American Revolution Challenge Practice
| # | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1 | Possible answers include: taxation without representation, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, the Tea Act, the Intolerable Acts, and British limits on colonial self-government. Each caused anger because colonists felt Britain was taxing them unfairly, controlling their trade, or violating their rights. |
| 2 | The First Continental Congress was important because it brought colonial leaders together to respond to British actions in a united way. It showed that the colonies could cooperate politically, organized resistance to British policies, and was a step toward colonial unity before fighting began. |
| 3 | The Enlightenment influenced the Declaration by encouraging ideas about natural rights, government by consent, and the right to resist tyranny. For example, John Locke’s idea that people have natural rights to life, liberty, and property appears in the Declaration’s argument that governments exist to protect rights and can be changed if they fail to do so. |
| 4 | Patriots had advantages such as fighting on home ground, strong motivation, and support from some foreign allies. Their disadvantages included weaker resources, less training, and difficulty keeping an army supplied. The British had a professional army, navy, and more money, but they were far from home, struggled with supply lines, and had to fight an expensive war against a determined enemy. |
| 5 | Yorktown was a turning point because it led to the surrender of a major British army under Cornwallis and showed that Britain could no longer win the war easily. The victory depended on cooperation between American and French forces, including the French navy blocking British escape. After Yorktown, Britain was less willing to continue fighting, which helped lead to peace negotiations and the Treaty of Paris. |