Study Guide
American Revolution
1. What were the major results of the French and Indian War?
2. The French and Indian war was fought for control over which area of land in North America?
3. What was the Proclamation of 1763 and why did the British pass it?
4. What was the first major tax imposed on the colonists by British Parliament?
5. In response to the Stamp Act, which famous Virginia stated, “Give me a liberty, or give me death!”?
6. What was the main purpose of the Townshend Act?
7. During the 1760’s and 1770’s what was the most effective American tactic in gaining the repeal of the Stamp Act
and Townshend Act?
8. What items were taxed by the Townshend Act?
9. What was the name of the large, active group of patriots who supported independence from Britain and led
demonstrations and boycotts in the colonies?
10. Which “event” helped unite colonists in 1774, particularly in Boston, around the ideas of seeking independence?
11. What was the purpose of the 1773 Tea Act?
12. What was the most significant result of the Boston Tea Party?
13. Which colonial document was ratified by the Second Continental Congress?
14. Which act of Parliament, passed after the Boston Tea Party, closed the port of Boston?
15. Why did Samuel Adams describe the confrontation between British soldiers and civilians in March of 1770 the
“Boston Massacre”?
16. In the Stamp Act Congress, colonists stated that they can only be taxed by ________________________.
17. Why did the colonists start a movement for independence?
18. The bulk of the Declaration of independence is a list of what?
19. According to the Declaration of Independence, who hold government accountable?
20. In which way did the political ideas of John Locke contribute to the creation of the Declaration of Independence?
21. How did the publication of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense contribute to the creation of the Declaration of
Independence?
22. What fundamental principles did Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence have in common?
23. In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed?
24. Which document outlines the “unalienable rights” of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”?
25. Who wrote Common Sense?
26. What role did the French play in the American Revolution?
27. Why did the British sign the Treaty of Paris (1783)?
28. What group of people opposed seeking independence because they were loyal to Great Britain?
29. What was the main reason the patriots wanted to fight for colonial independence?
30. What was the Battle of Lexington and Concord called “the shot heard ‘round the world”?
31. Who were the “minutemen”?
32. What concept of John Locke’s did Jefferson draw on when writing the Declaration of Independence?
33. How did the Declaration of Independence contribute to the development of democracy?
34. Who were the Patriots?
35. At which battle did Washington pull off a victory against foreign mercenaries that boosted morale for the
troops?
36. Which event convinced the French to support the Americans?
37. Why was the Battle of Yorktown significant?
38. What was significant about the Treaty of Paris (1783)?
39. Where was the first confrontation of the American Revolution?
40. According to the Declaration of Independence, when do people have the right to alter or abolish government?
41. Identify the historical significance of the following. Your response should be written in complete sentences.
The more accurate information you include the better!
Stamp Act
French and Indian War
Declaration of Independence
Boston Massacre
Battle of Saratoga
Common Sense