Old Glory: I Trivia Quiz

Answer: George Washington

The French and Indian War began two years prior to the larger Seven Years' War that it became a part of. This war came at a great financial cost to Britain, nearly doubling the empire's debt.

George Washington was a survivor of the Braddock Expedition to capture the French Fort Duquesne. This expedition was led by British general, Edward Braddock, and was ambushed by the French and their native allies at the Battle of the Wilderness (also known as the Battle of the Monongahela). Braddock was killed during this battle and the British forces suffered heavy casualties, yet Washington was able to lead the surviving force in an organized retreat. This war gave Washington valuable experience for the war to come.

Answer: Benjamin Franklin

The Albany Plan of Union was created in light of the French and Indian War. Franklin's plan involved leadership under a "President General" appointed and supported by the British government and a "Grand Council" chosen by the representatives of the colonial assemblies.

This plan fell through due to issues over defense, finances, relations with Native American tribes, and other expected problems that would arise again when the United States was officially formed.

Answer: Pontiac's Rebellion

Pontiac's Rebellion involved a loose alliance of several Native American tribes in response to colonial expansion into territories won during the French and Indian War. While the British eventually won, despite heavy casualties (mostly civilians) and got the Native Americans to accept British ownership of the lands, the war led to the Royal Proclamation of 1763.

The Royal Proclamation of 1763 prevented colonists from expanding westward or buying land in the west in order to repair relations with the natives. However, there were already settlements and preexisting land claims within the restricted territory, which prompted a slight shift in the border. Moreover, without proper enforcement, the colonists would simply ignore the set boundary. The British established royal posts across the border to enforce the law and, since the British felt these outposts were for the defense of the colonies, the colonists should be the ones to pay for them.

Answer: Molasses

The availability of cheaper French molasses (amongst other sugar related products) hurt the economy of the British West Indies. This was supposed to be addressed by the Molasses Act of 1733, but colonists evaded the tariff placed on foreign molasses. However, the Sugar Act had a much larger scope and was actively enforced by the Royal Navy. Foreign sugar, wine, and the like were now being taxed; this meant that British sugar products would be "cheaper" by comparison and that the colonists would essentially have to buy British goods.

Answer: Bills of Credit

The Bills of Credit were colonial paper money. These bills were inefficient due to the fact that each of the colonies issued their own bills, which led to a very complicated exchange system and eventual devaluation. As such, the British passed the Currency Act of 1764 to abolish all colonial bills as Parliament favored "hard currency" (gold/silver).

The colonists were angry since the colonies lacked gold and silver mines. There was not enough currency in circulation in the colonies to meet the needs of the colonists.

Answer: Invoices

The Stamp Act angered colonists generally not because of actual cost (which could go as low as half a penny), but because it had set a new precedent involving direct taxation on the colonies. This outrage would lead to the Stamp Act Congress in which representatives from nine of the Thirteen Colonies came together to discuss how to respond to the act.

The Stamp Act Congress created the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, which declared that only colonial assemblies had the right to directly tax the colonies because colonists weren't represented in Parliament.

Answer: Declaratory Act

While the Declaratory Act did repeal the Stamp Act, it also asserted the power of Parliament over the colonies. Parliament declared that they had full power/authority to pass any act on the colonies or change colonial governments even though the colonists weren't represented in Parliament.

Answer: Chancellor of the Exchequer

Charles Townshend was the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Prime Minister William Pitt (who was sympathetic to the colonists, but in poor health in the later years of his life). Townshend is (infamously) known for passing the Townshend Acts, a series of laws placing duties on several products.

The Townshend Acts placed tariffs on paper, glass, lead, paint, and tea in order to generate revenue and promote British products. These taxes were met with furor from the colonists and Parliament eventually repealed the tariffs placed on all these goods except for tea.

Answer: Thomas Paine

The Sons of Liberty was a political group primarily based in the New England area. Their member base contained traders, lawyers, politicians, and other influential members of colonial society. The Sons of Liberty were initially relatively peaceful and loyal to the British government. However, some members, the members from the lower classes in particular, preferred action.

Answer: writing letters to Parliament

The Daughters of Liberty was a group formed to support the boycott on British goods in response to the passage of the Townshend Acts. They made clothing, created "Liberty Tea" (made from boiled basil leaves), and encouraged people to buy products made in the colonies.

These boycotts were very successful in getting Parliament to repeal most of the duties as the British government saw a sharp decrease in trade income.

Answer: John Adams

John Adams defended the British soldiers because they were assaulted first by the angry crowd. The colonists threw sticks, stones, and snowballs at the soldiers and when reinforcements arrived, they were attacked as well. The soldiers fired and in the end, five people were killed and six were injured.

At the trial, six of the soldiers were acquitted and two were convicted of manslaughter (but they got reduced sentences).

