Unit Review: A Look Back. WARNING: THIS SET IS ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO STUDY HARD.

Abigail Adams is perhaps the most recognizable American woman of the Revolutionary era, but others contributed to the patriot cause. One of Abigail's closest friends and correspondents was also a playwright and one of the earliest historians of the American Revolution. Was she _____________________________? 1. Mercy Otis Warren 2. Esther de Berdt Reed 3. Barbara Tuchman

1. Mercy Otis Warren.

It's 1763. You're a basically happy, content colonist in North America. British and proud of it. The French and Indian War has just ended. Peace reigns on the continent. What did Great Britain create, in 1765, that put you on The Road to Revolution? 1. The Stamp Act 2. The Intolerable Acts 3. The Benny Hill Show

1. The Stamp Act. The Stamp Act was imposed on the colonists by the British government as a means to pay for the cost of guarding the American Frontier. Most colonists didn't like that. The Road to Revolution starts in Boston, where a revolutionary generation of colonists is working to convince Americans that independence is the only answer to tyrannous British rule.

All right. You're a delegate at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. It's sweltering outside and air conditioning won't be invented for another 175 years. The guy from Rhode Island is going on and on about this little state/big state problem and suddenly it dawns on you that, hey, there's no Bill of Rights in this constitution! Right then and there you decide that there's no way you're going to vote for the ratification of this document even if James Madison offers his fan. Four years later, the Bill of Rights is attached to the Constitution as its first 10 amendments. What is it that the Bill of Rights guarantees that made you so adamant about its passage? 1. Among other things it guarantees a balance of power between the 3 branches of the federal government. 2. Among other things, it guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom to practice a religion of your choosing. 3. Among other things, it guarantees a house, a pretty nice car, and a cat or a dog—your choice—for every eligible citizen of the United States.

2. Among other things, it guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom to practice a religion of your choosing. Bingo! You've finished this activity!

Not everything that was happening in North America in 1781 was happening on the east coast. Spain had long been a presence on the continent (longer than England), and Franciscans from Mexico were inching toward Hollywood and Vine, even as Washington and Rochambeau were inching toward Yorktown. Who was the friar who established the first mission in Los Angeles in 1781? 1. Junipero Serra 2. Felipe de Neve 3. Ricardo Montalban

2. Felipe de Neve. You got it! You're nearly almost there!

At a crucial moment in the Battle of Saratoga when American General Benedict Arnold led a heroic charge against the British forces of General John Burgoyne at Freeman's Farm, New York. Arnold was critically wounded and his leg was pinned beneath his horse on the battlefield. Burgoyne was decisively defeated and his whole army surrendered to the Americans. Arnold would later become the most notorious traitor in American history. The Battle of Saratoga would prompt France's entry into the war on the side of the United States. What happened to Arnold's leg? 1. It is buried beneath a monument on the grounds of Saratoga National Park. 2. He kept it until the day he died. 3. It was found in the otherwise empty coffin of Thomas Paine.

2. He kept it until the day he died. Congratulations, this was a hard one (for some...)!

" . . . Someone said he was 'a statue in search of a pedestal.' But he was intoxicated with . . . a rather theoretical love, of liberty. It was theoretical because liberty wasn't known to many Europeans. But he was a great romantic and he fell in love with America, the concept of America that the French had. This 'wild new world where you could start the world over,' to use Tom Paine's phrase. And he came to America and he became in effect a surrogate son to Washington." Who is Scholar Richard Norton Smith describing? 1. Alexander Hamilton 2. Marquis de Lafayette 3. Comte de Rochambeau

2. Marquis de Lafayette. Hi-o Silver! You're doing great!

There have been few pieces of legislation that have done more to shape the future of the nation than the Northwest Ordinance, passed in 1787 by the Confederation Congress. The Northwest Ordinance created a means to enter the union for the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota—almost the entire Big 10 Conference. More importantly, what did the Northwest Ordinance prohibit in these territories? 1. The right to bear arms 2. Slavery 3. Jai-alai

2. Slavery. Right you are. You're almost at the end of this activity!

I like tea. You like tea. The American colonists liked tea. But when Parliament imposed a tax on the their 'cuppa,' a group of outraged Bostonians dumped 342 crates of English-owned tea in the harbor. What was the name of the local political group that organized this demonstration? 1. The Sons of the Pioneers 2. The Sons of Liberty 3. The Sons of the American Revolution

2. The Sons of Liberty. The Sons of Liberty was born in the years prior to the Tea Party. One of its members in Boston was Samuel Adams.

