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AP U.S. History
Unit 2
The American Revolution
Focus your reading on:
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How the French and Indian War changed the nature of
the relationship between Britain and the American
Colonies.
Events that caused the further deterioration of the
relationship between Britain and the American Colonies.
Advantages and disadvantages of both the British and the
Colonists entering the American Revolution.
Key Military Turning Points that ultimately led to British
defeat.
The impact of a war of liberation on the “universal
democracy” of its government following the war.
Introduction
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The American Revolution is an anti-Imperialist Revolution meant to
achieve the right of self-determination. This type of Revolution is often
based on a desire for political or economic autonomy (control). Was
the American Revolution a “war of democracy”?
The other type of Revolution is social/domestic and is typically based
on a desire for democratization. Is it possible there was two
revolutionary impulses occurring in the American Colonies at one
time?
Initially, the Colonies hoped that a peaceful resolution could be
reached rather than open rebellion. When efforts failed the American
Colonies were thrust into a war with one of the world’s strongest
military powers.
After the events at Lexington and Concord the Colonists began coming
out of the woodwork to oppose the British. The Continental Congress
met to begin piecing together an army and choose a leader.
The goal for the American Colonies then becomes outlasting the
British and winning independence.
Goal 2.1: European Colonies in
the New World
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What effect did competition with France have
on British foreign policy and the American
Colonies?
How did the Albany Congress display the
importance of Native American relations to the
British government?
Describe the events that led to the defeat of
the French?
Why could it be said that the French and Indian
War was a “dress rehearsal” for the American
Revolution?
Goal 2.1: European Colonies in
the New World

What effect did competition with France have on British foreign
policy and the American Colonies?
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As we learned in the previous unit the Dutch, Spanish, and French among
others had established colonial possessions in North America.
By the mid-1700s the British and the French were the two most powerful
influences in North America and the two began competing for dominance of the
region.
The competition between the British and French culminated with the French
and Indian War (known in Europe as the Seven Years War).
• The British believed that the French provoked the French and Indian War by their
construction of Forts in the Ohio River Valley, especially Fort Duquesne (near
Pittsburg, Pa).
• The French were building these Forts to stop the westward expansion of the
British Colonies.
British victory in the French and Indian War caused the French to withdraw
almost completely from North America.
Fort Duquesne
Goal 2.1: European Colonies in
the New World

How did the Albany Congress display the importance of Native American relations
to the British government?
• The main purpose of calling the Albany Congress was to ensure that the
Iroquois Confederation remained loyal to the British.
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The Iroquois were involved in discussions and decision making that effected them, the
Colonists, and their British Governing agents.
Under the leadership of Benjamin Franklin, the Congress created the Albany
Plan of Union.
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The Congress could carry on Diplomatic relations with the Native Americans
They would be in control of public lands
They were authorized to raise an army
They could tax colonial citizens
The Individual Colonies, however, too selfish to commit to centralized
government.
•
This was a problem that would continue through the Revolution and plague the 1 st attempt to create
a viable government for the new nation.
Ben Franklin, The Iroquois, and
the Albany Plan of Union
Goal 2.1: European Colonies in
the New World
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Describe the events that led to the defeat of the French?
• The focal point of the French and Indian War was the Ohio River Valley (valuable to
the French for the Fur Trade, to the British for westward Colonial expansion)
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A Colonial Militia, led by George Washington, was defeated at Fort Duquesne
At this point it was clear the French and Indian War was going to be much longer than the British had
anticipated.
Washington was later named top aide to British General Braddock
The War went badly for the British in its early stages:
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Braddock was killed in a disastrous defeat trying once again to take the French stronghold at Fort
Duquesne.
The Defeat would be the worst suffered by the British in North America
The fortunes of the British changed significantly in 1758.
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William Pitt was named Secretary of State and committed the British to defeating the French.
The British drove the French out of Nova Scotia, New York, and (under Washington’s leadership) finally
defeated the French at Fort Duquesne.
The French finally surrendered after their defeat at Quebec.
Prime Minister William Pitt and
British Officer George
Washington
Goal 2.1: European Colonies in
the New World

