These Revolutionary War trivia questions and answers cover 1763 to 1783 in five rounds: the road to war, battles and campaigns, people and allies, documents and dates, and camp life, spies and soldiers.
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Revolutionary War trivia questions with answers, round by round
The road to war runs from the Townshend Acts and the Gaspee to the Second Continental Congress. Battles and campaigns goes from the Old North Bridge to the redoubts at Yorktown. People on both sides and the allies meets Kościuszko, Pulaski and Gentleman Johnny. Documents and dates asks about the Olive Branch Petition and the Treaty of Paris. Camp life, spies and soldiers has the huts of Valley Forge, invisible ink and the Turtle.
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A tap marks your choice, shows the right one and gives the reason with a link to the page it was read on. After ten questions the card pauses and offers ten more. Scored round saves the marking until 20 are answered.
Questions and answers
What are some easy Revolutionary War trivia questions?
Which French king sent troops and ships to help the United States? By which other name were Loyalists known? Where did Washington win on January 3, 1777? The answers are Louis XVI, Tories and Princeton.
When did the Revolutionary War start and end?
The fighting began at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, and the Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783. The National Park Service counts eight and a half years of war.
Who won the Battle of Cowpens?
The Americans under Daniel Morgan, on January 17, 1781. The British force under Banastre Tarleton was caught in a double envelopment, and the National Park Service calls the battle the turning point of the war in the South.
How were the answers checked?
Each was read on October 3, 2026 on the page linked under it: National Park Service pages on Valley Forge, Yorktown and Cowpens for 23 questions, the National Archives page on the Treaty of Paris for 4, and Wikipedia for the rest.
Before he turned to politics, Samuel Adams was an unsuccessful businessman and held which public job?Answer: Tax collector. Source: Wikipedia: Samuel Adams
By what other name are the Intolerable Acts of 1774 known?Answer: The Coercive Acts. Source: Wikipedia: Intolerable Acts
The committees of correspondence, a letter-writing network among Patriot leaders, were whose brainchild?Answer: Samuel Adams. Source: Wikipedia: Committees of correspondence
In June 1772 colonists burned the Royal Navy schooner Gaspee off which colony?Answer: Rhode Island. Source: Wikipedia: Gaspee affair
In which city did the Stamp Act Congress meet in October 1765?Answer: New York. Source: Wikipedia: Stamp Act Congress
In which Philadelphia building did the First Continental Congress meet in the fall of 1774?Answer: Carpenters' Hall. Source: Wikipedia: First Continental Congress
On which date in 1775 did the Second Continental Congress begin to meet in Philadelphia?Answer: May 10. Source: Wikipedia: Second Continental Congress
The Townshend Acts taxed glass, lead, paper, tea and which other import?Answer: Paints. Source: Wikipedia: Townshend Acts
What did the Continental Association of 1774 call for?Answer: A boycott of trade with British merchants. Source: Wikipedia: Continental Association
What did the Quartering Act of 1765 require of colonial authorities?Answer: To arrange housing for British troops. Source: Wikipedia: Quartering Acts
Which British general was also governor of Massachusetts Bay from May 1774?Answer: Thomas Gage. Source: Wikipedia: Thomas Gage
Which other member of the Sons of Liberty prepared the alert of April 18, 1775 with Paul Revere?Answer: William Dawes. Source: Wikipedia: Paul Revere's midnight ride
Who was prime minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782, through most of the war?Answer: Lord North. Source: Wikipedia: Frederick North, Lord North
Who was the first president of the First Continental Congress?Answer: Peyton Randolph. Source: Wikipedia: First Continental Congress
Battles and campaigns 29
At Cowpens the British force was caught in which maneuver, compared by one writer to a small Cannae?Answer: A double envelopment. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Cowpens
At the Battle of Monmouth, what caused most of the casualties on both sides?Answer: Heat and exhaustion. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Monmouth
At which bridge in Concord did about 400 militiamen face 100 Regulars on April 19, 1775?Answer: The Old North Bridge. Source: Wikipedia: Battles of Lexington and Concord
Brandywine, fought on September 11, 1777, was part of the British campaign for which city?Answer: Philadelphia. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Brandywine