The British army and navy sailed into New York harbor in the summer of 1776. They had come to crush George Washington's Continental Army and with it, the whole American rebellion. They almost succeeded. More than a few Americans secretly, and not so secretly, were cheering them on. Many of these loyalists lived in New York, which would spend most of the Revolution under British control. About how many Americans would remain faithful to the British crown through the course of the Revolution? 1. 30,635 2. about 1/3 3. 10 percent

2. about 1/3.

The Declaration of Independence is signed by members of the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Thomas Jefferson's stirring language inspires thousands of Americans with its promise "that all men are created equal." Unfortunately, not everyone in America is given the same rights as the men who signed that document. Imagine you're Jehu Grant—about to enlist in the Continental Army. As a black man in the newly formed United States, in how many states are you guaranteed freedom from slavery? 1: 13 2: 0 3: 8

2: 0. You got this!

To be or not to be? Independent, that is. That's your quandary in early 1776. Matters between the Americans and the British have turned from bad to worse. In January, an ex-corset maker named Thomas Paine, who'd just moved to Philadelphia from England, publishes a pamphlet that becomes an instant bestseller in the colonies, and helps push you and your fellow Americans over the edge to independence. What was that pamphlet called? 1. Sense and Sensibility 2. The Crisis 3. Common Sense

3. Common Sense.

You're a soldier in George Washington's Continental Army. It's Christmas week, 1776. You're hungry, cold, miserable, and have no idea that George is planning a desperate measure like crossing the Delaware River and attacking Trenton. What prompted Washington to take the risk of attacking the Hessians garrisoned there? 1. Risk? What risk? 2. He was being pressed from the north by the British army. 3. He was about to lose you and over half of his army because your enlistment is up.

3. He was about to lose you and over half of his army because your enlistment is up. Congratulations so far!

Women played a variety of roles in the American Revolution, including providing camp support for traveling armies. The wife of a Hessian general traveling with General John Burgoyne on his ill-fated trip toward Albany, kept a detailed diary of her experiences on the journey. It offers a unique perspective on the war. She was ________________________________ 1. The Baroness von Trapp 2. The Baroness von Steuben 3. The Baroness von Riedesel

3. The Baroness von Riedesel.

"I told my husband that it seemed strange for a people to fight for liberty and equality while keeping those very things from slaves. I also reminded him of the inequality of opportunity for women in America compared with men. Who am I?"

Abigail Adams

Abigail Adams

Abigail Adams was the wife of John Adams. She never stopped reminding him about the inequality of opportunity for women in America compared with men. She also thought it strange that Americans would fight for freedom, equality, and independence, and at the same time permit slavery to exist. She often wrote to her husband expressing these concerns.

Lord Charles Cornwallis

After General Clinton became the new commander in chief of the British forces in America, he appointed Lord Charles Cornwallis commander of his troops in the southern states. Cornwallis was a skilled and able general. His forces captured Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. After these victories, Cornwallis headed north to Yorktown, Virginia.

Which of these statements is true about Valley Forge?

After Valley Forge the Continental Army was better trained, with a new spirit of unity.

Revolutionary Changes

After the war, Washington returned to Mount Vernon and vowed never again to buy or sell slaves. What did it all mean, this American Revolution? Most importantly, it meant that the American colonies had won their independence from Britain. They had fought a war to become a free and independent nation. From 13 colonies to a sovereign state—this was the biggest change. But many more changes came about as a result of this revolution.

"I was an officer on General Washington's staff. I traveled to South Carolina and tried to talk that state into allowing blacks in the Continental Army. I captured a British fort during the battle of Yorktown. Who am I?"

