Study Guide for:
Revolutionary War Study Guide
Part 1
Assessment Date:_______
The colonists went to war with Great Britain because the colonists disagreed with the British Parliament
on how the colonies should be governed. See the table below for the key differences in what the
colonists believed versus what the British Parliament.
What Colonists Believed
That local assemblies had legal authority.
What British Parliament Believed
They had legal authority in the colonies.
That they should not be taxed since they had
not representation in Parliament.
They had the right to tax the colonies.
Declaration of Independence: A document
written by Thomas Jefferson. It states
that authority to govern belongs to the
people rather than to kings, and that all
people are created equal and have
rights to life, liberty and pursuit of
happiness.
A divided Virginia: Some Virginians were
neutral to the war (meaning that they
did not choose a side). There were also
some Virginians who remained loyal to
Great Britain. They were called loyalists.
However, most Virginians considered
themselves to be Patriots.
Independence: Freedom from control by
another person or country.
Protest: To stand up for what you believe is
unfair or wrong.
Patrick Henry: Inspired patriots from other
colonies when he spoke out against
taxation without representation by
saying, “…give me liberty or give me
death.”
Taxation without Representation: When a
government is taxing people but the
people are not given a ‘say’ or ‘voice’
over how they are governed, nor are
their interests being considered. If
people do not have representation,
they cannot vote on laws or elect their
leaders.
Sugar, Stamp, and Tea Acts: These acts were
taxes that were forced on the colonists
so that George III could pay off debts
that England owed from fighting
expensive wars.
Boycott: Refusing to buy something
Virginia Patriots: Served in the Continental
Army and fought for independence
leading to the British surrender at
Yorktown.
Great Britain in the 1700s: Included England,
Scotland and Whales. The king was
George III.
Examples of local assemblies in the colonies:
Burgesses, Virginia Assembly
Thomas Jefferson: Provided political leadership
by expressing the reasons for colonial
independence from Great Britain in the
Declaration of Independence.
Sons of Liberty: A group of colonists who
began to express their ganger at the
new taxes by having secret meetings,
refusing to buy British goods and
protesting.
Boston Tea Party: An angry group of Bostonian
protesters led by Samuel Adams. They
dressed as Mohawk Indians. They
boarded a ship that was docked in the
harbor and threw crates of tea into the
water. This was an act of protest against
the tea act.