Rules by Which a Great Empire May Be Reduced to a Small One quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Which literary genres best describe this essay?

   • Autobiography & Memoir
   • Naturalism & Realism
   • Correct answer: Satire & Political Essay
   • Gothic Horror & Mystery
   • Romanticism & Nature Writing

   Satire & Political Essay is the best fit. Franklin uses sustained irony — presenting destructive policies as wise advice — to critique British governance. The numbered "rules" format mimics a practical instruction manual, while every rule actually describes a real grievance. This is political satire at its most effective: making the powerful look foolish by pretending to help them.

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2. 2

   Question 2. Beneath the sarcasm, what serious principle about governing distant provinces holds Franklin's twenty rules together?

   • Correct answer: An empire keeps its provinces through their goodwill, so each insult and injury loosens the bond
   • An empire must keep its provinces weak and divided, or they will grow strong enough to rival it
   • Distant provinces are disloyal by nature, and an empire can hold them only by steady military force
   • Trade, not law or government, is the only real tie between a mother country and its colonies

   In Rule V Franklin says it plainly: "much of the strength of government depends on the opinion of the people." Every rule is a way to wreck that opinion: corrupt governors, contempt for petitions, taxes without consent, troops quartered among peaceful subjects. Read in reverse, the rules say an empire holds its provinces by treating them justly and keeping their loyalty.

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3. 3

   Question 3. How does Franklin describe himself in the essay's opening?

   • An ancient sage who boasts he can make a great city of a little one
   • Correct answer: A modern simpleton teaching the reverse of an ancient sage's wisdom
   • A loyal British subject warning the Crown of colonial dangers
   • A natural philosopher applying scientific principles to politics

   Franklin calls himself a "modern simpleton" who will teach the opposite of what an ancient sage boasted — instead of making a great city from a little one, he will show how to reduce a great empire. This self-deprecating persona is itself ironic: the "simpleton" proceeds to deliver the most devastating political analysis of British colonial policy.

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4. 4

   Question 4. What does Franklin compare the empire to in Rule I?

   • A great tree whose branches must be pruned to keep the trunk strong
   • A great house built on sand that will collapse in the first storm
   • A great ship that must be steered carefully to avoid the rocks
   • Correct answer: A great cake that is most easily diminished at the edges

   Franklin compares the empire to a great cake, saying it is "most easily diminished at the edges." He extends this in Rule II, comparing the government to a "wise ginger-bread-baker" who cuts the dough half through to make it easy to break apart. The metaphor reduces imperial majesty to something domestic and edible, while illustrating how structural inequalities create fault lines.

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5. 5

   Question 5. According to Rule V, what kind of men does Franklin sarcastically recommend as colonial governors?

   • Correct answer: Prodigals who have ruined their fortunes, broken gamesters, and stockjobbers
   • Learned scholars from Oxford and Cambridge with expertise in colonial law
   • Experienced merchants who understand the complexities of transatlantic trade
   • Distinguished military officers who earned honors in the Seven Years' War

   Franklin recommends sending "prodigals, who have ruined their fortunes, broken gamesters or stockjobbers" as governors, arguing they will "probably be rapacious, and provoke the people by their extortions." This is devastating satire: by pretending to advise sending the worst people, Franklin implies that this is exactly what Britain has been doing.

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6. 6

   Question 6. In Rule VIII, how does Franklin say Parliament should respond when colonists complain about taxation without representation?

   • Correct answer: Flout their claims, reject their petitions, and refuse even to read them
   • Send a delegation of sympathetic lords to negotiate a compromise settlement
   • Grant partial representation through a colonial advisory council in London
   • Appoint a commission to study the complaints and report back within a year

   Franklin advises that Parliament should "flout their claims, reject their petitions, refuse even to suffer the reading of them, and treat the petitioners with the utmost contempt." He then delivers one of the essay's most powerful lines: "though many can forgive injuries, none ever forgave contempt." The message is clear: it is not taxation alone that drives rebellion, but the refusal to even listen.

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7. 7

   Question 7. Which colonial rights does Rule X advise the empire to abolish?