Ethan Allen took Fort Ticonderoga in May 1775 at the head of which militia?Answer: The Green Mountain Boys. Source: Wikipedia: Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
The fight at Great Bridge led to the departure of which royal governor from Virginia?Answer: Lord Dunmore. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Great Bridge
For the night attack on Stony Point the men carried unloaded muskets. What alone were they to use?Answer: Bayonets. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Stony Point
The fort on Sullivan's Island shrugged off a British naval bombardment partly because it was built of which spongy logs?Answer: Palmetto. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Sullivan's Island
In the winter of 1775 to 1776, who led the expedition that hauled the captured guns of Fort Ticonderoga to the army outside Boston?Answer: Henry Knox. Source: Wikipedia: Noble train of artillery
On the night of October 14, 1781, the allies stormed British redoubts 9 and 10 at Yorktown. How long did it take?Answer: Less than 30 minutes. Source: National Park Service: Yorktown Battlefield, History of the Siege
The Patriot militias who attacked Patrick Ferguson at Kings Mountain were known as what?Answer: The Overmountain Men. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Kings Mountain
The phrase "the shot heard round the world" comes from a poem by whom?Answer: Ralph Waldo Emerson. Source: Wikipedia: Battles of Lexington and Concord
Washington followed Trenton with a second victory on January 3, 1777. Where?Answer: Princeton. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Princeton
What threw the American attack at Germantown into confusion?Answer: A heavy fog. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Germantown
What was the Cowpens before a battle made it famous?Answer: A frontier pasturing ground at a crossroads. Source: National Park Service: The Battle of Cowpens
What wrecked the British attempt to cross the York River in small boats on the night of October 16, 1781?Answer: A violent windstorm. Source: National Park Service: Yorktown Battlefield, History of the Siege
Where did four officers meet on October 18, 1781 to settle the terms of the surrender at Yorktown?Answer: The Moore House. Source: National Park Service: Yorktown Battlefield, History of the Siege
Which American general commanded at the defeat near Camden on August 16, 1780?Answer: Horatio Gates. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Camden
Which American general surrendered Charleston to the British after about six weeks of siege?Answer: Benjamin Lincoln. Source: Wikipedia: Siege of Charleston
Which American general was killed in the attack on Quebec at the end of 1775?Answer: Richard Montgomery. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Quebec (1775)
Which battle was the largest of the war, counting the troops deployed and the fighting?Answer: The Battle of Long Island. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Long Island
Which battle was the last major engagement of the war fought in the Carolinas?Answer: Eutaw Springs. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Eutaw Springs
Which British general surrendered his army at Saratoga in the fall of 1777?Answer: John Burgoyne. Source: Wikipedia: Battles of Saratoga
Which British officer, only twenty-six years old, chased Morgan to Cowpens?Answer: Banastre Tarleton. Source: National Park Service: The Battle of Cowpens
Which colonel at Bunker Hill is remembered for the order "Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes"?Answer: William Prescott. Source: Wikipedia: William Prescott
Which flood-swollen river lay six miles behind Morgan's army at Cowpens?Answer: The Broad River. Source: National Park Service: The Battle of Cowpens
Which French admiral blockaded the lower Chesapeake after the naval battle of September 5, 1781?Answer: Admiral de Grasse. Source: National Park Service: Yorktown Battlefield, History of the Siege
Who commanded the Hessian garrison that Washington surprised at Trenton?Answer: Johann Rall. Source: Wikipedia: Battle of Trenton
Why did Cornwallis choose Yorktown as his base?Answer: Its deep-water harbor on the York River. Source: National Park Service: Yorktown Battlefield, History of the Siege
People on both sides and the allies 20
After the war in America, Cornwallis took up which post in September 1786?Answer: Governor-General of India. Source: Wikipedia: Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
After the war most Black Loyalists ended up in Sierra Leone and which other place?Answer: Nova Scotia. Source: Wikipedia: Loyalist (American Revolution)
By which nickname was General Anthony Wayne known?Answer: Mad Anthony. Source: Wikipedia: Anthony Wayne
