SOCIAL STUDIES OUTLINE: GRADE 8

 

CHAPTER 6      THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: 1776-1783

 

Section 1: A Nation Declares Independence

 

I. A Call for Independence

 

-Both Patriots and Loyalists were in a ___________________ at the start of ______________. Most colonists were in ________________ with ___________________________ about the dispute with Britain.

 

-Even within the Continental Congress, support for _______________ was limited to about _________________________ of the delegates.

 

-In January 1776, a 50-page pamphlet titled ____________________ was published in ______________________________. The pamphlet stimulated _________________________ for __________________.

 

-The author, ________________________, called King George III a “_____________________.” ______________________ ridiculed the very idea of rule by _______________. Americans, he said, would be far better off if ___________________________________________.

 

-______________ strong ______________ and _________________ words inspired people in all the ______________________.

 

-__________________ pamphlet increased _________________ for _____________________ within the Continental Congress. In May 1776, Virginia authorized its delegates to ______________________.

 

-Soon after, ___________________________ of Virginia introduced a resolution proclaiming that “these __________________________ are, and of right ought to be, ______________________________.”

 

 

 

-Before voting on ________________ resolution, Congress appointed a committee to ______________ a statement stating the reasons for ______________________________________. Thomas Jefferson was given the task of _______________________ the declaration.

 

II. The Declaration of Independence

 

-The Declaration of Independence is a _________________ piece of writing. Building on the ideas of the __________________________, it uses _____________________ to explain why the colonists wanted to ________________________________________________.

 

-The Declaration begins with a preamble. It says that, “__________

_______________________________________________________” requires that Americans explain why they are breaking away from ________________________.

 

-The Declaration is divided into _______________________ sections. The first section states some general _________________________

_____________________. “We hold these truths to be __________

_______________.” First among these truths is that “all _________

_____________________________.” Jefferson goes on to state that everyone is “endowed by their Creator with certain ______________ rights.” This statement is based on __________________________ ideas about natural rights.

 

-Like _____________, Jefferson goes on to state that governments are created in order to ____________________________________. And, like ___________________, he concludes that if a government ______________________ those rights, the people have the right to ______________ their government and ________________ another.

 

-Jefferson’s next task was to prove that the British government had, in fact, ____________________________________ of the colonists. So the next section details a long list of _______________________ against _____________________________________.

 

-Many grievances accused the king of ________________________ that English citizens had enjoyed since the time of the ___________

_________________. The Declaration thus condemns the king “for depriving us, in many cases, _______________________________.” The Declaration also charges the king with “imposing ____________

_____________________________” —another violation of traditional English rights.

 

-The Declaration goes on to say that because King George has _____________________ the petitions of the colonists, he must be considered “____________________________________________.”

 

-After stating the basic principle that the people have a right to ______________________________________ and showing that the king has violated the ____________ of the colonists, the Declaration reaches a ____________ conclusion. It asserts that the colonies are “_________________________________ states…and that all political _________________________ between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ___________________________________________.”  

 

III. Impact of the Declaration

 

-When Congress met to debate ________________ resolution, it still was not certain that they would declare _______________________. But on _____________________, Congress approved the Declaration of Independence.

 

-The actual signing of the Declaration took place on _____________.

 

-For the delegates who signed it, the personal __________________. If captured by the British, they could _________________________.

 

-The Declaration of Independence changed the _________________ of the Revolution. No longer were the patriots fighting for _________ treatment from Britain. Now they were fighting to __________________________________________.

 

 

Section 2: A Critical Time

 

I. Retreat from New York

 

-In mid-1776, the heavy fighting shifted from ___________________ to the _______________ States. There the Continental army suffered through __________________________________.

 

-In June _______________, just as the Continental Congress was considering _______________________, a large British __________ arrived in New York. Washington’s army was ___________________ for the British. Howe had about ______________ well-trained troops and _______________ sailors, as well as ships to ferry them ashore. Washington had fewer than _____________________ poorly trained troops and no _____________________.

 

-That summer saw a long series of battles and American _________. In the Battle of Long Island, in August __________, the British drove Washington’s troops ____________________________.