   • The right to own property, the right to trade freely, and the right to vote
   • The right to petition the king, the right to self-defense, and freedom of speech
   • Freedom of the press, the right to bear arms, and freedom of assembly
   • Correct answer: Habeas corpus, trial by jury, and freedom of religion

   Rule X is the longest and most comprehensive rule in the essay. Franklin describes stripping colonists of habeas corpus (protection against arbitrary detention), trial by jury (replaced by arbitrary judges paid from fines), and religious freedom. He concludes that such power is "something like that spoken of in the scriptures, which can not only kill their bodies, but damn their souls to all eternity."

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8. 8

   Question 8. What three Latin letters end the essay, and what do they mean?

   • E.T.C. — "Et cetera," meaning the list of rules could continue indefinitely
   • Correct answer: Q.E.D. — "Quod erat demonstrandum," meaning "thus it is demonstrated"
   • N.B. — "Nota bene," meaning "note well" as a final warning to the reader
   • P.S. — "Post scriptum," meaning an afterthought added to a completed letter

   The essay ends with "Q.E.D." — quod erat demonstrandum, a formula used at the end of mathematical proofs meaning "that which was to be demonstrated." Franklin treats colonial revolt as a logical conclusion: follow these twenty rules, and the loss of the empire is not a possibility but a proven certainty.

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9. 9

   Question 9. What does Rule XV say should happen to brave naval officers in peacetime?

   • They should be stationed at frontier forts to protect against Native attacks
   • They should be promoted to admirals and sent to guard the colonial coastline
   • Correct answer: They should be converted into customs officers who prey on colonial commerce
   • They should be retired with generous pensions and baronetcies as reward

   Franklin advises converting "brave, honest officers of your navy" into "pimping tide-waiters and colony officers of the customs." Men who fought to defend colonial commerce in wartime now harass it in peacetime, seizing cargoes over trivial violations. Franklin's point is that this policy turns protectors into predators, making colonists suffer more from their own government in peace than from enemies in war.

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10. 10

    Question 10. In Rule IV, Franklin compares Britain's treatment of its colonies to what domestic situation?

    • A teacher who punishes students for asking questions until they stop learning
    • A father who spoils his children with gifts but refuses them any independence
    • Correct answer: A husband who mistreats his wife from suspicion and converts suspicions into realities
    • A master who works his servants beyond endurance until they flee the household

    Franklin compares the empire to "the husband who uses his wife ill from suspicion," arguing that treating peaceful colonists as if they were always inclined to revolt will eventually "convert your suspicions into realities." This is the theme of self-fulfilling prophecy: oppressive measures designed to prevent rebellion actually cause it.

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11. 11

    Question 11. What does "Sustained irony" mean in this story?

    • A technique where a character says the opposite of what they mean in a single remark or sentence
    • Correct answer: A technique where the author consistently says the opposite of what they mean throughout an entire work
    • A technique where the audience knows something important that the characters in the story do not
    • A technique where the author exaggerates far beyond the truth, repeatedly, to create emphasis or comic effect

    Sustained irony means maintaining an ironic stance throughout an entire work, not just a single line. Franklin never breaks character: from first rule to last, he pretends to advise the empire while actually cataloging its failures. The irony is not occasional but structural — the entire essay means the opposite of what it says.

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12. 12

    Question 12. What does "Rhetorical accumulation" mean in this story?

    • Arranging ideas from least important to most important so the strongest point arrives at the conclusion of a speech
    • Restating an opponent's argument point by point and then refuting each one with contrary evidence
    • Repeating the same word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive sentences to create emphasis
    • Correct answer: Building an argument by piling up examples, evidence, or grievances until the weight becomes overwhelming

    Rhetorical accumulation is the technique of piling up examples until their sheer quantity makes the argument irresistible. Franklin's twenty rules accumulate grievance after grievance — corrupt governors, unjust taxes, dissolved assemblies, seized fortresses, military occupation — until revolt seems not radical but inevitable. The technique is what makes "Q.E.D." feel earned.

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13. 13

    Question 13. What does "Pettifogging" mean in this story?