Why could it be said that the French and
Indian War was a “dress rehearsal” for
the American Revolution?
• The most obvious was the military experience gained
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by George Washington, he absorbed both the strengths
and the weaknesses of the British Army during his
service with General Braddock.
American Colonists witnessed first hand the
“humanity” (imperfection) of the British Red Coats.
People who would never have dreamed, in their wildest
dreams, that a revolution was possible now considered
the possibility realistic.
Goal 2.2: Revenue problems
inherited by the British after the
French and Indian War.
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What problems were created for Great Britain
as a result of victory in the French and Indian
War?
How did the War change, or confirm, Britain’s
trust in the Colonists’ abilities to protect
Britain’s North American possessions?
How did the War change how the Colonists felt
toward Great Britain?
Goal 2.2: Revenue problems
inherited by the British after the
French and Indian War.
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What problems were created for Great Britain as a result of victory in the
French and Indian War?
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The most serious problem for the British was the huge debt and financial crisis
that resulted from prosecuting the war.
The war doubled the size of British territory in North America, all which had to be
governed.
The cost of this newly enlarged empire meant more taxes, for a population that
already heavily taxed.
Native Americans in the Ohio River Valley were hostile to American expansion
(Redcoats had already been sent to put down a rebellion led by Chief Pontiac
with costly results)
A sizeable French Canadian population in Quebec had to be absorbed into the
British Empire.
American Colonists had little concern for these “problems” and desired
increased territory to the west, resisted new trade restrictions, and objected to
newly imposed taxes.
Goal 2.2: Revenue problems
inherited by the British after the
French and Indian War.

How did the War change, or confirm,
Britain’s trust in the Colonists’ abilities to
protect Britain’s North American
possessions?
• The British were highly critical of the American Militia’s
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contributions to the war and some Colonies had refused to send
troops to assist the British.
American businessmen also continued a program of illegal
smuggling during and after the war that damaged the British
economy.
To the British, the American Colonies were neither capable nor
willing to protect their possessions in North America.
Goal 2.2: Revenue problems
inherited by the British after the
French and Indian War.
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How did the War change how the
Colonists felt toward Great Britain?
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The Colonists believed that they had fought very well, they
attributed British defeats and setbacks to the British
unwillingness to adapt to “New World” settings.
They saw no reason why they should be restricted from
moving west into the rich Ohio River Valley, why they should
cooperate with British trade restrictions, or how they should
be taxed more heavily for a war they had no say in.
The biggest change was that the Colonists no longer saw the
British Red Coat as an insurmountable obstacle between
them and independence.
What was expansion and
prosperity to the Colonies was a
aggravation to the British
Unit 2.3: Pre-Revolutionary British
Colonial Policies lead to trouble
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How did the policy of “salutary neglect” influence the
relationship between Britain and her American Colonies?
How did the Proclamation of 1763 demonstrate a
fundamental shift in British policy toward the American
Colonies and cause a greater rift between the two
parties?
What role did British legislation play in increasing colonial
dissent?
How did the actions of Lord Townsend lead the two
parties to the brink of war?
Unit 2.3: Pre-Revolutionary British
Colonial Policies lead to trouble

How did the policy of “salutary neglect” influence the relationship between Britain and her American
Colonies?
• The British policy of Salutary Neglect meant that, although they had restrictions in place
politically and economically, they generally did not enforce these restrictions vigorously.
• As long as the British economy was in good shape the relationship between the British and the
American Colonies was benign.
• British Pre-French and Indian War economic restrictions included:
• The Navigation Acts
• Tobacco and other important resources had to be shipped on British Ships
• Any trade with other imperial powers had to go through British ports
• The British authorized illegal searches and seizures in searches for smuggled goods.
• If enforced these laws could have been disastrous for Colonial businessmen.
• The Wool, Hat, and Iron Acts
• These laws were intended to prevent American businessmen from taking the raw
materials plentiful in America and turning them into finished commodities.
• The Molasses Act
• Molasses was a key component in the production of Rum, a vital part of the Triangle
of Trade (the Slave trade).
Only as effective as it is
effectively enforced!!!!!!!
Unit 2.3: Pre-Revolutionary British
Colonial Policies lead to trouble

How did the Proclamation of 1763
demonstrate a fundamental shift in British
policy toward the American Colonies and
cause a greater rift between the two
parties?
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Allowing the Americans to move west would allow them to go further beyond
British control and would initiate further difficulties with the Native Americans
(more of Pontiac’s Rebellion)
The Colonists viewed the Proclamation as a move to ensure the control and
exploitation of the Colonies, not as protection against Native American
hostilities.
Consequently, the Colonists ignored the Proclamation and streamed across the
Appalachians following the French and Indian War.
Ready or Not Here We Come!
Unit 2.3: Pre-Revolutionary British
Colonial Policies lead to trouble

