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The American War for Independence
—Curriculum Unit Overview—
Introduction
The decision of Britain's North American colonies to rebel against the Mother
Country was an extremely risky one. Although each colony had its own militia—of
varying quality—there was no Continental Army until Congress created one,
virtually from scratch, in 1775. This army, placed under the command of a Virginian
named George Washington, would have the unenviable task of taking on the world's
largest empire, with a first-rate army, supported by what was at the time the
most formidable navy in history. Indeed, it was no doubt with these risks in mind
that the Continental Congress waited until July 1776—more than a year after
the outbreak of hostilities—to issue a formal Declaration of Independence.
This is not to say that the Americans lacked advantages of their own. In order to fight the colonists the British had to maintain a large army on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean—over 3,000 miles away from home. Moreover, this army actually had to conquer an area much larger than Great Britain itself; the Continental Army, on the other hand, could win simply by preventing this from happening. Even so, the first years of war were difficult ones for the Americans, and ultimately it required substantial aid from France to bring the war to a successful conclusion.
In this unit, consisting of three lesson plans, students will learn about the diplomatic and military aspects of the American War for Independence. Through an examination of original documents and an interactive map they will learn about the strategies employed by both sides, and how those strategies played out in reality. They will study the most important military engagements, both in the North and the South. Students will also become familiar with the critical assistance provided by France, as well as the ongoing negotiations between the Americans and Great Britain.
Guiding Questions
- What hardships and difficulties did the Continental army face in the early years of the war, and how were they able to sustain the war effort in spite of those challenges?
- Why did the decision of the British leadership to move the war into the South prove unsuccessful?
- How successful were the Americans in obtaining their goals in the Revolutionary War?
Learning Objectives
Upon completing all of the lessons in this unit, students will be able to:
- Explain the significance of the battles of Lexington and Concord on both America and Great Britain.
- List the expectations that the Continental Congress had of George Washington, and assess how well he met them.
- Articulate the problems that the Continental Army faced during the early phase of the war.
- Explain how Washington and his men turned the tide in the North in 1777-78.
- Identify the most important military engagements and explain their significance.
- List the major terms of the Franco-American alliance, and explain their importance to the cause of independence.
- Identify the most important military engagements in the South and explain their significance for the outcome of the war.
- Explain the role that African-Americans played in the southern phase of the war.
- Describe the American peace feelers of 1775, and why the British rejected them.
- Describe the British peace offers of 1776 and 1778, and why the Americans rejected them.
- Explain why Britain was willing to grant American independence by 1782.
- Articulate the main provisions of the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
Preparing to Teach this Curriculum Unit
Review each lesson plan. Locate and bookmark suggested materials and links from EDSITEment reviewed websites used in this lesson. Download and print out selected documents and duplicate copies as necessary for student viewing. Alternatively, excerpted versions of these documents are available as part of the downloadable Text Document.
Download the Text Document for this lesson, available here as a PDF file. This file contains excerpted versions of the documents used in the various activities, as well as questions for students to answer. Print out and make an appropriate number of copies of the handouts you plan to use in class.
Perhaps most importantly, study the interactive map that accompanies this lesson. This map will walk students through the major campaigns in the North (for the first lesson) and the South (for the second lesson). In addition, students can use this interactive to map the borders of the new United States of America, as determined in the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
Analyzing primary sources:
If your students lack experience in dealing with primary sources, you might use one or more preliminary exercises to help them develop these skills. The Learning Page at the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress includes a set of such activities. Another useful resource is the Digital Classroom of the National Archives, which features a set of Document Analysis Worksheets. Finally, History Matters offers helpful pages on "Making Sense of Maps" and "Making Sense of Letters and Diaries" which gives helpful advice to teachers in getting their students to use such sources effectively.
Unit Lessons
Each lesson is designed to stand alone, occupying three to four class periods. Taken together they provide a fairly comprehensive approach to the military and diplomatic history of the Revolutionary War. If there is not sufficient time to complete all three lessons, the first should have priority, followed by the third, and then the second.
Selected EDSITEment Web Sites
- Teaching American History
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org
- Paul Revere, Memorandum
on Events of April 18, 1775
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library
/index.asp?document=874
- General
Thomas Gage Reports on the Battles of Lexington and Concord in an Excerpt
of a Letter to the Earl of Dartmouth on April 22th, 1775
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/
library/index.asp?document=865
- Lord
Percy reports on the retreat to General Gage on April 20th, 1775
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library
/index.asp?document=866
- Major
John Pitcairn reports on the Battles of Lexington and Concord to General
Gage on April 26th, 1775
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library
/index.asp?document=867
- John
Dickinson to Arthur Lee: April 29th, 1775
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library
/index.asp?document=869
- John
Laurens, Letter to Henry Laurens, January 14, 1778
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.com/library
/index.asp?document=896
- George
Washington, Letter to Henry Laurens, March 20, 1779
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.com/
library/index.asp?document=888
- Proclamation
by the King for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition, August 23, 1775
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/
library/index.asp?document=875
- Henry
Strachey, Memorandum on Meeting between Lord Howe and the American Commissioners,
September 11, 1776
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/
library/index.asp?document=891
- The
Continental Congress, Response to British Peace Proposals, June 13, 1778
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/
library/index.asp?document=903
- American Memory Project, Library
of Congress
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/
- The Papers of George Washington
http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/
- Internet Public Library
http://www.ipl.org
- From Revolution to Reconstruction
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/index.htm
- Thomas
Paine, "The American Crisis," December 23, 1776
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1776-1800/paine/AC/crisis01.htm
- From
the Diary of Albigence Waldo, Surgeon at Valley Forge, 1777
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1776-1800/war/waldo.htm
- Edmund
Burke, Speech on Conciliation with America, March 22, 1775
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1751-1775/libertydebate/burk.htm
- Excerpt
from Thomas Paine, "Common Sense," 1776
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1776-1800/paine/CM/sense04.htm
- U.S. Army Center for Military History
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/
- Documents of Diplomatic History
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/irhistry.htm
- Avalon Project at the Yale Law
School
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon
- Journals
of the Continental Congress: Commission for General Washington, June 17,
1775
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/contcong/06-17-75.htm
- Journals
of the Continental Congress: Instructions for General Washington, June
20, 1775
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/contcong/06-20-75.htm
- Journals
of the Continental Congress: Articles of War, June 30, 1775
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/contcong/06-30-75.htm
- Instructions
to the Agent, September 24, 1776
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/france/fr1778i.htm
- Excerpts
from Plan of the Treaties with France, 1776
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/france/fr1778p.htm
- Treaty
of Amity and Commerce between the United States and France, February 6,
1778
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/france/fr1788-1.htm
- Treaty
of Alliance between the United States and France, February 6, 1778
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/france/fr1788-2.htm
- Act
Separate and Secret between the United States and France, February 6,
1778
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/france/fr1788-3.htm
- Petition
to the King, July 8, 1775
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/contcong/07-08-75.htm
- The
Paris Peace Treaty of 1783
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/britain/paris.htm
- The National Park Service, Links to the
Past
http://www.cr.nps.gov/
- Digital History
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/
- History Mattershttp://historymatters.gmu.edu/
- American Studies at the University
of Virginia
http://xroads.virginia.edu/
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