    • Correct answer: Engaging in petty, underhanded legal practice focused on technicalities rather than justice
    • Refusing to take on clients who cannot afford to pay generous legal fees
    • Specializing in constitutional law and the protection of individual liberties
    • Practicing law with integrity and a commitment to justice for all parties

    Franklin recommends sending "wrangling proctors and pettifogging lawyers" as colonial judges. "Pettifogging" means engaging in petty, quibbling, underhanded legal practice — prioritizing technicalities and personal gain over justice. Franklin implies that such lawyers, appointed as judges, would ensure the colonists never receive fair treatment in court.

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14. 14

    Question 14. Which of these events actually happened in the story?

    • Franklin compares the empire to a great cake that is most easily diminished at the edges.

      Happened

      This is Rule I. Franklin writes: "a great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges." He extends this with the ginger-bread-baker analogy in Rule II.

    • Franklin directly addresses King George III by name and demands he change his policies.

      Didn't happen

      Franklin never names the king directly. He addresses "all ministers who have the management of extensive dominions" — maintaining the fiction that his advice is general rather than specific to Britain, which is part of the satirical disguise.

    • The essay recommends sending prodigals and broken gamesters as colonial governors.

      Happened

      Rule V sarcastically recommends "prodigals, who have ruined their fortunes, broken gamesters or stockjobbers" as governors because they will be rapacious and provoke the people.

    • Franklin argues that colonists should take up arms immediately against the British government.

      Didn't happen

      Franklin never explicitly calls for armed revolt. The genius of the satire is that he lets the conclusion emerge implicitly: if the government follows these rules, the colonies will inevitably separate. The call to action is for Britain to change, not for colonists to rebel.

    • The essay states that "though many can forgive injuries, none ever forgave contempt."

      Happened

      This appears in Rule VIII, after Franklin advises Parliament to reject colonial petitions and treat the petitioners with contempt. It is one of the most quoted lines from the essay.

    • Franklin concludes the essay with "Q.E.D.," borrowing the formula from mathematical proofs.

      Happened

      The essay ends with "Q.E.D." (quod erat demonstrandum), treating colonial revolt as a logical certainty — a theorem that has been proved by the twenty rules.

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15. 15

    Question 15. Where was Franklin living when he wrote this essay, and in what capacity?

    • In Boston, organizing colonial resistance to the Stamp Act alongside Samuel Adams
    • In Philadelphia, serving as Postmaster General of the colonies
    • In Paris, negotiating a military alliance with France against Britain
    • Correct answer: In London, serving as an agent representing several American colonies

    Franklin had been living in London since 1764, serving as an agent for Pennsylvania, Georgia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. From this position he wrote numerous letters and essays for London newspapers explaining colonial grievances to a British audience. The essay was published in The Public Advertiser on September 11, 1773.

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16. 16

    Question 16. What does Rule XVIII advise doing with a colonial fortress built at the colonists' own expense?

    • Demolish it and use the materials to build a new customs house for revenue collection
    • Reinforce it with additional British troops and supplies for frontier defense
    • Correct answer: Betray it into British hands and turn it into a citadel to control the inhabitants
    • Return it to the colonists with thanks for their contribution to imperial defense

    Franklin advises getting the governor to "betray that fortress into your hands" and turning it into "a citadel to awe the inhabitants and curb their commerce." He adds that the colonists' own arms stored there should be seized, producing "ingratitude added to robbery." The broader effect: no other colony will ever build defenses again, leaving all colonies vulnerable to foreign enemies.

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17. 17

    Question 17. What does the final Rule (XX) warn could happen if a provincial general is given unconstitutional powers?

    • He might impose martial law so strictly that all commerce in the colonies ceases
    • Correct answer: He might set up for himself as an independent ruler, and all the provinces will join him
    • He might refuse to obey orders from London and blockade colonial ports independently
    • He might negotiate a separate peace treaty with France behind Parliament's back

    Franklin's final rule warns that a military general given unchecked power may "take it into his head to set up for himself" — like provincial generals in the Roman Empire. This is the ultimate consequence: military dictatorship arising from the empire's own overreach. Franklin notes that "all the provinces will immediately join him," suggesting the general's rebellion would be welcomed by colonists already alienated by the previous nineteen rules.

