Lesson 3: Taking Up Arms

Question 1

Battle of Bunker Hill Definition

Answer 1

in 1775, the first major battle of the Revolution

Question 2

Battles of Lexington and Concord

Answer 2

in 1775, the conflicts between Massachusetts colonists and British soldiers that started the Revolutionary War

Question 3

Civil Disobedience Definition

Answer 3

the refusal to obey unjust laws using non-violent means

Question 4

Blockade Definition

Answer 4

the shutting of a port to keep people or supplies from moving in or out

Question 5

Boston Tea Party Definition

Answer 5

a 1773 protest in which colonists dressed as Native Americans dumped tea into Boston Harbor

Question 6

Continental Army Definition

Answer 6

an army established by the Second Continental Congress to fight the British

Question 7

First Continental Congress Definition

Answer 7

in 1774, a meeting of delegates from 12 colonies in Philadelphia

Question 8

Green Mountain Boys Definition

Answer 8

a Vermont colonial militia led by Ethan Allen that made a surprise attack on Forth Ticonderoga

Question 9

Intolerable Acts Definition

Answer 9

a series of laws passed in 1774 to punish Boston for the Tea Party

Question 10

Loyalist Definition

Answer 10

a colonist who remained loyal to Britain

Question 11

Mercenaries Definition

Answer 11

Soldiers from one country who are paid to fight for another country; a soldier who fights for pay, often for a foreign country

Question 12

Militia Definition

Answer 12

an army of citizens who serve as soldiers during an emergency

Question 13

Minutemen Definition

Answer 13

colonial militia volunteers who were prepared to fight at a minute’s notice

Question 14

Olive Branch Petition Definition

Answer 14

A peace petition sent to King George by colonial delegates after the battles of Lexington and Concord

Question 15

Patriots Definition

Answer 15

a colonist who favored war against Britain

Question 16

Quebec Act Definition

Answer 16

a law that set up a government for Canada and protected the rights of French Catholics

Question 17

Tea Act Definition

Answer 17

a 1773 law that let the British East India Company bypass tea merchants and sell directly to colonists

Question 18

Since the 1720s, what did Parliament enable the British East India Company to do? How did they protect this? How did the colonists react?

Answer 18

Since the 1720s, Parliament had given the British East India Company exclusive rights to sell tea to the American colonies. Parliament protected this by mandating that tea sold to the colonies had to be shipped to England first so taxes could be paid. Then the tea was shipped to colonial tea merchants for sale in the American colonies. This system met resistance due to the taxation of tea in the American colonies. Remember, to maintain its authority over the colonies, Parliament had kept a tax on tea when repealing the Townshend Acts. The tax was a small one, but colonists resented it. As a result, many colonists refused to buy British tea. Also, the colonists were able to get cheaper tea directly from Dutch and French traders who smuggled it to American merchants.

Question 19

Why did colonists oppose the Tea Act of 1773?

Answer 19

Many colonists were quite fond of tea. They opposed the Tea Act of 1773 because they did not believe the British had the right to tax them.

Question 20

Why was the Tea Act of 1773 passed? What was the result?

Answer 20

In the 1770s, the British East India Company found itself in deep financial trouble, due in part to dwindling tea sales in the American colonies. As a result, more than 15 million pounds of tea sat unsold in British warehouses. Parliament tried to help the British East India Company by passing the Tea Act of 1773. The act let the company bypass colonial tea merchants and sell directly to colonists. The Tea Act also gave the British East India Company a rebate on tea taxes. Although colonists would still have to pay the tea tax, they would not have to pay the higher price charged by colonial tea merchants. As a result, the tea itself would cost less than ever before. Parliament hoped this would encourage Americans to buy more British tea. To the surprise of Parliament, colonists protested the Tea Act. Many colonists were opposed to British mercantilist policies that were supposed to generate wealth for England by taxing the colonies. However, American tea merchants were especially angry because they had been cut out of the tea trade. They believed that allowing the government-sponsored British East India Company to sell tea to Americans violated their right to conduct free enterprise. Even tea drinkers, who would have benefited from the law, scorned the Tea Act. They believed that it was a British trick to make them accept Parliament’s right to tax the colonies.

Question 21

What did Hannah Griffitts encourage women to do?

Answer 21

Stand firmly resolved and bid Grenville to see That rather than freedom we part with our tea, And well as we love the dear drink when a-dry, As American patriots our taste we deny.

