HomePractice testsBritish History › Test 3
British History

Practice Test 3 — A Long and Illustrious History

Open practice — answers shown

This is a study-mode test: each correct answer is highlighted and an explanation appears beneath every question. For a clean run-through under exam conditions, take one of our timed mock tests instead.

25 questions
British History chapter focus
Question 1 of 25

What did the UK heavily rely on during the industrial revolution?

  1. New economic ideas
  2. Steam power  ✓
  3. Medical advancements
  4. Software development
Answer: B — Scientific discoveries, such as James Watt's work on steam power, helped the progress of the Industrial Revolution.
Question 2 of 25

A law abolished slavery throughout the British Empire in 1833

  1. True  ✓
  2. False
Answer: A
Question 3 of 25

Germany invaded ______ in 1939 that led to the UK declaring war on Germany

  1. Finland
  2. France
  3. Poland  ✓
  4. Austria
Answer: C
Question 4 of 25

The Civil War between Charles I and Parliament in the mid-17th century led to Oliver Cromwell becoming king of England.

  1. True
  2. False  ✓
Answer: B — At the end of the Civil War, England became a republic and Oliver Cromwell was made Lord Protector.
Question 5 of 25

What destroyed the city of London in 1666?

  1. War
  2. Fire  ✓
  3. Plague
  4. Nuclear Plants
Answer: B — During Charles II's reign, in 1665, there was a major outbreak of plague in London. Thousands of people died, especially in poorer areas. The following year, a great fire destroyed much of the city, including many churches and St Paul's Cathedral.
Question 6 of 25

Who in 2002 was voted the greatest Briton of all time?

  1. Margaret Thatcher
  2. Winston Churchill  ✓
  3. Clement Atlee
  4. Sir Robert Walpole
Answer: B — In 2002, Winston Churchill was voted the greatest Briton of all time by the public.
Question 7 of 25

During the Victorian period, the British Empire grew to cover all of India, Australia and large parts of Africa.

  1. True  ✓
  2. False
Answer: A — During the Victorian period, the British Empire grew to cover all of India, Australia and large parts of Africa.
Question 8 of 25

What was the system of land ownership used by the Normans known as?

  1. Feudalism  ✓
  2. Noble land
  3. The Magna Carta
  4. Democracy
Answer: A — The Normans used a system of land ownership known as feudalism. The king gave land to his lords in return for help in war. Landowners had to send certain numbers of men to serve in the army. Some peasants had their own land but most were serfs.
Question 9 of 25

In 1745, who was supported by clansmen from the Scottish highlands and raised an army?

  1. Robert the Bruce
  2. Oliver Cromwell
  3. Bonnie Prince Charlie  ✓
  4. Kenneth MacAlpin
Answer: C — In 1745 there was another attempt to put a Stuart king back on the throne in place of George I’s son, George II. Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie), the grandson of James II, landed in Scotland. He was supported by clansmen from the Scottish highlands and raised an army. Charles initially had some successes but was defeated by George II’s army at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Charles escaped back to Europe.
Question 10 of 25

The assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in 1914 led to which of the following wars?

  1. The Crimean War
  2. The First World War  ✓
  3. The Civil War
  4. The Second World War
Answer: B
Question 11 of 25

Who was one of the founders of England's naval tradition?

  1. Sir Francis Drake  ✓
  2. William Shakespeare
  3. King James
  4. Oliver Cromwell
Answer: A — Sir Francis Drake, one of the commanders in the defeat of the Spanish Armada, was one of the founders of England's naval tradition. His ship (The Golden Hind) was one of the first to sail around the world.
Question 12 of 25

The period after the Norman Conquest up until about 1485 is called the Middle Ages was a time of almost constant war.

  1. True  ✓
  2. False
Answer: A — The period after the Norman Conquest up until about 1485 is called the Middle Ages was a time of almost constant war.
Question 13 of 25

What was the symbol of the House of Tudor?

