SOCIAL STUDIES
STUDY GUIDE
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This test will cover the American
Revolution; causes, effects, battles, and
important people. If you study this well,
you will make a very good grade! 
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The test will be WEDNESDAY, DEC. 3!
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The American
Revolution
Trace the events that shaped the revolutionary
movement in America, including the French & Indian
War, British Imperial Policy that led to the 1765 Stamp
Act, the slogan “no taxation without representation,” the
activities of the Sons of Liberty, and the Boston Tea
Party.
[SS4H4 a]
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The French & Indian War (1754-1763)

This war was fought by Great Britain and France, and both wanted
control of the area between the Mississippi River and the
Appalachian Mountains.
 France lost, and gave Britain all the land it had in North America.
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King George III

King George III didn’t want
British colonists moving to
the new British lands west of
the Appalachians, so he
drew a line down the map
and ordered them not to
cross it. This was called the
Proclamation Line of 1763.

Many colonists ignored
him, however, and moved
past the mountains anyway.
They wanted the king to
mind his own business in
Britain.
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Wars are very expensive!

Britain decided to
make the 13
colonies pay back
the costs of the
French & Indian
War. To do this,
they put lots of
taxes on things the
colonists used.
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There were three main taxes that
the British put on the 13 colonies:

Sugar Act: added a tax
on sugar.

Stamp Act: required a
government stamp tax
on newspapers,
books, legal papers.

Townshend Acts: taxed
tea, glass, paint.
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Fair? Depends who you ask.

The colonists said no, that
they were taxed but didn’t
have any votes in the British
Parliament in London. They
said this was ‘taxation
without representation,’
and it was very unfair.

The British thought yes, it
was fair, because they had
fought and defended the 13
colonies against the French.
They thought the colonists
should pay the taxes and be
thankful.
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“Sons of Liber-TEA”
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To make sure the colonists
paid the taxes, Britain sent
thousands of soldiers to
the colonies. These were
the redcoats!

A secret club soon formed
to prevent the British from
getting their taxes. This
was the Sons of Liberty.
Because of the tax on tea,
the Sons of Liberty dressed
as Indians, snuck onto a
British tea ship in Boston
Harbor, and dumped all
the tea overboard, ruining
$1 million worth of British
tea! This was the Boston
Tea Party.
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Lexington: The First Battle

The British were enraged. King
George sent more soldiers to
Boston, where the colonists were
training to fight. After the Boston
Massacre, a group of British
soldiers marched to Lexington
and Concord, MA, to control that
area...

…but Paul Revere, a member of
the Sons of Liberty, got there first!
He warned the Minutemen that
the British were coming, and
when the British got there, the
battle started.

The battle of Lexington-Concord
was the FIRST BATTLE of the
American Revolution, and is known
as the “shot heard around the
world.”
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The Declaration of Independence

While the battles were being fought,
leaders of the 13 colonies met in
Philadelphia, PA, to discuss separating
from Britain.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the
Declaration, which said the colonies were
now the United States of America, and
that everyone has a right to:
– Life
– Liberty, and
– The pursuit of happiness
Then all the members signed it. John
Hancock signed his name so large so
the King wouldn’t have to use his
reading glasses to see it!
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George Washington at Trenton
and Valley Forge

Then, the Continental
Congress picked George
Washington, a hero from the
French and Indian War, to
lead the Continental Army.

Washington’s army had been
defeated in many places, and
had to retreat from New York.
They crossed the icy
Delaware River, defeated
the Hessians at Trenton,
NJ, and spent the rest of that
harsh winter at Valley
Forge, PA.
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Battle of Saratoga: the turning point

The British marched
south from Canada to
get to New York City.
They were stopped by
the colonial armies and
defeated at Saratoga,
NY. This was the
turning point when the
Americans started to
win, and France joined
their side.
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Benedict Arnold: American Traitor

Benedict Arnold was
one of George
Washington’s best
generals, but he
wanted more, and a
British spy offered him
money and a higher
military rank to trade
sides. He did, and he
became a general for
the British! His name
is still used today as a
synonym for ‘traitor.’
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Yorktown:

The Battle of
Yorktown was the
last major battle of the
American Revolution.

The French were a
major help in
defeating the British.
The British Army was
surrounded by the
Americans, and the
French Navy kept the
British Navy from
bringing in new
supplies.

General Charles
Cornwallis
surrendered, and the
war ended.
Washington vs Cornwallis
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Treaty of Paris makes it official:

The British and Americans
met in Paris, France, to
discuss the way Britain would
give up land in North America.

Britain gave the U.S. all the
land between the
Appalachians and
Mississippi River. It gave
Florida back to Spain. Britain
was allowed to keep Canada.

Look at the painting…did you
know the British were so
embarrassed over losing that
they refused to sit for the
artist?
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Review: Important People of the
American Revolution
Match these names with the minibiographies on the next slides:
George Washington
Benedict Arnold
Benjamin Franklin
John Adams
George III
Thomas Jefferson
Patrick Henry
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Who Am I?

I was the king of Great Britain during the
French and Indian War; then I drew the
Proclamation Line, set taxes on the
colonists, and sent my redcoats to make
the colonists do what I told them. Who
am I? ________________

I was a colonial leader from Philadelphia,
Penn. I helped with the Declaration of
Independence, but I’m BEST known as
an inventor. Who am I?
________________
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Who am I?

I was a Massachusetts lawyer who
defended the redcoats after the Boston
Massacre. I signed the Declaration of
Independence, and later became the
second president of the United
States.
Who am I? ________________

I was a politician from Virginia who felt
like an American, not a British colonist,
and said “give me liberty, or give me
death!”
Who am I? ______________
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Who Am I?

I was a leader in the French and Indian
War, and later became the general in
charge of the Continental Army during
the American Revolution. Many years
later, a became the very first president
of the United States. (I’m also on the
quarter and $1 bill!)
Who am I? _____________

I was a tall, red-headed lawyer from
Virginia. I wrote the Declaration of
Independence, and later became the
third president of the United States.
(I’m also on the nickel and $2 bill!)
Who am I? ______________
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Who Am I?

I don’t have many friends
these days, because I was a
general in the Continental
Army, but I changed sides
and fought for the British
Army. Nobody on either side
really trusts me or wants to be
around me; I guess that’s the
reason I’m on my own slide.
Who am I?
_________________ is my
name, and I’m the most
famous _______ in history!
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Events of the War:
Match the event to the phrase.
Lexington
The turning point.
Bunker Hill
The last major battle.
Trenton
Camped-out the awful winter.
Valley Forge
The first major battle.
Saratoga
Beat Hessians on Christmas.
Yorktown
“Don’t fire until you see the
whites of their eyes!”
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Congratulations! You have
completed Level 5!
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Level 6 will include:
The Articles of
Confederation
U.S.Constitution
Bill of Rights
Branches of
government
How laws are made
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