| A | B |
|---|
| George Washington | Leader of Colonial Army- |
| John Adams | helped Thomas Jefferson write the Declaration of Independence |
| Thomas Jefferson | Major writer of the Declaration of Independence |
| Redcoats | nickname for a British Soldier |
| Cede | Surrender or to give up something |
| Militia | a group of civilians trained as soldiers, but are not part of the regular army- citizen sodiers |
| Alliance | an agreement between nationsor groups to help each other against other nations or groups. |
| Minutemen | citizen soldiers who could be ready to fight in a minute's notice- they were ready to fight very quickly , with little warning or notice. |
| Blockade | shutting off of a port with ships to keep people or goods and supplies from moving in or out of that port. |
| Mercenary | a soldier that serves another country for money- a hired soldier |
| Patriot | colonist who favored independence from Britain and was willing to fight for it |
| Loyalist | colonist who remained loyal to Britain and the king- they were in the minority in the colonies |
| King George III | King of England during the time of the American Revolution |
| Benjamin Franklin | helped Thomas Jefferson write the Declaration of Independence |
| John Hancock | President of Declaration of Independence committee- largest signature on the Declaration of Independence |
| Shot heard round the world | The first shot of the American Revolution-1775- Lexington, Massachusetts |
| Charles Cornwallis | The British commander who lost at Yorktown and surrendered to the Continental Army |
| Second Continental Congress | Met in Philadelphia in May 1775- first goal was to form an army (Colonial Continental Army)- next they printed paper money to pay for the newly formed army- the 2nd Continental Congress was starting to act like a government |
| Import | something brought into a country |
| Export | something sent out of a country |
| Thomas Paine | Author of Common Sense and The Crisis. Common Sense made colonists want independence and The Crisis encouraged people during the war. |
| Valley Forge, Pennsylvania | In the winter of 1777-1778 the army had too little food, clothing and medicine, drafty huts and about 25% of soldiers were sick at any given time. |
| Declaration of Independence | Written by Thomas Jefferson, about a year after the first battle of the war, it tells the world why the colonies want to be independent. |
| Nathan Hale | American spy captured and hanged by the British who said “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” |
| John Burgoyne | British General who lost at the Battle of Saratoga. |
| Sir William Howe | British leader of 44,000 soldiers who forced Washington out of Long Island and also the commander at the Battle of Bunker Hill |
| Marquis de Lafayette | French nobleman who led soldiers with George Washington and became like a son to him. |
| Baron Friedrich von Steuben | A German commander who taught American troops how to march, aim and attack with bayonets, and how to be disciplined at Valley Forge |
| Benedict Arnold | the most famous traitor in American history who tried to sell West Point, a key colonial fort on the Hudson River in New York, to the British |
| traitor | a person who betrays his or her country or cause and helps the other side |
| John Paul Jones | During the most famous naval battle in 1779- he said “I have not yet begun to fight”. He is considered a founder of the American Navy |
| Yorktown | last major battle of the American Revolution- ends the war- Colonies win |
| Treaty of Paris | April 15, 1783: It ended the war and made the colonies a country. It extended the border of the country from the Proclamation Line of 1763 West all the way to the Mississippi River. |
| Battle of Trenton | George Washington crosses the Delaware River with 2400 soldiers and attacks the Hessians (German mercenaries) on Christmas Day- The Americans win due to Washington's surprise attack |
| Battle of Saratoga | Turning Point of the American Revolution-American General Horatio Gates beat British John Burgoyne and showed the Patriots and the world they could win the war. It brought them help from France, Spain and the Netherlands. |
| Battle of Long Island | British Commander Sir William Howe with 34,000 soldiers and 10,000 sailors caused George Washington and 20,000 poorly trained soldiers and no navy to retreat from Brooklyn and eventually from New York completely |
| Valley Forge | quickly built camp in Pennsylvania where Washington’s tattered Army spent a very cold, harsh winter. 11,000 troops wintered here with little clothes, food, and shelter. 1 in 4 soldiers was sick. They were cold, hungry, and miserable. |
| General George Rogers Clark | attacked British forts beyond the Appalachian Mts.- he successfully captured several frontier forts and secured the Ohio River Valley for the Patriots and made it so colonists could remain living in this area |
| February 1778 | France signs a treaty with the Colonies and creates an alliance with them agreeing to fight with the Colonies against the British |
| Bernardo de Galvez | Spanish Louisiana governor who helped the patriots by providing money, weapons, and ammunition, giving Colonial ships safety in the New Orleans harbor, attacked British ships and forts on the Mississippi River and in the Gulf of Mexico. |
| Battle of Cowpens | January 1781-Colonial General Daniel Morgan and 800 soldiers defeat the British |
| Geography | Colonists had an advantage of fighting on their home ground- They knew the land and had all their resources and supplies, but the British did not know the land and their supplies came from across the Atlantic Ocean |
| Patriotic Spirit | The colonists were fighting to create a new nation, country. Independence, liberty, life was their motivation- they had extreme patriotism |
| Skilled Leadership | George Washington was a great leader- his knowledge, courage, and persistence won him support in the army and caused him to lead the colonists to victory even through extreme hardship |
| Help from Abroad | The French, Spanish, Netherlands and other countries from Europe helped the colonists with money, soldiers, ships, uniforms, weapons etc. They also provided military leadership and knowledge. These other countries attacked Britain on other fronts which diverted the attention of the British away from the colonies. The French navy were very important to the surrender at Yorktown |
| Battle of Bunker Hill | June 1775- British soldiers marched up Breed’s Hill 3 separate times and were only successful the 3rd time because the colonists ran out of ammunition- colonists retreated- The British win, but at a terrible loss- 1000+ British soldiers killed or wounded |
| Reasons why the Americans won the American Revolution | fighting on their home land, help from Spain and France, excellent military leadership, and intense patriotic spirit |
| Winner of the American Revolution | 13 Colonies |
| Continental Army | Outnumbered by the British and poorly trained Colonial Army |
| Delaware River | Crossed by George Washington on Christmas night 1776 with 2400 soldiers and surprise attacks German mercenaries in Trenton |
| Consequences (impact) of the American Revolution | 13 colonies became their own country- ideas of equality, freedom, rights were forever instilled into the minds of Americans- and influenced other independence movements, like the French Fevolution |
| General Daniel Morgan | American general that won a clear victory at the Battle of Cowpens in 1781 |
| Help from other countries | France and Spain help the Colonies defeat the British |
