HONORS US HISTORY
Honors US History
Chapter 8-America Secedes from the Empire
A. Schedule: 9-15-14 to 9-19-14
1. Monday-Chapter discussion
2. Tuesday-Chapter discussion, work on items
3. Wednesday-Chapter discussion, terms due, partner work with questions
4. Thursday-Study questions due, discuss in class
5. Friday-OUT
B. Chapter Learning Objectives:
1. Describe how America moved from engaging in military hostilities with Britain even while
proclaiming loyalty after declaring its independence.
2. Explain the principle of “republicanism” developed by Thomas Paine and other American
leaders.
3. Explain the specific reasons and general principles used in the Declaration of Independence to
justify America’s separation.
4. Explain why some Americans remained loyal to Britain and what happened to them during and
after the Revolution.
5. Describe how the British attempt to crush the Revolution quickly was foiled, especially by the
Battle of Saratoga.
6. Describe the military and political obstacles Washington and his generals had to overcome
before the final victory at Yorktown.
7. Describe the terms of the Treaty of Paris and explain how America was able to achieve such a
stunning diplomatic victory.
C. Vocabulary: (Define in the context of only 1775-1783)
1. George Washington
2. William Howe
3. Nathanial Greene
4. Benedict Arnold
5. John Burgoyne
6. Charles Cornwallis
7. Thomas Paine
8. Barry St. Leger
9. George Rogers Clark
10. Richard Henry Lee
11. Horatio Gates
12. John Paul Jones
13. Thomas Jefferson
14. Marquis de Lafayette
15. Admiral de Grasse
16. Patrick Henry
17. Comte de Rochambeau
18. John Jay
19. Second Continental Congress
20. Common Sense
21. Declaration of Independence
22. Loyalists/Tories
23. Patriots/Whigs
24. Treaty of Paris, 1783
D. Study Questions: (Answer fully using specific details when applicable)
1. Why was the Battle of Saratoga such a key to American success in the Revolutionary War?
2. What were the causes and consequences of the American Declaration of Independence in 1776?
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3. Describe the different courses of the Revolutionary War in New England, the middle Atlantic
states, and the South. What role did the battles in each region play in the eventual American
victory?
4. Why did Americans choose not only to break from Britain, but to adopt a republican form of
government in 1776? What republican ideas did they share, and what did they disagree about?
5. Who were the Loyalists, what role did they play during the Revolution, and what happened to
them afterward?
6. What role did France play in winning America’s independence?
7. How does the American Revolution fit into the series of “world wars” described in Chapter 6?
8. What were the main ideas behind Thomas Paine’s Common Sense? What can account for its
widespread reception?
9. Colonists had debated with Parliament and protested its actions since 1763. Why, then, did the
Declaration of Independence single out King George III as the tyrant threatening their liberties?
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