Name: __________________________
American War of Independence in
9 Minutes
By the eighteenth century, North
America had been colonized by Britain,
_________________, and Spain.
The British decided to ___________________
taxes to be paid on customs duty for
imported British goods such as tea, paper,
paint, and glass.
Word about the Boston _____________________ was spread around the thirteen
British colonies and outraged ensued.
Britain was in control of Boston, but the Americans had control of the
countryside as they began organizing and training ________________________.
The First Continental Congress in Philadelphia: They petitioned the king
wanting rid of the taxes and royal governors claiming that British
______________________ had no place in internal American affairs.
The British response, however, was more and more ___________________,
restrictions, and an increased army presence.
British commander, Lieutenant General, Thomas Gage, was ordered to disarm
the rebels and ______________ their leaders.
The first shots were fired and the militiamen fell back to Concord. The British
followed them to be met by _____________ militiamen. The overwhelmed British
forces fell back in retreat and the war had begun.
The Second Continental Congress came together to organize the war effort.
The militias were to be reorganized into the _______________________ army with
congressman, George ____________________ appointed as their general.
The King of England issued a Proclamation of ____________________ urging the
British forces to quell the patriots.
Congressman, Thomas ________________, first drafted what became the
Declaration of Independence. It declared that the thirteen colonies were to be
recognized as no longer part of the British __________________.
The British forces saw American prisoners as ____________________ and not as
prisoners of war, and thus treated them as such.
General Washington stealthily crossed the River Delaware at night at
________________ and surprised one thousand Hessian mercenaries at Trenton.
To stop the British from growing more powerful, ___________________ officially
declared their allegiance with the Americans and their struggle for
independence in 1778.
By May 1780, Clinton had captured Charleston, South Carolina and most of
the southern Continental Army along with it. He returned to New York,
leaving Lord _______________________ in charge of the southern British army.
Benedict _________________ had been growing disenchanted by the war and
defected to the British.
Cornwallis ultimately set up a base in Yorktown on a _______________________.
The French fleet moved in and fought off the British ______________ there,
cutting off Cornwallis by sea.
Tory British Prime Minister, Lord North, resigned and power went to the
liberal _________________ Party, who recognized American independence and
ended the war.