—Hannah Griffitts in Milcah Martha Moore’s Commonplace Book, 1773

Question 22

What was the role of the Daughters of Liberty and women like Griffitts, along with the Sons of Liberty?

Answer 22

Daughters of Liberty and women like Griffitts led the boycott. They served coffee or made “liberty tea” from raspberry leaves. At some ports, Sons of Liberty enforced the boycott by keeping the British East India Company from unloading cargoes of tea.

Question 23

What were key events in the Boston Tea Party?

Answer 23

Three ships loaded with tea reached Boston Harbor in late November 1773. The colonial governor of Massachusetts, Thomas Hutchinson, insisted that they unload their cargo as usual. Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty had other plans. On the night of December 16, they met in Old South Meeting House. They sent a message to the governor, demanding that the ships leave the harbor. When the governor rejected the demand, Adams stood up and declared, “This meeting can do nothing further to save the country.” Adams’s words seemed to be a signal. As if on cue, a group of men in Indian disguises burst into the meetinghouse. From the gallery above, voices cried, “Boston harbor a teapot tonight! The Mohawks are come!” The disguised colonists left the meetinghouse and headed for the harbor. Others joined them along the way. Under a nearly full moon, the men boarded the ships, split open the tea chests, and dumped the tea into the harbor. By 10 P.M., the Boston Tea Party, as it was later called, was over. The contents of 342 chests of tea floated in Boston Harbor.

Question 24

When did the Boston Tea Party occur?

Answer 24

On December 16, 1773

Question 25

What were the colonists reasons for the Boston Tea Party, which was an act of civil disobedience?

Answer 25

The Boston Tea Party was an important act of civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is the non-violent refusal to obey laws that one considers unjust. The colonists had many reasons for this act of civil disobedience. They wanted to voice their discontent to the British without hurting anyone. They also wanted to stop the tea from entering Boston. The impact of their civil disobedience was perhaps greater than they had expected. Harsh punishment would come from Britain.

Question 26

What were the colonists views on the Boston Tea Party? How did the Boston Tea Party lead to another cause of the Revolution?

Answer 26

Colonists had mixed reactions to the Boston Tea Party. Some cheered it as a firm protest against unfair British laws. Others worried that it would encourage lawlessness in the colonies. Even those who condemned the Boston Tea Party, though, were shocked at Britain’s harsh response to it. The unrest in Boston and the British reaction to the Tea Party would be yet another cause of the Revolution.

Question 27

What did Parliament, encouraged by King George, pass a result of Boston’s disobedience? What did the colonists call these acts?

Answer 27

The British were outraged by what they saw as Boston’s lawless behavior. In 1774, Parliament, encouraged by King George III, acted to punish Massachusetts. Colonists called the four laws they passed the Intolerable Acts because they were so harsh. These Acts pushed the colonists closer to revolution.

Question 28

What was the first Intolerable Act?

Answer 28

First, Parliament shut down the port of Boston. No ship could enter or leave the harbor—not even a small boat. The harbor would remain closed until the colonists paid for the tea they had destroyed in the Boston Tea Party and repaid British officials, such as Thomas Hutchinson, for damage to personal property. Boston’s harbor was central to the life of the city. With the closing of the port, merchants could not sell their goods and the colony’s economy suffered.

Question 29

What was the second Intolerable Act?

Answer 29

Second, Parliament forbade Massachusetts colonists to hold town meetings more than once a year without the governor’s permission. In the past, colonists had called town meetings whenever they wished. Public officials would now be selected by the king’s governor rather than be elected by citizens.

Question 30

What was the third Intolerable Act?

Answer 30

Third, Parliament allowed customs officers and other officials who might be charged with major crimes to be tried in Britain or Canada instead of in Massachusetts. Colonists protested. They argued that a dishonest official could break the law in the colonies and avoid punishment by being tried before a sympathetic jury.

Question 31

What was the fourth Intolerable Act?

Answer 31

Fourth, Parliament passed a new Quartering Act. No longer would redcoats camp in tents on Boston Common. Instead, colonists would have to house British soldiers in their homes when no other housing was available. Colonists viewed this act as yet another tax, because they had to house and feed the soldiers. Many objected to having the British army stationed in the colonies at all.

Question 32

What did the Quebec Act do?

