Tales of Turning Points Trivia Quiz

Answer: Battles of Lexington and Concord

Little more than skirmishes and confrontations, the Battles of Lexington and Concord are considered to be the first military clashes of the American Revolution. British troops arrived first at Lexington. However, the militiamen, warned in advance by Paul Revere, were waiting and the attempt to capture two revolutionary leaders, John Hancock and Samuel Adams, failed.

There is much discussion as to who fired the first shot. However, Ralph Waldo Emerson called it "the shot heard around the world". Seven patriots died there before the British marched on to Concord in hopes of finding munitions.

After inflicting only minimal damage to the village, the troops marched on to Boston, harassed by militiamen along the way. For both sides, there could be no turning back. Seen as colonial victories, the patriots gained confidence in their ability to win a war that would lead to a break with Britain, and the British, whether they would admit it or not, began to see the militia as more than just a ragtag mob.

Answer: Battle of Bunker Hill

One of two hills that saw fighting during the siege of Boston in 1775, the Battle of Bunker Hill (and Breed's Hill, where most of the fighting took place) is considered to be the first important engagement of the American Revolution. The British, intent on controlling the hills around Boston in order to also control Boston Harbor, engaged in a devastating frontal assault, which resulted in heavy casualties of not only enlisted men, but officers as well.

In the end, the British won, but it was mostly because the colonists ran out of ammunition, and had to retreat. Even so, it was a huge morale booster for the colonies, who found they could stand up and fight well against trained veterans.

Answer: Battle of Quebec

By the end of 1775, the Americans were in need of outside support. Successful patriot raiding had added Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Saint-Jean to the line of defense. Could it be that the Canadians were as unhappy with British rule as the patriots were? Maybe the French Catholics in Quebec would join the patriot cause? No! Apparently French Canadians had come to terms with being ruled by Britain, especially after the passing of the Quebec Act of 1774. Outnumbered, desperately low on ammunition, and poorly equipped to handle freezing weather, the patriots were driven from Quebec province by May of 1776. Those Canadians who were suspected of helping the rebellious patriots were dealt with very harshly by the British once the Americans were driven out, and Canadians, even those who disagreed with British rule, generally stayed out of the war after that.

Answer: Battle of Sullivan's Island

Charleston, South Carolina, was a very important colonial port city, and Sullivan's Island guarded the entrance to Charleston Harbor; the colonists were in the process of building a small fort there, hoping to protect the city from enemy warships. The nine British ships that arrived brought three hundred cannon with them.

However, the sandbanks that surrounded the harbor, and palmetto logs filled with sand used to construct the fort, easily stopped the cannon balls. What a victory it was for the patriots! A small force of men had defeated nine warships; two were damaged beyond use, while the others left Charleston to reinforce the British at New York City, and did not return until 1780.

Answer: Battle of Trenton

Who doesn't love the story of the Battle of Trenton, which, of course, includes the account of George Washington crossing the icy Delaware River on Christmas night in order to position his troops against the paid Hessian troops stationed at Trenton? After suffering devastating defeats in New York state, and being alarmingly low on supplies of all kinds, the morale of the colonial army was terribly low. With few losses to his army, General Washington was able to capture most of the Hessian army, who had believed the terrible weather would protect them from any assault.

Inspired by the victory, many militiamen re-enlisted, and others joined.

Answer: Battle of Princeton

With three victories (Battle of Trenton, Second Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton) in less than two weeks, the Americans found themselves in an advantageous position - patriots actually began to think that they might be able to win the war! Perhaps a minor loss by British standards, the Battle of Princeton led to the expulsion of most of the troops that had been in New Jersey, and raised the morale of the colonists, leading to more enlistments. British historian, Sir George Otto Trevelyan, later wrote, "It may be doubted whether so small a number of men ever employed so short a space of time with greater and more lasting effects upon the history of the world.".

Answer: Battle of Saratoga

Two skirmishes comprise the military action known as the Battle of Saratoga. Saved by the arrival of Hessian forces during the first battle, known as the Battle of Freeman's Farm, the British claimed the victory, even though they lost two men for every one American lost.

At the second battle, the Battle of Bemis Heights, however, the British General John Burgoyne retreated to Saratoga, where he was surrounded and forced to surrender his army. When King Louis XVI of France heard of the defeat, he decided it was time to seek more than just the occasional revenge for the French loss in the French and Indian War.

Although he had been sending sporadic aid to the colonists, he now entered into an alliance with the Americans, and the colonists began to regularly receive much-needed supplies, soldiers, and money.

The British were also forced to divide their resources between the colonies, West Indies and Europe, as the war became a global conflict.

Answer: Battle of King's Mountain

Times were hard. Morale was low. The British had taken Charleston, and the Continental Army had been totally defeated at the Battle of Camden, leaving most of South Carolina to the British. It appeared that General Cornwallis would have an easy victory in the South. Camped on top of King's Mountain in North Carolina, however, the Loyalist militia was attacked by American frontiersmen and militiamen.

It is said that in an hour's time, the entire group was either killed or captured. The British Major, Patrick Ferguson, who was the commander of the group was dead, the Loyalist militia was destroyed, General Cornwallis cancelled his plan to move into North Carolina, and the patriots gained a much-needed morale boost. How important was the victory? Thomas Jefferson called it, "The turn of the tide of success".

Answer: Battle of Cowpens

A huge victory for the patriots, after the Battle of Cowpens, Brigadier General Daniel Morgan was able to capture 712 British soldiers, who were said to be the best of the British army. Along with the soldiers who were killed in battle, the British had an 86% casualty rate; the British and Loyalists were totally demoralized, while the patriots were energized.

While in hot pursuit of Major General Nathaniel Greene's army, General Cornwallis made tactical errors that led to his entrapment at Yorktown.

The war was almost over!

Answer: Battle of Yorktown

The Continental Army, led by General George Washington, and French troops, led by the Comte de Rochambeau, laid siege to the British stronghold of Yorktown, Virginia. This is considered to be the last battle of the American Revolution in the North American theater of the war. General Cornwallis was forced to surrender but refused to attend the official ceremony, sending Brigadier General Charles O'Hara instead.

The official treaty which ended the war, the Treaty of Paris of 1783, was signed on September 3, 1783.