History Flashcards
Explain the difference between the Patriots and Loyalists and what region they are mostly from.
Patriots from the northeast. They supported the rebels.
Loyalists mostly from the south. They supported the British.
What motivated the British and the colonist during the American Revolution?
The British were motivated by the money and the colonists were motivated by their desire for freedom.
Explain some of the hardships faced by the Continental Army and General George Washington especially at Valley Forge.
Lacked Supplies
Not enough food or warm clothing
Disease
What is a privateer?
Privately owned ships granted permission to attack British merchant ships
Detail the events of the battles of Trenton and Princeton.
Washington and his troops rowed across the icy Delaware River to New Jersey
From there they marched to Trenton to surprise the Hessians Americans captured or killed over 900 Hessians and gained much needed supplies.
He won another victory 8 days later at Princeton.
This began to attract more recruits for the American Army.
Why is Saratoga considered a turning point or the American Revolution?
It prevented British from dividing the states and showed that America might win their war for independence.
Detail the foreign aid that the Americans received to help in their war effort (Focus on the aid from the French)
Sent troops to aid in the fight.
Why did the British turn their focus toward the south? Was it initially successful? What two cities did the British capture in the south?
British thought many Southerners were loyalist it would support the British
The British captured the Port of Savannah Georgia and conquered most of Georgia
They trapped American forces in Charles town and the battle of Charlestown ended when the city surrendered
Explain how George Washington trap Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown
Cornwallis set up base in Yorktown waiting to receive supplies
Washington took advantage of this and joined forces with the French army in New York
They headed south as a French fleet arrived and blocked Chesapeake Bay
They prevented the British ships from reaching Yorktown and delivering the badly needed supplies and also prevented the British from escaping
The Americans in the French bombarded the city of Yorktown and Cornwallis have to surrender
Describe the conditions of the treaty of Paris in 1783 which ended the American revolution
The United States was independent
The boundaries would be the Mississippi river on the west, Canada to the north and Spanish Florida to the south.
The US would have the right to fish off the Canadian Atlantic coast, near Newfoundland and Nova Scotia
Each side would repay their debts
The British would return slaves they had captured
What are guerrillas
Small groups of men that do hit and run attacks
What are Hessians
German soldiers hired by the British
Who is Lord Cornwallis
The British general who was defeated at Yorktown
What is the battle of Yorktown
The final battle of the war in which French and American forces led by George Washington defeated British General Cornwallis
What is Valley Forge
The site where Washington and his army camped in the winter of 1777–1778
