War for Independence

Identifications (4 Points) 1.Hessians

Answer One Hessians were German mercenaries hired by the British to fight the colonists. Washington defeated the Hessians at Trenton.

Identifications (4 Points) 2.Thomas Paine

Answer Two Thomas Paine wrote the pamphlet “Common Sense” which attacked the King and aroused patriotic fervor and helped them decide to break their ties to the King.

Identifications (4 Points) 3. Thomas Jefferson

Answer Three Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence. In it, he listed grievances against the King and outlined the reasons for the Colonists revolting against England.

Identifications (4 Points) 4. Social Contract John Locke

Answer Four Social Contract- was a basis for the Declaration of Independence which stated that government was an agreement between the people and the government in that people give up some power in return for protection of their rights.

Identifications (4 Points) 5. Trenton and Princeton

Answer Five Trenton and Princeton were battles where Washington attacked the Hessians on Christmas Day hoping to catch them unaware. This victory came at a crucial time and helped the morale of the Americans.

Identifications (4 Points) 6. Robert Morris

Answer Six Robert Morris was known as “the financier of the war”. He personally gave money so that Washington could move his army from New York to the decisive battle at Yorktown.

Identifications (4 Points) 7. George Washington

Answer Seven George Washington was the commander of the Continental Army. He was chosen for his leadership skills, experience and because he was from Virginia, a southern colony.

Identifications (4 Points) 8. Tories

Answer Eight Tories were also known as Loyalists. They supported the British Government during the Revolutionary War. New York where many Tories lived during the war.

Identifications (4 Points) 9. Lafayette

Answer Nine Lafayette was a French general who helped train the colonial troops at Valley Forge. When he returned to France, he hung a copy of the Declaration of Independence in his home.

Identifications (4 Points) 10. Saratoga

Answer Ten Saratoga was a huge military victory for the Colonists. The British made a peace offer after the battle that scared the French into backing the Colonists.

Identifications (4 Points) 11. Horatio Gates

Answer Eleven Horatio Gates was the Colonial General in charge of the northern campaigns. He is credited with masterminding the victory at Saratoga.

Identifications (4 Points) 12.Benedict Arnold

Answer Twelve Benedict Arnold was a brilliant military leader who became a turncoat and was caught spying for the British. His name has become synonymous with the word “traitor”.

Identifications (4 Points) 13.Yorktown General Cornwallis

Answer Thirteen Yorktown was where the decisive battle of the war was fought. The French blockaded the British troops while the Americans hemmed them in by land.

Identifications (4 Points) 14.General Clinton

Answer Fourteen General Clinton was a British General who escaped an attack by the Colonists and retreated to New York where he spent the rest of the war occupying that city.

Identifications (4 Points) 15.Treaty of Paris John Jay One Of The US Negotiators In Paris

Answer Fifteen Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War. The treaty was quite generous as the British offered quite a bit of land to try to drive a wedge between America and France.

Short Answer One (10 Points) Cite the four main sections of the Declaration of Independence and explain the importance of each section.

Delegates Debating The Declaration of Independence

Answer 1.Preamble- Introduction that states why the Continental Congress chose to explain their separation from Great Britain. 2. Declaration of Rights- stated the general theories upon which the government of the Revolution were based. 3. Grievances- a list of problems that the colonists had with England and King George in particular. 4. Formal Resolution- of Independence- declaring that America would now be free and clear of England’s rule.

Short Answer Two (10 Points) Describe the plan George Washington had to capture the Hessians at Trenton and tell whether he was successful or not.

Battle Re-Enactment

Answer Washington took advantage of the Hessians celebrating Christmas Eve and chose Christmas day as the day to attack. This attack was successful and the British sent an army to capture Washington but he fooled them by laying low. He then sneaked away and attacked the British at Princeton before going into hiding in the highlands of New Jersey.

Short Answer Three (10 Points) Why was the victory at Saratoga so important to the Colonists?

General Burgoyne British General at Saratoga

Answer The battle at Saratoga was the turning point of the war. American forces trapped the British in upstate New York and forced General Burgoyne to surrender. After this battle, the British offered to surrender and the French, fearing the colonists would accept such an offer, agreed to give aid to the Americans. This brought the power of the French to the war effort eventually insuring total victory.

Short Answer Four (10 Points) List three of the six problems the British and Americans faced at the end of the Revolutionary War.

Colonial Flag and Union Jack

Answer American Problems 1.French troops were blockaded in Newport, Rhode Island and unable to help the Colonists fight the war. 2. Continental army had not been paid in months and was ready to mutiny. 3. Inflation for civilians due to the influx of paper money issued by the Continental Congress. 4. Defection of Benedict Arnold to the British. British Problems 1. Ireland revolted diverting money and troops from the British war effort. 2. British could not keep their conquests in the south because the native people harassed and attacked them.