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton played an active part as an officer during the Revolutionary War. As a young officer on Washington's staff, he traveled to South Carolina in an attempt to talk that state's leaders into allowing slaves to enlist in the Continental Army. Later in the war, he played a key role in the Battle of Yorktown. Now a colonel, he captured an important British earth fortress outside the town.

On the western frontier, American Indians played a role in the Revolution. Regardless of which side they chose to ally themselves with, they lost in one important way. What was it?

American Indians continued to lose land during and after the American Revolution.

How was John Adams helpful in persuading the delegates to sign the Declaration?

At the Second Continental Congress, John Adams "kept talking and talking and talking." He was a good speaker and finally convinced the delegates to sign the document.

"I was a Prussian army captain who came to America to help the colonists fight their war for independence. I trained and drilled soldiers in the Continental Army. Who am I"?

Baron Friedrich von Steuben

Which commander turned a group of American recruits into skilled soldiers?

Baron Friedrich von Steuben

During the time of the American Revolution, many professional soldiers in Europe were out of work. How did Britain use this to its advantage?

Britain hired 30,000 Hessian mercenaries to fight against the colonists in America. Mercenaries are soldiers who are hired to fight other people's wars. Americans resented this practice.

August 1776

British capture New York City.

Explain how geography played a part in the British defeat at Yorktown.

British forces were squeezed between the combined French and American forces in front and the York River behind. Cornwallis tried to save his army by sailing his troops across the York River, but a sudden storm wreaked havoc on the boats.

July 1776

Delegates sign the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.

October 1781

French fleet and American troops defeat the British at Yorktown in the last major battle of the Revolution.

February 1779

George Rogers Clark captures British fort at Vincennes in the Ohio Valley.

Here are some of the changes that occurred during or shortly after the American Revolution:

George Washington resigned his commission in the army and returned to being a farmer. Tax money was used for public education. Academies for women were established. Many new colleges were founded. Noah Webster wrote American schoolbooks and an American spelling book. The Church of England was no longer the official religion in any former colony. It mostly ceased to exist in the United States, where it became the Episcopal Church. The first representative government for a large nation in modern history was formed. Latin American colonies used the Declaration of Independence to foment their rebellions. About 100,000 Loyalists felt compelled to leave the country for their own physical or political security. Women like Abigail Adams asked that the "ladies" be "remembered" in the new government. They were not. A number of planters and others freed their slaves. Massachusetts outlawed slavery. The number of slaves in New England states and Pennsylvania shrank dramatically. Men stopped wearing wigs and powdering their hair in the English fashion. All states put bills of rights into their constitutions. Laws requiring a man to leave his entire estate to his eldest son and not split it up were taken off the books. Every state except Vermont required men to own property in order to vote.

What strategy did Washington use in the early part of the war?

He retreated whenever necessary to save his army.

How was John Adams helpful in getting the delegates to sign the Declaration of Independence?

He talked persistently and convincingly about independence

What group of people did Washington surprise and capture after crossing the Delaware?

Hessians

Sir William Howe

Howe was in charge of all British forces in America. He drove the American army from Long Island and then to Pennsylvania. His army settled in New York City for the winter of 1776. Howe intended to finish off Washington's army in the spring. Had he not waited, the war might have been over right then. His decision not to pursue the Continental Army was a stroke of good luck for the Americans.

Yorktown: The World Turned Upside Down

In August 1781, after victories at Savannah and Charleston, General Cornwallis brought his troops north to Yorktown, Virginia. With the York River at his back, Cornwallis set up headquarters and waited for men and supplies to come by sea from New York. When Washington heard that a French fleet was sailing for the Chesapeake Bay, he and his French allies marched south. By the time they arrived at Yorktown, the French ships had fought and defeated the arriving English fleet. Then the combined French-American army dug trenches, encircling the British on three sides. They commenced an artillery bombardment of British positions. Outnumbered and outflanked, Cornwallis tried to evacuate his troops across the river, but his attempts were thwarted by a sudden storm. On October 17, 1781, the British army surrendered.

