The Ultimate Betrayal Trivia Quiz

Answer: Battle of Bunker Hill

On June 17, 1775, the Battle of Bunker Hill was actually fought primarily on nearby Breed's Hill near Charlestown (now a section of Boston, MA; then a nearby town). The battle is considered a tactical victory for the British since they forced the Continentals off the hill, but only at a high casualty cost (over 1,000 for the British compared to less than 500 for the Continentals).

The statement "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" is associated with this battle but the idea comes from a 17th century statement by King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden.

It is unclear who exactly said it at Bunker Hill or even whether anyone said it. What is clear is why the statement would be made: so that musket fire would have the greatest effect--both that the enemy would be close enough to be more likely hit and to preserve limited ammunition.

Answer: Battle of Quebec

In the early days of the Revolutionary War, the Americans hoped, and the British feared, that the people of Canada (including modern Quebec) would be interested in joining the rebelling colonies. During the summer and fall of 1775, various American military groups began moving into Canada. By December, they had reached the city of Quebec, with its famous walls. With the enlistments of many of the American troops set to expire at the end of 1775, the pressured American commanders decided to attack on December 31, 1775 as a winter blizzard raged.

The attack ended in defeat for the Continentals with hundreds of casualties, including the death of their commander Maj. General Richard Montgomery. Although Americans would remain in the area until the spring, Canada ultimately remained under British control.

Answer: Battle of Long Island

The Battle of Long Island took place on August 27, 1776. At this time, New York City consisted of the southern end of Manhattan Island. Long Island, though part of New York state, was not part of New York City. The Continental Army had 10,000 soldiers there under the command of George Washington and the British Army had 20,000 soldiers there under the command of Sir William Howe.

A crushing defeat for the Continental Army, the Americans were forced to retreat from Long Island to Manhattan Island.

By the end of September, the British would secure control of New York City, second largest city (at about 25,000) in the new United States.

Answer: Battle of Trenton

By late 1776, the Continental Army had been forced out of the New York City area and across much of New Jersey. Enlistments of many of the soldiers were due to end on December 31, 1776. The Continental Army ferried about 2,400 soldiers across the cold Delaware River on the evening of December 25-26, 1776. (The famed 1851 painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware" shows a romanticized view of this.) The Continental Army was able to surprise Hessian (German) mercenaries) in the town of Trenton who were still recovering from Christmas celebrations the day before. Though the number of killed or wounded Hessian soldiers was only about 100, about 900 soldiers were captured.

The Continental Army suffered 7 (seven) casualties and perhaps, more importantly, many soldiers decided to re-enlist.

Answer: Battle of Brandywine

The Battle of Brandywine occurred on September 11, 1777. The Brandywine is a creek in Pennsylvania and Delaware that flows into the Christiana River, which itself flows into the Delaware River. Though the two sides were roughly even matched: 14,600 for the Continentals and 15,500 for the British, the battle was clearly a tactical and strategic victory for the British who had fewer (600) than half the casualties of the Continentals (1,300).

The battle occurred about 20 miles from Philadelphia, which the British would capture about two weeks later and hold until the spring of 1778.

The Continental Congress would be forced to move to first Lancaster, PA, and then to York, PA. The Battle of Brandywine would also be the first battle for US ally, the Marquis de Lafayette, who acquitted himself well in the battle.

Answer: Battle of Saratoga

There were actually two Battles of Saratoga. The first took place at Freeman's Farm on September 19, 1777 and the second took place at nearby Bemis Heights on October 9, 1777. Both ended in defeat for the British Army and their commander, Gen. John Burgoyne, who was forced to surrender his entire army (over 6,000 plus the over 1,000 who had been killed or wounded). Benedict Arnold, later infamous as a traitor who attempted to turn West Point over to the British, was considered a hero in the Battle of Saratoga, who was twice wounded severely in his left leg. Only strenuous argument on the part of Arnold convinced surgeons not to remove his leg, which had a pronounced limp for the rest of his life.

At Saratoga's National Historic Park is the so-called "boot monument" which honors Arnold's leg as a patriot (without mentioning his name).

Answer: Battle of Monmouth

The Battle of Monmouth, near Monmouth Court House, NJ, was fought on June 28, 1778. It is largely considered a draw with roughly equal casualties on each side. What was noticed by both sides, though, was that the Continental Army had become much more professional, due in part to the influence of Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian military officer, who did much to formalize camp life, and military training. Molly Pitcher (Mary Hays) was the wife of a soldier.