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18. 18

    Question 18. What was Franklin's primary strategic purpose in writing this essay?

    • Correct answer: To persuade a British audience that their government's policies would lead to losing the colonies
    • To document colonial grievances as legal evidence for a future court case against the Crown
    • To entertain London readers with a humorous fictional account of imaginary colonial complaints
    • To rally American colonists to organize armed resistance against British troops

    Franklin's primary audience was British, not American. Published in a London newspaper, the essay aimed to persuade British readers and parliamentarians that their colonial policies were self-destructive. Franklin chose satire deliberately: from his publishing experience, he knew humorous essays were more widely read than dry political tracts, and could reach readers who would not otherwise engage with colonial arguments.

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19. 19

    Question 19. In Rule IV, Franklin says that treating loyal subjects as rebels will "convert your suspicions into realities." What modern term describes this?

    • Cognitive dissonance — holding two contradictory beliefs simultaneously
    • Sunk cost fallacy — continuing a course of action because of prior investment
    • Confirmation bias — seeking evidence that supports an existing belief
    • Correct answer: Self-fulfilling prophecy — a prediction that causes itself to come true

    A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that causes itself to come true through the actions it inspires. Franklin argues that treating peaceful colonists as though they are "always inclined to revolt" will eventually provoke the very revolt the government feared. The husband-and-wife analogy makes this concrete: suspicion breeds the behavior it suspects.

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20. 20

    Question 20. Which of these grievances from the essay also appears in the Declaration of Independence (1776)?

    • Only the quartering of troops and the denial of trial by jury, but not taxation without consent or dissolved assemblies
    • Only the dissolution of assemblies and the denial of trial by jury, but not taxation or the quartering of troops
    • Correct answer: All of these — taxation without consent, quartering of troops, dissolution of assemblies, and denial of trial by jury
    • Only taxation without consent and the quartering of troops, but not dissolved assemblies or trial by jury

    Virtually all of the grievances in Franklin's 1773 essay reappear in the Declaration of Independence, which Franklin helped draft three years later. Taxation without consent (Rule VIII), quartering of troops (Rule IV), dissolution of assemblies (Rule XIV), denial of trial by jury (Rule X), appointment of corrupt judges (Rule V), and transport of accused colonists overseas for trial (Rule X) all feature in both documents. The essay is effectively a dress rehearsal for the Declaration.

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21. 21

    Question 21. Franklin published this essay alongside another famous satirical piece in 1773. What was it called?

    • Common Sense, a pamphlet arguing that monarchy itself was illegitimate and should be abolished
    • Correct answer: An Edict by the King of Prussia, a fake royal proclamation imposing British-style taxes on Britain
    • The Way to Wealth, a collection of Poor Richard's proverbs about thrift, hard work, and industry
    • A Modest Proposal, which satirically suggested eating Irish children to solve poverty

    "An Edict by the King of Prussia" was published the same week as "Rules by Which a Great Empire." In it, Frederick the Great of Prussia "decrees" the same taxes and trade restrictions on Britain that Britain imposed on America — exposing the injustice through role reversal. Together, the two essays demonstrate Franklin's range: one uses mock instruction, the other uses parody.

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22. 22

    Question 22. Why does Franklin say contempt is more dangerous than injury (Rule VIII)?

    • Correct answer: Because many people can forgive injuries, but no one ever forgave contempt
    • Because contempt from Parliament invalidates all previous laws and treaties with the colonies
    • Because contempt spreads through newspapers faster than physical injuries can heal
    • Because contempt is a criminal offense under British common law and can result in prosecution

    Franklin writes: "though many can forgive injuries, none ever forgave contempt." His insight is psychological and political: taxes and restrictions are injuries that can be negotiated or repealed, but refusing to even read colonial petitions is contempt — a denial of the colonists' dignity and standing as British subjects. This makes reconciliation impossible because it attacks identity, not just interests.

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