What role did British legislation play in increasing colonial
dissent?
• Sugar Act of 1764 (The Revenue Act)
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Replaced the Molasses Act and “on paper” made sugar cheaper for the
Colonists.
However, since this act was actually enforced where the Molasses Act had
not been ….
The Currency Act of 1764
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Required the Colonists to use “hard currency”: gold or silver (both of
which were in short supply in North America).
The Quartering Act
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Required Colonists to provide food and shelter to British troops stationed
there.
The Stamp Act of 1765 (see next slide)
The Declaratory Act of 1766
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Proclaimed that Britain had the right to tax Colonists without objection
Unit 2.3: Pre-Revolutionary British
Colonial Policies lead to trouble

The Stamp Act
• This represented an attempt to raise revenue by taxing virtually all
printed material (newspapers, wills, marriage licenses, playing cards,
etc.).
• This Act struck directly at the Colonial Middle Class (Attorneys,
Businessmen, others who depended on legal documents).
• No Act of the British Parliament angered the Colonists more or inspired
more organized resistance.
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Representatives from nine Colonies formed the Stamp Act Congress and created the
Declaration of Rights.
The basis of their protest was that the British did not have the right to tax the Colonies
as long as the Colonies had no representation in Parliament.
Some Colonists participated in a Boycott, others resorted to violence.
The British soon repealed the Stamp Act, but not before Sam Adams’s Sons of Liberty
and Loyal Nine began preaching that total separation from Britain was what was
necessary for the success of the colonies.
Unit 2.3: Pre-Revolutionary British
Colonial Policies lead to trouble