Saratoga: France Joins the Fight

In June 1777, General Burgoyne led a British army south from Canada. Many observers thought the rebellion would soon be over. Burgoyne planned to capture the Hudson River area. This would cut off New England and New York from the rest of the colonies. At Saratoga, he decided to fight the Americans on their fortified heights instead of marching his army down a treacherous narrow road. In an uneven battle, the Americans won. On October 17, 1777, General Burgoyne surrendered his entire army. This important victory convinced the French to join the war on the American side.

Why were many southern whites against allowing blacks to enlist in the Continental Army?

In some parts of the South, blacks greatly outnumbered whites. Whites were afraid that if blacks were allowed to have guns, they would rise up against their owners.

What effect did the signing of the Declaration of Independence have on the colonists?

It filled them with pride and unified them.

John Adams

John Adams, a Harvard-educated lawyer and political philosopher, was born in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was an early and persistent supporter of independence and a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses. During the war, he served in diplomatic roles in both Holland and France. John Adams helped negotiate the treaty that ended the war.

"I was the commander of British forces in the southern colonies. The Americans defeated my forces at the battle of Yorktown. Who am I?"

Lord Charles Cornwallis

During the Revolution, blacks had roles on both sides of the conflict. Describe the roles they played and the dilemmas they faced in choosing sides.

Many blacks fought on the American side because they believed in the Declaration's idea of equality. Others were persuaded to fight alongside the British by promises of freedom. Blacks fought bravely on both sides of the war.

Marquis de Lafayette

Many joined America's fight for liberty. Lafayette was one of them. He was a rich French nobleman whose father had been killed fighting the British. He wanted to avenge that death. But he also believed in the liberty the Americans were fighting for. He offered to begin his service as a volunteer, paying his own expenses. Eventually Lafayette was made a general on Washington's staff. The two men became lifelong friends.

Which commander became a general on George Washington's staff?

Marquis de Lafayette

"I accompanied my husband to Valley Forge. There I visited the troops, bringing baskets of food and clothing to help cheer them. Who am I?"

Martha Washington

During the Revolutionary War, what was going on out on the western frontier?

Native Americans fought on both sides, but mainly as allies of the British. The British signed treaties giving them protection and rights. George Rogers Clark, a frontiersman, fought Indians and the British. He led a small group of men to capture three important British forts in the Ohio Valley.

What effect did the Revolutionary War have on Native Americans?

Native Americans lost a lot of land.

Trenton: Morale Booster

On Christmas Eve, 1776, George Washington and his army crossed the Delaware River by ferry to land in Trenton, New Jersey. They reached Trenton at night, in a blinding snowstorm. Months earlier, the Continental Army had begun a series of retreats from Long Island before advancing British troops led by General Howe. Now Washington was on the offensive. His men surprised and captured a regiment of Hessian soldiers who were celebrating Christmas. Although not a large military victory, Washington's success at Trenton helped to boost sagging American morale.

A Look Back: Big Picture

On July 4, 1776, delegates to the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. Even as proud colonists united in celebration, they realized that the Declaration would mean nothing if they lost the war with England. Who were the people involved in this struggle for independence? What military forces faced each other? Where were the major battles of the war fought? Finally, what changes came about as the result of the American Revolution?

The Continental Army and British Forces Washington's Challenges

On the American side, the Continental Army was under the leadership of General George Washington. The army was far outnumbered by the British. The soldiers were ill equipped and ill clothed. They lacked training. They often went home when their short enlistments were up. Washington held the ragtag army together through example and leadership. Early in the war, he was forced to use retreat as a tactic to save the army when he would have preferred to fight the British.Things changed for the better after Valley Forge. Despite the bone-chilling cold and terrible conditions at this winter camp, Baron von Steuben drilled and trained the soldiers. They had shared suffering and forged a new spirit of unity and confidence. Washington now had a seasoned, confident fighting force.

The Continental Army and British Forces British Forces

Opposing American forces in the fight for independence were England's experienced army and mighty navy. In the beginning of the war, British forces in the colonies were under the leadership of Sir William Howe. These forces were greater in number, better trained, and far better equipped than their American counterparts. In addition, Britain used mercenaries in its army. Many were Hessians from Germany.In 1776, hundreds of British ships brought thousands of British soldiers to New York. Howe had hoped to capture the American army and end the rebellion. Instead, Washington retreated under a cloak of fog.