Answer 32

About the same time of the Intolerable Acts, Parliament also passed the Quebec Act. It set up a government for Canada and gave complete religious freedom to French Catholics. The Quebec Act also extended the borders of Quebec to include the land between the Ohio and Missouri rivers. The act pleased French Canadians. The American colonists were angry, however, because some of the colonies claimed ownership of these lands.

Question 33

What did colonists do when they heard about the Intolerable Acts in Boston? What did Thomas Jefferson propose?

Answer 33

The committees of correspondence spread news of the Intolerable Acts to other colonies. They warned that the people of Boston faced hunger while their port was closed. People from other colonies responded quickly. Carts rolled into the city with rice from South Carolina, corn from Virginia, and flour from Pennsylvania.
In the Virginia assembly, Thomas Jefferson suggested that a day be set aside to mark the shame of the Intolerable Acts. The royal governor of Virginia rejected the idea. The colonists went ahead anyway. On June 1, 1774, church bells tolled slowly. Merchants closed their shops. Many colonists prayed and fasted all day.

Question 34

What was the First Continental Congress? What did they discuss?

Answer 34

In September 1774, colonial leaders called a meeting in Philadelphia. Delegates from 12 colonies gathered in what became known as the First Continental Congress. Only Georgia did not send delegates. After much debate, the delegates passed a resolution backing Massachusetts in its struggle. They agreed to boycott all British goods and to stop exporting goods to Britain until the Intolerable Acts were repealed. The delegates also urged each colony to set up and train its own militia (mih LISH uh). A militia is an army of citizens who serve as soldiers during an emergency. Before leaving Philadelphia, the delegates agreed to meet again in May 1775. Little did they suspect that before then, an incident in Massachusetts would change the fate of the colonies forever.

Question 35

What did Paul Revere do on the night of April 18, 1775?

Answer 35

On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere rode to Lexington to warn the colonists that British troops were marching toward them on their way to seize rebel arms in Concord.

Question 36

What did Massachusetts do to prepare to resist against British forces? What did the British do?

Answer 36

In Massachusetts, colonists were already preparing to resist. Newspapers called on citizens to prevent what they called “the Massacre of American Liberty.” Volunteers known as minutemen trained regularly. Minutemen got their name because they kept their muskets at hand and were prepared to fight at a minute’s notice. In towns near Boston, minutemen collected weapons and gunpowder. Meanwhile, Britain built up its forces. More troops arrived in Boston, bringing the total number of British soldiers in that city to 4,000.

Question 37

What did British commander General Thomas Gage plan to do in 1775?

Answer 37

Early in 1775, General Thomas Gage, the British commander, sent scouts to towns near Boston. They reported that minutemen had a large store of arms in Concord, a village about 18 miles from Boston. Gage planned a surprise march to Concord to seize the arms.

Question 38

What did the British do on April 18, 1775? What did Paul Revere do?

Answer 38

On April 18, about 700 British troops quietly left Boston in the darkness. Their goal was to seize the colonial arms. The Sons of Liberty were watching. As soon as the British set out, the Americans hung two lamps from the Old North Church in Boston. This signal meant that the redcoats were crossing the Charles River. The British had decided to cross the river rather than take a much longer route toward Concord by land. Colonists who were waiting across the Charles River saw the signal. Messengers mounted their horses and galloped through the night toward Concord. One midnight rider was Paul Revere. “The redcoats are coming! The redcoats are coming!” shouted Revere as he passed through each sleepy village along the way.

Question 39

What happened at daybreak on April 19, 1775? Who fired the shot? How many colonists died? (Battle of Lexington)

Answer 39

At daybreak on April 19, the redcoats reached Lexington, a town near Concord. On the village green, some 70 minutemen were waiting, commanded by Captain John Parker. The British ordered the minutemen to go home. Outnumbered, the colonists began to leave. Suddenly, a shot rang out through the chill morning air. No one knows who fired it. In the brief struggle that followed, eight colonists were killed.

Question 40

What happened when the British soldiers did not find the desired arms said to be in Concord and returned to Boston? (Battle Of Concord)

Answer 40

The British pushed on to Concord. Finding no arms in the village, they turned back to Boston. On a bridge outside Concord, they met approximately 300 minutemen. Again, fighting broke out. This time, the British were forced to retreat because the minutemen used the geography of the region to their advantage. As the redcoats withdrew, colonial sharpshooters took deadly aim at them from the woods and fields and then took cover there, making it difficult for the British soldiers to fire back. Local women also fired at the British from the windows of their homes. By the time they reached Boston, the redcoats had lost 73 men. Another 200 British soldiers were wounded or missing.

