The American Revolution

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Who was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence? What were the colonist's grievances?

Thomas Jefferson; arrested and imprisoned colonial leaders, taxation without representation, and left standing armies in the colonies and passed the Quarter Act (soldiers stayed with colonists)

When was the Declaration of Independence signed? What did it do?

July 4, 1776; Declared colonial independence from Britain

What were Great Britain's advantages at the start of the war? What were Great Britain's disadvantages at the start of the war?

Advantages: world's strongest navy, very wealthy, large population, well trained army.
Disadvantages: had to send troops/supplies across the ocean, had to hire soldiers who weren't as determined to win

What were America's disadvantages at the start of the war? What were the American's advantages at the start of the war?

Disadvantages: lacked a regular army and strong navy, lacked military experience, weapons/ammunition were in short supply, volunteers who fought in local militias�not a true army.
Advantages: They were fighting on their own land, so they knew the area and

Who were loyalists? Who did they support and why? What was another name for a loyalist?

Loyalists were colonists who supported the King of England. They supported Britain for different reasons (members of the church of England, depended on the British for their jobs, afraid of the disorder that would come from challenging the established gov

How did the location of the war help the Americans?

They were fighting on their own land, so they knew the area and they were more determined to defend it.

Contrast Hessian soldier with the Patriots.

Hessians were hired by Britain as mercenaries and they were fighting for the money. Patriots were fighting for their freedom.

Who were Margaret Corbin and Deborah Sampson? What did women in general do during the war?

Both were women who fought with the Patriots in the American Revolution. Women helped with the war effort , and took over the duties that had once been the responsibility of their husbands or fathers. Other women ran their husband's business

Why is Nathan Hale important to American history?

He was a Patriot who spied on the British from behind enemy lines and was caught. Before he was hanged, he said the famous quote, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.

Who wrote Common Sense and how did it influence colonists?

Thomas Paine�convinced many colonists that they needed to go to war to get their freedom from Britain since the colonists didn't gain anything from being one of Britain's colonies.

What did the British do during the battle of Long Island? What happened to the Continental Army?

The British defeated the Patriots at the Battle of Long Island. The Continental Army ran out of supplies, which led to their defeat.

What troubles did the Continental Army deal with? What did Washington read to his troops to inspire them?

Some soldiers were leaving the army after they completed their term, while others ran away. Washington read from "The American Crisis" by Thomas Paine, which discusses Patriotic ideas and motivated them to fight.

How did some states ease the need for troops in the Army? Why were some southern states opposed to this?

Some states enlisted African Americas. States in the South were fearful that the enslaved African Americas would lead a revolt.

When did Washington cross the Delaware River to surprise the enemy at Trenton?

December 25, 1776

What was the new British battle plan for 1777?

Their new plan was to take Albany, New York, which would separate New England from the Middle colonies, and would also give them control of the Hudson River.

Why were the British trying to take control of the Hudson River?

This would separate the New England colonies from the middle colonies.

What did General Howe plan on doing before he took Albany and when did he do it?

He planned to capture Philadelphia (the American capital). September 1777.

What happened to General Burgoyne as he marched to Albany?

The Green Mountain Boys, a local militia, attacked General Burgoyne and his men, and makes them retreat to Saratoga in New York. General Burgoyne lost part of his army and was desperately short on supplies.

When did Burgoyne surrender?

October 17, 1777

Why was the Battle of Saratoga important?

It was the turning point in the fight for American freedom, as the victory convinced France to form an alliance with the Americans.

How did France help the Americans after the Battle of Saratoga? Who had been in Paris for a little over a year trying to France to form an alliance with the United States?

The alliance that was formed after the Battle of Saratoga meant more soldiers and a bigger navy. Benjamin Franklin had spent a year in Paris trying to get the French to support the Americans' fight for independence.

How did Spain help Americans after the battle of Saratoga?

Spain declared war on Britain, and the fighting with Spain made the British have to divide their troops.

Who was Marquis de Lafayette? What did he do to help to Americans?

French nobleman who became a trusted aide to George Washington.

What were some of the problems that the Continental Army faced during the winter at Valley Forge?

Did not have proper food, clothes or shelter.

What helped improve conditions and lift spirits at Valley Forge?

News of the Patriot alliance with France lifted the spirits of the Continental Army.

The Continental Congress did not have the power to do what?

levy taxes (raise taxes)

What did congress do to pay for the war instead? What did this lead to?

