Deck 7: The War for America, 1775-1783

Question 1

What was the significance of the battle of Bunker Hill?

A) The patriots scored a key victory early in the war.
B) The British realized they had to move west.
C) Washington proved his leadership abilities.
D) The British won a very costly battle.

Answer 1

The British won a very costly battle.

Question 2

How did the congress raise the necessary troops for the Continental army?

A) It offered land grants to those who committed for the war's duration.
B) It relied exclusively on trained local militias.
C) It promised freedom for any slaves who joined the army.
D) It required that soldiers sign on for five years of service.

Answer 2

It offered land grants to those who committed for the war's duration.

Question 3

Which statement characterizes the continental dollars authorized by the congress in 1775?

A) The dollars were backed by silver but not gold.
B) The dollars were merely paper backed by no precious metals.
C) The dollars were backed by gold but at only half the value.
D) The dollars were backed by gold at full value.

Answer 3

The dollars were merely paper backed by no precious metals.

Question 4

What did the British general William Howe do after the victory at Bunker Hill?

A) He pursued the Americans fleeing from Boston.
B) He retreated to Boston.
C) He abandoned Boston.
D) He attacked Boston directly.

Question 5

As manpower needs in the Continental army increased,

A) southerners allowed their black slaves to serve.
B) Indians were promised the return of their land if they enlisted.
C) about twenty thousand black men enlisted to fight.
D) free blacks were welcomed into service in the northern states.

Question 6

In their revisions to the Declaration of Independence, Georgia and South Carolina removed

A) any mention of the issue of slavery.
B) the phrase "give me liberty or give me death."
C) any mention of the natural equality of "all men."
D) the theory that the king staged Pontiac's Rebellion.

Question 7

Women served in the Continental army by

A) publicly enlisting.
B) performing domestic tasks.
C) spying on British commanders.
D) sewing American flags.

Question 8

The delegates to the Second Continental Congress chose George Washington as commander in chief because

A) he was the most radical and outspoken proponent of Independence.
B) he had distinguished himself as a brilliant strategist during the Seven Years' War.
C) they wanted to show England that there was commitment to war outside New England.
D) he had curried favor with many of the most influential delegates.

Question 9

What was the American strategy in the war with Britain?

A) Maintain and protect all seaports.
B) Keep a strong force in New York.
C) Turn back and defeat the invading armies.
D) Use state militias as much as possible.

Question 10

In the Olive Branch Petition of July 1775, congressional moderates proposed that

A) the king immediately remove all British troops from America.
B) American colonial assemblies be recognized as individual parliaments.
C) the king remove all legislation imposed by Parliament in the colonies.
D) colonists sever their connections with the British monarchy.

Question 11

What obstacle did the British army face in the Revolutionary War?

A) Most soldiers feared the fighting prowess of the Americans.
B) No British loyalists lived in the southern colonies.
C) It was difficult to supply their army with food and supplies.
D) The British had too many inexperienced generals.

Question 12

What made Robert Shurtliff of Massachusetts an atypical member of the Continental army?

A) He was much older than the other soldiers.
B) He was born in French Canada.
C) He was the wealthiest man to serve in the army.
D) He was a woman disguised as a man.

Question 13

The British goal in fighting the war in America was to

A) lay waste to American resources.
B) gain support from Indian tribes.
C) win a lengthy war of attrition.
D) regain colonial allegiance.

Question 14

What was the significance of the New York delegates' endorsement of the Declaration of Independence on July 15, 1776?

A) Only South Carolina had yet to endorse the resolution.
B) The resolution for independence had passed unanimously.
C) The war with England had come to a victorious conclusion.
D) The resolution had passed by just one vote.

Question 15

What was one of the many weaknesses of the Continental army?

A) It was undermanned.
B) It was fighting on its own soil.
C) Loyalists infiltrated its ranks.
D) It fought for an unpopular cause.

Question 16

In his radical pamphlet Common Sense, Thomas Paine encouraged Americans to

A) declare independence from Great Britain.
B) ignore calls for a republican government.
C) form an alliance with France.
D) revolt against wealthy urban merchants.

