Road to War
Why did tension grow between colonists and Britain?
Colonists opposed taxation without representation, had to help pay for the French and Indian War, and were angry about the Boston Massacre. (The Stamp Act taxed printed goods, not sugar.)
What was a minuteman?
A colonist ready to fight at a minute's notice.
What famous order was given at Bunker Hill?
Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes.
Why was the American victory at Saratoga important?
It convinced France to openly support the American cause.
What was the 'break-up letter' written mainly by Thomas Jefferson?
The Declaration of Independence.
What was the main purpose of the First Continental Congress?
To discuss the colonists' problems with Britain and organize a response.
What did the lanterns at the Old North Church signal?
One lantern meant by land; two lanterns meant by sea.
Who led the Continental Army?
George Washington.
Where did the Continental Army spend a terrible winter?
Valley Forge.
What two important things did the Second Continental Congress do?
It formed the Continental Army and chose George Washington as its general.
What was the Sugar Act?
A British law taxing molasses and sugar imported by the colonies.
Who rode to warn the colonists that the British were coming?
Paul Revere and William Dawes.
What happened at the Battle of Trenton?
Washington crossed the Delaware River and surprised the Hessian soldiers.
What happened at Dorchester Heights?
Washington placed cannons there, helping force the British to evacuate Boston.
What happened at Yorktown?
American and French forces surrounded the British, while the French navy blocked escape by sea.
What did the Stamp Act tax?
Printed goods such as newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards.
Why did the British march toward Lexington and Concord?
To find and seize the colonists' stored weapons.
What did George Rogers Clark accomplish?
He captured British forts at Kaskaskia and Vincennes, weakening British control in the West.
What was true about the American Navy?
It was small compared with Britain's navy, but American privateers attacked British ships.
What treaty officially ended the American Revolution?
The Treaty of Paris (1783).
What was the Boston Tea Party?
A protest in which colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor.
What does 'Shot Heard Round the World' mean?
The first shots at Lexington and Concord began the American Revolution and became widely known.
Why was John Paul Jones famous?
He continued fighting during a fierce naval battle and said, 'I have not yet begun to fight.'
Name two American strengths during the Revolution.
Many Americans supported independence, and Patriots were fighting for freedom.
What land did America receive in the Treaty of Paris?
Land east of the Mississippi River, south of the Great Lakes, and north of Florida.