Major Conflicts
What was the first battle of the American Revolution?
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
Who was the commander of the Continental Army?
What document officially ended the American Revolution?
Answer: The Treaty of Paris (1783)
What is the term for an agreement to stop fighting?
Answer: A treaty
Which country sent soldiers, ships, and money to help the American colonies?
France
Which battle was the turning point of the war and convinced France to help the Americans?
Which British general surrendered at Yorktown?
General Charles Cornwallis
What document declared the American colonies independent from Britain?
Answer: The Declaration of Independence
What is it called when one country refuses to trade with another as punishment?
Answer: A boycott
How did George Washington's army escape the British during the battle of Long Island?
They crossed the river at night.
What battle was the final major conflict of the war, leading to the British surrender?
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
What was the purpose of the First Continental Congress?
Colonial leaders met in 1774 to organize a response to British laws, including the Intolerable Acts. They decided to boycott British goods and sent a letter to King George III demanding changes.
What is the term for surrounding an enemy to cut off supplies and force surrender?
Answer: A siege
What European country controlled Florida at the time of the Revolution?
Answer: Spain
What was the name of the event where the American colonists dumped boxes of imported British tea into Boston Harbor?
The Boston Tea Party
Who rode on his horse through the colonies to warn that the British were coming?
Paul Revere
What major decision did the Second Continental Congress make in 1775?
Answer: They created the Continental Army and chose George Washington as its leader.
What does it mean when an army "surrenders"?
They give up and stop fighting.
During the war, which army used "guerrilla warfare" tactics, including surprise attacks?
How many people were killed in the Boston Massacre?
Which wealthy Frenchman joined the colonists in their fight against the British?
Marquis de La Fayette
What was the Stamp Act, and why did it make the colonists angry?
Answer: The Stamp Act was a British tax on paper goods, like newspapers and legal documents. Colonists were angry because they had no say in making the law ("No taxation without representation").
What is a "blockade," and how was it used at Yorktown?
A blockade is when ships prevent supplies from getting in or out. The French fleet blockaded the Chesapeake Bay to stop British reinforcements from arriving.
Redcoats