Question 17

What was the significance of the Continental army's campaign in Montreal and Quebec?

A) It showed that the war was more than a reaction to the invasion of Massachusetts.
B) British troops stationed in Montreal turned back the American forces.
C) The Continental army quickly and bloodlessly captured Quebec.
D) The mission was foiled when Indians in the area joined British troops.

Question 18

Where did delegates from all of the colonies meet to discuss their course of action after the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord?

A) Continental Association
B) First Continental Congress
C) Second Continental Congress
D) House of Burgesses

Question 19

Why did delegates to the Second Continental Congress remain reluctant to break with Britain in 1775?

A) The delegates maintained strong ties to the British Parliament.
B) Colonists feared invasions from the Dutch and Portuguese.
C) The delegates worried that independence would destroy political stability.
D) The delegates feared independence would encourage slaves to rebel.

Question 20

What was the initial goal of the Second Continental Congress?

A) To declare independence immediately
B) To raise and supply an army
C) To send the Continental army to Massachusetts
D) To elect a president of the Congress

Question 21

During the Revolution, punishment for a treasonable act might include

A) being put on public display in stocks.
B) the suspension of voting privileges.
C) wearing an embroidered T on one's shirt.
D) being sent to the front line of fighting.

Question 22

Why did France ally with the Americans after the battle of Saratoga?

A) It saw an opportunity to defeat England.
B) It wanted to gain a foothold in Canada.
C) It wanted to link the colonies with Quebec.
D) It feared losing the West Indies.

Question 23

As the currency depreciated, the Continental Congress paid soldiers by

A) using the black market.
B) issuing land-grant certificates.
C) taxing property in all of the colonies.
D) borrowing money from Spain.

Question 24

During the winter of 1777-78, the Continental army's morale was

A) high owing to the army's recent string of victories.
B) high because the British appeared ready to surrender.
C) increasing owing to Americans' support for the troops.
D) low because corruption was undermining the patriots' cause.

Question 25

Thayendanegea (known also by his English name, Joseph Brant) was a leader of which Indian tribe?

A) Oneida
B) Shawnee
C) Iroquois
D) Mohawk

Question 26

In the fall of 1776, the British hired 8,000 Hessian mercenaries and

A) brought in 10,000 additional troops from Scotland.
B) concentrated their military might in New York.
C) further swelled their ranks by emptying the jails in England.
D) focused on protecting their holdings in Canada.

Question 27

Why did Indian tribes ally with the Americans as the war wore on?

A) They came to believe in American principles.
B) The British military treated them very poorly.
C) Americans paid them for their military assistance.
D) They realized the likelihood of American victory.

Question 28

In August 1777, instead of sailing north on the Hudson River, General Howe chose which surprising military strategy?

A) He invaded Fort Stanwix.
B) He remained in Manhattan.
C) He sailed to Philadelphia.
D) He forged an alliance with Mohawk Indians.

Question 29

The Continental army enjoyed its first victory over the British on Christmas night in 1776, when the Americans

A) attacked and captured Quebec.
B) defeated the British outside of Boston.
C) surprised the Hessians in New Jersey.
D) recaptured Philadelphia.

Question 30

Which of the following was a treasonable act as defined by state laws in 1775 and 1776?

A) Supplying the British army
B) Being a Mennonite
C) Being the relative of a traitor
D) Offering blacks their freedom

Question 31

What proportion of Revolutionary War fatalities occurred on British prison ships?

A) A relatively small number
B) About 1,000 deaths
C) The same as the number killed in battle
D) More than the number killed in battle

Question 32

At the time of the war with Britain, white women

A) were forbidden to discuss politics without the approval of their husbands.
B) participated in public political rallies aimed at boosting morale.
C) were allowed to join the army if and when male recruits became scarce.
D) began to participate in politics through discussion and fundraising.

Question 33

Why was General John Burgoyne's defeat at the battle of Saratoga a decisive moment in the Revolutionary War?

