Colonial Causes
What was the primary reason European countries established colonies in the Americas?
To gain wealth and resources through trade (mercantilism).
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson.
Which 1775 battles began the Revolutionary War and are called "the shot heard ’round the world"?
Lexington and Concord.
Which 1763 proclamation limited colonial settlement west of the Appalachians?
Proclamation of 1763.
What geographic feature made England’s 13 colonies valuable for trade?
Their location along the Atlantic Ocean.
Who was commander-in-chief of the Continental Army?
George Washington.
At which battle did Washington cross the Delaware and capture Hessians?
Battle of Trenton.
Which act taxed printed materials such as newspapers and legal documents?
Stamp Act.
Define mercantilism.
An economic policy where a country seeks to increase wealth by exporting more than importing and using colonies for raw materials.
Which French aristocrat helped secure French support and aided at Yorktown?
Marquis de Lafayette.
Which 1777 American victory convinced France to support the colonies?
Battle of Saratoga.
What was the 1773 protest in which colonists threw tea into Boston Harbor?
Boston Tea Party.
Name two early problems colonists faced that threatened survival.
Starvation and Native American attacks (also disease and harsh conditions).
Which American general later tried to surrender West Point to the British?
Benedict Arnold.
Which 1781 siege trapped Cornwallis and led to British surrender?
Yorktown.
What do we call the set of laws passed after the Boston Tea Party to punish Massachusetts?
The Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts).
Briefly explain the triangular trade.
Which diplomat secured French aid and contributed to science and diplomacy?
Benjamin Franklin.
What 1775 capture by Ethan Allen provided artillery for the Continental Army?
Fort Ticonderoga.
Why did colonists protest "no taxation without representation"?
They were taxed by Parliament but had no representatives there to protect their rights.