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| Question | Answer |
| Side Notes for Backing up Points in American WOI Essays | Warning-Taken from a potentially slightly biased source, although mostly pretty neutral. |
| Which Native American confederation of tribes is said to have inspired Benjamin Franklin to theorise about a United Confederation of States? | The Iroquois Confederation of six nations or groups of Native Americans was officially recognised as a political confederation and impressed Franklin with organisation and skilful management. He adapted this in his 1754 Plan of Union, used as a precedent to the First Continental Congress in 1774. |
| Which colonial city was the second largest in the British Empire in the mid-1700s? | Philadelphia (watch the spelling!), with 35,000. It was home to some influential families in many fields and was an important city to the British. The fighting at Germantown took place during William Howe's march on the city. |
| How did the French and Indian War lay the foundations for revolution? | American colonials, artisans and merchants prospered through supplying the troops and the increased British trade coming through American seaports, increasing markets and causing an economic boom. At the same time, the massive British government debt was a definitive reason for the controversial taxes that sparked the war. Furthermore, the American economic boost caused them to become increasingly more self-sufficient, eventually allowing them to rule without the British. |
| Which prominent Colonial leaders came to prominence during the French and Indian War? | George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, David Wooster, John Stark (one of the leaders at Bunker Hill) and Robert Rogers and John Butler of skirmishers Robert's Rangers. |
| Which famous trade cycle was one of America's sources of income? | (One of many of the same kind) The Triangular Trade. This was a trade cycle whereby a ship would take molasses and sugar from the West Indies and sell them in New England for rum made from these goods, which was in turn sent to Britan for slaves which were then sent to the West Indies or America. There were many variations, I suggest looking at a few different kinds. |
| What made Boston such a focal point of tension? | Boston had a large anti-British Irish population who had fled famine. This, along with acts such as the Coercive and Quartering Acts specifically aimed at Massachusetts caused large central unrest. |
| Who were Whigs and Tories? | The terms largely described political viewpoints- Whigs were Patriots while Tories were loyal to the crown. |
| What popular 'punishment' was favoured by mobs as public humiliation and torment? | Tarring and feathering. The victim would be stripped, covered in hot tar (leaving them with horrible burns) and dunked in feathers, then paraded round the town in a wagon. The jolting of the wagon on bruises, the items hurled by the crowd and the cold would have caused extreme pain. |
| What was famously spoken by Patrick Henry, illustrating the idea of the Continental Congress' unity? | "The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers and New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American." |
| Who had the more battle-tested soldiers at the outbreak of war? | I dispute this one, but it is true that many regulars had signed up after the French and Indian War, whereas a lot of militiamen had served in that war. However, the militia were certainly less well-equipped. |
| Which two important leaders of the Patriots were nearly caught at Lexington? | Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Revere's misson-other than warning the militia-was getting these two to safety. |
| Which famous Colonial general turned Loyalist and tried to betray strategic fort West Point into British hands? | Benedict Arnold, hero of Saratoga. |
| At what place were Hessians, led by Colonel Johann Rall, defeated by George Washington? | Trenton. |
| Which outspoken moderate spoke out against independence, illustrating the fact that not all Americans were firmly decided on splitting away? | John Dickinson, author of 'Letters of a Pennsylvanian Farmer'. |
| Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? | Thomas Jefferson, with a drafting committee of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams (who declined to write it), Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston. |
| How common was it for troops to change sides? | Quite common. It is estimated that up to a third of all Americans, perhaps more, wanted no part in either side. Captured soldiers, press ganged into service often were not too enthusiastic about their cause and turned their coats. Desertion was also common and prisoners were often allowed to settle as Congress could not afford to feed them. |
| What was Washington's problem at Morristown? | There was almost no army left. Many soldiers enlisted only for a short time, and this meant army numbers were difficult to maintain. |
| Who created a uniform system of training and discipline for the Continental Army? | Former Prussian officer Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. His infantry manual, or handbook, was published in 1779 and remained the base infantry manual for the next twenty-five years. |
| Why did British strategists believe that the South was a strategically important point? | The lightly defended Southern seaports such as Savannah and Georgia could act as Royal Navy bases for attacks on American allies, and Loyalist forces might rise up. |
| Which general lobbied to replace Washington along with a 'cabal' of supporters and was later dishonoured in the South? | General Horatio Gates, who believed himself a competent general (he wasn't). He destroyed his own army in an attack on Cornwallis and promptly ran. He also took all credit for Saratoga, despite his non-involvement. |
| Which famous figure spent a large amount of the war in France as one of several American diplomats? | Benjamin Franklin. |
| Who had the stronger navy, Britain or France? | France. The British Admiralty were corrupt, seamen deserted and the shipbuilding trade slipping. |
| Who was the main French leader during the war? | The Comte de Rochambeau. |
| Who was the 'Father of the American Navy'? | Captain John Paul Jones. |
| What did the British public think about the Colonial War? | At first, many British were unwilling to enlist as they considered the Americans family living in the provinces.There was little patriotic inspiration. Even important commanders such as Lord Jeffrey Amherst refused to fight. The entry of France into the war improved recruitment, but even recruiting paupers and prisoners did not provide enough men. |
| How were soldiers paid? | Poorly. The Continental Congress only achieved its promise of paying all wages in full after the war. Additionally, soldiers had to pay out of their wages for rations,uniforms and equipment. |
| What foodstuffs were hard to acquire? | Coffee and sugar. Prices were outrageously high, and gangs of women rioted and ruined warehouses as merchants refused to sell in an attempt to further raise the price. |
| Other than fighting, what was the main problem facing the American revolution? | Financing the war. Moneylenders such as Haym Solomon supplied money while Robert Morris of Pennsyvania was the Continental Congress' financial delegate. |
| Who wrote the only major Loyalist history of the revolution? | Thomas Jones of New York. |
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