United States History – Reflections

Revolution Unit

Unit 4, Chapter 8 The Colonies Unite (pp. 312 – 359)

Lesson 1: Competition for Control (pp. 318 – 323)

  • Parliament: the lawmaking body of the British government
  • Proclamation: a public announcement

READING CHECK

The French and British were competing for the Ohio Valley because both wanted to settle the land they had both claimed in North America.

The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War.

After the Proclamation of 1763 the colonists were angry with the British. They didn’t want to stay out of the frontier lands they had just helped fight for.

Lesson 2: The Colonists Speak Out (pp. 326 – 332)

  • Representation: voice in one’s government
  • Treason: working against one’s own government
  • Imperial policies: the laws and orders issued by the British government
  • Boycott: refuse to buy
  • Documentary Source: produced at the time an event takes place (ex: Declaration of Independence)

READING CHECK

Parliament passed new taxes because Britain needed money to help pay for the cost of the French and Indian War.

The colonists wanted to spread news and protests about unfair British policies so they formed the Committees of Correspondence.

Read and understand pg 334-335 Distinguishing Fact from Fiction

Lesson 3: Disagreements Grow (pp. 336 – 341)

  • Blockade: ships were not able to enter or leave the harbor
  • Congress: a formal meeting of representatives
  • Minutemen: colonists who were ready to fight at a minutes notice
  • Revolution: a sudden and complete change of government

READING CHECK

The petition sent by the First Continental Congress asked for the right to life and liberty, the right to assemble, and the right to trial by jury.

British Parliament passed the Coercive Acts (also known as the Intolerable Acts) to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party.

The battles at Lexington and Concord were important because they marked the beginning of the American Revolution.

Lesson 4: The Road to War (pp. 342 – 346)

  • Commander in chief: the leader of all the military forces
  • Olive branch: a symbol of peace

READING CHECK

The colonists abandoned Breed’s Hill because they were running out of ammunition

Lesson 5: Declaring Independence (pp. 348 – 353)

  • Independence: the freedom to govern themselves
  • Resolution: a formal statement
  • Declaration: an official statement
  • Articles of Confederation: the country’s first plan of government

READING CHECK

Thomas Jefferson expressed why the Declaration was needed and explains the equality and rights of all people.

The three rights the Declaration says all people have are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

On July 4, 1776 Congress votes to accept the Declaration of Independence.

People You Should Know

  • Samuel Adams – most likely organized the Boston Tea Party, suggested they start the committee of correspondence.
  • John Dickinson – main author of the Articles of Confederation
  • Thomas Jefferson – main author of the Declaration of Independence
  • Richard Henry Lee – called for a resolution for independence
  • George Washington – commander in chief of the Continental Army

Questions you should be able to answer in 2-3 complete sentences

What was the proclamation of 1763, and how did the colonists react to it?

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In what ways did colonists protest British imperial policies?

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Why did the first continental congress meet in 1774, and what did it do?

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What effects did the battle of Bunker Hill have?

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What were the important ideas expressed in these words: “…Governments are instituted (formed) among Men, deriving (getting) their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

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United States History – Reflections

Revolution Unit

UNIT 4, Chapter 9 The Revolutionary War (pp. 360 - 403)

Lesson 1: Americans and the Revolution (pp. 366 – 372)

  • Patriot: people in the colonies who supported independence
  • Loyalists: those who remained loyal to the king
  • Inflation: an increase in the price of goods

READING CHECK

The war in the colonies tore some families apart and many lost property.

During the Revolutionary War inflation caused goods and services to increase in cost. There was also a shortage of goods because British ships set up a blockade so that other ships could not unload goods at American ports.

During the American Revolution women ran family farms or businesses, raised money for the war, helped soldiers in battle and wrote about the revolution.

Enslaved African Americans fought in the war because many were promised their freedom if they fought.

Some American Indian groups made alliances with the British because they did not want the colonists moving onto their land. Some, like the Oneida, allied with the Americans.

Know how to read Parallel Time Lines pg 374-375

Lesson 2: Fighting for Independence (pp. 378 - 384)

  • Turning point: an event that causes an important change

READING CHECK

The great distance between Britain and the colonies caused difficulties for the British army.

Washington decided to attack Trenton on Christmas night because he knew the Hessians were not prepared for an attack.

The American victory at Saratoga was a turning point in the war because it seemed possible the Americans could now win the war.

Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben trained the continental army and turned them into a skilled army.

The French joined the war because the American victory at Saratoga convinced the French the Patriots could win the war. They sent troops and ships.

Read and Understand pg 386-387 Compare Maps with Different Scales.

Lesson 3: Winning Independence (pp. 388 - 395)

  • Traitor: someone who acts against his or her own country. Benedict Arnold was considered a traitor in the Revolutionary War.

READING CHECK

The British concentrated on the south because they hoped to defeat them in the south before the French came to help them.

The French contributed to the American victory at Yorktown because their navy prevented the British from getting supplies to the British army.

The effects of the 1783 Treaty of Paris were it formally ended the war, named the United States of America as a new nation, and set its borders.

Lesson 4: Consequences of the War (pp. 396 – 401)

  • Abolitionist: anti-slavery
  • Abolish: end
  • Ordinance: a set of laws

READING CHECK

The Declaration of Independence changed the way people viewed slavery because it declared that every person had the right to life and liberty.

Former soldiers received land as payment for military service. The amount of land was based on rank and length or service.

The Northwest Ordinance affected slavery because it did not allow slavery in the states formed from the Northwest Territory.