Road to Revolution
What country controlled the thirteen colonies before the American Revolution?
Great Britain
Who served as commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution?
George Washington
Which battle gave the Americans a major morale boost after Washington crossed the Delaware River?
Battle of Trenton
What document formally announced that the thirteen colonies considered themselves independent from Great Britain?
The Declaration of Independence
Which battle was fought after George Washington famously crossed the Delaware River?
Battle of Trenton
What did colonists mean when they protested “taxation without representation”?
Colonists objected to Parliament taxing them when they had no elected representatives in Parliament.
What was one major difference between Patriots and Loyalists during the American Revolution?
Patriots supported resistance to British rule/independence, while Loyalists remained loyal to Britain and opposed independence.
Why was French support important to the American war effort?
France provided military assistance and resources that strengthened the American effort against Britain.
What was one major idea about government that the Revolution challenged?
Answers could include British/monarchical authority or ideas involving representation, popular sovereignty, liberty, and natural rights, based on material covered in the unit.
Why was the Battle of Bunker Hill encouraging to the colonists even though the British won the battle?
Colonial forces inflicted significant casualties on the British and demonstrated that they could fight effectively against professional British troops.
Explain how Enlightenment ideas contributed to colonial arguments for independence.
Ideas involving natural rights, liberty, and government deriving authority from the people helped justify challenging British rule.
How did George Washington's role involve more than simply winning battles?
Washington also had to maintain the Continental Army, preserve morale, provide leadership, and keep the revolutionary cause alive through difficult periods.
How could a victory such as Trenton affect later events even though it did not end the war?
It could restore morale and confidence, strengthen support for the army, and help keep the revolutionary effort going.
How were the ideas behind the Revolution connected to the colonists' decision to fight against British rule?
Ideas involving natural rights, liberty, representation, and the purpose of government helped colonists justify resistance to British authority.
How did Washington's victory at Trenton help the American war effort beyond simply defeating the Hessian forces there?
It boosted American morale and helped restore confidence in the Continental Army during a difficult period of the war.
How could the same British policies be viewed as legitimate by British officials but oppressive by some colonists?
British officials could view taxation and regulation as legitimate governance and a way to pay imperial expenses, while colonists could view those policies as violations of their rights and representation.
Why is it important for historians to examine both Patriot and Loyalist perspectives when studying the Revolution?
It demonstrates that colonists did not share one viewpoint and helps historians understand why people interpreted the conflict differently.
Why should historians consider both military results and effects on morale when determining the importance of a battle?
A battle's significance extends beyond who won. Morale can affect soldiers' willingness to continue fighting, public confidence, commitment to the cause, and the ability to sustain a war.
Why is understanding the perspectives of groups such as enslaved people, Native Americans, Loyalists, and women important when deciding what the Revolution actually changed?
Different groups experienced the Revolution differently. Considering those perspectives reveals both the changes created by independence and the limitations of those changes.
Why could Saratoga be considered more significant than a battle judged only by the amount of territory gained or the number of enemy soldiers defeated?
Its importance extended beyond the battlefield because the victory helped secure French support, changing the larger strategic situation of the war.
Which was more important in causing the American Revolution: British government actions or changing colonial ideas about rights and government? Defend your team's answer using evidence from the unit.
Either position is acceptable when supported with accurate historical evidence and reasoning.
Imagine you are a colonist before independence has been declared. Based on what we studied, would you support the Patriots or Loyalists? Defend your position using historical evidence.
Either position is acceptable if supported with historically accurate evidence and reasoning appropriate to the period.
What makes an event a true “turning point” in history? Choose an event from the American Revolution and defend why it deserves that label.
Answers vary. Students should establish a reasonable definition of a turning point and use accurate evidence showing how their event significantly changed the direction or circumstances of the Revolution.
The Revolution was fought over ideas including liberty, rights, representation, and government. Which of these ideas do you think had the greatest lasting importance? Defend your answer using evidence from the unit.
Multiple answers are acceptable when supported with historically accurate evidence and reasoning.
If you could remove one of the four battles we studied—Trenton, Bunker Hill, Saratoga, or Fort Ticonderoga—which loss would have hurt the American cause the most? Explain why.
Multiple answers are acceptable. Students must accurately explain how removing their selected battle's contribution would have weakened the American war effort.