Silver and silver objects had multiple meanings in late-eighteenth-century North America. Insights about social attitudes and the buying habits of consumers come partly from the records kept by silversmiths such as Paul Revere, the most politically active, artistically innovative, and successful silversmith of the period. His customers came from a wide range of socioeconomic groups—artisans, middle-income merchants, the business elite, and government appointees. Revere produced more low-end goods—eating utensils, shoe or knee buckles, buttons, and harness fittings—than high-end. The elite preferred to buy more elaborate silver goods from England or other European countries. Much of his success after the American Revolution (1776-1783), however, lay in his ability to respond to demands for specific kinds of more elaborate silver objects, in particular sugar bowls, creamers, and teapots. One expert notes that after the Revolutionary War, Revere dominated silver teapot production, taking advantage of a return to popularity of a beverage that earlier symbolized a resistance to English taxes and the consumption of which had thus diminished immediately prior to and during the war.
Before the war, inhabitants of the American colonies had preferred to purchase silver as single pieces, thus slowly acquiring complete tea sets; after the war the purchase of larger tea services as a complete set became popular. Revere’s production of such en suite tea services was facilitated by the availability of rolled sheet silver, which was a more economical method of producing silver vessels, in particular fluted teapots—which have grooves or ridges—like the one at the center of the set he made for a wealthy Boston merchant and his wife, John and Mehitable Templeman, in 1792. The rolled sheet metal also made it easier to achieve the fluting and straight edges that mark these objects. Their clean lines and finely engraved designs of draped fabric and tassels recall neoclassical forms (inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art) that were then popular in much of Europe and associated with newly emerging republics on both sides of the Atlantic. These neoclassical attributes, found on all manner of goods and buildings in the immediate post-Revolution period, were the hallmarks of what became known as the Federalist style. Revere also engraved Templeman’s initials—JMT—on the spoon handles, stands, and sugar urn, reinforcing the association between these objects and their owners, and serving as a kind of insurance, making it easier to track down the owner if the item was stolen.
Much of the silver in the homes of the well-to-do in the eighteenth century took the form of coins that were often melted down and transformed into domestic objects, and sometimes remelted to pay off debts or to fund revolutionary armies. This transference from craft to currency and back suggests the particular place that silver held in colonial and post-Revolutionary America. According to historian Richard Lyman Bushman, silver was “a powerful material for establishing identity and configuring hierarchical relationships… Everywhere,” silver was used to command assent, to assert authority, or to claim respect. Silver’s power, notes Bushman, lay in the fact that it could signify three things at once: money; beauty, which was associated with divinity; and rank. In an era of dramatic fluctuations in the value of paper currency, silver maintained its value.
Yet the sheen of silver was tarnished by both its origins and its association with thievery and deceit. Much American silver originated in mines in Mexico and Peru and was extracted through a system of forced indigenous labor marked by long hours and appalling conditions; conditions that were remarked upon in political treatises and literary tracts available to American colonists. Many merchants, through their participation in the slave trade, then acquired the coins created from this silver. Once acquired, owners of such silver had to worry about thieves who recognized the wealth and status associated with this valuable metal and who were not averse to counterfeiting it as well as stealing it. Thus, as Bushman writes, “silver figured in a complex and ambiguous narrative of power.” Whether as coinage or as teapots, it represented both elite status and a more democratic consumer revolution, as well as the ugly underside of the economic system that made both possible.
1
Silver and silver objects had multiple meanings in late-eighteenth-century North America. Insights about social attitudes and the buying habits of consumers come partly from the records kept by silversmiths such as Paul Revere, the most politically active, artistically innovative, and successful silversmith of the period. His customers came from a wide range of socioeconomic groups—artisans, middle-income merchants, the business elite, and government appointees. Revere produced more low-end goods—eating utensils, shoe or knee buckles, buttons, and harness fittings—than high-end. The elite preferred to buy more elaborate silver goods from England or other European countries. Much of his success after the American Revolution (1776-1783), however, lay in his ability to respond to demands for specific kinds of more elaborate silver objects, in particular sugar bowls, creamers, and teapots. One expert notes that after the Revolutionary War, Revere dominated silver teapot production, taking advantage of a return to popularity of a beverage that earlier symbolized a resistance to English taxes and the consumption of which had thus diminished immediately prior to and during the war.
Paragraph 1 suggests that we would most likely learn about customer demand for “eating utensils, shoe or knee buckles, buttons, and harness fittings” from which of the following sources?
ARecords kept by silversmiths
BLetters written by Paul Revere
CLists of objects from the homes of elite Americans
DEnglish tax documents
2
Silver and silver objects had multiple meanings in late-eighteenth-century North America. Insights about social attitudes and the buying habits of consumers come partly from the records kept by silversmiths such as Paul Revere, the most politically active, artistically innovative, and successful silversmith of the period. His customers came from a wide range of socioeconomic groups—artisans, middle-income merchants, the business elite, and government appointees. Revere produced more low-end goods—eating utensils, shoe or knee buckles, buttons, and harness fittings—than high-end. The elite preferred to buy more elaborate silver goods from England or other European countries. Much of his success after the American Revolution (1776-1783), however, lay in his ability to respond to demands for specific kinds of more elaborate silver objects, in particular sugar bowls, creamers, and teapots. One expert notes that after the Revolutionary War, Revere dominated silver teapot production, taking advantage of a return to popularity of a beverage that earlier symbolized a resistance to English taxes and the consumption of which had thus diminished immediately prior to and during the war.
Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information
ARevere took advantage of high English taxes to gain a dominant position in the production of silver teapots and other tea products.
BRevere became a successful maker of silver teapots when lower taxes after the Revolutionary War made tea more affordable
CThe high quality of silver teapots produced by Revere helped tea to again become a popular beverage after the Revolutionary War.
DRevere became one of the primary producers of silver teapots after the Revolutionary War. when tea returned to widespread popularity.
3
Before the war, inhabitants of the American colonies had preferred to purchase silver as single pieces, thus slowly acquiring complete tea sets; after the war the purchase of larger tea services as a complete set became popular. Revere’s production of such en suite tea services was facilitated by the availability of rolled sheet silver, which was a more economical method of producing silver vessels, in particular fluted teapots—which have grooves or ridges—like the one at the center of the set he made for a wealthy Boston merchant and his wife, John and Mehitable Templeman, in 1792. The rolled sheet metal also made it easier to achieve the fluting and straight edges that mark these objects. Their clean lines and finely engraved designs of draped fabric and tassels recall neoclassical forms (inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art) that were then popular in much of Europe and associated with newly emerging republics on both sides of the Atlantic. These neoclassical attributes, found on all manner of goods and buildings in the immediate post-Revolution period, were the hallmarks of what became known as the Federalist style. Revere also engraved Templeman’s initials—JMT—on the spoon handles, stands, and sugar urn, reinforcing the association between these objects and their owners, and serving as a kind of insurance, making it easier to track down the owner if the item was stolen.
The word “attributes” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Atrends
Binnovations
Cfeatures
Dimages
4
Before the war, inhabitants of the American colonies had preferred to purchase silver as single pieces, thus slowly acquiring complete tea sets; after the war the purchase of larger tea services as a complete set became popular. Revere’s production of such en suite tea services was facilitated by the availability of rolled sheet silver, which was a more economical method of producing silver vessels, in particular fluted teapots—which have grooves or ridges—like the one at the center of the set he made for a wealthy Boston merchant and his wife, John and Mehitable Templeman, in 1792. The rolled sheet metal also made it easier to achieve the fluting and straight edges that mark these objects. Their clean lines and finely engraved designs of draped fabric and tassels recall neoclassical forms (inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art) that were then popular in much of Europe and associated with newly emerging republics on both sides of the Atlantic. These neoclassical attributes, found on all manner of goods and buildings in the immediate post-Revolution period, were the hallmarks of what became known as the Federalist style. Revere also engraved Templeman’s initials—JMT—on the spoon handles, stands, and sugar urn, reinforcing the association between these objects and their owners, and serving as a kind of insurance, making it easier to track down the owner if the item was stolen.
According to paragraph 2, which of the following best describes the way in which people bought silver tea sets after the Revolutionary War?
APeople began buying tea sets without grooves or ridges on them.
BPeople stopped buying tea sets that were made from rolled sheet silver
CPeople preferred to buy silver tea sets that were produced in Greece or Rome
DPeople began buying entire silver tea sets at one time instead of buying one single piece at a time
5
Before the war, inhabitants of the American colonies had preferred to purchase silver as single pieces, thus slowly acquiring complete tea sets; after the war the purchase of larger tea services as a complete set became popular. Revere’s production of such en suite tea services was facilitated by the availability of rolled sheet silver, which was a more economical method of producing silver vessels, in particular fluted teapots—which have grooves or ridges—like the one at the center of the set he made for a wealthy Boston merchant and his wife, John and Mehitable Templeman, in 1792. The rolled sheet metal also made it easier to achieve the fluting and straight edges that mark these objects. Their clean lines and finely engraved designs of draped fabric and tassels recall neoclassical forms (inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art) that were then popular in much of Europe and associated with newly emerging republics on both sides of the Atlantic. These neoclassical attributes, found on all manner of goods and buildings in the immediate post-Revolution period, were the hallmarks of what became known as the Federalist style. Revere also engraved Templeman’s initials—JMT—on the spoon handles, stands, and sugar urn, reinforcing the association between these objects and their owners, and serving as a kind of insurance, making it easier to track down the owner if the item was stolen.
According to paragraph 2. which of the following best describes how people responded to the neoclassical style during the late eighteenth century?
AThey began demanding that rolled sheet silver be used to make objects other than tea services
BThey began preferring objects with grooves and fluting to objects with clean lines
CThey began buying copies of Greek and Roman artworks that inspired the style
DThey began associating the style with the new republican governments arising.