A) It caused Benedict Arnold to defect to the British.
B) It brought France into the war on the side of the patriots.
C) It ended the military career of General Horatio Gates.
D) It vindicated Burgoyne's strategy of attacking from Canada.

Question 34

Relationships between Americans and Indians during the war were increasingly characterized by

A) violent anti-Indian campaigns.
B) cooperation in fighting the British.
C) mutual respect forged through difficult battles.
D) cooperation because the Indians allied with the French.

Question 35

How did the British army treat prisoners of war?

A) It provided them ample food.
B) It paid for their material needs.
C) It treated them worse than criminals.
D) It sent them to Massachusetts encampments.

Question 36

Who led a group of Kentucky militiamen dressed as Indians in an attack at Kaskaskia?

A) Chief Red Hawk
B) Chief White Eyes
C) George Rogers Clark
D) John Sullivan

Question 37

Many of the most visible and dedicated loyalists (also called Tories by their enemies) came from which group?

A) Maryland Catholics
B) Wealthy merchants
C) Urban Quakers
D) New England landowners

Question 38

What was the economic result of the Continental Congress's decision to issue paper money?

A) Prices fell rapidly.
B) Bonds sold quickly.
C) Money became devalued.
D) Foreign credit became available.

Question 39

How did American Indians respond to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War?

A) They hoped at first to stay neutral before being forced to choose sides.
B) Indians voted unanimously to join the British during the war.
C) They convinced the rebels to give them a say in important decisions.
D) They embraced the revolutionary cause from the onset of hostilities.

Question 40

What did the British government do after capturing Philadelphia in September 1777?

A) Offered independence to the Americans if they released all prisoners of war
B) Convinced France and Spain to join the war on the side of the British
C) Proposed a negotiated settlement that did not include American independence
D) Offered increased monarchial protection if the patriots surrendered

Question 41

Discuss several of the advantages and disadvantages for the British in fighting a war against the colonists.

Question 42

Where did the Americans suffer their worst defeat of the Revolutionary War?

A) Augusta, Georgia
B) Camden, South Carolina
C) Richmond, Virginia
D) Baltimore, Maryland

Question 43

How did battle tactics in the South change after Gates's defeat and Arnold's treason?

A) Guerrilla warfare erupted across the southern backcountry.
B) British forces benefited from increasing loyalist strength in the South.
C) Cherokee units in the Carolina backcountry switched to the patriots' side.
D) The French convinced the Indians to fight the British alongside French forces.

Question 44

What economic challenges did the Continental Congress face? What did it do to finance the war?

Question 45

Discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages for the patriots in rebelling against England.

Question 46

List at least two of the colonists' grievances with the British government by July 1776. How did the Continental Congress respond to these grievances? (You may want to consult Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence in the text appendix.)

Question 47

Where did British troops achieve victory at the beginning of their campaign in the South in 1778 and 1780?

A) Yorktown and Williamsburg
B) Charleston and Charlottesville
C) Virginia and North Carolina
D) Georgia and South Carolina

Question 48

What did the peace between the Americans and the British that began in 1783 mean for the Indians?

A) Only a temporary lull in fighting
B) The beginning of the reservation system
C) The temporary return of their land
D) Unification with the new United States

Question 49

How did Thomas Paine justify his case for complete independence from England in his pamphlet Common Sense? How was his pamphlet received in the colonies?

Question 50

How did news of Benedict Arnold's treason affect the Revolutionary War?

A) It ended rebel support in the South for good.
B) It caused the French to withdraw their support from the Americans.
C) It caused American morale to sink to an all-time low.
D) It inspired renewed patriotism in America.

Question 51

Which event led to the end of the Revolutionary War at Yorktown?

A) Lafayette's arrival at Yorktown from the west
B) The introduction of more sophisticated cannons
C) The French forces taking control of the Chesapeake
D) General Cornwallis's cowardly retreat

Question 52

What immediate impact did the Americans' alliance with France have on the British during the Revolutionary War?

