Put Your Patriotism to the Test: How Well Do You Know the Revolutionary War?

By: Lauren Fokas | Published: Apr 23, 2024

The Revolutionary War was the war that led to the creation of the United States of America and, therefore, is an integral piece of the nation’s rich history.

But even the most vehement American patriot probably won’t be able to answer these 15 questions about this extremely important part of US history.

1. When was the Revolutionary War fought?

A) 1775-1783
B) 1770-1776
C) 1789-1800
D) 1796-1804

Black and white drawing of a battle of the Revolutionary War

Source: Adobe Stock

Answer:

1775-1783

A battle between the colonists and the British army during the Revolutionary War

Source: Adobe Stock

2. Which of the following three acts directly lead to the Revolutionary War?

A) The Riot Act, The Stamp Act, & The Freedom Act
B) The Stamp Act, The Sugar Act, and the Townshend Acts
C) The Townshend Acts, The Riot Act, & The Freedom Act
D) The Sugar Act, The Liberty Act, & The Tea Act

Depiction of the Boston Tea Party, where colonists threw tea over the side of a ship in the Boston Harbor

Source: Wikipedia

Answer:

The Stamp Act, The Sugar Act, and the Townshend Acts

Depiction of protests against the Stamp Act before the Revolutionary War

Source: Britannica

3. Who were the patriots?

A)The patriots were those colonists who remained faithful to the British Crown and Parliament
B) The patriots were those colonists who wanted to remain a part of Great Britain but with certain liberties that allowed them to make their own decisions
C) The patriots were those colonists who rebelled against the British Crown and fought for complete freedom
D) None of the Above

Reenactment of colonists fighting in the Revolutionary War

Source: Depositphotos

Answer:

The patriots were those colonists who rebelled against the British Crown and fought for complete freedom

Patriots fight against the British at the Battle of Lexington, 19 April 1775, oil on canvas by William Barns Wollen, 1910

Source: Britannica

4. What were colonists called who remained loyal to the British Crown?

A) Loyalists
B) Royalists
C) Tories
D) All of the Above

Painting of a loyalist colonist removing a US flag from a flag pole

Source: Library of Congress

Answer:

All of the Above

Several small British flags along a string against a blue sky

Source: Freepik

5. What was the population of the 13 colonies at the start of the Revolutionary War?

A) 500,000
B) 1 Million
C) 1.5 Million
D) 2.5 Million

Map of the first 13 US colonies after the Revolutionary War

Source: Shutterstock

Answer:

2.5 Million

Oil painting of the colonists sharing the first Thanksgiving meal with Native Americans

Source: Britannica

6. Which of the following was NOT a major battle during the Revolutionary War?

A) The Battles of Lexington and Concord
B) The Battle of Brandywine
C) The Battle of Buffalo
D) The Battle of Yorktown

Painting of a battle during the Revolutionary War

Source: Britannica

Answer:

The Battle of Buffalo

Painting of the Battle of Princeton, Revolutionary War

Source: World History Encyclopedia

7. Who were the Hessians?

A) Native Americans loyal to the British Crown
B) Professional German soldiers hired by the British Crown
C) Spanish troops who helped the colonists
D) Colonists who stayed loyal to the British Crown

Depiction of several Hessians during the Revolutionary War

Source: Quora

Answer:

Professional German soldiers hired by the British Crown

A small German flag on a stick against a black background

Source: Freepik

8. Over the course of the Revolutionary War, how many men served in the Continental Army?

A) 54,000
B) 13,000
C) 122,000
D) 231,000

Washington Crossing the Delaware, an iconic 1851 Emanuel Leutze portrait depicting Washington's covert crossing of the Delaware River on December 25–26, 1776

Source: Wikipedia

Answer:

231,000

Painting of several colonist soldiers during the Revolutionary War

Source: Boston Tea Party Ships & Museums

9. Who was the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War?

A) George Washington
B) John Adams
C) William Heath
D) Thomas Mifflin

Depiction of a conversation between British and Colonist leaders during the Revolutionary War

Source: Britannica

Answer:

George Washington

Source: Britannica

10. The signing of which document ended the Revolutionary War?

A) The Declaration of Independence
B) The Treaty of Paris
C) The Liberation Act
D) The Continental Freedom Petition

Painting of the Committee of Five, who were charged with drafting the Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull, 1819

Source: Wikipedia

Answer:

The Treaty of Paris

Source: Wikipedia

11. Which battle was considered the turning point of the Revolutionary War?

A) The Battle of Gettysburg
B) The Battle of Bunker Hill
C) The Battle of Lexington and Concord
D) The Battle of Valley Forge

Oil painting of a battle during the Revolutionary War

Source: Britannica

Answer:

The Battle of Valley Forge

Source: American Battlefield Trust

12. Why did many Native American tribes side with the British?

A) The British promised that American colonists wouldn’t be able to move west onto Native American lands
B) The British offered them money to fight for them
C) The British offered to let Native Americans start their own country at the end of the war
D) No Native Americans sided with the British