Like all good national histories, the story of the American Revolution in the U.S. is taught nowadays almost exclusively in terms of how the rebels themselves fought and organized the war, with some deference to the French allies. However, as the historian Samuel Bemis observed,
Most Americans are not aware of the extent their little tift with the British spread around the world, and few outside of the U.S. are interested enough to bother studying it. This of course crosses paths with another thread in the History forum on the topic of what constitutres a world war, but I'll sidestep that now. Instead, here's a quiz on both how other countries became involved in a rebellion by obscure imperial colonies, and how the Revolution had a far wider impact than London, Philadelphia and Savannah. Multiple questions can have the same country as an answer:
1. Johannes de Graaff, Dutch Governor of St. Eustatius, was summoned home to explain his actions in the Andrew Doria incident of 16. November, 1776. What happened in that incident that nearly brought the United Provinces into the war in 1776?
2. True or False: In June, 1779 Spain joined Franco-American alliance against Britain?
3. In response to the actions of the belligerents in the American Revolution, Russia made a sweeping proposal on 29. February, 1780, and was soon joined by Sweden, Denmark, and the Hanseatic cities. When the United Provinces joined this Russian project, Britain declared war against the Dutch (20. December, 1780). What was this Russian project?
4. One of the signatories to this Russian project had also signed a secret treaty with the Americans and given them the first of a series of substantial loans that would be decisive for the Americans in their war effort. What country was this?
5. The future president John Adams was officially appointed as an American envoy to what two countries during the Revolution?
6. What country was a major supplier of naval stores to the Americans (though indirectly, on Dutch ships) because they wanted a foothold in cross-Atlantic trade?
7. Who was the only European state to comply with the British demand that all trade with the American colonists cease and their agents be arrested on sight?
8. In 1772, Russia, Prussia and Austria began the first of three partitions of Poland. What significance did this have for the American Revolution?
9. Who is modern Galveston, Texas named after?
10. After the Battle of Yorktown in September 1781, these two countries proposed a broad peace conference involving all the belligerents but George III refused to negotiate with the colonists. Eventually two years later these same two would facilitate the negotiations that would end the war. Who were they?
11. After the Peace of Teschen (modern Cieszyn, Poland) on 13. May, 1779, the Prussians vigorously supported France's pro-American policy. Why?
12. In 1780, Britain offered the island of Minorca to what country in exchange for its joining an anti-Bourbon (France and Spain) alliance?
13. In April 1782, the British established a separate parliament with its own sovereignty in Ireland; what significance was this to the American Revolution?
14. What the hell did Negapatam (eastern Indian coast) and Malaysia have to do with the American Revolution?
15. At the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, a large combined Franco-American force beseiged the British ramparts. The French Army under the Comte de Rochambeau actually let the American Continental Army take the lead, nominally assenting to George Washington's command. However, French participation in this crucial battle of the Revolution was indeed critical and decisive; how?
16. The Americans manufactured their own gunpowder during the Revolution but lacked a critical ingredient, saltpetre. From where did they get most of their saltpetre (along with a host of other important war supplies)?
17. The British were fighting to retain their American colonies in the American Revolution (obviously) but financially there was real estate within the British Empire that was far more valuable, so much so that London was willing to strip 5000 soldiers from occupation duty in Philadelphia in 1778 to protect these other possessions, despite Washington's threat with the re-occupation of New Jersey. What was this other real estate?
18. In 1776 the Sultan of Tripoli de facto recognized American independence, and what's even stranger is that London didn't do anything to stop them. Why?
19. Why did the Ottoman Empire soon regret the American Revolution?
20. In 1783, the British and the Americans, and the British and the French had all agreed to through both direct and mediated talks on the conditions for peace. So why couldn't the war stop?
21. How was this impasse resolved?
Good luck folks!
Most Americans are not aware of the extent their little tift with the British spread around the world, and few outside of the U.S. are interested enough to bother studying it. This of course crosses paths with another thread in the History forum on the topic of what constitutres a world war, but I'll sidestep that now. Instead, here's a quiz on both how other countries became involved in a rebellion by obscure imperial colonies, and how the Revolution had a far wider impact than London, Philadelphia and Savannah. Multiple questions can have the same country as an answer:
1. Johannes de Graaff, Dutch Governor of St. Eustatius, was summoned home to explain his actions in the Andrew Doria incident of 16. November, 1776. What happened in that incident that nearly brought the United Provinces into the war in 1776?
2. True or False: In June, 1779 Spain joined Franco-American alliance against Britain?
3. In response to the actions of the belligerents in the American Revolution, Russia made a sweeping proposal on 29. February, 1780, and was soon joined by Sweden, Denmark, and the Hanseatic cities. When the United Provinces joined this Russian project, Britain declared war against the Dutch (20. December, 1780). What was this Russian project?
4. One of the signatories to this Russian project had also signed a secret treaty with the Americans and given them the first of a series of substantial loans that would be decisive for the Americans in their war effort. What country was this?
5. The future president John Adams was officially appointed as an American envoy to what two countries during the Revolution?
6. What country was a major supplier of naval stores to the Americans (though indirectly, on Dutch ships) because they wanted a foothold in cross-Atlantic trade?
7. Who was the only European state to comply with the British demand that all trade with the American colonists cease and their agents be arrested on sight?
8. In 1772, Russia, Prussia and Austria began the first of three partitions of Poland. What significance did this have for the American Revolution?
9. Who is modern Galveston, Texas named after?
10. After the Battle of Yorktown in September 1781, these two countries proposed a broad peace conference involving all the belligerents but George III refused to negotiate with the colonists. Eventually two years later these same two would facilitate the negotiations that would end the war. Who were they?
11. After the Peace of Teschen (modern Cieszyn, Poland) on 13. May, 1779, the Prussians vigorously supported France's pro-American policy. Why?
12. In 1780, Britain offered the island of Minorca to what country in exchange for its joining an anti-Bourbon (France and Spain) alliance?
13. In April 1782, the British established a separate parliament with its own sovereignty in Ireland; what significance was this to the American Revolution?
14. What the hell did Negapatam (eastern Indian coast) and Malaysia have to do with the American Revolution?
15. At the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, a large combined Franco-American force beseiged the British ramparts. The French Army under the Comte de Rochambeau actually let the American Continental Army take the lead, nominally assenting to George Washington's command. However, French participation in this crucial battle of the Revolution was indeed critical and decisive; how?
16. The Americans manufactured their own gunpowder during the Revolution but lacked a critical ingredient, saltpetre. From where did they get most of their saltpetre (along with a host of other important war supplies)?
17. The British were fighting to retain their American colonies in the American Revolution (obviously) but financially there was real estate within the British Empire that was far more valuable, so much so that London was willing to strip 5000 soldiers from occupation duty in Philadelphia in 1778 to protect these other possessions, despite Washington's threat with the re-occupation of New Jersey. What was this other real estate?
18. In 1776 the Sultan of Tripoli de facto recognized American independence, and what's even stranger is that London didn't do anything to stop them. Why?
19. Why did the Ottoman Empire soon regret the American Revolution?
20. In 1783, the British and the Americans, and the British and the French had all agreed to through both direct and mediated talks on the conditions for peace. So why couldn't the war stop?
21. How was this impasse resolved?
Good luck folks!
Wild guesses coming now..... 