A) The British were uniformly undaunted in their optimism for winning the war.
B) The commander of the British navy argued for abandoning the war.
C) The British naval commander convinced the king that the British would still win.
D) Parliament called for a truce with both the Americans and the French.

Question 53

Why did the British decide to move their Revolutionary War campaign south in 1778? Was this strategy successful?

Question 54

What was the content of the first article of the Treaty of Paris?

A) The king recognized the independence of the United States.
B) The Indians retained their land in the Ohio Valley.
C) Loyalists' land was to be returned to them as soon as possible.
D) The Americans were given Florida and half of Louisiana.

Question 55

Who were the loyalists during the Revolutionary War? From which social strata of colonial society did loyalists tend to come?

Question 56

What impact did the French alliance have on the Revolutionary War's outcome?

Question 57

What events led up to General Cornwallis's surrender in October 1781?

Question 58

Discuss the terms of the Treaty of Paris. Which issues were left unresolved?

Question 59

After General Charles Cornwallis achieved the upper hand in Virginia, the balance of power on the battlefield changed dramatically because

A) Washington had better information about Cornwallis's position.
B) the French gave military support to Washington.
C) the British had strong positions in the North and South.
D) Cornwallis had momentum in his favor after a string of losses.

Question 60

After five and a half years of fighting, how long did it take to negotiate peace and evacuate the British from its former colonies?

A) One month
B) Nine months
C) Two years
D) Five years

Question 61

In the Revolutionary War, American colonists fought each other as well as the British. How did the events of the war influence colonial Americans as they chose sides?

Question 62

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
A Philadelphia organization that collected substantial money donations in 1780 to gift to the Continental troops showing citizens' appreciation.

A)battle of Bunker Hill
B)battle of Long Island
C)battle of Oriskany
D)battle of Saratoga
E)battle of Yorktown
F)Common Sense
G)Continental army
H)Declaration of Independence
I)Ladies Association
J)loyalists
K)Second Continental Congress
L)Treaty (Peace) of Paris, 1783

Question 63

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
A document containing philosophical principles and a list of grievances that declared separation from Britain. Adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, it ended a period of intense debate with moderates still hoping to reconcile with Britain.

A)battle of Bunker Hill
B)battle of Long Island
C)battle of Oriskany
D)battle of Saratoga
E)battle of Yorktown
F)Common Sense
G)Continental army
H)Declaration of Independence
I)Ladies Association
J)loyalists
K)Second Continental Congress
L)Treaty (Peace) of Paris, 1783

Question 64

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
Second battle of the war, on June 16, 1775, involving a massive British attack on New England militia units near Boston. The militiamen finally yielded, but not before inflicting heavy casualties on the British.

A)battle of Bunker Hill
B)battle of Long Island
C)battle of Oriskany
D)battle of Saratoga
E)battle of Yorktown
F)Common Sense
G)Continental army
H)Declaration of Independence
I)Ladies Association
J)loyalists
K)Second Continental Congress
L)Treaty (Peace) of Paris, 1783

Question 65

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
A punishing defeat for Americans in a ravine near Fort Stanwix in New York in August 1777. German-American militiamen aided by allied Oneida warriors were ambushed by Mohawk and Seneca Indians, and 500 on the revolutionary side were killed.

A)battle of Bunker Hill
B)battle of Long Island
C)battle of Oriskany
D)battle of Saratoga
E)battle of Yorktown
F)Common Sense
G)Continental army
H)Declaration of Independence
I)Ladies Association
J)loyalists
K)Second Continental Congress
L)Treaty (Peace) of Paris, 1783

Question 66

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1776 that laid out the case for independence. In it, Paine rejected monarchy, advocating its replacement with republican government based on the consent of the people. The pamphlet influenced public opinion throughout the colonies.

A)battle of Bunker Hill
B)battle of Long Island
C)battle of Oriskany
D)battle of Saratoga
E)battle of Yorktown
F)Common Sense
G)Continental army
H)Declaration of Independence
I)Ladies Association
J)loyalists
K)Second Continental Congress
L)Treaty (Peace) of Paris, 1783

Question 67

Discuss why the British lost the Revolutionary War. What advantages did they misuse?

