Chapter 7 Study Guide – The Revolutionary War

Lesson 1: Americans and the Revolution

 The colonists called themselves Loyalists if they supported Britain or Patriots if they
supported independence.
 The British built blockades at American ports which caused shortages of goods during
the war.
 When more money was printed it caused inflation, or prices of goods to rise.
 Women had many roles during the war
o Fought in battles
o Brought soldiers water and supplies
o Rand farms and businesses at home
o Raised money for the war
o Wrote about the war
 Margaret Corbin was named the first woman veteran after being wounded in battle.
 African Americans were promised freedom if they fought in the Revolutionary War.
 Some Native Americans chose sides during the war and others remained neutral.
o Eventually, many groups sided with the British.
o In 1777 the Mohawk leader agreed to help the British.

Lesson 2: Fighting for Independence

 Many of the soldiers in the Continental Army were farmers who had just signed up to
fight.
 Congress couldn’t raise enough money to pay for all of the supplies the army needed.
 The British had about 50,000 experienced soldiers.
o They also had help from mercenaries, or hired soldiers.
 The British had a hard time fighting 3,000 miles from home.
 The Continental Army launched a surprise attack on the Hessian mercenaries in Trenton,
New Jersey.
 The Battle of Saratoga was fought on September 19, 1777, and became known as the
turning point of the war.
o A turning point is an event that causes an important change.
 The British army started a campaign to separate from the New England colonies.
 After the Continental Army won the Battle of Saratoga, France decided to help out.
 The Americans got help and support from the French during the war.
o The French helped by sending supplies, officers, and ships.
o Later on the French helped by fighting with the Americans in the Battle of
Yorktown.
 Lesson 3: Winning Independence

 During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Army and Navy received help from many
civilians.
 Tadeusz Kosciuszko left Poland to serve in the Continental Army.
o He helped design a fort at West Point, New York.
 The British had planned to finally defeat the colonists in the Southern Colonies.
o They planned to get help from the many Loyalists that lived in the south.
 British won the battle in Charles Town, South Carolina.
 The Americans lost many battles but continued to fight.
 The battle of Yorktown was the last battle of the Revolutionary War.
o The location of Yorktown was helpful because it made it easy for the Americans
and the French to surround the British.
 The Treaty of Paris was the official ending to the Revolutionary War.
 The new borders of the United States reached from Georgia to the Great Lakes and over
to the Mississippi River.

Lesson 4: Effects of the War

 The Declaration of Independence listed many rights including the rights to life and
liberty.
o The declaration of rights to life and liberty made some people want to stop
slavery as well.
 The Quakers in Philadelphia started the first abolitionist, or antislavery, group.
o Massachusetts abolished slavery in 1783.
 There was a set of laws, called the Northwest Ordinance, that set up a plan for
governing the northwest territory.
o Any territory that had more than 60,000 people could become a state.
o Slavery would not be allowed in the new states.
 Many Native Americans lost their land in the Northwest Territory after the new laws
were passed.
o Some tribes fought the United States soldiers for their land.
o Some tribes formed treaties with the United States government.
 Most of the treaties were later broken.
 Letters and diaries containing facts are considered documentary sources.