In Hindsight, the Decision of New England Merchants and Southern

Multiple Choice

In hindsight, the decision of New England merchants and Southern planters to ally with small farmers, shopkeepers, and other pro-independence radicals to defeat the British seems puzzling as the balance of power in post-Revolutionary America shifted in favor of the radicals and threatened the interests of the pre-Revolutionary elite.However, the decision of the merchants and planters to join forces with the radicals may be considered __________ if each group considered the costs and benefits of the decision and speculated about future effects.

A) smart
B) irrational
C) rational
D) intelligent
E) insane