Question 68

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
September 3, 1783, agreement that ended the Revolutionary War. The pact acknowledged America's independence, set its boundaries, and promised the quick withdrawal of British troops from American soil. It failed to recognize Indians as players in the conflict.

A)battle of Bunker Hill
B)battle of Long Island
C)battle of Oriskany
D)battle of Saratoga
E)battle of Yorktown
F)Common Sense
G)Continental army
H)Declaration of Independence
I)Ladies Association
J)loyalists
K)Second Continental Congress
L)Treaty (Peace) of Paris, 1783

Question 69

Discuss the two tasks facing the Second Continental Congress, when the delegates met on May 10, 1775. What initial steps did they take to carry out their goals?

Question 70

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
First major engagement of the new Continental army, defending against 45,000 British troops newly arrived in what is now Brooklyn. The Continentals retreated, with high casualties and many taken prisoner.

A)battle of Bunker Hill
B)battle of Long Island
C)battle of Oriskany
D)battle of Saratoga
E)battle of Yorktown
F)Common Sense
G)Continental army
H)Declaration of Independence
I)Ladies Association
J)loyalists
K)Second Continental Congress
L)Treaty (Peace) of Paris, 1783

Question 71

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
The army created in June 1775 by the Second Continental Congress to oppose the British. Virginian George Washington, commander in chief, had the task of turning local militias and untrained volunteers into a disciplined army.

A)battle of Bunker Hill
B)battle of Long Island
C)battle of Oriskany
D)battle of Saratoga
E)battle of Yorktown
F)Common Sense
G)Continental army
H)Declaration of Independence
I)Ladies Association
J)loyalists
K)Second Continental Congress
L)Treaty (Peace) of Paris, 1783

Question 72

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
Colonists who remained loyal to Britain during the Revolutionary War, probably numbering around one-fifth of the population in 1776.

A)battle of Bunker Hill
B)battle of Long Island
C)battle of Oriskany
D)battle of Saratoga
E)battle of Yorktown
F)Common Sense
G)Continental army
H)Declaration of Independence
I)Ladies Association
J)loyalists
K)Second Continental Congress
L)Treaty (Peace) of Paris, 1783

Question 73

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
October 1781 battle that sealed American victory in the Revolutionary War. American troops and a French fleet trapped the British army under the command of General Charles Cornwallis in Virginia.

A)battle of Bunker Hill
B)battle of Long Island
C)battle of Oriskany
D)battle of Saratoga
E)battle of Yorktown
F)Common Sense
G)Continental army
H)Declaration of Independence
I)Ladies Association
J)loyalists
K)Second Continental Congress
L)Treaty (Peace) of Paris, 1783

Question 74

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
Legislative body that governed the United States from May 1775 through the war's duration. It established an army, created its own money, and declared independence once all hope for a peaceful reconciliation with Britain was gone.

A)battle of Bunker Hill
B)battle of Long Island
C)battle of Oriskany
D)battle of Saratoga
E)battle of Yorktown
F)Common Sense
G)Continental army
H)Declaration of Independence
I)Ladies Association
J)loyalists
K)Second Continental Congress
L)Treaty (Peace) of Paris, 1783

Question 75

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
A multistage battle in New York ending with the decisive defeat and surrender of British General John Burgoyne on October 17, 1777. France was convinced by this victory to throw its official support to the Americans.

A)battle of Bunker Hill
B)battle of Long Island
C)battle of Oriskany
D)battle of Saratoga
E)battle of Yorktown
F)Common Sense
G)Continental army
H)Declaration of Independence
I)Ladies Association
J)loyalists
K)Second Continental Congress
L)Treaty (Peace) of Paris, 1783

Question 76

Discuss the role of women and blacks in the Revolutionary War, both at home and on the battlefields.

Question 77

Discuss American successes and failures in the North and West. What role did Indian tribes play, and what convinced the French to ally with the Americans during these pivotal years?