Chapter 5 the American Revolution

Chapter 5—The American Revolution

“BIG PICTURE” QUESTIONS FOR SECTION I:

1)  How did Americans come to favor independence, and what did they do to prepare for war with Britain?

I. The States United—What disadvantages did the United States face vs. Great Britain?

A.  Defining American War Aims

1.  Olive Branch Petition—For what 3 reasons did many Americans begin to change their minds in order to favor independence from Britain?

2.  Common Sense—Who wrote Common Sense and what impact did it have on American society?

B.  The Decision for Independence

1.  The Declaration of Independence—What day was the Declaration of Independence approved? Who wrote it? What were the two main parts of the document?

C.  Responses to Independence—Who were Loyalists, and what was their nickname?

1.  Divided Americans—How had the colonies begun to operate independently of royal authority?

2.  Articles of Confederation—What were the Articles of Confederation, and what sort of government did they establish?

D.  Mobilizing for War—What were some challenges faced by the state governments? Where did Americans get supplies for the war?

1.  Financing the War—How did Congress fund the war, and what effects did that have?

2.  Foreign Assistance—Who were some foreign figures who helped the American cause?

“BIG PICTURE” QUESTIONS FOR SECTION II:

1)  What were the main phases of the American Revolution? How did the Americans win? What did they get in the agreement for peace?

II.  The War for Independence—What advantages did the British possess?

1.  American Advantages—What advantages did the Americans possess?

A.  The First Phase: New England—What were some highlights of this phase of the war?

B.  The Second Phase: The Mid-Atlantic Region—How did General Howe try to defeat the Americans?

1.  British Take New York—How did George Washington’s tactics go against traditional European warfare?

2.  Britain’s Strategy—What was Howe’s plan to defeat the Americans in the northeast?

3.  Patriot Victory at Saratoga—Why was the American victory at Saratoga an important turning point in the war?

4.  British Blunders—How did Howe’s mistakes allow the Americans to make headway?

C.  The Iroquois and the British

1.  Divisions in the Iroquois Confederacy

D.  Securing Aid from Abroad

1.  Militia Diplomats—What American did the most to help the American cause in France to form an alliance with them?

2.  Pivotal French Aid—What supplies did the Americans receive from the French?

E.  The Final Phase: The South—What was the British strategy in invading the South? Why did the plan not work?

1.  Revolutionary Consequences of the Southern Campaign—Who was Benedict Arnold and why was he famous?

2.  Nathaniel Greene—What strategy did Greene use vs. Cornwallis in the South?

3.  Yorktown—What strategy used by the Americans and the French left Cornwallis in a bad position?

F.  Winning the Peace—Why did the Americans not consult with the French when making peace arrangements with the British?

1.  Treaty of Paris—What were the terms that the Americans got in the Treaty of Paris?

“BIG PICTURE” QUESTIONS FOR SECTION III:

1)  What social and economic changes were brought about by the American Revolution?

III.  War and Society

A.  Loyalists and Minorities—What groups made up the Loyalists?

1.  The Loyalists’ Plight—What did many Loyalists do after the war? What position on the social structure did many Loyalists hold, and what happened to that social structure after the war?

2.  Weakening of the Anglican Church

3.  Strengthening of the Catholic Church

B.  The War and Slavery—What happened to some slaves behind British lines?

1.  African American Desire for Freedom—What regional split over slavery became more apparent after the war?

C.  Native Americans and the Revolution—What had the British believed about Indian lands?

1.  Taking Sides—In what ways did the Revolution weaken the position of Native Americans? Had Britain’s native allies (particularly those in the West) ever been defeated during the war?

2.  Growing Divisions Among the Indians—What did independence mean to whites in regard to Indian lands in the west?

D.  Women’s Rights and Women’s Roles—What roles did women fill when men were away during the war?

1.  Women of the Army—What role did women play who followed the army? In rare cases, how did some women aid the war effort? How did the Revolution affect women’s attitudes about their roles in society? Who were some leading women’s rights advocates?

2.  Calls for Women’s Rights—What rights did women have under English common law?

3.  A Strengthened Patriarchal Structure—What special role did women have in the new republic?

E.  The War Economy—What challenges did American traders face during and after the war?

“BIG PICTURE” QUESTIONS FOR SECTION IV:

1)  How did the new state governments after the Revolution in the United States vary?

IV.  The Creation of State Governments

A.  The Assumptions of Republicanism—What did the idea of a “republic” mean?

1.  Importance of Civic Virtue

2.  Persistent Inequality

B.  The First State Constitutions

1.  Written Constitutions and Strong Legislatures—What two features in the English political system did Americans react against?

C.  Revising State Governments—What two changes did Massachusetts make to its government?

D.  Toleration and Slavery

1.  Statute of Religious Liberty—How did the relations between church and state evolve after the Revolution? How did the practice of slavery vary by region? For what reasons did the South maintain slavery? What did Thomas Jefferson mean by “holding a wolf by the ears”?

“BIG PICTURE” QUESTIONS FOR SECTION V:

1)  What were the failures AND successes of the national government under the Articles of Confederation? What issues pointed to the need for a new Constitution?

V.  The Search for a National Government

A.  The Confederation

1.  Limited Power of the National Government—What powers did Congress have under the Articles of Confederation? What powers did it lack? How many states were required to change the Articles?

B.  Diplomatic Failures

1.  Postwar Disputes with Britain and Spain—What difficulties did the Confederation government have with Great Britain?

C.  The Confederation and the Northwest—What was the Confederation’s most important accomplishment?

1.  The Ordinances of 1784 and 1785—What did the Ordinances of 1784 and 1785 do?

2.  Northwest Ordinance—What did the Northwest Ordinance do?

D.  Indians and the Western Lands

1.  Battle of Fallen Timbers

E.  Debts, Taxes, and Daniel Shays

1.  Postwar Depression—What problems did the Confederation face after the war, and why could it not answer them successfully?

2.  Political Disputes over Economic Issues—How did the states deal with their debt? How did farmers react?

3.  Shays’s Rebellion—Who was Daniel Shays, and what was his rebellion about? What did Shays’s Rebellion reveal about the national government?