Period 3 Flashcards
After the bloodshed at _________ and ______ in April of 1775, about 20,000 _______ swarmed around Boston, where they outnumbered the British
Lexington and Concord; minutemen
The Second Continental Congress met in ________ on May 10, 1775, with no real intention of _________, but merely a desire to continue fighting in the hope that the king and Parliament would consent to a redress of grievances.
Philadelphia; independence
- It sent another list of grievances to Parliament.
- It adopted measures to raise money for an army and a navy.
- It also selected George Washington to command the army.
Second Continental Congress
Washington had never risen above the rank of ______, and his largest command had only been of 1,200 men, but he was a tall figure who looked like a leader, and thus, was a morale boost to troops.
colonel
He radiated patience, courage, self-discipline, and a sense of justice, and though he insisted on working without pay, he did keep a careful expense account amounting to more than $100,000.
George Washington
In the first year, the war was one of ________, as the colonists maintained their loyalty while still shooting at the king’s men.
consistency
In May 1775, a tiny American force called the _____ ______ ____, led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, surprised and captured the British garrisons at Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point
Green Mountain Boys
The importance of this raid lay in the fact that they captured much-needed
cannons and gunpowder
In June ____, the colonials seized ______ _____ (prior known as Breed’s Hill).
1775; Bunker Hill
Instead of flanking them, the _______ launched a frontal attack, and the heavily entrenched colonial sharpshooters mowed them down until
Redcoats; meager gunpowder supplies ran out and they were forced to retreat.
After Bunker Hill, _______ ___ slammed the door for all hope of reconciliation and declared the colonies to be in open rebellion, a treasonous affair.
George III
The king also hired many German mercenaries, called ______, who, because they were lured by booty and not duty, had large numbers desert and remained in America to become respectful citizens.
Hessians
In October 1775, the British burned ______ (Portland), Maine.
Falmouth
The colonists decided that invading ______ would add a 14th colony and deprive Britain of a valuable base for striking at the colonies in revolt.
Canada
the ______ ______ would support the Americans because they supposedly were bitter about Britain’s taking over of their land.
French-Canadians
captured Montreal. At Quebec, he was joined by the bedraggled army of Gen. Benedict Arnold.
General Richard Montgomery
On the last day of 1775, in the assault of Quebec, _______ was killed and _____ was wounded in one leg, and the whole campaign collapsed as the men retreated up the __ ________ ____, reversing the way Montgomery had come.
Montgomery ; Arnold ; St. Lawrence River
Besides, the French-Canadians, who had welcomed the Quebec Act, didn’t really like the
anti-Catholic invaders.
In January 1776, the British set fire to ______, ______, but in March, they were finally forced to evacuate Boston.
Norfolk, Virginia
In the South, the _____ won a victory against some 1,500 Loyalists at ______ ______ _____, in North Carolina, and against an invading British fleet at Charleston Harbor.
rebels; Moore’s Creek Bridge
In 1776, Thomas Paine published the pamphlet _____ _____, which urged colonials to stop this war of inconsistency, stop pretending loyalty, and just fight.
Common Sense
Nowhere in the universe did a smaller body control a larger one, so Paine argued, saying it was
unnatural for tiny Britain to control gigantic America.
Thomas Paine called King George III the
Royal Brute of Great Britain
Paine argued his idea that there should be a ______ where representative senators, governors, and judges should have their power from the consent of the people.
“republic”
He laced his ideas with ______ imagery, familiar to common folk.
Biblical
His ideas about _______ ______ and _______ and embrace an independent republic fell on receptive ears in America, though it should be noted that these ideas already existed.
rejecting monarchy and empire
The _____ ________ already practiced this type of government in their town meetings.
New Englanders
Some ______, though, favored a republic ruled by a “natural aristocracy”
patriots
Members of the Philadelphia _____ _______ _______, instructed by their colonies, gradually moved toward a clean break with Britain.
2nd Continental Congress
On June 7, 1776, fiery _______ _______ ____ urged for complete independence, an idea that was finally adopted on July 2, 1776.
Richard Henry Lee
To write such a statement, Congress appointed ______ _______, already renown as a great writer, to concoct a Declaration of Independence.
Thomas Jefferson
He did so eloquently, coming up with a list of ________ against King George III and persuasively explaining why the colonies had the right to revolt
grievances
His “explanation” of independence also upheld the ______ ______ of humankind (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness).
“natural rights”
When Congress approved it on July 2nd, ______ _______ proclaimed that date to be celebrated from then on with fireworks, but because of editing and final approval, it was not completely approved until July 4th, 1776.
John Adams
The ____ __ _______ was a war within a war, as not all colonials were united.
War of Independence
There were Patriots, who supported rebellion and were called “______.”
Whigs
There were _______, who supported the king and who often went to battle against fellow Americans. They were also called “Tories.”
Loyalists
There were ________ in the middle and those who didn’t care either way. These people were constantly being asked to join one side or another
Moderates
During the war, the British proved that they could only control ______ ______, because when Redcoats packed up and left other areas, the rebels would regain control.
Tory areas
were generally conservatives, but the war divided families. For example, Benjamin Franklin was against his illegitimate son, William, the last royal governor of New Jersey.
Loyalists
Loyalists were most numerous where the ______ ______ was strongest (the South).
Anglican Church
Loyalists were ___ numerous in New England, where Presbyterianism and Congregationalism flourished. Loyalists were more numerous in the _______ _____ such as Charleston, SC.
less; aristocratic areas
generally the younger generation, like Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry.
Patriots
The ______ ______ constantly harassed small British detachments.
Patriot militias
Patriots typically didn’t belong to the _______ ______ but were Congregational, Presbyterian, Baptist, or Methodist.
Anglican Church (Church of England)
There were also those known as ________ who sold to the highest bidder, selling to the British and ignoring starving, freezing soldiers (i.e. George Washington at Valley Forge).
“profiteers”
After the ________ ___ ________, Loyalists and Patriots were more sharply divided, and ______ often confiscated Loyalist property to resell it (an easy way to raise money).
Declaration of Independence; Patriots
Some ______ Loyalists served the British in one way or another (fighting, spying, etc…), and it was an oddity that the ____ didn’t make more use of them during the war.
50,000; Brits
After the evacuation of Boston, the British focused on ____ ____ as a base for operations.
New York
An awe-inspiring fleet appeared off the coast in ______ ___, consisting of some 500 ships and 35,000 men—the largest armed force seen in America ever until the Civil War.
July 1776
Washington could only muster _______ _______ men to fight, and they were routed at the Battle of Long Island
18,000 ill-trained
Washington escaped to Manhattan Island, crossed the ______ ____ to New Jersey, reaching the Delaware River with taunting, fox-hunt calling Brits on his heels.
Hudson River
Washington crossed the ______ ____ at Trenton on a cold December 26, 1776, and surprised and captured a thousand Hessians who were sleeping off their Christmas Day celebration (drinking).
Delaware River
It was odd that _____ _______ ______, the British general, didn’t crush Washington when he was at the Delaware, but he well remembered Bunker Hill, and was cautious.
Gen. William Howe