What effect did signing the Declaration of Independence have on the colonists?

People felt proud and united. Troops shouted "hurrah!" and tossed their hats. New Yorkers pulled down a statue of King George III. In Boston, a housepainter read the Declaration aloud on a balcony of the Massachusetts State House.

The victory in which battle convinced the French to join the war on the side of the Americans?

Saratoga

Vincennes: The War on the Frontier

The American Revolution was not fought solely in the East. West of the Appalachian Mountains, especially in the Ohio River Valley, rugged frontiersmen like George Rogers Clark were battling the British and their Indian allies. Many Native Americans allied themselves with the British. Some fought alongside the colonists. Regardless of which side they chose, Native Americans lost land during the war. The colonists fighting on the frontier used unconventional tactics to frustrate and defeat the British. George Rogers Clark captured Fort Vincennes, along with two other British forts, with fewer than 200 men. He and his men tricked the British inside the fort into believing a large army was attacking.

Winter 1777-1778

The American army winters at Valley Forge.

There was no battle fought at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778. How, then, did Valley Forge play an important role for the Americans during the Revolution?

The Americans emerged from the winter at Valley Forge with a stronger, prouder, more confident, better-trained Continental Army.

October 1777

The Americans, under General Gates, defeat General Burgoyne at Saratoga.

People of the Revolution

The Declaration of Independence was approved and signed! This act unified people for the war effort and filled them with pride. The Revolutionary War would touch many lives—from the delegates who met in Philadelphia to the citizen- soldiers who fought and died on the battlefields; from African Americans, both slave and free, to those who traveled from other countries to help the colonists. Even women and children played an important role in America's fight for independence.

September 1783

The Treaty of Paris officially ends the war.

When George Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Eve and surprised the Hessian soldiers in Trenton, it was a minor military victory. It did, however, have a very significant effect on the Patriots. What was this effect?

The victory at Trenton boosted sagging morale among the colonists.

Which of the following is a reason why more than 5,000 blacks fought on the American side during the Revolutionary War?

They believed in the words of the Declaration of Independence.

Friedrich von Steuben

This former Prussian army officer found himself out of work in Europe at the beginning of the American Revolution. Europe, usually embroiled in conflict and war, had become quiet for a time. Von Steuben met Ben Franklin in France and offered his services to the colonies. He joined Washington's staff at Valley Forge and helped turn the disorderly group of recruits into an army of skilled soldiers.

January 1776

Thomas Paine's Common Sense is published.

Many changes came about as a result of the American Revolution. How many can you list?

Too many to list here! Refer to the What Did It All Mean? lesson to review the changes that occurred.

The Battlefield: Victories and Defeat

Trenton, Saratoga, Vincennes, Yorktown . . . these are just a few of the places where important battles of the Revolutionary War were fought.

April 1775

War begins with fighting at Lexington and Concord; Second Continental Congress appoints George Washington to command the Continental Army.

December 1776

Washington crosses the Delaware and captures Trenton.

France was a long-time enemy of Britain, but the French were hesitant to join forces with the Americans. What changed their mind?

When the French heard of the American victory over the British at Saratoga, they thought the Americans were capable of winning the war, and entered the war on the side of the colonists.

General Washington commanded a small, inexperienced, and ill-equipped army in the beginning of the war. What strategy did he use to make up for this?

Whenever it was necessary and possible, Washington retreated to keep his army from being captured. He would have preferred fighting in the European style, but his troops were not trained or experienced.

What is a mercenary?

a soldier hired to fight for another country

What was promised to slaves that encouraged them to fight for the British?

freedom

"I believed in the liberty the Americans were fighting for. I left France, went to America, and volunteered to serve at my own expense. I was a general on George Washington's staff. We became good friends. I named my son George Washington. Who am I?"

the Marquis de Lafayette

Why was the battle of Trenton an important battle for the Americans?

their victory raised morale among the colonists