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Test Date: ___________________
Road to the Revolution Study Guide
HISTORICAL FIGURES
Paul Revere
Massachusetts patriot who warned the colonists of an oncoming British attack.
John Adams
Massachusetts leader who served as a member of Congress and later became the second
President of the United States.
Thomas Jefferson
He was the main author of the Declaration of Independence.
Patrick Henry
Patriot leader who said, “Give me liberty, or give me death”.
Samuel Adams
American Revolutionary leader who set up Committee of Correspondence and helped form the
Sons of Liberty
George Washington
Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army who became the first President of the United
States.
John Hancock
Member of the Sons of Liberty who had the largest signature on the Declaration of
Independence.
Benjamin Franklin
American leader and delegate to the Constitutional Convention as well as a respected scientist,
inventor, and business leader
VOCABULARY
Blockade
The use of warships to prevent other ships from entering or leaving a harbor. The
British blockaded the Boston Harbor as part of the Intolerable Acts after the Boston
Tea Party.
Minutemen
A member of the Massachusetts colony militia who could quickly be ready to fight the
British.
Parliament
The name of the British government.
1. What were the causes of the French and Indian War?
__France and Britain both claimed the same lands in North America. They both wanted land in the Ohio Valley.___
2. What did the British government do to help pay the costs of the French and Indian War?
___Britain passed new tax laws for the colonies. The Stamp Act on newspapers, playing cards, books, and important
papers. Sugar Act on sugar and molasses. Townsend Act on lead, paper, tea, paint, and glass.__
3. Why is July 4, 1776 a significant date in American history?
__The Second Continental Congress voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence.__
4. What was the Committee of Correspondence?
__Samuel Adams began the Committee of Correspondence. This group united the colonies by writing letters or
posters that told what was happening in different colonies.___
5. What happened at the First Continental Congress?
__This was a meeting of colonial representatives where a letter/petition was written to the King explaining why
taxing was unfair. The colonies also from militias or armies of citizens._
6. What is the difference between a LOYALIST and a PATRIOT?
___A Loyalist is a person that remained loyal to the British king. A Patriot was a colonist who was against British rule
and supported freedom for the colonies.__
7. In what ways did the colonists protest British imperial policies and taxes?
___The colonists chose not to buy taxed goods. Some began to boycott or refused to buy British goods. They
protested or worked against British policies. Colonists formed the Sons of
Liberty, the Daughters of Liberty, and the Committee of Correspondence. __
8. What does the phrase “No taxation without representation” mean?
___Many colonists were angry and said that Britain could not tax them because they had no representation in
Parliament. No one was representing the colonists by speaking or acting for
them when Parliament met. _
9. Choose one of the historic figures below. Write a paragraph describing this person based on the four character traits:
HONESTY, PATRIOTISM, COURAGE, TRUSTWORTHINESS
Circle your choice below.
George Washington
Patrick Henry
Paul Revere
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
Samuel Adams
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