History quiz on Revolutionary War Flashcards
Battle of Charleston
Siege of Charleston:
After the British realized that the war was not going to be easy, they decided to mount an offensive and push south. General Clinton attacked, and captured many points, Charleston being among them. This was the worst defeat for the Patriots in the war.
Battle of Saratoga
The battle was really two smaller battles, these being Freeman’s Farm and Bemis Heights.
Freeman: Many rounds of bullets were exchanged, with the tide changing all the time, but eventually the Patriots had to retreat, but not before causing many British casualties.
Bemis Heights: Burgoyne, a British officer, attacked a Patriot force of 13,000, and eventually lost, surrendering.
Battle of Trenton
Washington made a plan to cross the Delaware River to capture Trenton. He took the Hessian’s by surprise and sized the location. They later escaped from British reinforcements led by Cornwallis. This Battle was important because it gave a moral boost to the Patriot soldiers proved that they could win.
Battle of Yorktown
Already know.
Alexander Hamilton
Hamilton served as Washington’s right hand man, writing letters to various members of Congress, requesting supplies and ammo, and also read intelligence reports. He also served in one battle, this being Yorktown.
Benedict Arnold
Remembered as “The Traitor”, Benedict Arnold served as a Patriot commander during the war and had a good track record, until he changed sides and fought with the British because they offered him money.
Bernardo de Galvez
He was a Spanish man in the western half of the US and even before Spain declared war on Britain, he helped the Patriots by providing them with supplies such as money, ammo, and weapons. After Spain joined the war, he helped them more directly, pushing the British from the south and also west.
Charles Cornwallis
He was a British commander who was a large figure for the British and served in many battles. Later in the war, he was second in command to General Clinton, and was eventually defeated at the Battle of Yorktown.
Comte de Rochambeau
He was a French general who was very important to the Patriot cause, with some of his major achievements including helping at the Battle of Chesapeake Bay, and playing a key role in capturing Yorktown.
Francis Marion
Commonly referred to as the “Swamp Fox”, Francis was a patriot commander in the Carolinas who used Gorilla warfare tactics, attacking General Cornwallis. Eventually, the British got so mad that they gave a general the job of capturing him, but the British were unsuccessful, and was captured in the swamp, earning him the name Swamp Fox.
Friedrich (Baron) von Steuben
He was a Patriot commander in the war, most commonly known for his efforts at Valley Forge, where he trained Patriot troops on the way of battle, bettering them for the latter half of the war.
George Washington
He was the leader of the Patriot forces, and was a hero amounts the continental army. Although he had a fare amount of defeats, his victories far outweighed them, with some highlights being Yorktown and Trenton.
Marquis de Lafayette
A French commander for the Patriots who was at Valley Forge and was very closely allied with Washington. Two of his most important achievements were Valley Forge and keeping Cornwallis in Yorktown.
Deborah Sampson
She was a women who disguised herself as a man to fight with her husband in the war, inspiring others to do the same , and for women to join the army occupying other roles, such as cooks.
Gurilla Warfare
Same groups of forces fighting in close quarters combat, often retreating strategically and engaging at another time.
Hessian
Already Know.
Valley Forge
Already Know.
Advantages and disadvantages the Americans and British had entering the war
Patriot Advantages: Home ground advantage, fighting force more excited, and had Washington as their leader.
Patriot disadvantages: Did not have many supplies, inexperienced, had no navy, and initially had a smaller fighting force.
British advantages: More money, experienced soldiers, superior navy, and large pop.
British disadvantages: Ship soldiers across the Atlantic, majority were Hessian’s, and has worse leadership.
Describe the British battle plan of 1777 and the outcome
The British battle plan for 1777 was to focus their attention on the south, where their navy could be more effective and they also had loyalists there. This was initially successful, but then the Spanish came as well as the French and they were defeated.
Explain why the victory at Saratoga was so significant to the Americans
Saratoga was important to the patriots because it marked the French joining the fight against the British, gave a much needed moral boost to the soldiers, and also would later convince the Spanish and Dutch to join.
Describe the lead up to, the events of Yorktown, and the aftermath
Already know.
Identify the terms of the treaty of Paris
The Patriots would gain access to fishing water of the coast of Canada, America would be recognized as an official country, and all British troops would be gone from America. In exchange, the British demanded that Loyalists homes be returned to them and British merchants would be able to collect their debt.
