Name: Date: Chapter 7 Study Guide Section 7-1: The Revolution Begins Fill in the blanks: 1. The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from various colonies in September of 1774 to discuss the ongoing crisis with Britain. 2. The Minutemen were members of the Massachusetts militia that were considered ready to fight at a moment’s notice. 3. General Thomas Gage was the British military governor of Massachusetts, and ordered the seizure of the militia’s weapons, ammunition, and supplies at Concord. 4. The towns of Lexington and Concord saw the first fighting of the American Revolution. 5. The “Shot heard ‘round the world” was the nickname given to the first shot of the American Revolution. 6. Americans (and others) referred to British soldiers as Redcoats because of their brightly colored uniforms. 7. At the Second Continental Congress, colonial delegates voted to send the Olive Branch Petition to King George III and created an army led by George Washington. 8. The Continental Congress created the Continental Army to defend the colonies against British aggression. 9. George Washington took command of this army at the request of the Continental Congress. 10. The Continental Congress chose to send the Olive Branch Petition to King George III and Parliament, reiterating their desire for a peaceful resolution to the crisis. 11. Siege is a military term that means to surround a city or fortress with the goal of forcing the inhabitants to surrender due to a lack of supplies. 12. Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allan captured Fort Ticonderoga in New York, allowing George Washington to obtain much needed supplies and weapons. Thoroughly answer the following questions: 14. (a) What was the purpose of the First Continental Congress? (b) What was its end result? (a) To decide how to respond to the unfair taxation policies and various violations of the colonists’ rights (b) Result was to continue boycotting British goods and to agree to meet again in a year’s time; prepare the colonial militias for potential action 15. Describe the events surrounding Lexington and Concord. (a) Why did the British march there? (b) Who warned the colonists of the British approach and how? (c) How did the colonists respond and why? (d) What was the end result of this skirmish/battle? (a) British marched on Concord to seize the Massachusetts colonial militia’s weapons and ammunition, and arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock, rumored to be in Lexington (b) Paul Revere and William Dawes are the two most famous “riders” that rode out to warn the colonists of the British approach; also lit lanterns in Boston’s Old North Church (one lantern if the British were coming by land, two lanterns if the British were coming by sea) (c) Colonial militia comprised of “minutemen” quickly gathered their gear and assembled at Lexington, where they met the approaching British troops; first shots of the Revolution fired here (“Shot heard ‘round the world”); retreated to Concord where they faced the British again (d) Adams and Hancock escaped; Colonists managed to get to the supplies before the British, who retreated back to Boston, being chased and fired upon by the militiamen 16. (a) What was the purpose of the Second Continental Congress? (b) What decisions were made there? (c) What was its end result? (a) To consider further action against the British as America’s demands were not being met (b) Decision was made to form the Continental Army with George Washington as its commanding general (c) Also decided to send the Olive Branch Petition to King George III, hoping that the conflict could be resolved peacefully 17. (a) What was the Olive Branch Petition? (b) Why was it named this? (c) Was it accepted or rejected by King George III? (a) Olive Branch Petition was a document detailing the colonists’ complaints and suggested that the situation could be peacefully resolved (b) Name comes from the olive branch, a symbol of peace dating back to ancient times (c) The petition was rejected by King George III 18. (a) Why was the capture of Fort Ticonderoga important? (b) What important supplies did the British have stored there and (c) how were they used later on? (a) Capture of Fort Ticonderoga important because it was an important strategic fort that could allow the Americans to invade Canada (b) Americans were also able to capture weapons and supplies, especially cannons that could be used in the siege of Boston by George Washington (c) Cannons were placed above Boston on Dorchester Heights, and British were forced to abandon Boston 19. What (a) advantages and (b) disadvantages did the colonists have at the Battle of Bunker Hill? (c) Who won this battle? (d) Which side suffered more casualties? (e) Finally, what did this battle show about the Americans’ ability to fight the British? (a) Advantages: Americans held the high ground on top of two hills: Breed’s Hill and