What happened to the Gaspee in Rhode Island in 1772?

• A. It continued patrolling.
• B. It fled to Britain.
• C. It was burned by colonists.
• D. It was seized by colonists and renamed.

Answer: (C)

The event tests how colonists would respond to British authority when legal channels seemed insufficient. In 1772, Rhode Island colonists attacked a British revenue vessel, the Gaspee, which was patrolling Narragansett Bay to enforce customs laws. They docked or boarded the ship at night, removed its crew, and set it on fire, burning it to the waterline. This act of direct, extralegal resistance showed that colonists were willing to take matters into their own hands rather than rely on royal courts or officials to enforce imperial policies.

The burning of the Gaspee became a powerful symbol of colonial solidarity and helped push the colonies toward more coordinated resistance, including the later formation of committees of correspondence. It did not continue patrolling, flee to Britain, or get seized and renamed, making burning the best description of what happened.