American Revolution — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
The Stamp Act taxed only tea that was shipped to the colonies.
Corrected: The Stamp Act taxed printed materials like newspapers and legal documents in the colonies.
The Stamp Act did not tax tea -- it taxed printed materials like newspapers, playing cards, and legal documents. The Tea Act was the law about tea.
2. Fix the sentence:
Paul Revere warned the colonists that the French were coming.
Corrected: Paul Revere warned the colonists that the British were coming.
Paul Revere rode to warn colonists about approaching British soldiers, not French ones. France actually helped the colonists during the war.
3. Fix the sentence:
The Sons of Liberty were a group that supported British tax laws.
Corrected: The Sons of Liberty were a group that protested British tax laws.
The Sons of Liberty opposed British taxes and organized protests like the Boston Tea Party. They fought against the laws, not for them.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The Intolerable Acts were passed to punish the colony of Massachusetts.
Britain passed the Intolerable Acts specifically to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party by closing Boston Harbor and limiting self-government.
2. Colonists who were ready to fight at a minute's notice were called Minutemen.
These volunteer soldiers earned the name Minutemen because they trained to grab their weapons and be ready to fight within just one minute.
3. The Townshend Acts placed taxes on glass, paper, and tea.
Tea was one of the everyday items Britain taxed through the Townshend Acts, which made colonists furious because they had no say in these taxes.
4. Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty or give me death."
Patrick Henry's famous speech showed he believed freedom was so important that he would rather die than live without it.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. What were the Intolerable Acts and why did Britain pass them?
Sample answer: The Intolerable Acts were harsh laws Britain passed to punish Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party, including closing Boston Harbor.
After colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor, Britain responded with the Intolerable Acts to punish Massachusetts -- closing the port and taking away the colony's power to govern itself.
2. Why did colonists boycott British goods before the Revolution?
Sample answer: Colonists boycotted British goods to protest unfair taxes and to pressure Britain into repealing tax laws like the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts.
By refusing to buy British products, colonists hurt British merchants' profits, which pressured Parliament to repeal unpopular taxes like the Stamp Act.