Colonists who stayed loyal to the British crown were called Loyalists. By which other name were they known?Answer: Tories. Source: Wikipedia: Loyalist (American Revolution)
In the affair called the Conway Cabal, which general was a leading candidate to replace Washington?Answer: Horatio Gates. Source: Wikipedia: Conway Cabal
James Armistead Lafayette, an African American man, served the Patriots in which role?Answer: Double agent. Source: Wikipedia: James Armistead Lafayette
The legend of Molly Pitcher is most often tied to Mary Ludwig Hays, who fought at which battle?Answer: Monmouth. Source: Wikipedia: Molly Pitcher
The militia at Cowpens knew Daniel Morgan by which nickname from his French and Indian War days?Answer: The Old Waggoner. Source: National Park Service: The Battle of Cowpens
Thomas Paine was the son of a tenant farmer who also followed which trade?Answer: Stay-making. Source: Wikipedia: Thomas Paine
What was Henry Knox's trade before the war?Answer: Bookseller. Source: Wikipedia: Henry Knox
What was Nathan Hale's work after he graduated in 1773 at age 18?Answer: Teaching school. Source: Wikipedia: Nathan Hale
Where did Rochambeau and 5,500 French troops come ashore in the summer of 1780?Answer: Newport, Rhode Island. Source: National Park Service: Yorktown Battlefield, History of the Siege
Which American general was court-martialed after the Battle of Monmouth, ending his military service?Answer: Charles Lee. Source: Wikipedia: Charles Lee (general)
Which British general went by the nickname Gentleman Johnny?Answer: John Burgoyne. Source: Wikipedia: John Burgoyne
Which French king sent troops and ships to help the United States?Answer: Louis XVI. Source: National Park Service: Yorktown Battlefield, History of the Siege
Which general from Rhode Island was nicknamed the Fighting Quaker?Answer: Nathanael Greene. Source: Wikipedia: Nathanael Greene
Which naval captain is credited with the reply "I have not yet begun to fight"?Answer: John Paul Jones. Source: Wikipedia: John Paul Jones
Which Polish military architect designed and oversaw fortifications for the Americans, including those at West Point?Answer: Tadeusz Kościuszko. Source: Wikipedia: Tadeusz Kościuszko
Which Polish nobleman has been called the father of American cavalry?Answer: Casimir Pulaski. Source: Wikipedia: Casimir Pulaski
Which Spanish commander, later made an honorary citizen of the United States, led the Siege of Pensacola?Answer: Bernardo de Gálvez. Source: Wikipedia: Bernardo de Gálvez
Documents and dates 16
The army's drill manual, Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, went by which nickname?Answer: The Blue Book. Source: Wikipedia: Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States
At Newburgh in 1783 Washington moved his restless officers when he asked leave to put on what?Answer: His spectacles. Source: Wikipedia: Newburgh Conspiracy
In which order did the three American negotiators sign the Treaty of Paris?Answer: Alphabetical order. Source: National Archives: Treaty of Paris (1783)
In which year did Congress approve the Articles of Confederation, before the states took up ratification?Answer: 1777. Source: Wikipedia: Articles of Confederation
On August 23, 1775, George III proclaimed the colonies to be in what state?Answer: In rebellion. Source: Wikipedia: United States Declaration of Independence
On November 25, 1783 the last British troops left which city?Answer: New York. Source: Wikipedia: Evacuation Day (New York)
On which date did most of Cornwallis's army march out of Yorktown and lay down its arms?Answer: October 19, 1781. Source: National Park Service: Yorktown Battlefield, History of the Siege
On which date in 1775 did Congress found the Continental Army?Answer: June 14. Source: Wikipedia: Continental Army
On which date in 1778 was the Treaty of Alliance between France and the United States signed?Answer: February 6. Source: Wikipedia: Treaty of Alliance (1778)
On which date was the Treaty of Paris signed?Answer: September 3, 1783. Source: National Archives: Treaty of Paris (1783)
Provisional articles of peace were signed at Paris on November 30 of which year?Answer: 1782. Source: National Archives: Treaty of Paris (1783)
Where did Washington resign his commission to Congress on December 23, 1783?Answer: Annapolis, Maryland. Source: Wikipedia: George Washington's resignation as commander-in-chief
Which delegate led the effort to reconcile with the king that produced the Olive Branch Petition of July 1775?Answer: John Dickinson. Source: Wikipedia: Olive Branch Petition
Which series of pamphlets opens with the words "These are the times that try men's souls"?Answer: The American Crisis. Source: Wikipedia: The American Crisis