 

-The following month, Washington had to abandon ______________.

 

-During the fight for New York, _____________________ became an American _________________. Hale was a Connecticut officer whose mission was to _________________________________ about British battle plans on ________________________.

 

-Caught behind British lines, ___________ was tried and condemned to death. He was ______________ the next morning. It was reported that his last words were, “I only ____________________________

____________________________________________________.”

 

II. Surprises for the British

 

-Under relentless British ______________, the Continental army kept ________________. In December, it crossed the Delaware River into _________________________. Patriot spirits were __________, and many soldiers ________________________.

 

-Thomas Paine had _________________ with the army, and to raise ____________, he wrote another pamphlet called _______________, which urged people to _____________________ despite hard times.

 

-Paine wrote, “These are times ______________________________. The summer _______________ and the sunshine _______________ will, in this crisis, shrink from _______________________________; but he that ______________ it now, deserves the love and thanks of ____________________________.”

 

-Washington had ________________ read ________________ to his troops. At the same time, he made plans for a __________________. 

 

-On _______________ night, 1776, Washington led _____________ men across the river in small boats. Early on ___________________, they attacked ________________________ from two sides achieving _______________________________________.

 

-The attack brought a ringing American ________________. Pursued by the British, Washington used a ___________________ to escape. His soldiers made camp near Trenton and lit __________________. After dark, most of the men packed up and ____________________. The British did not discover the trick until ______________________ when the main body of soldiers ____________________ and heavily ___________________ a British force near ____________________.

 

III. Saratoga: A Turning Point

 

-British General John __________________ came up with a plan he hoped would quickly ________________________. His goal was to cut New England off from _________________________________.

 

-__________________ plan called for British forces to drive toward _______________, New York, from __________________ directions.

 

 

-____________________ led the main British force from __________ in June. After recapturing Fort __________________________, they slowly pushed _______________ dragging a large train of baggage carts through the woods. Supplies were running ____________.

 

-Americans were rushing to ____________________ the British. By September, the American commander in New York, _____________

______________, had ________________ men ready to fight. At the village of _________________, New York, the Americans surrounded the British. After suffering _________________ casualties, Burgoyne ___________________ on October _____,____________.

 

-The Battle of ______________ marked a major ________________ in the war. The American victory _________ the British ___________ to New England and destroyed British ____________________ of an ________________________.

 

-It also ___________ Patriot __________________ at a time when Washington’s army was suffering ________________. Perhaps most important, the Battle of ______________________ helped convince ___________________________________ that the Americans had a ________________ chance of ______________.

 

IV. Help From Overseas

 

-Soon after _________________, France agreed to openly support American ________________________. In February 1778, France officially formed _________________________________________.

 

-France was eager to _____________________ Britain. Even before _____________________, the French had ____________________ supplied _______________ and ___________ to the Americans. But the French did not want to take an _____________________ until it seemed the Americans _________________________.

 

 

 

-France and its allies in the _____________________________ and ___________________ also went to ____________ with Britain. By carrying the fight to _______________ and the ________________, the allies forced the British to __________________ on many fronts. This ______________ the American cause because the British could spare _______________________ to __________ in North America.

 

-A number of ______________________, inspired by the American _________________________________, volunteered to serve with _________________________________.

 

-A French noble, the ______________________________________, became a _______________________ officer in Washington’s army.

 

-Volunteers from ________________ also made _______________ contributions to the Patriot war effort. Thaddeus _______________ was an engineer who took charge of building __________________ at West Point. Casimir ________________________ led and trained __________________.

 

-A German baron, ____________________________, helped train the Continental army. _____________________had served in the __________________ army which was considered the _________ in Europe. Before he arrived in early 1778, American troops were often ______________________________. His methods helped transform _________________________ into soldiers and _____________ the Continental army into a more _______________________________. 

 

V. Valley Forge

 

-Washington’s Continental army ___________________ through the __________________ winter of 1777-1778 in a hastily built camp at _____________________________________ in Pennsylvania.

 

-Meanwhile, some ______ miles away, British officers in Philadelphia _______________ the winter away in a _______________ round of _______________ and ________________.