  1. Thistle
  2. Lion
  3. Two Roses  ✓
  4. Dragon
Answer: C — The symbol of the House of Tudor was a red rose with a white rose inside it as a sign that the Houses of York and Lancaster were now allies.
Question 14 of 25

Parts of the west of Britain, including much of what is now ______, remained free of Anglo-Saxon rule

  1. England
  2. Scotland  ✓
  3. Northern Ireland
  4. Wales  ✓
Answer: B, D
Question 15 of 25

What is the name of the movement against the authority of the Pope and the ideas of the Catholic Church that took place during the reign of Henry VIII?

  1. The Reformation  ✓
  2. The Enlightenment
  3. The Glorious Revolution
  4. The Renaissance
Answer: A
Question 16 of 25

A 60 second silence is observed on the Remembrance Day

  1. True
  2. False  ✓
Answer: B — Remembrance Day, 11 November, commemorates those who died fighting for the UK and its allies. Originally it commemorated the dead of the First World War, which ended on 11 November 1918. People wear poppies (the red flower found on the battlefields of the First World War). At 11.00 am there is a two-minute silence and wreaths are laid at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London.
Question 17 of 25

In 55BC Julius Caesar led a Roman invasion of Britain. It was unsuccessful and for nearly ______ years Britain remained separate from the Roman Empire

  1. 50
  2. 100  ✓
  3. 200
  4. 300
Answer: B
Question 18 of 25

Which two houses fought in the Wars of the Roses?

  1. Parliament and Senate
  2. York and Lancaster  ✓
  3. Kings and Warriors
  4. Lords and Commons
Answer: B — It was fought between the supporters of two families: the House of Lancaster and the House of York. This war was called the Wars of the Roses, because the symbol of Lancaster was a red rose and the symbol of York was a white rose.
Question 19 of 25

Who had the title 'Lord Protector'?

  1. Sir Francis Drake
  2. Admiral Nelson
  3. Charles II
  4. Oliver Cromwell  ✓
Answer: D — After his campaign in Ireland and victory over Charles II at Worcester, Cromwell was recognised as the leader of the new republic. He was given the title of Lord Protector and ruled until his death in 1658.
Question 20 of 25

Which of these TWO lines from Shakespeare’s plays and poems are often still quoted?

  1. The world is your oyster
  2. To be or not to be  ✓
  3. The darling buds of May  ✓
  4. A rose is beautiful
Answer: B, C — Lines from Shakespeare’s plays and poems which are often still quoted include: Once more unto the breach (Henry V) To be or not to be (Hamlet) A rose by any other name (Romeo and Juliet) All the world’s a stage (As You Like It) The darling buds of May (Sonnet 18 – Shall I Compare Thee To a Summer’s Day).
Question 21 of 25

Who did Henry Tudor marry to unite the House of Lancaster and the House of York?

  1. Elizabeth of York  ✓
  2. Elizabeth of Lancaster
  3. Elizabeth II
  4. Elizabeth I
Answer: A — King Richard III of the House of York was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, and Henry Tudor, the leader of the House of Lancaster, became King Henry VII. Henry then married King Richard's niece, Elizabeth of York, and united the two families. Henry was the first king of the House of Tudor.
Question 22 of 25

The Industrial Revolution was the rapid development of industry in Britain in the

  1. 15th and 16th centuries
  2. 15th and 17th centuries
  3. 16th and 17th centuries
  4. 18th and 19th centuries  ✓
Answer: D
Question 23 of 25

The Boer War of 1899 to 1902 established the idea that the British Empire is a force for good

  1. False  ✓
  2. True
Answer: A — The Boer War of 1899 to 1902 made the discussions about the future of the Empire more urgent. The British went to war in South Africa with settlers from the Netherlands called the Boers. The Boers fought fiercely and the war went on for over three years. Many died in the fighting and many more from disease. There was some public sympathy for the Boers and people began to question whether the Empire could continue.
Question 24 of 25

Who was in charge of the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar?

  1. Oliver Cromwell
  2. The Duke of Wellington
  3. Robert the Bruce
  4. Admiral Nelson  ✓
Answer: D
Question 25 of 25

When did the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms establish in Britain?

  1. AD 698
  2. AD 789
  3. AD 410
  4. AD 600  ✓
Answer: D — Britain was invaded by tribes from northern Europe: the Jutes, the Angles and the Saxons. The languages they spoke are the basis of modern-day English. Battles were fought against these invaders but, by about AD 600, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were established in Britain.

What to do next