How did the actions of Lord Townsend lead the two parties to the brink of
war?
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The naming of Charles Townsend as Prime Minister represented the rise to power
of those in Britain that believed the Colonists needed to pay “their fair share”.
He imposed new taxes, this time indirect taxes (not paid by the Colonists, but by
Companies at the Ports who would pass the cost along to consumers in the form
of inflated prices).
He disbanded the New York Colonial Assembly for not complying with the
Quartering Act.
He created an American Board of Customs and Admiralty Courts to prevent
illegal smuggling.
He again authorized illegal searches and seizures to prevent smuggling.
The response was immediate boycotts and the initiation of Committees of
Correspondence to keep all the Colonies aware of acts of British Tyranny.
For their part, the British condemned the boycott, labeled the Committees of
Correspondence as treasonous, and sent more troops to the center of this
insurrection (Boston, Massachusetts).
Prime Minister Charles
Townsend
Multiple Choice #1
1.
A major goal of the French in wanting to
maintain control over the Ohio River Valley
was to do which of the following?
A. Prevent attacks by Native Americans on their forts
and outposts
B. Eventually expand into Canada
C. Merge its landholdings from Canada to the
Mississippi River Valley
D. Exploit the lumber trade
E. Prevent Spain from taking control of the Mississippi
River
Multiple Choice #2
2.
The most immediate objective of the Albany
Congress was to do what?
A. Bring an end to the French and Indian War
B. Unite French and American settlers in order to
defeat hostile Native American tribes
C. Convince American Colonists to boycott Britishmade goods
D. End hostilities between Native Americans and
French settlers in the Ohio Valley
E. Improve relations between the American Colonists,
British Government, and Iroquois Confederation.
Multiple Choice #3
3.
As a result of the British victory in the French and
Indian War which of the following occurred?
A. Relations between French and American Colonists
improved dramatically
B. France was able to hold on to Canada but lost the rest of
its North American Empire
C. The Americans and British developed a mutual respect
for each other’s military abilities
D. Britain returned the lower Mississippi River Valley to
Spain
E. A rift of distrust began to develop between Britain and
the Colonies of a renewed commitment to mercantilism
Multiple Choice #4
4.
Which of the following is in the correct
chronological order?
The Peace of Paris (1)
The Tea Act (3)
The Albany Congress (5)
Navigation Law of 1660 (2)
The Molasses Act (4)
A. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
B. 2, 5, 1, 4, 3
C. 5, 4, 1, 3, 2
D. 1, 2, 5, 4, 3
E. 5, 1, 3, 4, 2
Multiple Choice #5
5.
Which of the following occurred under Britain’s
policy of Mercantilism?
A. Britain and the other imperialist powers worked out a
trade agreement that would prevent conflict
B. The Colonies were expected to export more finished
goods than they imported
C. Trade restrictions on the Colonies were forbidden
D. The Colonies were expected to supply Great Britain
with precious raw materials
E. The Colonies were limited in their political and
economic growth by severe British restrictions.
Multiple Choice #6
6.
Prior to the 1760s, Britain’s Navigation Acts
did which of the following?
A. They were effective in raising enormous revenue for the
crown
B. They prevented the American Colonies from shipping
raw materials to Great Britain
C. They were only loosely enforced in the American
Colonies
D. They successfully ended smuggling in the American
Colonies
E. They improved the relationship between Britain and her
Colonies
Multiple Choice #7
7.
The primary goal of the Hat Act, Iron Act, and
Wool Act was to do which of the following?
A. Subordinate American Capitalism to British
Mercantilism
B. Increase production levels of those items in the
Colonies
C. Prevent British manufacturers from shipping raw
materials to America
D. Raise revenue to pay for the salaries of British
officials serving in the American Colonies.
Multiple Choice #8
8.
The Declaration of Rights (adapted
from the Suffolk Resolves by the
delegates to the First Continental
Congress) declared which of the
following to be null and void?
A. The Tea Tax
B. The Declaratory Acts
C. The Intolerable Acts
D. The Quartering Acts
E. The Navigation Laws
Multiple Choice #9
9.
All of the following are correct regarding the
Quebec Act except which one?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
It was warmly accepted by American Colonists as a way of building
a closer relationship with French Canadians
Catholicism was accepted as the official religion of French Quebec
Americans were suspicious that the non-representative assembly in
Quebec would set a precedent for British rule in the American
Colonies
Americans were angry that Quebec’s territory was extended to the
Ohio River
It was an attempt to incorporate the French Canadians into the
British North American Empire.
Multiple Choice #10
10.
Conservative Delegates to the First
Continental Congress, like John Jay, favored
which of the following?
A. Immediate independence from Britain
B. Using violence and intimidation to convince the
British to grant independence
C. Were all from the New England
D. A petition to England to return to pre-French and
Indian War salutary neglect (The Galloway Plan)
E. The belief that the Colonies had no legal right to
representation
Answer Key
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C
E
E
B
D
C
A
C
A
D
Unit 2.4: Events lead to open
rebellion and Declaration of
Independence
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What role did job competition play in the lead up to the Boston
Massacre?
Can one argue that the true first shots of the American Revolution
were fired at the Boston Massacre?
Many describe the period between the Boston Massacre and the
Boston Tea Party as a period of calm. Why is that a false statement?
What impact did the British response to the Boston Tea Party have on
Colonial unity?
How did political differences amongst the delegates to the Continental
Congress shape the Congress’s response to British abuses?
Describe the pre-Declaration of Independence events that set the
stage for open rebellion.
How did Enlightenment philosophies influence the drafting of the
Declaration of Independence?
Unit 2.4: Events lead to open
rebellion and Declaration of
Independence

What role did job competition play in the lead up to the Boston Massacre?
• By 1770 serving in the British Army as an enlisted man was an act of
desperation (it was, to say the least, not a lucrative profession).
• In Boston the Red Coats (Lobsterbacks) were moonlighting and taking
wages far less than Colonial workers.
• On March 5th a mob of angry, unemployed Colonists attacked a British
squadron and the British opened fire.
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11 people were killed or wounded including mob leader Crispus Attucks
Attorney John Adams defended the British soldiers and won acquittals
for most of them. American propagandists dubbed the event the
“Boston Massacre” and spread word of an unprovoked attack on
American Colonists.
New British Prime Minister Lord North made the decision to suspend all
of the Townsend Acts except the tax on Tea.
After the Boston Massacre the Committees of Correspondence kicked
into high gear, after all the last thing anybody needed to do was to stay
calm.
The Lobsterbacks open fire!!!
Unit 2.4: Events lead to open
rebellion and Declaration of
Independence

Can one argue that the true first shots
of the American Revolution were fired
at the Boston Massacre?
• No in the sense that it would be five more years before
•
the actual revolutionary events began to unfold, with
some fairly prolonged periods of peace mixed in.
Yes in the sense that a revolution, in hindsight, seems
inevitable after the Boston Massacre. Once the British
opened the door to armed conflict it seems that there
could be no peaceful solutions to the problems that
existed between the British and Americans.
Unit 2.4: Events lead to open
rebellion and Declaration of
Independence