 

-The 11,000 Continental soldiers were not sufficiently ___________, ________________, or _____________. At any one time, about one soldier in _________ was sick with ____________, _____________, or worse.

 

-When Americans learned about conditions at __________________ ___________________, they sent __________________.  

 

-Despite its __________, the Continental army used that winter to _____________________________ for the battles that lay ahead. ________________________ drills sharpened the soldiers’ ________ and ____________________________.

 

 

Section 3: The War Widens

 

I. African Americans in the War

 

-African Americans fought on ____________ sides of the American Revolution. For them, the war meant both ________________ and ____________________.

 

-From the beginning, _____________ African Americans took part in the war. ___________________ people served as well.

 

-The British offered ___________________ to enslaved people who _______________________________ and joined the British. Many __________________ did so.

 

-On the American side, Washington at first _________________ to accept _______________________ soldiers. But the British offer of _________________ to _______________ people made Washington _______________ his policy. By the end of the war, some ________ African Americans had served on the _____________________ side.

 

-During the Revolution, a number of _________________ states took steps to end ___________________.

 

 

 

II. The War at Home

 

-Many men ___________________ in the military. After a set term, usually, ________________, they were free to ____________. Thus, Washington had to ____________________ constantly to keep the _________________ of his army ______________.

 

-Civilians also faced ________________. They were often subject to food ___________________ and ____________________________.

 

-As men went to _______________, women took over many of their __________. On farms, women __________________________ and cared for ____________________.

 

-In battles, many women cared for the __________________.

 

-The added ___________________________ of wartime, gave many women a new _______________________.

 

-___________________ for the war was a _________________ task. Congress had limited ________________. With no power to ______, Congress had to _____________ with the states for _____________. However, the states had little _____________________ themselves.

 

-To _____________ and _____________ troops, Congress printed _____________________ or _____________ money. But the more money Congress ____________, the less the money ____________. By the end of the war, _____________ money had lost almost all its _______________. 

 

III. Fighting in the West

 

-Throughout ____________ of the American Revolution, attention was mainly _______________ on the _________ states along the ______________ coast. However, skirmishes and battles occurred on the _____________________________________ as well.

 

-Americans tried to keep the Native Americans ________________. They offered ___________________ to groups willing to remain at ___________. Still, most Native American groups sided with __________________. They feared that an American ____________ would mean more settlers ________________________________ or _______________________ onto Native American land.

 

-Seeking to ____________ against attacks on the ______________, Virginia sent ______________________________ and a militia force to strike at British ___________ beyond the ____________________ Mountains in 1778. _____________ forces easily captured two Mississippi River outposts, __________________ and ____________.

 

-In early 1779, _____________ and his men seized the fort at ______________________.

 

-Clark’s victories allowed _________________ to remain on the _______________. This strengthened the American claim on the __________________________.

 

-The Americans got unofficial ____________ from _____________. At the time, ____________ governed __________________, the land west of the _________________________ stretching as far north as ________________. The ________________ were eager to get back _________________, which they had lost to Britain at the end of the _______________________________________.

 

-Even before ______________ declared war against Britain in _____, ___________________ governor _____________________________ was secretly providing _______________ and __________________ to _________________________ and other Americans. He also gave American ships safe refuge in _____________________________.

 

-From 1779 to 1781, _____________ played a key role in _________ attacks that captured British ______________ on the ____________ River and _______________________________________________.

 

-In 1781, Americans sought _____________________ help from the Spanish colony of ______________. A group of wealthy women, the “_______________________,” were especially generous. They sent some __________________________ to the Americans. Without the contribution of these ______________, Washington’s ___________ might have run ______________ of needed ________________ at a _________________ point in the ________________.

 

 

IV. The War at Sea

 

-Congress had voted to create a ____________________ as early as 1775, but American ________________ were able to build only a few ____________________________.

 

-With such a small ______________ to go against the ____________ British ______________, the Americans became ________________ at making _______________________________ on British shipping.

 

-Still Britain dominated the ___________. The British fleet ________ most ships from _______________ or leaving American __________.

