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Revolutionary War Study Guide
Study your notes from the following lessons:
1. How did the American Revolution begin?
2. What were the characteristics of the Revolutionary War?
3. How did the Revolutionary War affect history?
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1. To protect the Native American people, the Proclamation of 1763 prohibited colonists from moving
west of the Appalachian Mountains.
2. The King and Parliament viewed the American colonies a source of money.
3. Describe each of the Acts listed below:
a. Sugar Act: The Sugar Act lowered the cost of sugar and molasses but angered colonists
because it tried to stop smuggling and force the colonists to pay their taxes.
b. Tea Act: The Tea Act was a tax the British placed on tea. It also granted a monopoly to the
East India Company.
c. Declaratory Act: The act that declared that British had absolute authority over the colonies.
Basically, it said they could tell the colonists what to do.
d. Stamp Act: The Stamp Act was the act that placed a tax on paper. You had to purchase a
stamp for all official documents. These paper items could include newspapers, playing
cards, marriage certificates, shipping paperwork and more.
e. Townshend Acts: The Townshend Acts placed a tax on imported items like glass, lead, tea,
paper, and paint.
f.
Quartering Act: This act required the colonists to house British soldiers in their homes.
g. Intolerable Acts: This act, in response to the Boston Tea Party, closed the port of Boston,
made town meetings illegal, and demanded that Boston repay what was lost in the Boston
Tea Party.
4. How did the British respond to the Boston Tea Party? Intolerable Acts
5. During the Boston Massacre 5 unarmed Patriots were killed. The Colonial leaders exaggerated this
story and used the Boston Massacre killings as propaganda.
6. Which colonists wanted to remain loyal to Britain? Loyalists.
7. Which colonists wanted to fight the British for American independence? Patriots.
8. In his speech “give me liberty, or give me death!” what does Patrick Henry mean? He would rather
be dead than have to serve the King. He would be willing to die for freedom.
9. What was Thomas Paine‟s view of the world‟s role for mankind? Our world is a refuge from tyrants
(like the King) or tyranny.
10. What was the name of the document that declared the colonies “free and independent states”? The
Declaration of Independence
11. When did the delegates to the Second Continental Congress vote to accept the Declaration of
Independence? July 4, 1776.
12. Describe three differences in the British and American armies. The British used European tactics to
fight while the Americans employed guerilla warfare. The British had the best navy in the world and
their soldiers had more training. However, the Americans were fighting in land that they knew well.
13. “The shot heard „round the world” refers to the first shots fired in the American Revolution. Where
did the first battle take place? Lexington & Concord.
14. List the major event/characteristic of each of the battles below:
a. Lexington and Concord: The first shot of the American Revolution happened here.
b. Trenton: Washington and his men crossed the Delaware River on Christmas to attack the
Hessians the next morning.
c. Saratoga: General Burgoyne was forced to surrender at this battle. French became
America‟s ally in the fight against Britain.
d. Valley Forge: Valley Forge was not a military battle, but it was still a struggle to survive.
Valley Forge is where Washington and his men spent the terribly cold winter. Steuben joins
Washington at Valley Forge and trains the army in European warfare tactics. He also helps
them learn discipline.
e. King‟s Mountain: King‟s Mountain was a fight between the Loyalists and the Patriots. The
Patriots were victorious
f.
Yorktown: Yorktown is the last battle of the Revolutionary War. This is where 8000 British
soldiers surrender.
15. The French nobleman who became Washington‟s trusted aide was Lafayette.
16. Why did the Hessians agree to help fight in the war? They were being paid by the British to fight.
17. Who represented the Americans at the peace talks in Paris? Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John
Jay.
18. The American territory was declared an independent nation and the British agreed to withdraw all
troops in the American territory.
19. After the war, George Washington became President of the United States.
20. The Articles of Confederation was the plan for government after the war. List two reasons why it
failed? Under the Articles of Confederation, the nation had a weak central government. They could
not impose taxes, but they could issue currency. Therefore, they printed a lot of money in the
colonies. They did not have enough gold or silver to back up all the money they printed, and the
currency became worthless.
21. As a result of the Revolutionary War, our nation and most states establish which type of
legislatures? Bicameral legislature
22. Describe each of the compromises listed below:
a. The Great Compromise: This is the compromise that settled the issue over representation in
legislature. It was a compromise between the supporters of the Virginia Plan and the New
Jersey Plan.
b. The Three-Fifths Compromise: This compromise settled the issue of how slaves would be
represented in regards to taxation and representation. It claimed that enslaved individuals
were only worth 3/5ths of a person.
23. What law helped stop the spread of slavery to the West? The Northwest Ordinance.
24. Describe each of the land Ordinances listed below:
a. The Ordinance of 1785: It established a procedure for surveying and selling western lands
north of the Ohio River. It divided the area into townships.
b. The Northwest Ordinance: This ordinance created the Northwest Territory.
25. What caused the financial crisis after the Revolutionary War? America faced a lot of financial
problems after the Revolutionary War. Congress did not have the power to raise money through
taxation. Therefore, Congress printed hundreds of millions of dollars‟ worth of paper money to help
pay for debts. This money was not backed by gold or silver and flooded the market with worthless
money.