Causes of the American Revolution
This law taxed printed materials like newspapers and legal documents and angered colonists because it was a direct tax from Britain.
The Stamp Act
Which battle took place after Washington & his army crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night?
Battles of Trenton/Princeton were 1776–1777 winter successes).
This famous Boston event, staged by colonists including members of the Sons of Liberty, protested the Tea Act.
Boston Tea Party.
What do we call colonists who supported independence from Britain? What do we call colonists who remained loyal to the king?
Patriots and Loyalists.
In what year was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
1776.
Name one economic complaint colonists had against Britain that helped cause the Revolution.
taxes, trade restrictions, the Quartering Act, mercantilist policies
Which 1777 battle is considered the turning point of the Revolution because it convinced France to join the American cause?
Battle of Saratoga (1777).
Name two activities the Sons of Liberty used to oppose British policies.
Examples: organized protests, intimidation/tarring and feathering tax collectors, boycotts, publication of pamphlets and letters.
Give one economic or social reason a colonist might remain loyal to Britain.
Economic ties to Britain, fear of instability, positions in crown government, cultural loyalty.
Name the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.
Thomas Jefferson.
Explain how the idea of “no taxation without representation” connects to colonial views of British government
Colonists argued Parliament could not tax them without elected colonial representatives; they believed rights as Englishmen required representation.
Briefly explain why the Battles of Trenton and Princeton were important for Continental Army morale and recruitment.
They boosted morale after defeats, encouraged reenlistments, showed Washington could win surprise attacks, and undermined British expectations.
Explain how the Sons of Liberty used public demonstrations and propaganda to influence colonial opinion.
They staged public protests and used newspapers, broadsides, and meetings to shape colonial opinion and organize boycotts.
Describe how local communities could be divided between Loyalists and Patriots and one consequence of those divisions during the war.
Families/neighbors often split; consequences: local violence, confiscation of property, shifting control of towns.
Identify two Enlightenment ideas or philosophers that influenced the Declaration’s arguments about government.
Examples: John Locke (natural rights, consent of the governed), Montesquieu (separation of powers).
Describe how the Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts) were intended to punish Massachusetts and how that increased unity among the colonies.
The Intolerable Acts closed Boston Harbor, altered Massachusetts government, allowed quartering of troops; these actions led colonies to unite (First Continental Congress).
What was the major strategic outcome of the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781?
Yorktown led to British surrender of a major army and prompted peace negotiations that ended the war.
Describe the role of leaders such as Samuel Adams in organizing resistance through the Sons of Liberty and how that organization connected to other colonies.
Samuel Adams and others organized committees, coordinated protests, and spread information, linking networks across colonies like Committees of Correspondence.
Explain how the British used Loyalist support in the southern colonies and how Patriots countered that strategy.
British recruited Loyalists for militia in the South; Patriots used militia and partisan leaders (e.g., Francis Marion) and sought to win back neutral colonists.
Explain the structure of the Declaration: what are its three main parts and their purposes?
Preamble (statement of purpose), list of grievances (evidence against the king), resolution of independence (formal separation).
Analyze how British military and political actions between 1763 and 1775 changed colonists’ identities from British subjects to American revolutionaries. (Mention at least three specific acts or events and their effects.)
Proclamation of 1763 (westward limits), Stamp Act (direct taxation), Townshend Acts and Writs of Assistance (searches), Boston Massacre and Tea Party, Intolerable Acts — together these increased resistance and a distinct American political identity.
Explain the different military tactics used by American forces at Kings Mountain and by Continental regulars at Saratoga, and how those tactics affected the outcomes and broader war efforts.
Kings Mountain: mostly Patriot militia using frontier/guerrilla tactics defeating Loyalist militia quickly; Saratoga: Continental troops and militia combined to surround Burgoyne, major conventional victory convincing France to ally.
Evaluate the Sons of Liberty’s impact on colonial governance and mobilization for war, giving specific examples of actions that had long-term political consequences.
Examples: helped build popular support for resistance, undermined loyalist authority, advanced extralegal political organization that later supported provincial conventions and revolutionary governments.
Assess the post-war consequences for Loyalists after the American Revolution, including at least two different outcomes (e.g., migration, property loss, reintegration).
Many Loyalists fled to Canada or Britain, had property confiscated, some reintegrated; outcomes varied by region and social status.
Analyze how the Declaration of Independence both reflected and contradicted the realities of 1776 America (include at least one example related to slavery, women’s rights, or Native American peoples).
It proclaimed universal rights but slavery continued (many enslaved people excluded), women and Native Americans largely excluded from political rights; the document inspired equality ideals but practice lagged.