Troup County School System - History Lesson Plan Database

Title:
Moving South: British efforts to hold South Carolina and Georgia for the Crown

Author:
Melba Moon

Linked Essays:
American Revolution: Issues that forged a Nation

Overview:
This lesson explores the impact of British efforts to hold the southern colonies of Georgia and South Carolina for the Crown. For three years the war had been concentrated in the North; now the British decided on a change of tactics. Counting on support from the Loyalists still located in South Carolina and Georgia, the war advanced southward. The students will examine British strategies and the responses of both Patriots and Loyalists to these new efforts. Of special interest will be the impact on colonists caught in the struggle between the two armies. The economic, social and political impact on the colonists became a major factor in the failure of this campaign. Losses incurred on both sides of the struggle because of this change of strategy by the British helped turn former supporters against the Crown and strengthen the resolve of those fighting for liberty.

Materials:

Pictures of George Washington, Ben Franklin, Nathanael Green, Francis Marion and Charles, Earl Cornwallis

Worksheets

Two excerpts of readings from: The American Revolution: Writings from the War of Independence. New York: Library of America, 2001.

Websites:

http://members.aol.com/JonMaltbie/Biography.html

http://www.nps.gov/cowp/socampn.htm

http://xenophongroup.com/mcjoynt/laf_va.htm

http://www.americanrevolution.com/SouthernCampaign.htm

http://members.aol.com/esarrett/sc/arw_hst2.htm

http://militaryhistory.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=militaryhistory&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nps.gov%2Fcowp%2Fbatlcowp.htm

(Additional supplemental websites are listed in Notes section of lesson plan.)

Graphic Organizers/worksheets

Biographical information on Nathanael Greene and Charles, Earl Cornwallis

Projected Time:
50 minutes

Lesson Plan Sequence:
4

Essential Question:

How did Britain's Southern Campaign in Georgia and South Carolina impact the outcome of the American Revolution?

Bell Assignment:

Identify the famous people. Given a group of pictures the students will match the names given to the picture.

Step 1 Have pictures on a transparency or on the computer/tv.

Step 2 Give students a sheet with the names of the famous people in random order.

Step 3 Students will match the correct name with the picture.

Suggestion: Use pictures of George Washington, Ben Franklin, Nathanael Green, Charles Earl Cornwallis, Francis Marion or choose others of you choice. These are readily available on the Internet:

http://members.aol.com/JonMaltbie/Biography.html

Activating Strategy:

Match the characteristics to the man. Worksheet with details about the two major players in the Southern Campaign, Cornwallis and Nathanael Greene.

Step 1 Give out worksheet and list of biographical facts.

Step 2 Students read over the facts and write them under the name with which they think they should go.

Step 3 Review the facts and tell which goes where.

Instructional Activities:

Websites to review with students:

http://www.nps.gov/cowp/socampn.htm

http://xenophongroup.com/mcjoynt/laf_va.htm

Step 1 Give out excerpts of readings or use transparencies from the LOA volume: The American Revolution.

Step 2 Students will read and compare transparencies of letters written from Stephen De Lancey to Cornelia Barclay De Lancey to his wife in New York about conditions found upon entering Savannah will be compared with a letter written from Nathanael Greene to Catherine Greene about conditions of the colonist during the Southern Campaign to highlight the impact of the war upon the colonists in the South during this period.

Step 3 Student will use a graphic organizer to list the economics, social and political changes from the two readings.

Step 4 With details from the organizer, the students will develop a theory of how the impact of war on the people of the southern colonies might have influenced to outcome of the American Revolution.

Summarizing Activities:

Student will write a letter home from a husband/wife to their spouse during the Southern Campaign. Using the details they have gathered in the lesson they will describe conditions either on the battle front or on the home front. They will assume the persona of either Patriot or Loyalist.

Notes:

websites of interest:

http://www.americanrevolution.com/SouthernCampaign.htm

http://members.aol.com/esarrett/sc/arw_hst2.htm

http://militaryhistory.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=militaryhistory&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nps.gov%2Fcowp%2Fbatlcowp.htm

http://hoover.archives.gov/exhibits/RevAmerica/5-Why/SouthernCampaign.html

http://hoover.archives.gov/exhibits/RevAmerica/featured/index.html

http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1958/3/1958_3_40.shtml

Cornwallis bio

http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1973/5/1973_5_56.shtml

England's Vietnam

http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1971/4/1971_4_6.shtml