U.S. History
A Brief (Really Brief) Overview of the American
Revolutionary War
A Quick Recap…
The British had accumulated a large debt to help pay for the French-Indian War.
When the war was over, the British needed to repay the money it had borrowed. In 1764, the
British Parliament (a law making body in which the colonists had no representatives) began
passing a series of taxes on its American colonies. In the past, the king had asked the colonial
governments to pass taxes to support military actions that took place in the colonies. This
time, however, Parliament voted to tax the Americans directly. The taxes being paid by the
colonists were still less than the taxes being paid by British citizens living in Europe. However,
the colonists were still upset by the tax increase. The colonists were angry about being taxed
by a government in which they had no representation. The British heard the colonists’
complaints, but they were unwilling to lower the taxes.
The colonists banded together to protest the “tyrannical” actions of the British
government. Colonial merchants organized a boycott of all British made goods. The
wealthy colonists (lawyers, merchants) formed secret societies to oppose the British policies,
such as the Sons of Liberty. Many of our founding fathers (such as Samuel Adams, Patrick
Henry) were members of these secret societies. The main goal of these secret societies was to
reduce the amount of control that Great Britain had over the colonies.
Growing Unrest in the Colonies…
The British began to fear that they were losing control of the colonies. In the fall of
1768 the British sent 1,000 soldiers to Boston under the command of General Thomas Gage.
With their arrival, tension filled the streets of Boston. It wasn’t long before that tension grew
into violence. One day a fight broke out between a group of colonists and the soldiers. The
soldiers began firing their weapons and 5 colonists were killed. The Sons of Liberty referred
to this event as the Boston Massacre. This did nothing to ease the tension between the
colonists and the British. In 1773, the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves as Native
Americans boarded three tea ships docked in Boston Harbor and threw the cargo overboard.
This event became known as the Boston Tea Party.
The colonists had hoped that their actions (boycotts,
protests, etc...) would force the British to repeal the taxes, but
this did not happen. By the end of 1774, the colonists began
preparing for a fight. Most colonists hoped any conflict would
be short-lived, but the leaders of the rebels were prepared for
war. These wealthy colonists believed that their independence
was worth fighting for. Patrick Henry gave a famous speech in
which he uttered the words, “Give me liberty or give me death.”
The Battles of Lexington & Concord….
The British learned that the colonial militias (armies) were storing weapons in
Concord, Massachusetts (a town located right outside of Boston). They also had learned that
Samuel Adams and Jon Hancock (leaders of the Sons of Liberty) were in Lexington, MA (a
neighboring town). On April 19, 1775, the British launched an attack on Lexington, but the
colonial militia was warned of the attack by Paul Revere (he’s the guy who yelled “the British
are coming”).
The 700 British soldiers (R
Red Coats) who arrived in Lexington far outnumbered the
70 colonial soldiers (also known as minutemen). The British stormed through the town but
they did not find nor capture any of the leaders of the Sons of Liberty. The British moved on
into Concord, but they were surprised by the colonial soldiers who had been hiding behind
stonewalls and in trees. The British were not prepared for this type of guerilla combat and
they were forced to retreat back to Boston.
As the fighting continued, the leaders of the
colonies formed a body known as the Continental
Congress. In the summer of 1776, over a year after the
first battle of the Revolutionary War, the Continental
Congress decided to officially declare their independence
from Great Britain. The open-letter to King George III,
written by Thomas Jefferson, became known as the
Declaration of Independence.
The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend…
France, a long standing enemy of Great Britain began secretly supplying the colonists
with weapons in 1776. In 1778 France decided to form an official alliance with the American
colonists. In addition to weapons the French also sent troops and money to aid the colonists
in their fight against a common enemy – Great Britain. In 1779, France convinced its ally
Spain to help the Americans. The Spanish troops, stationed in the southern part of the
United States acted quickly and defeated the British in New Orleans and along the Mississippi
River.