Which service did Congress found on October 13, 1775?Answer: The Continental Navy. Source: Wikipedia: Continental Navy
Who signed the Treaty of Paris for Great Britain?Answer: David Hartley. Source: National Archives: Treaty of Paris (1783)
Camp life, spies and soldiers 18
At Valley Forge the men built their log cabins to a model of which size?Answer: 14 feet by 16 feet. Source: National Park Service: What Happened at Valley Forge
The bridge the army built over the Schuylkill at Valley Forge was based on whose design?Answer: A Roman design. Source: National Park Service: What Happened at Valley Forge
British soldiers gave their Land Pattern musket which nickname?Answer: Brown Bess. Source: Wikipedia: Brown Bess
The Culper spies wrote between the lines of ordinary letters in an invisible ink known as what?Answer: A sympathetic stain. Source: Wikipedia: Culper Ring
The encampment at Valley Forge began in December 1777. How long did it last?Answer: Six months. Source: National Park Service: What Happened at Valley Forge
How long did the Revolutionary War last, by the count of the National Park Service?Answer: Eight and a half years. Source: National Park Service: What Happened at Valley Forge
In 1777 Congress put the army on a firmer footing by letting Washington recruit soldiers on which terms?Answer: Longer enlistments. Source: National Park Service: What Happened at Valley Forge
In early March 1778 the army at Valley Forge listed 2,898 men as unfit for duty. For lack of what?Answer: Clothing. Source: National Park Service: What Happened at Valley Forge
The main army spent the "Hard Winter" of 1779 to 1780 at Jockey Hollow, near which New Jersey town?Answer: Morristown. Source: Wikipedia: Jockey Hollow
The most serious food crisis at Valley Forge came in which month of 1778?Answer: February. Source: National Park Service: What Happened at Valley Forge
No battle was fought at Valley Forge. What killed nearly 2,000 people in the camp?Answer: Disease. Source: National Park Service: What Happened at Valley Forge
Runaway printing of paper money during the war gave rise to which phrase?Answer: Not worth a continental. Source: Wikipedia: Early American currency
To make the British expect an attack on New York in 1781, Washington had his men build big camps and huge what?Answer: Brick bread ovens. Source: National Park Service: Yorktown Battlefield, History of the Siege
The Turtle, built by David Bushnell in 1775, was an early what?Answer: Submarine. Source: Wikipedia: Turtle (submersible)
Washington's Badge of Military Merit was brought back in 1932 under which name?Answer: The Purple Heart. Source: Wikipedia: Badge of Military Merit
What was the Valley Forge that gave the winter camp its name?Answer: An iron works on Valley Creek. Source: National Park Service: What Happened at Valley Forge
Which officer led the Culper Ring, Washington's spies in and around British-occupied New York?Answer: Benjamin Tallmadge. Source: Wikipedia: Culper Ring
With its log huts and fortifications, the Valley Forge camp ranked where among the cities of the colonies at the time?Answer: Fourth largest. Source: National Park Service: What Happened at Valley Forge
How this list was compiled
Written for this site; nothing was copied from another list. Questions and wrong choices are our own. Each explanation restates, in our own sentences, facts from the page named and linked beside it. Each answer was checked on 2026-10-03 against that page, fetched that day: three pages of the National Park Service (https://www.nps.gov) on Valley Forge, the siege of Yorktown and the Battle of Cowpens for 23 questions; the National Archives page on the Treaty of Paris (https://www.archives.gov) for 4; and the English Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org, text under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license) for the rest. This site is not affiliated with the National Park Service or the National Archives. A saying that the page read calls legend or apocryphal is asked as such. Battles are asked as dated school-book facts: where, when, who commanded and what decided the day. Not repeated here, because other quizzes on this site already ask them: the 25 Revolution questions of the American history quiz (among them the Stamp Act, Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill, the crossing to Trenton, the drillmaster of Valley Forge, West Point, the surrender at Yorktown by name), the Boston quiz's lanterns and Dorchester Heights, and the Fourth of July quiz's questions on the Declaration. Levels are our estimate: easy is fair for any table, medium suits people who like history, hard will stump most of them. Each round is stored easiest first, and each question carries the date its page was read. Licence: own work