Printed money that was not backed by gold or silver. This lead to inflation which meant the money wasn't worth anything.

The fight for freedom and liberty caused women to question what during the war?

Caused them to question their place in society. They began wanting equality.

How did the war affect slavery? Which states tried to end it and was the issue resolved?

Americans began to question slavery. African Americans had fought for freedom during the American Revolution and now African Americans and whites both believed that slavery would be abolished sooner because of this.

Who did most of the Native Americans in the west side with? Why?

The Native Americans sided with the British because they were less of the threat. The colonists were wanting to move west and this threatened the Native American way of life.

What did Great Britain use its navy for?

The navy formed blockades to prevent supplies and reinforcements from reaching the Continental Army.

What did the Second Continental Congress do about this? Was it successful?

They had 13 ships constructed, although only two of these ever sailed to sea. Four were destroyed by the Americans to keep them out of the hands of the British. Others were quickly captured by the British. The American navy was too weak to be effective.

Who did congress authorize to attack enemy ships? Were they or the American Navy more successful?

Congress authorized approximately 2,000 ships to sail as privateers, and they were much more successful than the American navy.

Who was John Paul Jones and what did he do?

He was a daring naval officer who was a naval hero to the American Patriots. He is famous for his quote "I have not yet begun to fight.

What did the British realize by 1778 and what did they decide to do?

The British realized that bringing the American colonies back into the empire would not be easy, and decided that they needed a hard hitting offense to finish the war.

Why did the British decide to attack the South?

There were many Loyalists here and the British hoped that the sea power and support of the Loyalists would win decisive victories in the Southern states.

What was the worst defeat in the war for the Americans?

Charles Town, South Carolina

What did the British discover after winning battles and conquering land in the south?

The British could not control the land once they had conquered it.

What was the tactic the Patriots used to attack the British called?

Guerilla Warfare Tactics

Who was Bernardo de G�lvez? What did he do and how did it help the Patriots?

He was the governor of Spanish territory and loaned thousands of dollars to the Americans and opened the port of New Orleans to free trade on the part of the colonists. He also organized the shipment of tons of supplies/ammunition up the Mississippi River

When was Kings Mountain? Who won?

September 1780 in the Carolinas. Patriots won

How did the victory at Kings Mountain help bring new support for independence in the South?

this win brought new support from Southerners who wanted to see an end to the war that had destroyed their homes and farms.

What did Nathanael Greene do to the Continental Army? What did it result in?

He replaced Gates as the commander of the Continental forces in the south. He split his army in two. One group defeated the British at Cowpens, South Carolina. The other group went on guerilla raids. Greene then brought the two groups back together and fo

Where did Cornwallis go after he gave up on the Carolina campaign? What did he do there?

He marched north to Virginia. He carried out raids throughout the state.

Where did he set up camp once he was in Virginia?

Cornwallis set up camp at Yorktown, located on the coast of Virginia.

Who did Washington send to fight Cornwallis in Yorktown?

Lafayette and General Anthony Wayne

Where did Washington originally intend to fight the British? Why did he change his mind? Where did Washington plan to attack the British now? Why did he keep it a secret?

He originally intended to fight the British in New York city but then decided to attack them at Yorktown. He changed his mind for several reasons. He knew that the French naval commander, Admiral de Grasse was heading towards Chesapeake Bay. He also knew

When did the battle of Yorktown begin and what happened?

October 9, 1781. Americans and French began a tremendous bombardment. British supplies were running low and many soldiers were sick or wounded. On October 19, Cornwallis surrendered because of the hopeless situation.

Why was the Battle of Yorktown important?

This battle made the British realize that the war was too costly.

Who was sent to represent the United States in Paris?

Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and John Adams

What did the Treaty of Paris (1783) do?

Great Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation, the new area of the US went from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River and from Canada down to Florida. The British promised to withdraw all of their troops from American territory

What was the Newburgh Conspiracy?

The American Congress refused to pay pensions to the soldiers after the end of the war, and failed to provide other pay. Washington helped by persuading Congress that they needed to pay the soldiers so that the soldiers did not start a revolt that would t

What did George Washington do after he resigned from the army?

After saying farewell to his army, he returned home to Mount Vernon where he planned to live quietly with his family.

What factors led to the Americans winning the war? Which two countries helped the Americans win?

They had fought on their own land, while British had to bring troops and supplies from thousands of miles away. British support depended on the sea, and when their ships were blockaded, the British troops were without support. The British had difficulty c