Great Britain was forced to spread its armies very thin once France and Spain decided
to aid the colonists. In 1781, the final battle of the American Revolutionary War, the Battle
of Yorktown, was fought. The Americans won the war because they had better leadership,
strong allies, home court advantage and a stronger desire to win.
In 1783, the Americans and the British signed the Treaty of Paris which officially made
the United States an independent country. Additionally the United States western border was
extended to the Mississippi River (it had previously been at the Appalachian Mountains).
Name:
Date:
Core:
U.S. History
The Revolutionary War
Reflection Questions…
Directions: Use the Brief (Really Brief) Overview of the American Revolutionary War handout to
help you answer the following questions.
1. According to the text, how were the taxes imposed on the American colonists after the
French-Indian War different from previous taxes? (2 points)
a. These new taxes were much higher and the goods taxed (like tea) were products that
nearly every colonist consumed.
b. These taxes were imposed on them directly by Parliament, a law-making body in
which the colonists had no representation.
c. The British lowered the taxes on the colonists after the French-Indian War. They
feared that if they were to impose high taxes on the colonists that they would rebel.
d. There were no new taxes imposed on the colonists after the French-Indian War.
2. Briefly explain why the British believed that the taxes they imposed on the colonists in the late
1700s were fair (provide 2 reasons for full credit). (4 points)
The British believed that the tax increase they imposed upon the American colonists was fair
because:_______________________________________________________________________
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3. Briefly explain why the colonists believed that the new taxes imposed by the British in the late
1700s were unfair (you must use the phrase “no taxation without representation” in your
response). (4 points)
The colonists believed that the British tax increases of the late 1700s were unfair because:
______________________________________________________________________________
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4. Which of the following places major events of the American Revolutionary War in the
correct chronological order? (3 points)
a.
b.
c.
The colonists declared their independence in 1776 and later that year the first battle of the war
took place in Lexington and Concord. The Battle of Yorktown marked the end of the fighting
and in 1783 the English and the Americans signed the Treaty of Paris which ended the fighting.
In 1775 the Battle of Yorktown took place and then the Americans and the British signed the
Treaty of Paris (1783) which marked the end of the war. In 1786 the Americans officially
announced they were a free country in the Declaration of Independence.
In 1775 the Battle of Lexington & Concord took place and one year later the colonists issued
the Declaration of Independence. The Battle of Yorktown marked the end of the fighting in
1781 and the Treaty of Paris officially ended the conflict in 1783.
5. Explain why the British decided to attack the towns of Concord and Lexington, MA. (2
points)
The British attacked Concord, MA because:
The British attacked Lexington, MA because:
6. Briefly describe how the colonists managed to win the Battle of Concord? _________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________(2 points)
7. Who won the American Revolutionary War? _______________________________(1 point)
8. Who did France support during the American Revolutionary War? Why did France choose to
support this side? (3 points)
France supported the ________________ (British or colonists) during the war because: ______
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
9. Identify two things that the winner of the American Revolutionary War received as a result of
their victory (hint: look at the Treaty of Paris, 1783) (2 points)
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
Reader Response…
Refer to your notes from today’s “Do At Bell” before answering this question.
Do you think that the British viewed the Sons of Liberty as patriots or terrorists?
Explain why using evidence from the text to support your answer. (ATITIC)
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4
Exemplary
3
Proficient
2
Progressing
1
Beginning
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Insightful, well
organized, and fluent
Deep understanding of
text is demonstrated
Specific references to
text are used to support
ideas
Text references are well
interpreted and clearly
connected to response
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Thoughtful, organized,
and fluent
Clear understanding of
the text is demonstrated
Relevant references to
text are used to support
ideas
Text references are
explained and connected
to response
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Organized and
somewhat fluent
Basic understanding of
text is displayed
At least one relevant
example from text is
used to support ideas
Text references are
somewhat connected to
response
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Disorganized or confusing
Limited or no
understanding of text is
displayed
Limited or no examples
from text are used to
support ideas
Text reference seems
irrelevant to response