Towns

GA, USA

Augusta

Lesson plans and classroom materials.

Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War

8-12 · 2 class periods

What you'll get

  • 5 primary sources with analysis prompts
  • Quiz with answer key (5 questions)
  • 3 printable handouts
Print full packet
8-122 class periodsCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sourcesCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.6: Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topicsD2.His.4.9-12: Analyze complex and interacting factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras

Learning Objectives

  1. Students will explain why Augusta was strategically important to both British and Patriot forces
  2. Students will trace the escalation of violence in the Augusta backcountry from 1775 through 1781
  3. Students will analyze Thomas Brown as a case study in how personal experience shapes political behavior
  4. Students will evaluate whether the violence in the Augusta backcountry was inevitable or could have been limited

Essential Questions

  • How does a political conflict become a personal one, and what are the consequences?
  • What distinguishes a civil war from a revolution, and which term better describes what happened in the Georgia backcountry?
  • What obligations do military commanders have toward prisoners and civilians, and what happens when those obligations break down?

Procedure

Primary Sources

General Andrew Pickens and Colonel Elijah Clarke: Report on the Recapture of Augusta, June 1781

National Archives and Records Administration · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

British Garrison Papers: Augusta, Georgia, 1779-1781

Public Record Office (National Archives, United Kingdom) · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

Georgia Archives: Richmond County Records and Georgia Executive Council Papers, 1775-1782

Georgia Archives · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Pension Applications: Augusta and Richmond County Militia, Georgia

National Archives and Records Administration · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

Thomas Browne Papers: Loyalist Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Augusta, 1780-1781

Georgia Historical Society · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

Handouts & Materials

Augusta Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

Primary Source Analysis

graphic organizer

Structured analysis of Revolutionary-era documents

Key Figures Profile

worksheet

Research template for Revolutionary figures

Augusta in the American Revolution

Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.

1.

What makes Augusta significant in Revolutionary history?

AIt was the site of important Revolutionary events
BIt had no connection to the Revolution
CIt was founded after the Revolution
DIt was a British stronghold throughout the war
2.

Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.

TTrue
FFalse
3.

Name one event that occurred in Augusta during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.

4.

Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?

ADifferent people experienced events differently
BIt makes history more confusing
COnly one perspective is ever correct
DPerspectives don't matter in history
5.

Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.