Question 41

What was the impact of the new of the Battles of Lexington and Concord?

Answer 41

News of the battles of Lexington and Concord spread swiftly. To many colonists, the fighting ended all hope of a peaceful settlement. Only war would decide the future of the 13 colonies.

Question 42

Why did the Second Continental Congress meet in the summer of 1775?

Answer 42

The Second Continental Congress met in the summer of 1775 to discuss how to respond to the British aggression at Lexington and Concord and the failure to rescind the Intolerable Acts.

Question 43

Almost 60 years after the Battles of Concord and Lexington, what did Ralph Waldo Emerson do?

Answer 43

More than 60 years after the battles of Lexington and Concord, a well-known New England writer, Ralph Waldo Emerson, wrote a poem honoring the minutemen. Emerson’s “Concord Hymn” created a vivid picture of the clash at Concord.

Question 44

What marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War?

Answer 44

Lexington and Concord

Question 45

What is the era known as the American Revolution marked by?

Answer 45

The war and disagreements between the American colonists and the British prior to the war represent the era called the American Revolution, the period of struggle to achieve independence from Britain.

Question 46

What did the delegates in the Second Continental Congress hope for?

Answer 46

Just a few weeks after the battles at Lexington and Concord, on May 10, 1775, colonial delegates met at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The delegates represented the 13 British colonies from New Hampshire to Georgia. Most of the delegates still hoped to avoid a final break with Britain. However, while they were meeting, the fighting spread.

Question 47

What did the delegates in the Second Continental Congress end up agreeing on in their May 10, 1775 meeting and sending to King George III? What was King George III’s reaction?

Answer 47

After much debate, the delegates sent a petition to King George. In the Olive Branch Petition, they declared their loyalty to the king and asked him to repeal the Intolerable Acts. George III was furious when he heard about the petition. The colonists, he raged, were trying to begin a war “for the purpose of establishing an independent empire!” The king vowed to bring the rebels to justice. He ordered 20,000 more troops to the colonies to crush the revolt. Congress did not learn of the king’s response until months later. But even before the petition was sent, leaders like John and Sam Adams were convinced that war could not be avoided.

Question 48

What did Ethan Allen do after hearing the news of King George III’s reaction to the Olive Branch Petition?

Answer 48

Ethan Allen, a Vermont blacksmith, did not wait for Congress to act. Allen decided to lead a band of Vermonters, known as the Green Mountain Boys, in a surprise attack on Fort Ticonderoga, located at the southern tip of Lake Champlain. Allen knew that the fort held cannons that the colonists could use, and its strategic location would help colonists control the region.

Question 49

What did the Green Mountain Boys do to capture Fort Ticonderoga? What was its impact?

Answer 49

In early May, the Green Mountain Boys crept quietly through the morning mists to Fort Ticonderoga. They quickly overpowered the guard on duty and entered the fort. Allen rushed to the room where the British commander slept. “Come out, you old rat!” he shouted. The commander demanded to know by whose authority Allen acted. “In the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress!” Allen replied.
The British commander surrendered Ticonderoga. With the fort, the Green Mountain Boys won a valuable supply of cannons and gunpowder. Allen’s success also gave Americans control of a key route into Canada.

Question 50

While the Green Mountain Boys, led by Ethan Allen, were capturing Fort Ticonderoga, what big decision did the Second Continental Congress make?

Answer 50

In the meantime, the Second Continental Congress had to decide what to do about the makeshift army gathering around Boston. In June, delegates took the bold step of setting up the Continental Army. They appointed George Washington of Virginia as commander. Washington knew that he would be fighting against one of the world’s toughest armies. Still, he was willing to do his best. He set off at once to take charge of the forces around Boston.

Question 51

How were the colonists divided on the sides they took on the war with Britain?

Answer 51

The colonists who favored war against Britain called themselves Patriots. They thought British rule was harsh and unjust. About one third of the colonists were Patriots, one third sided with the British, and one third did not take sides.

Question 52

What were some disadvantages and advantages that the Patriots, led by George Washington, had when going into war?

