members of the lower classes in a multitiered economy are suddenly cut off from all government benefits. 
(B) A tax increase for large and small businesses alike is used to finance social programs for all. 
(C) Democratic ideals combine with economic problems to create a climate of patriotic fervor. 
(D) Foreign political interests are suddenly central to the considerations of national policy makers. 
(E) Political events create an economic panic and depression and relatively sudden and widespread economic reversals.

Pankaj0901 · Answer

Sajjad1994  Could you please share the official explanation for all the questions. Thanks

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. The passage mentions all of the following events as causes of conditions that led to the American Revolution EXCEPT:

Difficulty level:   Very Hard

Explanation

Although the passage does refer to nonimportation of British goods, it says only that this was a  “rallying cry”  and not a cause of the revolution. In fact, it makes no sense as a cause because the passage suggests that British goods competed with American ones.

The correct answer is (B).

2. The author implies a cause and effect relationship between which of the following?

Difficulty level:   Hard

Explanation

The passage makes it clear that sailors, laborers and shopkeepers lost their jobs or went unpaid when the wealthy experienced business reversals.

The correct answer is (C).

3. Assuming that the causes asserted by the author for the American Revolution are historically representative of wars of independence, which of the following developments would most likely contribute to a national rebellion?

Difficulty level:   Hard

Explanation

According to the author, the eighteenth century was a period of relatively good economic times until after the French and Indian War. Then, a series of events, including British imposition of levees, an economic panic, and an economic depression, created a reversal of fortune for the wealthy that also affected other classes.

The correct answer is (E).

MBAB123 · Answer

I found this passage to be really difficult as I couldn't grasp the main point (which is always my aim with RCs) and got lost in the details. Got 1/3 correct and I was doing really well on RCs today (before this question :p). If anybody has the passage summary, it would be helpful.

alochemes · Answer

1. The passage mentions all of the following events as causes of conditions that led to the American Revolution EXCEPT:

(A) panic and economic crises in 1762 and 1763.
(B) sudden nonimportation of British goods.
(C) Britain’s need to replenish its treasury after the French and Indian War.
(D) new merchant class that developed between tobacco planter and purchaser.
(E) excess goods on the shelves of merchants.

How is the answer not A? "economic panic and a depression in 1772 and 1773. " not 1762 and 1763. Credit dried up in 1762, and 1763 was not mentioned anywhere in the passage.

If this is a typo, all good, just wanting to know what is up with this.

ducchi1301 · Answer

2. The author implies a cause and effect relationship between which of the following?

(A) An increase in the profits of a merchant class and a decrease in the profits of the planter class.
(B) The enforcement of the Navigation Acts and an oversupply of goods on merchants’ shelves.
  (C) The decrease in wealth and profits for the merchant and planter classes and economic hardship for the working classes. (This is correct, as provided: As the wealthy struggled with loss, sailors, laborers, farmers, and shopkeepers either swelled the ranks of the unemployed or went unpaid.)  
 (D) The loss of the French and Indian War and the British imposition of levees on colonial trade. 
 (E) The rise in  domestic taxation rates  in England and a commensurate rise in the colonies.

3. Assuming that the causes asserted by the author for the American Revolution are historically representative of wars of independence, which of the following developments would most likely contribute to a national rebellion?

(A) Families who are members of the lower classes in a multitiered economy are suddenly cut off from all government benefits.
(B) A tax increase for large and small businesses alike is used to finance social programs for all.
 (C)  Democratic ideals  combine with economic problems to create a climate of patriotic fervor. 
 (D) Foreign political interests are suddenly central to the considerations of national policy makers. 
  (E) Political events create an economic panic and depression and relatively sudden and widespread economic reversals. (This is correct, as before Indian War and French War, the economy is auspicious and doesn't have many problems.)

RiyaJ0032 · Answer

for Q1) why is (D) given to be the cause for American revolution?
RC says that it was the collapse of credit for the tobacco planters that led to the economic crises and with it the revolution

not that there was a new merchant class that led to the revolution

yukta16 · Answer

for question 3 could you explain why cant it be option a ?

GraCoder · Answer

Had the elite merchants/traders been given some financial aid or support from the government earlier and later revoked, then it would be correct, but thats clearly not the case with this passage. 
The passage just states that owing to some bill passed by the British parliament, the elites had faced severe financial and economic losses. Henceforth, option E which states the same.

arjun221199 · Answer

how do we go to next pages in forum?

Bunuel · Answer

Click on "Reading Comprehension" to go to the RC forum, where you can find all RC questions: https://gmatclub.com/forum/download/file.php?id=83867 Alternatively, you can check the main forum page and navigate to other sections from there. https://gmatclub.com/forum/download/file.php?id=83868 GMAT-Club-Forum-03gt54jk.png GMAT-Club-Forum-rtjvkzb5.png

samarpan.g28 · Answer

Hi  RiyaJ0032 , let us focus on the first line from para 2 " In the South, the tobacco industry had increasingly slipped into the control of  factors ,  who offered credit to the Southern planters  for the expansion of their land and slaveholdings." Here, factor means a middle layer between planter and market, an interventionary new merchant class who gained control of the tobacco trade, offering credit. This was the cause behind the movement of the working class towards politics that resulted in the revolution.

I hope this helps.

utkarshs2402 · Answer

I marked D for 2nd question, cofusing those Acts by British with the levees. Can someone explain exactly how we eliminate D for 2nd?

While “give me my livelihood or give me death” could never have been

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

While “give me my livelihood or give me death” could never have been

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