Many describe the period between the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party as a period of
calm. Why is that a false statement?
• The Committees of Correspondence and groups like the Sons of Liberty (led by Samuel
Adams) were actively fomenting revolution.
• Colonists in Rhode Island looted and burned a British Customs Schooner, the Gaspee, in
1772.
• In 1773 Bostonians burned the home of Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson after
he confronted a Boston mob in the Stamp Act Congress, he later moved back to England
after the Boston Tea Party.
• Later in 1773 members of the Sons of Liberty boarded British Tea Ships and emptied their
cargoes into Boston Harbor.
• The Tea Tax was the only tax to survive the repeal of the Townsend Acts.
• Boston once again erupted when Parliament granted the British East India Tea Company
a monopoly on the sale of Colonial Tea.
• Ironically, tea prices were lower than ever but the Colonists resented the British for
allowing the monopoly in the Tea trade.
• After the Boston Tea Party Massachusetts began confiscating British tea and selling it,
much of the money going to fund the Continental Army
The Gaspee Affair and the
Boston Tea Party
Unit 2.4: Events lead to open
rebellion and Declaration of
Independence

What impact did the British response to the Boston Tea Party have on
Colonial unity?
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The British feared that a strong response would only stir up revolutionaries in the Colonies,
however if they didn’t respond it would be tantamount to appeasement and toleration of
destruction of Property.
The British settled on what became known as the Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts).
• The Intolerable Acts intended to punish the Colony of Massachusetts in order to send a
message that these types of revolutionary actions would not be tolerated.
• The Boston Port Bill closed Boston Harbor.
• The Administration of Justice Act relocated trials of British Officials accused of serious
crimes to England.
• The Massachusetts Government Act limited civil rights and replaced elected of officials
with Crown appointees.
The British then passed the Quebec Act granting the French Canadians expanded territory in
the Ohio River Valley, creating a non-representative government, and proclaiming
Catholicism as the official religion of Quebec.
These actions by the British had the opposite effect of what was intended, they served to
unify the Colonies in opposition to British tyranny.
Unit 2.4: Events lead to open
rebellion and Declaration of
Independence

How did political differences amongst the delegates to the
Continental Congress shape the Congress’s response to British
abuses?
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The Radicals
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Patrick Henry, Sam Adams, John Adams, and Charles Thomson.
For these men the Colonies had passed a “point of no return”. The only remaining
options were for Britain to give in to Colonial demands or declare independence.
The Moderates
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John Dickinson and George Washington
These men believed that the relationship between the Colonies and Britain could be
repaired.
The Conservatives
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John Jay and Joseph Galloway
These men were pushing the “pipe dream” of returning to pre-French and Indian War
salutary neglect and self-rule.
They wanted to revive the Albany Plan of Union and create a Colonial Grand Council that
could veto acts of Parliament.
Unit 2.4: Events lead to open
rebellion and Declaration of
Independence

Describe the pre-Declaration of Independence events that set the stage for open rebellion.
• Thomas Jefferson’s pamphlet A Summary View of the Rights of British America set the tone
for the radicals.
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Parliament has no authority to tax the Colonies
The British Empire was a union of Mother Country and Colonies, not one dominion dominated by the
British
Each Colony should possess its own representative legislature independent of Britain
The only thing holding this union together was allegiance to the King.
The Delegates to the First Continental Congress adopted the Suffolk Resolves in an effort to
condemn the Intolerable Acts.
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They Nullified the Intolerable Acts
They recommended that Colonists arm themselves and called on the Colonies to begin forming militias
They recommended a boycott of British products
In April of 1775 British General Thomas Gage dispatched forces to seize colonial arms in
Concord.
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When the Minutemen came out to meet the British a volley was fired and 8 militiamen were killed, the
British continued on to Concord, and found none of what they sought.
On the way back to Boston the British faced one ambush after another and ultimately lost 300 men on
the march.
The Second Continental Congress met and created the Continental Army commanded by General
George Washington.
They also commissioned the construction of a Navy and sent Benedict Arnold to invade Canada.
The Shot Heard Around the
World
Unit 2.4: Events lead to open
rebellion and Declaration of
Independence
Describe the pre-Declaration of Independence events that set the stage for
open rebellion.
•
•
Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys captured Fort Ticonderoga and moved
100 artillery pieces to Boston.
General Israel Putnam strategically placed Colonial forces on the high ground
surrounding Boston (Breed’s Hill and Bunker Hill).
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The high ground allowed Putnam’s forces to dominate Boston and forced the British to
come and meet him on his terms.
The British sent wave after wave of soldiers up Bunker Hill with disastrous effect (1000
British casualties compared to an equally disastrous 400 American casualties).
In the end the Americans were forced to withdraw after running low on ammunition, but
the battle was viewed as an incredible “moral victory”
In July 1775 the Continental Congress sent the Olive Branch Petition to King
George III hoping that he would relieve some of the tension between the
Colonies and Parliament and grant the Colonies “Home Rule”. When the King
(whom many Colonists saw as a supporter) rejected the petition there was no
choice but to declare independence.
Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold
take 100 British Cannon to
surround Boston.
Unit 2.4: Events lead to open
rebellion and Declaration of
Independence

