Q Why did the Stamp Tax Act elicit such widespread and violent reactions from the colonists? How did the colonists resist the Stamp act? What method of protest proved to be the most effective? What roles did John Adams and Benjamin Franklin play in the early phases of colonial resistance between 1765 and 1775? How did the Revolution personally affect Franklin’s life? After the successful campaigns of 1776, how did the British handle the sudden influx of Patriot prisoners of war? What fate awaited those soldiers taken prisoner by the British during the American Revolution? Who were the Hessians and what was their impact on the places they occupied? The second film, American Crisis, covers the Patriots’ defeats at Fort Washington and subsequent defeats across NY and NJ, Washington’s divisive rivalry with Charles Lee, the British/ Hessian occupation of NY and NJ, and the impact of the Battle of Trenton on the greater Revolution. Considering all these elements, how would you assess Washington’s genius as a leader? What happened at Waxhaw? How did the Patriot revolutionaries use this atrocity to their advantage? Why did Horatio Gates and not Nathaniel Greene (Washington’s choice) take over the southern campaign of the Continental army? What challenges faced Gates in the South? Why does he fail so spectacularly at the Battle of Camden? Was this a strategic error or a tactical one? What is the fate of Horatio Gates, the hero of Saratoga? What were the characteristics that made both Nathaniel Greene and Daniel Morgan ideal military leaders of both the Continental army and the Patriot militias? What strategies did each employ in their confrontations with the armies of Tarleton and Cornwallis in the South? How does Morgan defeat Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens on Jan 17, 1781? What was the result of Cowpens and what becomes of Revolutionary Hero Daniel Morgan? By late 1780, exactly how had the French Navy tipped the balance of power in favor of the Patriots during the Revolution? How did Washington view French involvement up to that point? Using the 3 rd Film, A Hornet’s Nest, consider the actions of Cornwallis, Morgan, Gates, Greene, Tarleton and Sir Henry Clinton. How would you evaluate the impact of discipline, leadership and character on the outcome of the Revolution?In the final film, A President and His Revolution, how does Washington’s unique character and approach to leadership shape the events and address the following critical challenges: The Winter encampments of 1778 (Valley Forge), 1780 and 1781 (Morristown); The betrayal of Benedict Arnold, The Battle of Monmouth Courthouse, and the establishment of future precedents for our first national executive (The Presidency of the United States)? Did any of his actions surprise you?