Study Guide Chapter 4
Answer Key
Be able to identify the following people:
1. Baron von Steuben – Prussian officer who helped train the troops at Valley Forge
2. Ben Franklin – helped write Declaration of Independence, helped negotiate French entry into
war, helped negotiate Treaty of Paris
3. Charles Cornwallis – British general who led British troops in south, especially at Yorktown
4. George Washington – commander of all American forces
5. Horatio Gates – American leader at the Battle of Saratoga
6. John Adams - helped write Declaration of Independence, helped negotiate Treaty of Paris
7. John Burgoyne – British general who was supposed to move south from Canada and meet other
troops at Albany. Moved too slowly and never reached destination
8. John Jay – helped negotiate Treaty of Paris
9. Marquis de Lafayette – French aristocrat who served in the American army for no pay, became
one of Washington’s most trusted officers
10. Molly Pitcher – generic term for any woman who carried water to the troops; specifically refers
to woman at the Battle of Monmouth who took her husband’s place when he was wounded
11. Paul Revere – made the “Midnight Ride” around Lexington and Concord to warn Minutemen of
the approach of the British army
12. Thomas Jefferson – primary author of the Declaration of Independence
13. William Howe – British general who was supposed to move his troops north from Philadelphia
to Albany. He never moved north because he chased after Washington instead
Be able to explain the following:
14. Battle of New York – won by the British; important because they drove Americans all the way
across NJ, they demoralized the Americans, and they captured the port city of NY
15. Battle of Saratoga – won by Americans; important because it allowed French to enter war, it
allowed Americans to believe the could win, and it forced the British to change their entire war
strategy
16. Battle of Trenton – won by Americans; important because it improved American morale and it
convinced many Americans to reenlist
17. Battle of Yorktown – won by the Americans; important because the British southern army was
captured and effectively ended the war
18. Boston Massacre (1770) – 5 colonists were killed by British soldiers in Boston after the colonists
had been drinking and started throwing snowball, rocks, etc. at the soldiers
19. Boston Tea Party (1773) – American protest of the Tea Act; Sons of Liberty dressed as natives
and dumped numerous crates of tea into Boston Harbor
20. British capture of Philadelphia – won by the British; forced Americans to move their capital to
York, allowed British to have a comfortable winter while the American had to struggle at Valley
Forge
21. British strategy after Saratoga – they moved to the south and planned to take the south first and
work their way north; chose this strategy because they felt they would meet almost no
resistance in the south
22. British strategy at outset of war – Burgoyne was supposed to move south along the Hudson
River toward Albany. Howe was supposed to move north from Philadelphia and meet Burgoyne.
This would cut the colonies in two – cut off the head and the body will die
23. Common Sense – Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that convinced many Americans that
declaring independence was necessary
24. First Continental Congress (1774) – met in response to Intolerable Acts; wrote a declaration of
colonial rights; defended colonies right to run own affairs; supported protests in Boston; started
boycott of British goods
25. Intolerable Acts (April 1774) – series of acts passed to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea
Party. Closed port of Boston until tea was paid for; provided for housing troops in private homes
26. Olive Branch Petition (July 1775) – attempt by the 2nd Continental Congress to reestablish
peaceful relations with Britain; written by John Dickinson; king refused to read it
27. Reasons Americans won the war
a. British incompetence (give examples)
b. More motivation
c. George Washington
d. Help from foreigners (give examples)
28. Second Continental Congress (May 1775) – meeting of leaders from all of the colonies; declared
independence; acted as government during the war
29. Stamp Act(1765) – law that required that a wax seal or stamp be placed on several types of
goods; passed to raise money to pay for French and Indian War; met by strong colonial
resistance
30. Tea Act (May 1773) – gave East India Company of monopoly on the tea trade in the colonies;
colonists reacted violently; resulted in Boston Tea Party
31. Townshend Acts (1767) – series of taxes on various products; meant to raise revenue to pay
debts
32. Treaty of Paris (1783) – ended the war; formally recognized American independence; set
boundaries – Canada in north, Florida in south, Mississippi River in west
33. Winter at Valley Forge (1777-1778) – site outside of Philadelphia where Americans endured
starvation, freezing, diseases; about ¼ of troops died or deserted. Troops who remained came
out of the winter as a well-trained fighting force
Vocab:
34. Egalitarianism – the belief that all people should have equal political, economic, social and civil
rights
35. Inflation – sharp rise in the price of goods
36. Loyalist – colonist who supported the British government during the war
37. Minutemen – patriot civilian soldiers just before and during war, pledged to be ready to fight at
a minute’s notice
38. Patriot – colonist who supported American independence
39. Profiteer – a person who benefits from selling scarce goods at an inflated price