Question

casual historians have largely disregarded what was perhaps the most important factor in winning the american revolution—the assistance of france. france sent advisers, arms, and a strong navy, all of which turned the tide of the war. additionally, england could not commit its forces fully to the rebellious colonies, knowing that it might also have to fight france. against the full force of england’s might, even the great george washington may have faltered. of course, this is not to discount the gallantry of the colonists, who persevered under great adversity. why does the passage include the sentence about the gallantry of the colonists? 1 to avoid a possible perception that the author does not hold respect for the accomplishments of the colonists 2 to provide further evidence to support the claim that foreign assistance was the key to winning the war 3 to emphasize the importance of george washington in motivating his ragtag troops to fight the english army

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the sentence's purpose:

1. The sentence says the inclusion isn’t to “discount the gallantry of the colonists, who persevered under great adversity.”
2. This implies the author wants to avoid readers thinking they (the author) don’t respect the colonists’ accomplishments (their gallantry/perseverance).

Let’s evaluate the options:

• Option 1: “to avoid a possible perception that the author does not hold respect for the accomplishments of the colonists” matches the analysis. The sentence clarifies the author still respects the colonists’ efforts, even when highlighting French aid.
• Option 2: The sentence doesn’t relate to “providing further evidence” for foreign aid’s role.
• Option 3: The sentence isn’t about emphasizing Washington’s role in motivating troops.

The sentence clarifies it does not discount the colonists’ gallantry (perseverance under adversity), which is to avoid readers thinking the author lacks respect for the colonists’ accomplishments. Other options (providing evidence for foreign aid, emphasizing Washington’s role) do not align with the sentence’s purpose.

Answer:

1. to avoid a possible perception that the author does not hold respect for the accomplishments of the colonists