American Revolution — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The Battle of Saratoga in 1777 was a turning point that convinced France to join the war.
The American victory at Saratoga in 1777 showed France that the colonists could actually win, which convinced the French king to send military aid.
2. Baron von Steuben trained the Continental Army at Valley Forge.
Valley Forge was the winter camp where Baron von Steuben drilled the soldiers, teaching them how to march, load weapons, and fight as a disciplined unit.
3. The "shot heard round the world" was fired at Lexington and Concord.
The battles at Lexington and Concord in April 1775 were the very first armed clashes of the Revolution, sparking a war that changed world history.
4. General Charles Cornwallis led the British forces in the southern colonies.
General Charles Cornwallis commanded British troops in battles across the South before his final defeat and surrender at Yorktown in 1781.
5. Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776 for a surprise attack.
Washington led his troops across the icy Delaware River on Christmas night so they could catch the Hessian soldiers at Trenton completely off guard.
6. The surprise attack on Hessian troops at Trenton boosted American morale.
Hessians were German soldiers hired by Britain to fight in America. Washington's surprise victory over them at Trenton gave the struggling Continental Army new hope.
7. The British captured the city of Philadelphia in 1777 and held it for months.
Philadelphia was the colonial capital and meeting place of the Continental Congress, so losing it to the British was a serious blow to American morale.
8. At Yorktown, the French navy blocked British ships from escaping by sea.
French warships formed a blockade in the Chesapeake Bay, trapping Cornwallis's army at Yorktown so the British could not receive supplies or reinforcements by sea.
9. American victory at Yorktown happened in the year 1781.
The British surrendered at Yorktown in 1781, effectively ending the fighting and leading to the Treaty of Paris, which officially recognized American independence.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Battle of Saratoga
→ Turning point that brought France into the war
Early battle showing colonists could fight bravely
Crossing the Delaware
→ Surprise attack on Hessian soldiers at Trenton
Winter camp where the army was trained
Valley Forge
→ Winter camp where the army was trained
Surprise attack on Hessian soldiers at Trenton
Battle of Bunker Hill
→ Early battle showing colonists could fight bravely
Turning point that brought France into the war
Saratoga convinced France to become an ally; crossing the Delaware led to the surprise attack on Hessians at Trenton; Valley Forge was the winter training camp; and Bunker Hill was an early battle proving colonists could stand against British soldiers.