Lesson Plan for Teaching the Revolutionary War

David Traill, South Fork High School teacher in Stuart, FL, has written the history lesson and the National Archives provides the images, three of which are shown below.

The full lesson plan, titled “Teaching with Documents: Images of the American Revolution,” is on a National Archives website.

The lesson begins with background information which notes that many factors contributed to the success of the American colonies in their struggle for independence. It continues with discussion of the beginnings of the revolt, touching upon the reasons and circumstances which built resentment against England’s way of dealing with the colonists. The big issue was taxation without representation.

Onward from Lexington and Concord

The initial skirmishes at Lexington and Concord, as well as those at Fort Ticonderoga and Bunker Hill, were violent enough that the colonies convened the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia so the colonies could have a unified plan. The result was the Declaration of Independence.

Those events were all stepping stones to the long, difficult war that followed. The lesson plan then chronicles the various difficulties facing the American forces, the attempts to get support from France and conditions faced by both sides.

This lesson plan does not proceed in a time line, taking students through battle after battle, but instead considers the various forces at work and factors which led to wins and losses. Because it is not just a list of events, but instead calls upon students to weigh and assess a variety of ideas and conditions, it is geared for junior high school level and above.

Documents and Engravings from National Archives

The National Archives has a superb collection of documents and steel engravings from which it ably selected the illustrations used in conjunction with this lesson plan. The focal points of these are:

• the capture of Fort Ticonderoga at the foot of Lake Champlain by Ethan Allen and his “Green Mountain Boys”.
• the hard winter when General George Washington and his troops camped at Valley Forge near Philadelphia without adequate funds, food and supplies.
• Benjamin Franklin at the Court of France trying to enlist the aid of the French.
• the surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga, NY in the fall of 1777.
• Benedict Arnold’s Oath of Allegiance.
• the surrender of Gen. Cornwallis at Yorktown, VA in the fall of 1781.
• the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which was the foundation of normalized relations with Great Britain by the now independent colonies and eventually led to a strong relationship of trust and coexistence.

The National Archives has a multi-faceted education program aimed at students of every age. Programs range from educational tours of its Washington facility, where original copies of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution are on display, to a wide assortment of seminars and workshops at its regional facilities. Its website is extensive, but rewarding to those who take time to explore it.

There is a companion article on a live family history game show sponsored by the National Archives at Ellis Island.

Sources

National Archives Directory

National Archives website

Winter at Valley Forge

Ben Franklin in Paris

Surrender of Gen. Cornwallis

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