Bunker Hill (high ground easier to defend; Americans were passionate about fighting the British, had high morale (b) Disadvantages: Lack of military experience and leadership, low on weapons, ammunition, and supplies; outnumbered by the British (c) British technically “won” because they Americans forced to retreat due to low ammunition and supplies (d) British suffered more casualties, but were able to win the battle because of superior manpower (e) Even though the battle was a loss, it showed the Americans could fight the British and possibly win Section 7-2: Declaring Independence Fill in the blanks: 20. Common Sense was a widely published pamphlet that showed Americans why it made sense for the United States to declare its independence. 21. Englishman Thomas Paine was the author of the above pamphlet. 22. The Declaration of Independence is a document that enumerates (lists) basic natural rights, the colonies’ grievances (complaints) against King George III, and declared the United States to be an independent country from Great Britain. 23. Thomas Jefferson is considered the primary, but not the only, author of the above document. 24. In- or Un-alienable rights are rights that people are naturally born with and cannot be taken away. 25. Patriots are people who defend their country and believe strongly that people possess basic, natural rights such as life, liberty, and happiness. 26. Loyalists or Tories were those people who still gave allegiance to Great Britain, even after the start of the American Revolution. 27. Abigail Adams was the wife of Founding Father John Adams. Thoroughly answer the following questions: 28. (a) What were the main points of the pamphlet Common Sense? (b) What audience was it intended for? (c) How was it written to accomplish this goal? (a) Points in Common Sense included: British were in violation of the colonists’ basic rights, Americans were culturally and politically different than the British, made little sense to be ruled by a King thousands of miles away who had never set foot in America (b) Intended to be read by the common American citizen; Common Sense convinced many Americans that the Revolution was necessary (c) Written in common language as opposed to “flowery” form of writing intended for upper class and wealthy 29. (a) Name the members of the committee charged with writing the Declaration of Independence. (b) What were the three main purposes of the Declaration? (c) When was the Declaration approved? (a) Primary authors included Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams; Jefferson was to be the primary author (b) Three main points: 1) Human beings have basic, natural rights that, when violated, people have the right to overthrow a tyrant and replace him with a government that will respect their rights and rule justly, 2) Listed those rights that had been violated by King George III and Parliament, and 3) as a result of these violations, the colonies had no choice but to declare their independence (c) Declaration approved on July 2, announced on July 4, 1776 by the Continental Congress 30. (a) What are unalienable rights (give examples with your explanation)? (b) What philosophical movement inspired the idea of such rights? (a) Unalienable rights are those rights that you are born with and cannot be taken away (“alienated”) (b) Inspired by the thinkers of the Enlightenment period in Europe and America, who were influenced by the Scientific Revolution and the thinkers of ancient Greece and Rome 31. What are some of the grievances (complaints) against King George III listed in the Declaration of Independence? (a) Taxation without representation; the suspension of trial by jury in various cases; various acts of Parliament including the Intolerable Acts; the occupation of the colonies by British troops and forcing the colonists to quarter them in their homes; violation of their trading rights 32. (a) What two primary groups of people were largely “ignored” by the Declaration of Independence? (b) How did the Declaration cause people to question the institution of slavery? (a) Two groups “ignored” by the Declaration of Independence were women and slaves (b) “All men are created equal” was seen to mean free, white men; Authors of the Declaration wanted to avoid the issue of slavery to avoid causing division within the colonies and the Continental Congress; The Declaration’s emphasis on liberty, freedom, and rights did cause some to seriously question the institution of slavery as incompatible with the values upon which the country was achieving its independence Section 7-3: Dark Hours for the Revolution Fill in the blanks: 33. Mercenaries are professional soldiers who fight for pay rather than for any particular country. 34. The royal governor of Virginia issued Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation, which offered freedom to any slave that fought on Great Britain’s behalf in the American Revolution.