Teacher Resources
Annapolis
Inquiry Question
Why did contemporaries consider Washington's resignation more significant than his military victories?
Primary Sources
What Teachers and Students Use
General Washington's Address to Congress on Resigning His Commission, December 23, 1783
PRIMARY · Library of Congress, George Washington Papers
5 analysis prompts
Ratification of the Treaty of Paris by the Continental Congress, January 14, 1784
PRIMARY · National Archives, Record Group 360
5 analysis prompts
Journals of the Continental Congress, Volume XXV (1783)
PRIMARY · Library of Congress
5 analysis prompts
Maryland State Archives: Revolutionary War Records Collection
PRIMARY · Maryland State Archives
5 analysis prompts
Maryland State House: A History of the Oldest State Capitol in Continuous Use
SECONDARY · Maryland State Archives (Edward Papenfuse)
5 analysis prompts
Downloads
Ready to Print
Student packet, teacher guide with answer key, and quiz — each formatted for classroom printing.
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Lesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Explain the significance of Washington's resignation as a precedent for civilian control of the military
- 2Analyze the Treaty of Paris ratification as the formal conclusion of the Revolutionary War
- 3Evaluate how ceremony communicated political principles in the founding era
- 4Connect the Annapolis Convention of 1786 to the Constitutional Convention of 1787
Explore Further
Annapolis in the Knowledge Graph
The lesson packet draws from these pages. Use them to extend the lesson or give students primary source context.
Comparative Study
Connected Towns
The corroborate prompts in the student packet point to these towns. Teachers can assign cross-town comparisons.
Yorktown
SHARED EVENT
Washington's resignation at Annapolis was the direct sequel to the Yorktown surrender. The same commander who accepted Cornwallis's surrender in October 1781 gave up his commission in December 1783.
Philadelphia
SHARED PERSON
The Continental Congress relocated from Philadelphia to Annapolis in late 1783 after the Pennsylvania mutiny crisis. Many of the same delegates served in both cities.
Baltimore
GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY
Maryland's two major towns.
Assessment
Annapolis in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history. · 5 questions · Answer key in Teacher Guide PDF
What makes Annapolis significant in Revolutionary history?
multiple choice
Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
true false
Name one event that occurred in Annapolis during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
short answer
+ 2 more in the full quiz PDF
Ready to Print?
All three documents below — student packet, teacher guide, and quiz — are formatted for letter-size classroom printing.