Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. 1. At the First Continental Congress, Patrick Henry said, ÒI am not a Virginian, but an American.Ó What was his intention when he made that statement? a. to urge colonists to join forces c. to defend his resistance to violence b. to express his anger at the South d. to ask colonists to abolish slavery 2. Which event led to the meeting of the First Continental Congress? a. the publication of Common Sense b. the shot heard round the world c. the closing of the port of Boston d. the rejection of the Olive Branch Petition 3. Who were the Sons of Liberty? a. a society of colonists who did not wish to break from Britain b. a group of patriots who protested British laws c. a society of scholars who wrote pamphlets d. a group of diplomats who tried to gain foreign support 4. What effect did Thomas Paine s pamphlet Common Sense have on colonial leaders? a. It caused them to reject Enlightenment ideas. b. It inspired them to challenge British authority. c. It explained to them the good sense of monarchy. d. It persuaded them to modify British laws. 5. Why did Thomas Paine think that citizens should make laws? a. He believed that kings were incapable of passing laws. b. He felt people had a natural right to govern themselves. c. Thomas Jefferson and other leaders had influenced him. d. Great Britain had shown this method to be effective. 6. How did ideas that developed during the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening influence the colonists view of government? a. They learned to respect authority. b. They began to desire political equality. c. They realized that war was impractical. d. They sought more intelligent leadership. 7. Why did Thomas Jefferson feel the colonists had the right to break away from Great Britain? a. Jefferson did not believe in any form of government. b. Great Britain did not protect the rights of the colonists. c. Jefferson did not agree that social contracts should be obeyed. d. Great Britain no longer showed a desire to govern the colonists.
8. Why was the phrase taxation without representation so important to the revolutionary cause? a. Colonists did not wish to support a government in which they had no voice. b. Great Britain would have ended taxation if colonists had kept the peace. c. Colonists believed that Great Britain should only tax certain items. d. Great Britain only taxed the colonists to force them into war. 9. The Declaration of Independence raised questions about slavery because a. the colonial leaders did not believe slavery should be legal. b. it ensured that slaves would have to fight in the Revolution. c. it proposed passing laws that would grant rights to slaves. d. its message was not consistent with the practice of slavery. 10. The Battle of Trenton was different from previous battles because the Patriots a. emerged victorious. c. took prisoners. b. went on the offensive. d. fought at night. 11. Why was the Battle of Saratoga a turning point for the Patriots? a. The Patriots realized they did not need foreign allies. b. The Patriots saved the army from losing enlisted men. c. The Patriots got a Prussian to train the Continental Army. d. The Patriots gained the support of France and Spain. 12. Who was Bernardo de Gálvez? a. a Patriot ally who organized troops to attack British posts in the Southeast b. a Patriot foe who helped increase the British presence in Spanish Louisiana c. a Spanish nobleman who was inspired by the ideas of the American Revolution d. a Spanish defector who served in the British Army and was wounded in battle 13. What challenges did the Patriots face at sea? a. Their naval fleet was old and in disrepair. b. Their sailors were malnourished and many were sick. c. They had too few ships to fight large battles against the British. d. Their sailors were brave but had difficulty following orders. 14. What setbacks did the Patriots face in the West? a. They had never explored the area and did not know the lay of the land. b. They had not managed to capture Britain s major frontier base. c. They had difficulty following the orders of an inexperienced leader. d. They had trouble persuading Indian leaders to remain neutral.
15. Who was nicknamed the Swamp Fox, and why? a. John Paul Jones, because his wiliness in capturing the British warship Serapis reminded his crew of a fox b. George Rogers Clark, because he led wet troops through the Wabash River to victory at the Battle of Vincennes c. George Washington, because his red hair shone like a fox s coat as he led his men across the Delaware River d. Francis Marion, because of his stealth and lightning speed in carrying out guerrilla warfare in the South 16. What was the first event that led to the Patriots defeat of the British at Yorktown? a. George Washington combined his troops with those of the French general, Comte de Rochambeau. b. Charles Cornwallis prepared to attack a small Patriot force led by the Marquis de Lafayette. c. Charles Cornwallis moved his troops in hopes of maintaining communication with the British Navy. d. A French naval fleet approaching from the West Indies seized control of the Chesapeake Bay. 17. Which of these explanations does not account for why the British set their sights on the South? a. Fighters in the northern colonies were giving the British unanticipated difficulty. b. Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia had large populations of pro-british Loyalists. c. They could use brutal tactics because it would take longer for news to reach the capital. d. Slaves could be turned against the colonists with guns and a promise of freedom. 18. What word did George Washington use to refer to the days spent by the soldiers in the Continental Army? a. victorious c. courageous b. glorious d. prosperous 19. The turning point in the American Revolution occurred when the Patriots defeated the Redcoats in the Battle of a. Saratoga. c. Quebec. b. Philadelphia. d. Trenton. 20. All of the following foreigners aided the Patriot cause except a. Bernardo de Gálvez. c. Junípero Serra. b. Comte de Rocambeau. d. Marquis de Lafayette.
21. The first battle of the American Revolution took place at a. Lexington. c. Yorktown. b. Philadelphia. d. Saratoga. 22. Where did British forces make the greatest gains during the war? a. at sea c. West b. New England d. South Completion Complete each statement. 23. helped train the Continental Army in basic military skills. (Baron Friedrich von Steuben/Bernardo de Gálvez) 24. The final battle of the American Revolution took place at _. (Yorktown/Philadelpia) 25. Many took part in the war by caring for the wounded and bringing water to troops. (children/women) 26. argued that all men have inalienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (Thomas Jefferson/Benjamin Franklin) 27. After early losses in New York and Canada, the Patriots finally earned an important victory at on Christmas night, 1776. (Trenton/Ticonderoga) 28. Those colonists who wished to remain British citizens were known as. (Patriots/Loyalists) 29. _ contributed his own money to the Patriot cause and served in the Continental Army without pay. (Marquis de Lafayette/Charles Cornwallis) 30. George Washington changed his mind about allowing _ to serve in the Continental Army. (Native Americas/free African Americans)
Matching In the space provided, write the letter of the term, person, or place that matches each description. Some answers will not be used. a. Bunker Hill h. John Paul Jones b. Common Sense i. Lexington c. Declaration of Independence j. minutemen d. First Continental Congress k. Second Continental Congress e. Francis Marion l. Treaty of Paris of 1783 f. George III m. Trenton g. George Washington 31. This battle in Boston was one of the earliest of the war 32. Patriot who helped win several important naval battles during the American Revolution 33. This officially ended the War for Independence 34. Leader of the Continental Army 35. Fighting here is known as the "shot heard 'round the world" 36. Issued the Olive Branch Petition and formed the Continental Army 37. Pamphlet that encouraged colonists to support independence from Great Britain 38. British monarch at the time of the American Revolution 39. Formal announcement of the colonies break from Great Britain 40. Civilian volunteer militia in the colonies