Revolutionary War Review

Sugar Act

Taxes on sugar, coffee, and wine.

Stamp Act

Taxes on everyday paper products like Magazines, newspapers, calendars, playing cards, and insurance policies.

Declaratory Act

England had full control to make any law for the colonies.

Townshend Act

Taxes on paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea.

Intolerable Act

New English rules - Closed Boston ports, no more town meetings, British took over taverns, and disobeying the British would be punishable by death

Quartering Act

British officials took over colonists homes

Proclamation Line

Imaginary line at the Appalachian Mountains

Boston Massacre

English troops forced laws upon colonists because they weren’t paying taxes and were smuggling goods.

Boston Tea Party

Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty threw 342 chest of British East India Company’s tea into the Boston Harbor

King George III

King of England during the Revolutionary War

George Grenville

British prime minister who implemented the Sugar Act.

Charles Townshend

The leading government minister who created the Townshend Act.

Samuel Adams

One of the founders of the Sons of Liberty who helped plan and execute the Boston Tea Party

George Washington

American general that led the Battle of Trenton on Christmas.

Horatio Gates

American general who led the Battle of Saratoga

Paul Revere

A messenger to the American colonists who warned the British were coming before the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

William Dawes

Helped Paul Revere warn American troops that the British troops were coming before the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Charles Cornwallis

British general that replaced Howe in New York and led the battle at Charleston.

William Howe

British general who led the Battle of New York

John Burgoyne

British general who led the Battle of New York with WIlliam Howe and also created the Saratoga campaign.

Thomas Jefferson

Lawyer in Virginia who wrote the Declaration of Independence.

John Hancock

Leader of the Second Continental Congress.

Battle of Lexington

British general Gage went to find colonial weapons. In a 15 minute skirmish, only eight men died.

Battle of Concord

The British found an empty arsenal and marched back to Boston, they were killed along the way by the minute men.

Battle of Bunker Hill

The British set three waves of troops uphill. The colonists ran out of ammo and abandoned the hill. 450 colonists died but 1,000 British died.

Battle of Trenton

George Washington led his troops through a snow storm to launch a surprise attack on the Hessians on Christmas morning.

Battle of Saratoga

General John Burgoyne set 8,000 men to transport 138 pieces of artillery; Americans used guerrilla warfare tactics and surrounded them. The British surrendered.

Battle of Yorktown

French and American forces combined and defeated the British. They created the Treaty of Paris that the British signed that gave America its independence.

America’s Strengths

• Home field advantage

• Strong leaders (ex. George Washington)

• Inspired by gaining independence

America’s Weaknesses

• Untrained soldiers

• food/ammo shortage

• Small navy

• No central government

Britain’s Strengths

• Trained army/navy

• Strong central government 

• Supported by Native Americans/Loyalists

Britains Weaknesses

• Far from Britain

• Unfamiliar with terrain

• Weka military leaders

• Sympathy of certain British politicians for the American cause