Answer: HMS Gaspee

In what became known as the Gaspee Affair, the HMS Gaspee, whose crew were supposed to enforce British trade regulations, was attacked, looted, and burned. The British government tried to take those involved in the attack to court at the British Isles, but investigators were unable to get sufficient evidence to prosecute anyone.

Answer: British East India Company

The Tea Act was passed in order to help the British East India Company. The company had around 18 millions pounds of unsold tea. The Tea Act didn't introduce any new taxes; all it did was try to sell cheap tea to the colonies in order to get rid of the excess. The real problem, however, was that the tax on tea in the Townshend Act had not been repealed.

Answer: Mohawk Indians

The Boston Tea Party was caused by the royal governor's (Thomas Hutchinson) refusal to force the merchant ships carrying tea to return to Britain. Some of the more radical members of the Sons of Liberty donned Mohawk Indian disguises and attacked the ships, dumping chests of tea into Boston Harbor.

The reason for the disguises (obviously Mohawk Indians wouldn't just suddenly attack British ships) was for a symbolic reason; the disguises showed that the colonists identified more with America than with Britain.

Answer: soldiers of the British Army were allowed to reside in the houses of the colonists

The Quartering Act of 1774 was one of the Intolerable Acts. However, the idea that soldiers could occupy private houses is a myth. They could, however, take lodging in public places such as pubs and inns.

Answer: Georgia

The First Continental Congress was in response to the Coercive/Intolerable Acts, but Georgia did not send any representatives because the Georgians wanted the British to assist them with their problems with the Native Americans.

Answer: Benjamin Franklin

The political cartoon was actually made by Benjamin Franklin to promote his Albany Plan of Union, but it gained new meaning with the advent of the American Revolutionary War.

Answer: Galloway's Plan of Union

The Suffolk Resolves was a response to the Intolerable/Coercive Acts. The leaders of Suffolk County, Massachusetts agreed to stop all trade with Britain, disobey the Massachusetts Government Act and the Boston Port Act, demand resignations of those appointed by the Massachusetts Government Act, refuse to pay taxes, support the unofficial colonial government, and raise a militia.

It is said that the Suffolk Resolves swayed the First Continental Congress to reject Galloway's Plan of Union (basically it would keep the empire together, but give colonists more control over the colonies) in a narrow vote (5 for, 6 against).

Answer: Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry delivered a speech to the Virginian House of Burgesses in order to raise soldiers to fight in the American Revolutionary War. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, both Virginians, were present at his speech.

Answer: Joseph Warren

While Dr. Joseph Warren was not one of the midnight riders warning the colonists of British movements, he had an important role nonetheless. He was the one that sent Paul Revere and William Dawes on their midnight rides. He would later sacrifice himself at the Battle of Bunker Hill to ensure that the rest of the militia would escape.

The British were going to Lexington and Concord in order to seize weapons from the colonists and arrest John Hancock and Samuel Adams.

Answer: Fort Ticonderoga

Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys seized Fort Ticonderoga easily, capturing the fort's entire garrison and supplies. Allen was joined by Benedict Arnold, whom would later lead a raid on Fort Saint-Jean in southern Quebec.

Answer: Breed's Hill

General Israel Putnam and Colonel William Prescott believed that Breed's Hill would be more easily defensible than Bunker Hill. While both hills were fortified, Breed's Hill was given greater priority. The commander of the British forces, William Howe, believed that the battle would be easily won.

The British charged the hill thrice. While the British were eventually successful, in part due to lack of supply on the colonists' side, they suffered heavy casualties.

Answer: John Dickinson

John Dickinson attempted to avoid war with Great Britain with the Olive Branch Petition. Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the petition, but it was seen as too provocative. Dickinson rewrote the petition, claiming that the colonies would remain loyal to Britain so long as either the colonists get equal taxes/trade regulations as those in Britain or no taxes, but stricter trade regulations.

However, a confiscated letter written by John Adams undermined the sincerity of the petition. The letter showed that Adams believed that war was inevitable anyway, so King George III refused to even look at the petition.

Answer: Common Sense

"Common Sense" brought the ideas of democracy to the common man. It challenged the idea of Britain's right to rule a land so far away and so much larger than the actual British Isles. The pamphlet also said that Britain was ruling its colonies for its own benefit and that Britain would only drag the colonies into unnecessary European wars, disrupting trade.

Answer: Henry Knox

Colonel Henry Knox, in what became known as the "noble train of artillery"/the Knox Expedition, brought cannons and ammunition from Fort Ticonderoga to fortify Dorchester Heights. During the winter, 60 tons worth of cannons were moved by boats, horses, and oxen over semi-frozen rivers, poor-quality roads, forests, and swamps. George Washington and his soldiers took positions on Dorchester Heights and the British eventually ended the siege and withdrew.