Category 1: Road to Revolution
What war left Britain in debt? (Part 2) Explain how this debt changed Britain’s relationship with the colonies.
French and Indian War; Britain taxed colonies to pay for war debt, ending salutary neglect.
Who sailed for Spain in 1492? (Part 2) How did his voyages change the Americas permanently?
Christopher Columbus; started European colonization, spread diseases, and connected continents through trade.
What year was Jamestown founded? Why was it founded?
1607; for profit and to expand England's empower.
Which colonies were the “breadbasket”? (Part 2) How did geography shape their economy?
Middle Colonies; fertile soil and mild climate supported grain farming.
Who wrote Common Sense? (Part 2) Why was he a Patriot, not a Loyalist?
Thomas Paine; he argued for independence, saying a distant king should not rule the colonies.
What 1763 law banned colonists from moving west of the Appalachians? (Part 2) How did this increase mistrust between Patriots and Britain?
Proclamation of 1763; Patriots felt their sacrifices in war were ignored, showing Britain controlled them without consent.
What was the Columbian Exchange? (Part 2) Explain one positive and one negative effect.
Transfer of goods, people, and diseases between continents; positive = new crops like corn, negative = Native population decline from disease
Who saved Jamestown by strict enforcing rules?
John Smith
Who founded Pennsylvania as a safe place for Quakers and promoted religious freedom? What is ONE thing Penn’s Frame of Government provided to colonists?
William Penn; elected assembly and religious freedom
What battle was the turning point? (Part 2) How did it change foreign support?
Saratoga (1777); convinced France to ally with the colonies.
What 1765 law required stamps on documents? (Part 2) How did colonial resistance show early self-government ideas?
Stamp Act; boycotts and Sons of Liberty proved colonists could unite and push back against unfair laws.
Which European nation relied on the fur trade? (Part 2) Compare its Native American relations to Spain’s.
France; they allied and traded with Natives, unlike Spain which enslaved and conquered.
What 1620 agreement was signed by Pilgrims?
This is known ___________ contract, a simple agreement between people and their government: the people give up some freedoms and follow rules.
A. Social
B. Logical
C. Consent
Mayflower Compact; social
What 1215 English document limited the king? (Part 2) How did it inspire colonial leaders?
Magna Carta; showed rulers must follow the law, inspired rights-focused government.
Where did Washington’s army suffer in 1777–78? (Part 2) How did Lafayette’s support change the war?
Valley Forge; Lafayette boosted morale, trained Continental Army troops, and secured French aid.
What event on March 5, 1770, killed Crispus Attucks? (Part 2) How was this event used as propaganda?
Boston Massacre; Paul Revere’s engraving made it look like innocent colonists were murdered, stirring anger against Britain.
What was the first permanent English settlement in 1607? (Part 2) Explain why its survival mattered for future colonies.
Jamestown; showed England could maintain a colony and paved the way for more settlements.
What crop made Jamestown profitable? (Part 2) How did this crop lead to slavery expanding?
Tobacco; demand for labor led to indentured servants and later enslaved Africans being used on plantations
What was the first representative assembly in 1619? (Part 2) How was it similar to modern democracy?
House of Burgesses; colonists elected representatives, like today’s Congress.
What battle ended the Revolution in 1781? (Part 2) Why did Britain finally give up?
Yorktown; Cornwallis surrendered, Britain realized war was too costly.
What 1774 laws were called the Intolerable Acts? (Part 2) How did they unite colonies toward independence?
Laws that punished Boston (closed harbor, limited self-government, quartered soldiers); other colonies sent aid and joined together at the First Continental Congress.
What caused the most Native American deaths after contact?
Diseases like smallpox; weakened Native nations,
What was the deadly winter of 1609–1610 in Jamestown called? How did settlers survive?
The Starving Time; eating rats, mice, leather
What was the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut? (Part 2) How did it expand “consent of the governed”?
First written constitution in America; government power came from the people, not the king.
What treaty ended the war in 1783? (Part 2) Explain two changes from this treaty tways it shaped America’s new identity.
Treaty of Paris; recognized U.S. independence, set boundaries, and proved America could govern itself.