C8_L4_GRA

NAME DATE CLASS Guided Reading Activity The Enlightenment and Revolutions Chapter 8 Lesson 4 The American Revolution (20 pts) Review Questions Directions: Read each main idea. Use your textbook to supply the details that support or explain each main idea. A. Main Idea: North American colonists resisted British actions and fought the American Revolution. 1. Detail: The British colonies in North America each had l egislature that tended to act independently. 2. Detail: After the Seven Years’ War, Britain imposed the Stamp Act and other taxes in an effort to cover its expenses. 3. Detail: Fighting between colonists and the British army began in April 1775. 4. Detail : George Washington was commander in chief of the Continental Army. 5. Detail: On July 4, 1776, the second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. 6. Detail: Support from France , Spain , and the Dutch Republic helped the colonists win the American Revolution. 7. Detail: The British ended the war after their defeat a t Yorktown in 1781. 8. Detail: In 1783 , the Treaty of Paris recognized the colonies’ independence. B. Main Idea: The American government was shaped by the experience of oppression and by Enlightenment ideals. 1. Detail: The Articles of Confederation created an excessively Weak central government. 2. Detail: The Constitutional Convention of 1787 created a Federal system in which the national and state governments shared power. 3. Detail: Using Montesquieu ideas, the government was separated into three branches: executive, legislative, and Judicial. 1