Colonial and American Revolution Era Unit Study Guide PDF

Name: Lucy Charland ___________________________________​​ Class: ___________________________________ Colonial and American Revolutionary Era Unit Study Guide Directions: Define the following terms using your definitions from the start of our unit or your Discover...

Name: Lucy Charland ___________________________________​​ Class: ___________________________________ Colonial and American Revolutionary Era Unit Study Guide Directions: Define the following terms using your definitions from the start of our unit or your Discovery Education Techbook. Be sure to type your answers in a different color. Parliament: The lawmaking bodies of Great Britain and various other nations around the world. Propaganda: The spread of information to influence the public opinion. Boycott: An act to protest unfair practice. Mercantilism: An economic theory that was practiced by European powers from the 1500s to the 1700s. Unalienable right: Rights that people inherit at birth, they cannot be taken away. Blockade: An act of war. Minute men: Was a term used for men who fought in the colonial militia and agreed to be ready to fight “at a minute's warning”. Loyalist: They were colonial people who remained loyal to Great Britain during the American Revolution. They were also known as tortes. Patriot: A term used to describe the supporters of independence during the Revolution. Siege: A particular type of wartime battle. Main Ideas: Answer the following questions using your notes to help you answer them, Be sure to type your answers in a different color. American Colonies 1.​ Describe the key industries of each of the three colonial regions below a.​ New England Colonies: known for shipbuilding and fishing b.​ Middle Colonies: Known as the “Breadbasket”, they grew wheat, corn, and barley. c.​ Southern Colonies: known for trading “cash crops” farmed on plantations. 2.​ Describe the governmental systems of each of the three colonial regions below: a.​ New England Colonies: They had self-governing charters, town meetings, and the male members of the church voted. b.​ Middle Colonies: They had proprietary charters, proprietors in England owned the land and hired governs to care for the land. c.​ Southern Colonies: They had the House of Burgesses, it was the first elected legislature. 3.​ Describe the different occupations that were prevalent in the three colonial regions below. a.​ New England Colonies: Their occupants were fishers and merchants.  b.​ Middle Colonies: Their occupations consisted of artisans, farmers and merchants. c.​ Southern Colonies: They had plantation owners, farmers, and planters. Causes of the American Revolution 1.​ Explain the role salutary neglect and the Navigation Acts played in the period leading to the American Revolution. Before the French and Indian war, Great Britain was ruling the colonies using salutary neglect. In the colonies, there was little to no strict enforcement, the acts and regulations were not followed, and the colonists were able to trade more freely. The Navigation acts, a series of laws passed to regulate colonial trade, limited the colonists freedom greatly. Colonies had to trade goods using English/colonial ships, they could only export certain goods to England or its territories, and goods imported into the colonies had to go through England first. The acts were loosely practiced until the end of the French and Indian war, when Britain needed to pay off debt. The acts angered the colonists, they felt that the laws restricted their economic freedom. This contributed to the tensions between the colonies and Britain, and the start of the Revolutionary war. 2.​ Explain the importance of each of the events below leading up to the American Revolution. a.​ French and Indian War: After England won the war, they were greatly in debt. In order to pay off the debt, they tightened control in colonies and taxed the colonists. b.​ Proclamation of 1763: This forbade the colonists from acquiring land. It gave Britain a monopoly on all the land purchases from the Native Americans. It was aimed to organize British territories in America and ease tensions with the tribes. c.​ Stamp Act of 1765: It required all legal documents, permits, commercial contracts, wills, newspapers, playing cards, pamphlets, books, etc to have a stamp to show that a tax had been paid for the item. The act was repealed on March 18, 1776 because of the resistance in the colonies and the difficulty enforcing it. d.​ Tea Act: The act allowed the East India Company to sell tea to the colonies at a low price, and directly without paying certain taxes. The act hurt colonial merchants and smugglers. e.​ Boston Tea Party: On December 16, 1773, members of the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves and boarded British ships in Boston harbor. They dumped 342 chests of British tea into the water as a protest. This event was a response to the tea act, and increased tension between the colonies and Great Britain. f.​ Boston Massacre: Occured on March 5, 1770 when a crowd of angry colonists began harassing British soldiers outside of the Boston Custom House. The soldiers fired into the crowd after a colonist struck a soldier  with a large stick. The event led to the death of five colonists and the injuries of several others. Paul Revere created an influential and inaccurate illustration of the massacre. g.​ Coercive Acts: Also known as the “intolerable acts”, took place when a group of five acts were passed by parliament in 1774 as a direct response to the Boston Tea Party. They contributed to the escalating tension between the colonies and Britain. As a response to the acts, the colonists formed the First Continental Congress to coordinate resistance. h.​ Thomas Paine’s Common Sense: Thomas Paine’s pamphlet inspired colonists to support independence from Britain. This powerful, political piece argued against Britain in many ways and contributed to the tension between the colonies and Britain. This pamphlet had immediate impact and prepared the colonies for the Declaration of Independence. Key Battles of the American Revolution 1.​ Explain each of the following battles of the war and why they were important to the American Revolution a.​ Lexington and Concord: The battle took place on April 19, 1776 and marked the beginning of the Revolutionary war. On the night of April 18, Paul Revere and other riders warned the colonial militia or minute men that “the British are coming”. British troops reached Lexington where minutemen were waiting for them. The first shots of war broke out, known as the “shot heard round the world”. The British British troops marched on to concord and continued to battle. The British suffered about 250 casualties while the colonies suffered about 90. This battle convinced many Americans to support the cause of independence. b.​ Bunker Hill: It was the first major battle of the war, and it took place near Boston. The colonists held their ground against the British, although the British captured the hill, it cost them greatly. This battle boosted colonial morale and inspired even more colonists to join the fight. c.​ Battle of Trenton: It took place on December 26, 1776. The battle was a surprise attack, led by George Washington, when he and his troops crossed the Delaware river on Christmas night. They defeated the Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey. This battle contributed to the raise of American spirits and boosting American morale. d.​ Battle of Saratoga: taking place on September 19- October 17, 1777, the battle was a critical turning point in the war. The event consisted of two major battles and caused a large surrender of the British army. The battle boosted American morale and helped secure international support for the colonies. After this battle, the French joined American forces. This battle also majorly contributed to inspiring more colonists.  e.​ Valley Forge: The winter of 1777-1778 was not a battle but a major winter encampment. The Continental Army faced extreme hardships including sickness, starvation, and cold weather. The soldiers trained and became more disciplined thanks to Baron Friedrich von Steuben. It led to a stronger and more united force even though many soldiers died from the conditions. f.​ Battle of Monmouth: This battle took place on June 28, 1778 and was the longest single-day battle of the entire war. This battle improved American fighting abilities and demonstrated American resilience and determination. Although neither side gained a clear victory, the colonists gained morale. g.​ Battle of Cowpens: This battle took place on January 17, 1781. This battle was an important American victory in South Carolina. It was led by General Daniel Morgan who introduced Kentucky long rifles to the American troops. The battle dealt a blow to British forces in the south and boosted American morale for the southern campaign. h.​ Siege of Yorktown: This was the final major battle of the Revolutionary War, taking place in September-October of 1781. The combined American and French forces trapped the Z British and forced General Cornwallis to surrender on October 19th. This effectively ended the war and ensured American Independence. 2.​ List the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1783 -Formally ended the revolutionary war -Recognized the United States as an independent nation -Set new boundaries for the young country -Marked the beginning of the United States as a sovereign nation. -The Canadian and American border was established in the north, and the Mississippi River in the west.