How did Enlightenment philosophies influence the drafting of the
Declaration of Independence?
•
Even prior to the Declaration a recent English immigrant, Thomas Paine, had
published Common Sense as a condemnation of Monarchy and Aristocracy.
•
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He believed the American cause was a historical one, one that would inspire all nations
under the oppressive thumb of an imperialist.
Paine’s views had strong appeal to those who favored the Republic Form of
Government, one based on the power of the people.
The delegates to the Continental Congress, and certainly Thomas Jefferson
himself, were deeply affected by the philosophies of the Enlightenment.
Thomas Jefferson eloquently expresses the necessity of Independence for the
preservation of natural rights.
•
•
He based much of his writing on the principles John Locke, expressed in his Two
Treatises of Government, establishing the concept of natural rights of all men.
Jefferson also incorporated the views of Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the Social
Contract, that a government only has the right to exist as long as it protects the natural
rights of its citizens.
Unit 2.5: The military phase of
the American Revolution
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Describe some of the strengths and
weaknesses of both the British and Colonists
entering the American Revolution.
How did the events of 1776 demonstrate the
difficulty of war for both sides?
How did the Battle of Saratoga represent a
“turning point” in the American Revolution?
Describe the War in the South and how these
events brought the war to a close.
Unit 2.5: The military phase of
the American Revolution

Describe some of the strengths and weaknesses of both the British and
Colonists entering the American Revolution.
•
British Advantages:
•
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The British had a much larger population, more people from which to pull troops.
The British had more money and wealth
Britain possessed a Professional Army
The British Navy controlled the Seas.
Native Americans, hoping a British victory would halt westward expansion, sided with
the British
A significant portion of the Colonial population, known as Loyalists or Tories, opposed
independence
African Slaves were offered freedom by the British and served in the British Army
British Disadvantages:
•
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The British depended too heavily on volunteers and mercenaries (German Hessians)
The British had powerful enemies with a vest interest in seeing the British weakened.
Britain’s “Old World” tactics did not suit “New World” conditions.
The Atlantic Ocean was a formidable obstacle to logistics and communication
Unit 2.5: The military phase of
the American Revolution

Describe some of the strengths and weaknesses of both the British and
Colonists entering the American Revolution.
•
Colonial Advantages:
•
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•
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The cause of liberty gave them a high moral ideal to fight for
They had excellent officers, including important foreign Generals
• Thaddeus Kosciusko and Casimir Pulaski of Poland
• Baron von Steuben of Germany
• The Marquis de Lafayette of France
The Americans fought an effective guerilla war
Significant financial and military assistance from France
The longer the war went on the less support it would have in Britain, you don’t have to
defeat the British Army you just have to survive long enough for them to quit.
Colonial Disadvantages:
•
•
•
•
A small Army prone to defections.
The Continental Congress had little actual political authority
Significant portions of the population were Loyalist, indifferent, or neutral
Washington’s Army constantly dealt with major supply shortages
Unit 2.5: The military phase of
the American Revolution

How did the events of 1776 demonstrate the
difficulty of war for both sides?
•
•
•
•
•
The Continental Army forced the British out of Boston
Washington’s Army then suffered disastrous defeats trying to
push the British out of New York.
When things appeared to be at their lowest Washington won
key victories in New Jersey at Trenton and Princeton.
After defeats in Pennsylvania, Washington wintered his Army
at Valley Forge. Despite the desperate conditions, some
executions for desertion, and terrible supply shortages it is
here that the Continental Army is forged.
Thomas Paine wrote of this winter as “the times that try men’s
souls”
Washington crossing the
Delaware to surprise drunk
German Hessians at Trenton
Unit 2.5: The military phase of
the American Revolution