 

-The navy had help from some ___________________________ that harassed British ________________. Operating like _____________, privateers seized cargoes of _______________ from the West Indies, _____________ from England, and ___________ from Canada. Such attacks forced Britain to spend _______________________________ protecting ______________________ ships.

 

 

Section 4: Winning Independence

 

I. Fighting Moves South

 

-The British shifted their _________________ to the _____________ late in 1778. Their aim was to ______________ some ____________ cities, __________ over the local ____________________, and then march ______________, acquiring one ____________ after another.

 

-At first, the ____________ seemed to work. British ____________ moved ______________ from Florida to _____________________. In December 1778, the British took the city of _________________. Within a _______________, they controlled most of ____________.

 

-Moving on to ____________________, the British captured the main port ______________________, and then the rest of ____________.

 

-The British commander, ___________________________________, then carried the war into ___________________________________.

 

-To slow the British advance, Americans used __________________. In South Carolina, _________________________ led his men silently through the __________________. They attacked without ________, then ___________________________. 

 

-Elsewhere in the South, ____________________ bands roamed the _____________________. They _____________ and burned Patriot farms, killing _____________________________________________.

 

-Patriot __________________ began to improve in October _______. Some _________________ fighters defeated a larger force of British troops and Loyalists atop ____________________ in South Carolina.

 

-In December 1780, General ___________________________ took over command of the Continental Army in _________________. He ___________ his army in ___________, leading ____________ men into eastern _____________________________ and leaving General ______________________ with __________ men in the _________. 

 

-In January _______________, Morgan won a clear victory at the ___________________________________.

 

-Still the British seemed to have the upper hand in the ___________. In addition to __________________, the British had troops under the command of an American __________________________________.

 

-Early in the war, ____________________ had fought bravely for the _________________. But _______________________ felt Congress _____________________ him. He plotted to turn _______________, a key fort on the _________________ River in New York, over to the ______________. When the plot was _______________________ in September 1780, ______________ escaped to _________________ where he and his ____________________ soldiers staged a series of _______________________________.

 

-Weakened by battles like ______________, Cornwallis headed to _________________. Patriot forces, led by ___________________, then swept through the __________________. By late summer, only _______________________ and __________________ remained in British hands.  

 

-Cornwallis then made a _______________________. He moved his main army to the ________________________, a tongue of Virginia land poking into the ______________________________. There, he thought, the British fleet could ______________________________. But at the end of August, the _______________________ arrived off ___________________ and chased off British __________________.

 

-At the same time, Washington rushed toward __________________ with American and ____________________ troops. Cornwallis found himself in a _______________. American and French soldiers barred ______________________________, while the French fleet blocked ______________________________.

 

-After three weeks, Cornwallis had no option but to _____________.

 

-On _____________________________, the British surrendered. The victory at __________________ was the last major battle of the war.

 

II. Making Peace with Britain

 

-The news from __________________ caused shockwaves in Britain. Although the king wanted to keep __________________, Parliament voted ______________________________________.

 

-Peace talks began in _____________________ in 1782. Britain was ___________________________, so the Americans got most of what ____________________________________. 

 

-The talks led to an agreement, the _________________________. Britain recognized the ___________________________ of the United States. The boundaries of the new nation were set at the _________ on the east, _______________ on the north, the ________________

___________________ on the west, and ________________ on the south.

 

-Florida itself was ________________________________.

 

-On April 15, 1783, Congress approved the ________________. The war was ___________________ almost eight years since the “_____ _________________________” started the fighting at ___________.

 

-On December 4, ___________, Washington and his ranking officers were united for _________________________________. In parting, each man ________________________ Washington who wished to _______________ to his ______________________________.

 

III. Impact of the Revolution

 

-The immediate effect of the American Revolution was to create a _______________________________________________________, linked by ties of ________________ and ________________.

 

-The impact of American __________________ reached beyond the borders of the infant nation. In ________________, French citizens ______________. Leaders of the French Revolution, including Lafayette, looked to the ______________________________. They issued the _______________________________________________, modeled in part on the ____________________________________.