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) rational
B) irrational
C) intelligent
D) insane