6
Much of the silver in the homes of the well-to-do in the eighteenth century took the form of coins that were often melted down and transformed into domestic objects, and sometimes remelted to pay off debts or to fund revolutionary armies. This transference from craft to currency and back suggests the particular place that silver held in colonial and post-Revolutionary America. According to historian Richard Lyman Bushman, silver was “a powerful material for establishing identity and configuring hierarchical relationships… Everywhere,” silver was used to command assent, to assert authority, or to claim respect. Silver’s power, notes Bushman, lay in the fact that it could signify three things at once: money; beauty, which was associated with divinity; and rank. In an era of dramatic fluctuations in the value of paper currency, silver maintained its value.
The word “signify” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Amean
Bbring
Cjoin
Dcontrast
7
Much of the silver in the homes of the well-to-do in the eighteenth century took the form of coins that were often melted down and transformed into domestic objects, and sometimes remelted to pay off debts or to fund revolutionary armies. This transference from craft to currency and back suggests the particular place that silver held in colonial and post-Revolutionary America. According to historian Richard Lyman Bushman, silver was “a powerful material for establishing identity and configuring hierarchical relationships… Everywhere,” silver was used to command assent, to assert authority, or to claim respect. Silver’s power, notes Bushman, lay in the fact that it could signify three things at once: money; beauty, which was associated with divinity; and rank. In an era of dramatic fluctuations in the value of paper currency, silver maintained its value.
According to paragraph 3, in which TWO of the following ways was silver used in colonial and post-Revolutionary America? To receive credit, you must select TWO answers.
AIt was used to pay revolutionary soldiers.
BIt was used as money.
CIt was melted down for use in weapons.
DIt was used to create images of divine beings.
8
Much of the silver in the homes of the well-to-do in the eighteenth century took the form of coins that were often melted down and transformed into domestic objects, and sometimes remelted to pay off debts or to fund revolutionary armies. This transference from craft to currency and back suggests the particular place that silver held in colonial and post-Revolutionary America. According to historian Richard Lyman Bushman, silver was “a powerful material for establishing identity and configuring hierarchical relationships… Everywhere,” silver was used to command assent, to assert authority, or to claim respect. Silver’s power, notes Bushman, lay in the fact that it could signify three things at once: money; beauty, which was associated with divinity; and rank. In an era of dramatic fluctuations in the value of paper currency, silver maintained its value.
Yet the sheen of silver was tarnished by both its origins and its association with thievery and deceit. Much American silver originated in mines in Mexico and Peru and was extracted through a system of forced indigenous labor marked by long hours and appalling conditions; conditions that were remarked upon in political treatises and literary tracts available to American colonists. Many merchants, through their participation in the slave trade, then acquired the coins created from this silver. Once acquired, owners of such silver had to worry about thieves who recognized the wealth and status associated with this valuable metal and who were not averse to counterfeiting it as well as stealing it. Thus, as Bushman writes, “silver figured in a complex and ambiguous narrative of power.” Whether as coinage or as teapots, it represented both elite status and a more democratic consumer revolution, as well as the ugly underside of the economic system that made both possible.
Which of the following best describes the relationship of paragraph 4 to paragraph 3?
AParagraph 4 describes negative aspects of the economic system that gave silver its importance, as described in paragraph 3.
BParagraph 4 explains why silver was a popular material among the American elite. as described in paragraph 3
CParagraph 4 explains how the power of silver as a symbol of wealth and status. described in paragraph 3, increasingly diminished.
DParagraph 4 provides additional evidence for the claim in paragraph 3 that silver successfully maintained its value
9
Yet the sheen of silver was tarnished by both its origins and its association with thievery and deceit.[■] Much American silver originated in mines in Mexico and Peru and was extracted through a system of forced indigenous labor marked by long hours and appalling conditions; conditions that were remarked upon in political treatises and literary tracts available to American colonists. [■] Many merchants, through their participation in the slave trade, then acquired the coins created from this silver. [■] Once acquired, owners of such silver had to worry about thieves who recognized the wealth and status associated with this valuable metal and who were not averse to counterfeiting it as well as stealing it. [■] Thus, as Bushman writes, “silver figured in a complex and ambiguous narrative of power.” Whether as coinage or as teapots, it represented both elite status and a more democratic consumer revolution, as well as the ugly underside of the economic system that made both possible.
Look at the four squaresthat indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage
Problems noted included deep narrow shafts, weak wooden ladders, underground flooding, and generally unsafe work environments.
Where would the sentence best fit？Click on a square sentence to the passage.
10
Silver and silver objects held both economic and social significance in late-eighteenth-century North America.
AWhile elites were the main North American consumers of high-end silver objects before the American Revolution, afterward a variety of socioeconomic groups were able to afford them
BSilver was used both as money and to create practical and decorative goods, which made it an important source of power and social rank.
CConsumers enjoyed the greater availability of silver objects, but it had serious social consequences, as silver was mined through forced labor and silver coins were often obtained through the slave trade
DSilversmith Paul Revere produced a variety of goods, but after the Revolutionary War he became the most popular maker of silver teapots and tea sets, which were decorated in the neoclassical style.
EOver time American colonists became somewhat more reluctant to acquire silver coins and objects because of the growing threat of theft
FSilver was more difficult to counterfeit than paper currency was which is largely why merchants preferred it for their transactions and generally valued it more highly.
