American Revolution Flashcards
Revolution
A drastic or complete change; a sudden and violent change/overthrow/replacement of a government by its own people.
Rebellion
Resistance/defiance against a government, authority, control, or tradition…rebellions are sometimes armed with weapons.
Where was the first battle of the American Revolution fought?
Lexington/Concord
Patriot
A colonist who supports independence
Loyalist
Someone who was loyal to Britain
The word congress used to mean…
A fancy word for a meeting
Who first said the famous quote, “Give me liberty or give me death!”
Patrick Henry
The name of the colonial army led by George Washington was…
The Continental Army
Justice
Rightfulness or lawfulness, being morally correct
Liberty
The state of being free or allowed to do as you please
What was Common Sense, and who wrote it?
It was a 43-page pamphlet by Thomas Paine about why the colonists should break away and become independent of Great Britain.
Our motto, E Pluribus, Unum, means…
Out of many, one
Three unalienable rights mentioned in the Declaration of Independence are…
- Life
- Liberty
- The pursuit of happiness
Did the Declaration of Independence mention slavery?
No, because if it did, the Southern Colonies wouldn’t have wanted to help fight Britain.
Two of the people that helped write the Declaration of Independence were…
- Thomas Jefferson
- Benjamin Franklin
The battle that was considered the first turning point of the war was…
The battle of Saratoga, 1777
What 2 nations helped America during the war?
France and Spain
What were the results of the American Revolution?
The American Revolution resulted in America becoming independent of British rule and officially recognized as a different country.
What was one advantage the British had over the Americans during the war, and vice versa?
The Americans had prior knowledge of the land, while the British had much more supplies and a much more organized army.
What were two reasons Thomas Paine gave in “Common Sense” for the colonists to declare independence?
- Britain ruled the colonies for its own benefit, and did not take into consideration the best interests of the colonies or their people
- Even if Britain was the “mother country” of the colonies, that made her actions all the more horrendous because no mother would treat her children so brutally.
The Sons of Liberty were much more radical than the Stamp Act Congress. In this context, what does radical mean?
Extreme
How could the British government have prevented the American Revolution?
By allowing colonists to elect representatives to parliament
What is the best definition of “tyranny?”
Not allowing citizens to have any say in the government
What is the central point of the Declaration of Independence?
That the colonies were breaking with England to form their own country