She had been bringing pitchers of cool water to the men firing the cannons and when her husband, a member of a cannon crew fell wounded, Molly took his place at the cannon.

Answer: Battle of St. Lucia

The Battle of St. Lucia took place on December 15, 1778. A naval battle off the coast of St. Lucia in the Caribbean Sea, the battle involved British ships and French ships, but no American ships, soldiers, or sailors. There were roughly 250 British casualties and 850 French casualties.

A few days later the British would take control of the island. This island changed hands fourteen times between the British and the French between the 17th and 19th centuries. During the war, St. Lucia would serve as a re-supply station for the British.

Answer: Battle of Fort Vincennes

The Battle of Fort Vincennes took place February 23-25, 1779, in what is now the state of Indiana. The Continentals, who were defending the fort along with Native American allies, suffered only one casualty because of the battle, a man who died after the battle because of wounds.

The total number of casualties on the British side (which also included Native American allies) was about 100, but the total number of combatants on both sides was under 800. The Continental commander was General George Rogers Clark, elder brother of William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame.

Answer: Battle of Fort Bute

The Battle of Fort Bute took place on September 7, 1779 in what was then called West Florida. Fort Bute was an older British fort manned by twenty-some Hessian mercenaries. Bernardo de Galvez, the Spanish governor of Louisiana Territory, led a force of about 1400 Spanish and Native American forces to capture the fort as the first significant involvement of Spanish forces in the Revolutionary War.

The battle was brief with only one German mercenary killed before the garrison surrendered.

Answer: Battle of Waxhaws

The Battle of Waxhaws took place on May 29, 1780, near Lancaster, South Carolina. Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton led a group of dragoons (mounted infantry) made up of British regulars and American Loyalists. Colonel Abraham Buford led a force of Continental infantry and artillery.

At one point the Continental force attempted to surrender, but an unknown person shot at Tarleton, causing his horse to fall on the officer. For seeming to break the truce, the British and Loyalist dragoons then attacked the Continentals, including men who were trying to surrender. "Tarleton's Quarter" became an expression meaning not taking prisoners.

Answer: Battle of King's Mountain

The Battle of King's Mountain took place on October 9, 1780. Though the town of King's Mountain is in North Carolina, the battle took places about nine miles south, across the border in South Carolina. The battle which involved Patriot militia and Loyalist militia was the largest battle during the war involving all American forces. With about 90 patriot casualties and 1,100 Loyalist casualties (including over 650 soldiers captured), the battle was a Patriot victory and halted British plans to recapture the colonial south.

This battle also helped push Lord Cornwallis towards Yorktown.

Answer: Battle of Guilford Court House

The Battle of Guildford Court House took place on March 15, 1781, in North Carolina. This battle is considered a tactical victory for the British (under Lord Cornwallis) who held the field at the end of the day, but a strategic victory for the Americans (under General Nathaniel Greene), who lost many fewer soldiers.

The British lost over 900 soldiers killed or wounded to less than 300 for the Americans. Though over 1,000 American soldiers were declared missing, it is believed that many were militia who simply left after the battle.

Answer: Battle of Yorktown

The Battle of Yorktown (Virginia) is part of the Siege of Yorktown which lasted from September 29-October 19, 1781. Lord Cornwallis had brought the British Army here hoping for resupplying and reinforcements. The French navy, under the Comte de Grasse, prevented the British navy from doing so.

This allowed the Continental and French forces under the command of George Washington to successfully besiege the town, forcing the British to surrender. In the eighteenth century, a losing general would ceremonially turn over his sword to the winning general. Cornwallis claimed illness, and sent his second in command, Charles O'Hara to represent him. Washington, not to be disrespected, sent his second in command, Benjamin Lincoln, to accept the sword.

Answer: Battle of Blue Licks

The Battle of Blue Licks took place on August 19, 1782, near the Licking River in what was then western Virginia, but is now Kentucky. A group of about 180 Kentucky militia fought against a group of about 350 British regulars, Loyalists, and Native American allies. One of the commanders on the American side was Daniel Boone.

In response to this attack on Kentucky, the Kentucky militia would later launch attacks on Shawnee villages north of the Ohio River in retaliation.