Colonial Causes
100 — This 1764 law placed new taxes on sugar and molasses and hurt colonial merchants and rum makers.
Sugar Act
100 — He warned colonists that the British were coming with his famous ride and alerted militias (first and last name).
Paul Revere
100 — These were the first fights of the Revolutionary War in April 1775 near Boston. Name them.
Battles of Lexington & Concord
100 — The group of colonial representatives that met in Philadelphia to discuss problems with Britain in 1774 was called the ____ Continental Congress (fill blank).
First
100 — This patriotic song, originally written by a British army doctor, became popular with colonists and is still associated with American patriotism. Name it.
Yankee Doodle
200 — A 1767 set of laws taxed glass, paper, tea and allowed officials to search homes for smuggled goods. Name these acts.
Townshend Acts
200 — This group formed to oppose British taxes and organize protests, including the Boston Tea Party. What were they called?
Sons of Liberty
200 — This 1775 fight convinced colonists they could stand up to the British even though the British won; it increased volunteer enlistment. Which battle?
Battle of Bunker Hill
200 — The Stamp Act taxed this kind of everyday item (give one example).
Paper (books, newspapers, legal documents)
200 — This famous cracked object was located near Independence Hall and became a symbol of American freedom. What is it?
Liberty Bell
300 — Colonists protested taxes with the phrase “no ________ without representation.” Fill the blank.
Taxation
300 — Name the Virginian unanimously chosen by the Second Continental Congress to lead the Continental Army.
George Washington
300 — On Christmas night 1776 Washington crossed a river to surprise Hessian troops in Trenton. Which river did he cross?
Delaware River
300 — The British response to the Boston Tea Party included harsh measures called the Coercive Acts. Colonists gave them another name. What was it?
300 — Name one reason the Boston Tea Party mattered to colonists (short answer).
destroyed a lot of tea (342 chests), showed colonists’ willingness to protest, value equivalent to about $1 million today, act of defiance.
400 — This 1773 law limited who colonists could buy tea from and helped lead to the Boston Tea Party. Name the law.
Tea Act
400 — On December 16, 1773, colonists disguised themselves and dumped tea into Boston Harbor. What is this event called?
Boston Tea Party
400 — The American victory in upstate New York in 1777 persuaded France to help the Americans. Name this battle (or campaign).
Battle of Saratoga
400 — Where did the Second Continental Congress meet (name the building or city)?
Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia
400 — Many colonists who fought in the French & Indian War later became leaders in the Revolutionary War. Name one famous leader who gained experience there.
George Washington
500 — Explain one major way the French & Indian War affected relationships between Britain and the colonies (answer in one or two sentences).
Britain taxed colonists to pay war debt; colonists were angry because they had no say; Britain gained territory and then charged taxes.
500 — Explain why the Olive Branch Petition was written and what Britain’s response was (one or two sentences).
Olive Branch Petition: It was written to ask King George III to resolve differences peacefully; Britain rejected it and declared the colonies in rebellion.
500 — Describe one reason Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River was risky (one or two sentences).
winter weather, icy river, rain, cold temperatures, fewer troops made crossing dangerous.
500 — Explain what “taxation without representation” means using a kid-friendly sentence.
It means the colonists were being taxed by the British government but had no representatives in Parliament to speak for them.
500 — The “Join, or Die” cartoon showed the colonies as pieces of a broken ______ (one word). Fill the blank and explain what the cartoon meant in one sentence.
Snake