How did the Battle of Saratoga represent a
“turning point” in the American Revolution?
• Surrounding General Burgoyne’s British Army north
•
of Albany at Saratoga, New York General Horatio
Gates’ Continental Army won its most important
Battle.
American victory at Saratoga convinced the French
that the Continental Army could win this war and they
began providing open assistance (financial and
military) to the American Colonies.
Unit 2.5: The military phase of
the American Revolution

Describe the War in the South and how these events brought the
war to a close.
•
•
•
•
After the defeat at Saratoga, General Howe was replaced as
commander of British Forces in America by General Clinton who
promptly initiated a new offensive in the Southern Colonies hoping to
take advantage of significant Loyalist support.
In 1781 British fortunes soured again after a series of American
victories drove the British southern command to Yorktown where
they were to be picked up and taken to New York for a renewed
offensive in the North.
Lord Cornwallis (Commander of British Southern forces) found
himself cut off on the Yorktown Peninsula by Washington and
Lafayette’s Army and blocked at sea by Admiral DeGrasse’s French
fleet.
Cornwallis was forced to surrender on October 17, 1781 his band
played the tune “The World Turned Upside Down” as they marched
out of Yorktown in defeat.
Lord Cornwallis surrenders at
Yorktown
Unit 2.6: The end of the War and its
impact on American government and
society.




Describe the stipulations of the Treaty of Paris of 1783.
What impact did women have on the American
Revolution and what impact did their service have on
women’s rights in American society?
What role did African Americans play in the American
Revolution and what impact did their contributions have
on African American rights in American Society?
What does the lingering discrimination and subordination
of Women, African Americans, Native Americans, and
Poor White Males tell us about the Declaration of
Independence and Post-Revolution American society?
Unit 2.6: The end of the War and its
impact on American government and
society.

Describe the stipulations of the Treaty of Paris of 1783.
•
•
•
•
•
Britain formally recognized the independence of the United
States
The boundaries of the United States were set
•
•
•
North along the Canadian border and the Great Lakes
West to the Mississippi River
South to Florida, which had been returned to Spanish control
American fishing ships were given unlimited access to waters
off of Newfoundland
The United States government pledged not to interfere with
British Creditors who wanted collect money from American
citizens.
The United States would compensate Loyalists for property
destroyed or confiscated during the war.
Unit 2.6: The end of the War and its
impact on American government and
society.

What impact did women have on the American Revolution and what impact
did their service have on women’s rights in American society?
• New Jersey gave women the right to vote shortly after the Revolution, it
was later repealed in the early 1800s.
• Abigail Adams counseled her husband John Adams (2nd President of the
United States) as he contributed to the new Constitution “not to forget
the ladies and put too much power in the hands of the husbands”.
• Despite the fact that American women had maintained the Colonial
economy (running the farms and businesses) during the revolution they
found themselves no better off than they had been before the
Revolution.
• For that matter, women had served as nurses and in some rare cases as
soldiers during the revolution, but there would be no significant
women’s rights movement until the mid-1800s and no right to vote until
1919.
Women of the American
Revolution
Unit 2.6: The end of the War and its
impact on American government and
society.

What role did African Americans play in the American Revolution and what
impact did their contributions have on African American rights in American
Society?
•
•
•
•
•
•
One of the great tragedies of the Revolution was that some of its most important
leaders (who espoused doctrine on liberty and freedom of all men) owned slaves.
African Slaves contributed heavily to both sides during the Revolution for the
same reasons: their own independence.
Despite the fact that African Americans had served in Colonial Militia (even as
Minute Men) and were veterans of the French and Indian War, the Continental
Congress (pressured by the Southern Colonies who feared they would demand
their freedom) banned African Americans from service whether they were free
men or not.
As the war drug on that ban was loosened and some 5,500 African Americans
fought on the American side from both Northern and Southern Colonies.
It is completely disgusting that many of these men were 1) segregated into
separate units and 2)were returned to slavery after the war.
Consequently African Americans gained nothing from their service
African Americans fought on
both sides of this war hoping for
freedom.
Unit 2.6: The end of the War and its
impact on American government and
society.

