About This Lesson
The British commanders’ new Southern Strategy aimed to keep control of the agriculturally prosperous South, in case they had to sue for peace with George Washington in the North. However, Americans fought against the invasion and nearly three years of vicious battles ensued, featuring lesser known American generals such as Benjamin Lincoln, Daniel Morgan, Johann de Kalb, Horatio Gates and Nathanael Greene leading the Patriot forces time and time again in the Southern Colonies against the likes of Charles Cornwallis, Patrick Ferguson and Banastre Tarleton. As Greene once put it, "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." The Americans just had to hold out long enough to wear down the British war effort. The campaign culminated at the Battle of Yorktown in Virginia in 1781, ultimately leading to the end of the Revolutionary War and the dawn of American Independence.
Upon completion of this lesson, the students will be able to:
1. Knowledge
- Describe some of the decisive moments in the Southern Campaigns of the Revolutionary War.
- Discuss the importance of the American perseverance and the British defeats during the Southern Campaigns which eventually led to the British surrender at Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris.
2. Comprehension/Application/Analysis
- Examine a secondary and primary source about a Revolutionary War battle and analyze findings.
3. Evaluation
- Evaluate and discuss some of the battles of the Southern Campaigns and their impact during the Revolutionary War.
This Lesson Plan can be used as a prepared resource by following this curriculum plan which aligns to NCSS and Common Core Standards.
This Lesson Plan's assets can also be used on their own as supplemental resources. The display format is prepared for easy access, exploring, and learning.
