Name: ______Signature: ______American Revolution Study Guide Test: Wednesday, December 18th

For this test, you will need to know about the events that took place during the American Revolution, beginning with the Battles of Lexington and Concord until the signing of the Treaty of Paris that ended the war. YOU MUST KNOW THE BATTLES IN ORDER. Specific dates are not needed to be memorized, but locations are. I have tried to underline key words that you need to know are connected to the topic above them. You may have questions on your test that reflect on the causes of the war. Once you learn something and are tested on it, it is fair game to come back up again! ☺

Battle of Lexington and Concord • FIRST BATTLE • Where? small town near Boston • Who Won? colonial militias (Americans) • The British heard that colonists were gathering weapons, so they headed towards Lexington from Boston. Paul Revere and two others warned the militias (minutemen) during his midnight ride. The minutemen were waiting for the British soldiers. Shots were fired, and this became known as the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” because of the impact in had on other nations around the world.

Second Continental Congress • The delegates from the First Continental Congress came back together to meet and decided to create a Continental Army. They named George Washington as Commander-in-Chief. They also decided it would be necessary to declare independence from Britain.

Declaration of Independence • Written by Thomas Jefferson • Signed and approved July 4, 1776 • Purpose – to declare the colonies free from England/Great Britain • Listed all of the things the colonists felt that the King did wrong and why he should not rule over the people of America • Signing the Declaration of Independence was a form of treason (crime against your own government) and was punishable by death. • Key Parts of the Declaration of Independence: o “All men are created equal…” – although this did not recognize the rights of African Americans, Native Americans, or women. o Everyone has the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…” – these are rights that people are born with and they cannot be denied to people by their government. o The main purpose of the government is to protect the rights of the people. o People have the right to change or create a new government if the government does not protect the rights of the people. The government gets its power from the people. • Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called “Common Sense”, trying to persuade people to support the Declaration of Independence.

Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill) • Where? near Boston • Who Won? British • The Americans held off the British at first, but were defeated because of their low supply of ammunition. Although they did not win this battle, they were able to put up a good fight against the British, who realized that the Americans would not easily be defeated. The Americans realized that they would need allies if they were going to continue fighting. o allies – people who fight on your side Battle of Saratoga • Where? town in New York • Who Won? Americans • This battle was the TURNING POINT of the war. • The Americans were able to defeat the British, forcing over 5,000 troops to surrender. This caused the French, Spanish, and Dutch became allies with the Americans to fight against the British. • The alliance helped to provide ships, soldiers, supplies, and money.

Battle/Siege of Charleston • Where? Charleston, SC • Who Won? British • The British decided to head south to South Carolina because there were many Loyalists there. They believed the Loyalists would support them. • The first attempt by the British to take over Charleston was not successful because Fort Moultrie was able to stand up to the attacks from cannons – the fort was made of Palmetto logs which absorbed the shock of the cannon balls, so it was not destroyed. • The second attempt was successful, but they were quickly met with Patriot partisans using hit and run attacks.

Battle of Cowpens • Where? Cowpens, SC • Who Won? Americans • This battle showed that the Continental Army and the Patriot militias (also called partisan forces) could work together to trick the British. (This is the battle we acted out. - ☺) • The partisan forces led a hit and run attack, then retreated. This caused the British army to follow them right to where the Continental Army was waiting for them. • They defeated the British and forced them out of South Carolina.

Battle of Yorktown • Where? Yorktown, Virginia • Who Won? Americans • The American army and French navy surrounded the British and forced the British to surrender. • LAST BATTLE

Treaty of Paris • Peace treaty negotiated by Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay. • Officially ended the Revolutionary War.