What does the lingering discrimination and subordination of
Women, African Americans, Native Americans, and Poor White
Males tell us about the Declaration of Independence and PostRevolution American society?
• One could certainly argue that the call for liberty was simply a
mask for the true aim of economic independence. A war fought
for the Upper Class and an enhanced opportunity to expand their
personal wealth at the expense of those less fortunate.
• On the other hand, one could make the argument that the goals
expressed in the Declaration and Preamble are aims for the
future, that some elements of society were so engrained that to
remove them in one swipe of the pen may have destroyed the
infant economy of the United States and caused some sort of
Counter Revolution.
Multiple Choice #11
11.
The Declaration of Rights did which of
the following?
A. Granted greater autonomy to Colonial
Governments by Parliament’s authority
B. Formally declared war against Great Britain
C. Expressed George Washington’s views on
independence
D. Helped repair the relationship between the
American Colonies and King George III
E. Angered the British Parliament, which
rejected and condemned the document
Multiple Choice #12
12.
The opening shots of the American
Revolution occurred at which of the
following locations?
A. The Battles of Lexington and Concord
B. The Battle of Bunker Hill
C. The Boston Tea Party
D. The Battle of Saratoga
E. Valley Forge
Multiple Choice #13
13.
Which one of the following was not an
advantage the British had in their war effort to
suppress the American Revolution?
A. A larger military force
B. Short supply lines
C. Many Loyalist Colonists, still more that were
indifferent to the cause of independence
D. A large and powerful Navy
E. Greater financial resources
Multiple Choice #14
14.
The Olive Branch Petition did which of the
following?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Created a settlement that would end the war after the
Battle of Saratoga
Expressed the Radicals at the First Continental
Congress’s demand for immediate independence
Created an alliance between the American Colonies and
France
Created an alliance between the American Colonies and
the Native American tribes of North America
Expressed the desires of many delegates of the First
Continental Congress’s desire for peace if certain
conditions were approved by King George III prior to the
official Declaration of Independence
Multiple Choice #15
15.
Which of the following British measures
declared that because the American
Colonies were in open rebellion against the
British Crown that all trade would be
suspended?
A. The Intolerable Acts
B. The Quartering Act
C. The Declaration of Rights
D. The Prohibitory Act
E. The Declaratory Act
Multiple Choice #16
16.
Which of the following best describes Thomas
Paine?
A. British Prime Minister during the early stages of the
American Revolution
B. President of the First Continental Congress
C. Author of Common Sense urging Colonists to resist
Britain and form a Republic form of government
D. Leading Radical of the Second Continental
Congress
E. British General that surrendered at Yorktown
Multiple Choice #17
17.
The Battle of Saratoga was the turning point of the
American Revolution because of which of these?
A. The French openly entered the war on the side of
the American Colonies
B. The last major British Army surrendered to
Washington ending the war
C. Caused many Tories to become Patriots
D. The British sent the Olive Branch Petition requesting
a compromise to end the war
E. Turned American public opinion against the
Revolution
Multiple Choice #18
18.
The argument that “abuses and usurpations” by
King George III and his government violated the
Social Contract that had existed between Britain
and its American Colonies was articulated in which
of the following?
A. The Declaratory Act
B. The Treaty of Paris of 1783
C. The Declaration of Rights
D. The Declaration of the Causes and Necessities for
Taking Up Arms
E. The Declaration of Independence
Multiple Choice #19
19.
The Regulator Movement, Bacon’s Rebellion, and
the Paxton Boys represented which of the
following?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Names of Tory militia units who fought against American
revolutionaries during the war.
Indications of the undemocratic nature of pre-revolutionary
American society
Massachusetts radicals who participated in the Boston Tea Party
African American militia units that fought against the British on the
promise of freedom
Committees of Correspondence that united the American Colonies
against the Tea Tax and other British abuses
Multiple Choice #20
20.
The Treaty of Paris of 1783 included each of the
following except which one?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
The British formally recognized American independence
Britain was allowed to keep its forts in the Ohio River Valley west of
the Appalachian Mountains
American fishing ships were given permission to fish off the coast of
Newfoundland
The Americans promised to compensate Loyalists for property that
had been destroyed or confiscated during the war
The American government promised not to legally interfere with
British creditors who were seeking payment on debts owed to them
by American citizens
Answer Key
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
E
A
B
E
D
C
A
E
B
B