The American Revolution Chapter 5 Key Concepts

Lesson 1 “Tensions with Britain” Colonists were angry about the Stamp Act because they saw it as unfair. They did not believe that Parliament should be able to tax them because they had no representation in Parliament. Great Britain repealed the Stamp Act because the colonists were threatening stamp agents and boycotting British goods. After the Stamp Act, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts which placed new taxes on the colonists for items such as paper, wool, glass, paint, and lead.

Lesson 2 “The Colonists Rebel” During the Boston Tea Party, colonists boarded a British ship under the cover of night and threw chests of tea into the sea. In response to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed a new series of harsh laws which the colonists named “The Intolerable Acts.” The first two battles of the Revolutionary War were fought at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts.

Lesson 3 “Declaring Independence” Two of the first actions taken by the Continental Congress were the formation of the Continental Army and the creation of the “Olive Branch Petition” which was sent to King George III. The Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence because Great Britain refused to recognize certain rights. The members of the Second Continental Congress knew that once they issued the Declaration of Independence, Great Britain would surely look upon them as traitors. They were certain that war would follow.

Lesson 4 “On the Battlefield and at Home” As a result of the capture of Fort Ticonderoga by the Continental Army, the Patriots captured 59 British cannons which they took to Boston and used to force the British to leave. After the Patriot’s victory at the Battle of Saratoga, the French army joined with the colonies to fight against the British. Women such as Martha Washington, Molly Pitcher, and Phyllis Wheatley played important roles in the Revolutionary War both at home and on the battlefield.

Lesson 5 ”Winning Independence” One key advantage that the Patriots had during the Revolutionary War was that France, Holland, and Spain became their allies supplying them with troops, money, and weapons. African Americans played an important role in the Revolutionary War in that they fought on both sides. The main outcome of the Battle of Yorktown was the surrender of the British army under the command of General Cornwallis.

Critical Thinking Question #1 Why did the British not address the colonists’ complaints even after it became clear that the colonists were willing to fight for what they believed were their rights?

Critical Thinking Question #2 What was one benefit of Washington’s victories at Trenton and Princeton?

Critical Thinking Question #3 The Second Continental Congress sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III. Yet it also created the Continental Army? Why?

Critical Thinking Question #3 Briefly explain why Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense was important in the colonies’ path to independence.