Samuel Kim High School, New York City, the United States of America
July 20th, 2025
"Alright, class. Please place any textbooks and study guides away from the desks so we can begin the midterm," Jonathan Wright, a history teacher at Samuel Kim High School announced.
The class of thirty or so students followed their teacher's instructions and prepared themselves for the incoming test. Towards the back of the classroom, two boys whispered to one another as they waited for their instructor to pass out the exams.
"How much did you study?" Albert Ehrler asked his close friend.
"Enough," Justin Da-nuo Kong answered, "If it's like the other tests, then it'll be a lot of critical thinking and impact. But I did study the material all night yesterday. Trust me, it wasn't that easy."
"Well yeah, because we cover the Revolutionary War and its aftermath for pretty much an entire quarter," Albert deadpanned, "After that its the very late eighteenth century and the entirety of the nineteenth century: industrialization, the French Civil War, the Jamaican Rebellion, the Anglo-American War. Can't say they're not interesting though, I think most of the class is interested in that stuff too..."
"Is there a problem back there?" The teacher called out.
The two boys shut up immediately and accepted the tests that were given to them. Justin wrote his name on the very top and sighed. A third of the test was multiple choice, though there were more than a few response questions on the bottom.
"1) The Battle of Bunker Hill was considered one of the first major American victories against Great Britain during the Revolutionary War. Why was this battle more significant than the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which was also a significant American victory?
A) The Battle of Bunker Hill destroyed a significant portion of the British Navy, which later on allowed the Thirteen Colonies to enjoy an advantage at sea. This allowed greater amounts of materials and weapons to be imported to the Thirteen Colonies.
B) The Battles of Lexington and Concord were not American victories. Instead, the Thirteen Colonies suffered more losses in men and material during the battles, which allowed the British to advance into Boston.
C) The colonial militia forces during the Battle of Bunker Hill inflicted disproportionate losses against the British forces, decimating the British military's leadership. The severe losses that Britain suffered led to the American invasion of Quebec and Nova Scotia.
D) The colonial militia forces managed to slow down the British advance and prevent the collapse of the defensive lines in Boston. This forced the British military to prolong a siege of the city, which later ended in an American victory after Britain's withdrawal."
That's too easy, Justin thought as he circled the right answer. He looked down at the next question.
"2) What was the impact of the American Invasion of Canada (1775) on the (then) colony of Quebec and why?
A) The Invasion of Canada resulted in a severe backlash against the occupying American government due to its anti-Catholic and anti-Loyalist policies. These acts resulted in the severe hindrance of the invading American forces and kindled a pro-British sentiment in the region that lasted up until the mid-19th-century.
B) The Invasion of Canada resulted in a serious defeat for the invading American forces, which forced many Patriots in the region to flee into hiding. As a result, Governor Guy Carleton controlled the region with little opposition and forced severe punishments on the population until the second American Invasion of Canada in 1778.
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C) The Invasion of Canada resulted in a stunning victory of the invading American forces, which led to the American occupation of Quebec. As a result, Quebec was officially invited to the Continental Congress and saw the first widespread universal suffrage in a colony-wide referendum to decide on the colony's future.
D) The Invasion of Canada lasted until the year 1777, which destroyed two major cities (Montreal and Quebec City) and saw wide-spread devastation in the countryside. This resulted in the anti-American and the anti-British attitudes in Quebec that nearly led to the colony's independence from the United States after its capture."
Easy, once again.
"3) Samuel Kim established himself as an important American figure during the Revolutionary War. His biggest role in the Revolution was...
A) Leading the Continental Marines to success multiple times on the battlefield, bringing about a swifter end to the war.
B) Creating sports such as baseball and soccer, which helped boost morale amongst the Continental Army after it suffered numerous defeats in 1776.
C) Establishing a national newspaper, helping the Continental Congress counter British propaganda and raising the image of the Continental Army.
D) Defeating the Native Americans, which led to the end of the war in the Ohio and Kentucky Territories."
After answering a few more multiple-choice questions, he finally moved onto the free-response questions.
"1) In your own opinion, using historical evidence, explain the reasons why Samuel Kim rose to prominence during and after the Revolutionary War. How did he utilize his prominence and what impacts did he have on American society? Bonus points for relating any current events or laws to Samuel Kim's legacy."
Justin groaned. He knew this was going to be on the test because they covered an entire week about the nation's hero during class. His brain raked at all the numerous relevant pieces of information he remembered during their lectures and discussions. He felt immensely proud that one of the nation's hero (oddly enough) was Asian, but to cover so much information about just one man...
He sighed and flipped to the next question while he organized all the information in his head.
"2) What was the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Declaration of Independence? What similarities did these two documents share? What were some differences between the two documents? How did these two documents transform American society and views? Refer to pre-Revolutionary War time periods and cross-examine the differences between pre-Revolution and post-Revolution America."
"3) It is commonly believed that the song "Do You Hear the People Sing" was created by Samuel Kim before the Battle of Bunker Hill, as the battle was the first recorded event in which the song was sung. Here is a section of the lyrics of the song down below:
Will you give all you can give
So that our banner may advance
Some will fall and some will live
Will you stand up and take your chance?
The blood of the martyrs
Will water the soils of our land!
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing the songs of angry men?
It is the music of the people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
How does this song symbolize the beliefs held by the Thirteen Colonies during the Revolutionary War? Examine at least one paragraph from the lyrics given above and refer to historical evidence to support your assumptions. Additionally, define the word "slaves" in regards to the context of the song and time period."
"4) The Revolutionary War had profound effects on the decision making and outlook of Great Britain towards the United States. Explain the evolution of the views Great Britain held towards the United States as the war progressed. Additionally, how did Great Britain's views impact the negotiations for the Treaty of Amsterdam (1777) and the concessions Great Britain ceded to the United States? Bonus points if you are able to explain how the views developed by Great Britain during this time period carried over to the Anglo-American War (1832)."
Justin scribbled furiously on his test paper. He had a lot of work to do.