Answer 52

The Patriots entered the war with many disadvantages. Colonial forces were poorly organized and untrained. They had few cannons, little gunpowder, and no navy. Also, few colonists were willing to enlist in the Continental Army for long terms of service. They preferred to fight near home, as part of a local militia.
Yet, the Patriots also had advantages. Many Patriots owned rifles and were good shots. Their leader, George Washington, had experience and developed into an able commander. Furthermore, Patriots were determined to fight to defend their homes and property. Reuben Stebbins of Massachusetts was typical of many patriotic farmers. When the British approached, he rode off to battle. “We’ll see who’s going t’own this farm!” he cried.

Question 53

What were some advantages and disadvantages that the British had when going into war?

Answer 53

The British were a powerful foe. They had highly trained, experienced troops. Their navy was the best in the world. In addition, many colonists supported the British. Still, Britain faced problems. Its armies were 3,000 miles from home. News and supplies took months to travel from Britain to North America. Also, British soldiers risked attacks by colonists once they marched out of the cities into the countryside.

Question 54

Who were the Loyalists? In which colonies did the most Loyalists live?

Answer 54

American colonists who remained loyal to Britain were known as Loyalists. They included wealthy merchants and former officials of the royal government. However, some farmers and crafts workers were also Loyalists. There were more Loyalists in the Middle Colonies and the South than in New England.

Question 55

What were some difficulties Loyalists experienced as a result of the Revolutionary War’s conflicts?

Answer 55

Loyalists faced hard times during the war. Patriots tarred and feathered people known to favor the British. Many Loyalists fled to England or Canada. Others found shelter in cities controlled by the British. Those who fled lost their homes, stores, and farms.

Question 56

During the first year of conflict, where did much of the war take place?

Answer 56

During the first year of conflict, much of the fighting centered around Boston. About 6,000 British troops were stationed there. Colonial militia surrounded the city and prevented the British from marching out.

Question 57

What was the result of the Battle of Bunker Hill?

Answer 57

Even before Washington reached Boston, the Patriots took action. On June 16, 1775, Colonel William Prescott led 1,200 minutemen up Bunker Hill, across the Charles River from Boston. From there, they could fire on British ships in Boston Harbor. Prescott, however, noticed that nearby Breed’s Hill was an even better place to use the local geography to his advantage. A hilltop would be easier to defend, so he ordered his men to move there.
At sunrise, the British general, William Howe, spotted the Americans. He ferried about 2,400 redcoats across the river to attack the rebels’ position. As the British approached, the Patriots held their fire. When the Americans finally fired, the British were forced to retreat. A second British attack was also turned back. On the third try, the British pushed over the top. They took both Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill, but they paid a high price for their victory. More than 1,000 redcoats lay dead or wounded. American losses numbered only about 400.

Question 58

What was the first major battle of the Revolution? What did it prove?

Answer 58

The Battle of Bunker Hill was the first major battle of the Revolution. It proved that the Americans could fight bravely. It also showed that the British would not be easy to defeat. Furthermore, it hinted that one effect of the Revolution would be continued bloodshed from a long and bitter war.

Question 59

What did George Washington do when he reached Boston after the Battle of Bunker Hill?

Answer 59

When Washington reached Boston a few weeks after the Battle of Bunker Hill, he found about 16,000 troops camped in huts and tents around the city.
General Washington quickly began to turn raw recruits into a trained army. His job was especially difficult because soldiers from different colonies mistrusted one another. “Connecticut wants no Massachusetts men in her corps,” he wrote. And “Massachusetts thinks there is no necessity for a Rhode Islander to be introduced into her [ranks].” However, Washington won the loyalty of his troops. They, in turn, learned to take orders and work together.

Question 60

What did George Washington do in January 1776?

Answer 60

In January 1776, Washington had a stroke of good fortune. The cannons that the Green Mountain Boys had captured at Fort Ticonderoga arrived in Boston. Soldiers had dragged them across the mountains from Fort Ticonderoga. Washington had the cannons placed in a strategic location on Dorchester Heights, overlooking the harbor.

Question 61

What did General Howe do in March 1776, after seeing the canons brought to Boston?

Answer 61

Once General Howe saw the American cannons in place, he knew that he could not hold Boston. In March 1776, he and his troops sailed from Boston to Halifax, Canada. About 1,000 American Loyalists went with them. Although the British left New England, they did not give up. King George III ordered a blockade of all colonial ports. A blockade is the shutting of a port to keep people or supplies from moving in or out. The king also used mercenaries, or troops for hire, from Germany to help fight the colonists.