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History is for Everyone · American Revolution Network

Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War

Augusta, GA

Grade Range: 8-12·Duration: 2 class periods

This lesson uses the struggle for Augusta to explore what happened when the American Revolution became a civil war in the backcountry. Students examine the causes and escalation of Patriot-Loyalist violence in the Georgia interior, analyze Thomas Brown as a complex historical figure shaped by personal experience, and consider how cycles of reprisal operate and whether they can be broken. The lesson develops students' ability to analyze multiple perspectives on the same conflict.

This Packet Includes

  • Lesson Plan & Learning Objectives
  • 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
  • 3 Student Handouts
  • Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
  • Answer Key (Teacher Copy)
  • Standards Alignment
Unit:Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War — Lesson Overview
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  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

Keep these questions in mind throughout the unit:

  • 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?
Unit:Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 1 of 5
Document Information
Document:General Andrew Pickens and Colonel Elijah Clarke: Report on the Recapture of Augusta, June 1781
Source:National Archives and Records Administration
Type:PRIMARY
Credibility:TIER1

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to the events in Augusta, GA? What does it reveal about the people involved?

Unit:Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 2 of 5
Document Information
Document:British Garrison Papers: Augusta, Georgia, 1779-1781
Source:Public Record Office (National Archives, United Kingdom)
Type:PRIMARY
Credibility:TIER1

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to the events in Augusta, GA? What does it reveal about the people involved?

Unit:Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 3 of 5
Document Information
Document:Georgia Archives: Richmond County Records and Georgia Executive Council Papers, 1775-1782
Source:Georgia Archives
Type:PRIMARY
Credibility:TIER1
Georgia Archives: Richmond County Records and Georgia Executive Council Papers, 1775-1782

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

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to the events in Augusta, GA? What does it reveal about the people involved?

Unit:Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 4 of 5
Document Information
Document:Pension Applications: Augusta and Richmond County Militia, Georgia
Source:National Archives and Records Administration
Type:PRIMARY
Credibility:TIER1

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to the events in Augusta, GA? What does it reveal about the people involved?

Unit:Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 5 of 5
Document Information
Document:Thomas Browne Papers: Loyalist Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Augusta, 1780-1781
Source:Georgia Historical Society
Type:PRIMARY
Credibility:TIER1

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to the events in Augusta, GA? What does it reveal about the people involved?

Unit:Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War — Augusta Event Timeline
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Augusta Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Augusta Revolutionary Timeline


Instructions: Place the following events in order and add one detail about each.


  • [ ] Thomas Brown Surrenders Fort Cornwallis
  • [ ] Lee's Mayham Tower Overtopped Fort Cornwallis
  • [ ] Fort Grierson Captured by Patriots
  • [ ] First Battle of Augusta — Clarke's Failed Assault
  • [ ] Greene's Southern Campaign Reaches Georgia

---


| Event | Date | Significance |

|-------|------|-------------|

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Unit:Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source Analysis

graphic organizer

Structured analysis of Revolutionary-era documents

# Primary Source Analysis Worksheet


## Source Information

  • Title: _________________
  • Author: _________________
  • Date: _________________
  • Type: _________________

## Observation

What do you notice? (List 3 things)

1.

2.

3.


## Reflection

What do you wonder? (List 2 questions)

1.

2.


## Analysis

What does this source tell us about Augusta during the Revolution?


_______________________________________________


## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War — Key Figures Profile
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Key Figures Profile

worksheet

Research template for Revolutionary figures

# Revolutionary Figure Profile


## Basic Information

  • Name: _________________
  • Birth/Death Years: _________________
  • Occupation(s): _________________

## Role in the Revolution

### Brigadier General Andrew Pickens

South Carolina Presbyterian elder and militia general called "The Wizard Owl" by the Cherokee. Commanded the successful 1781 Patriot siege of Augusta alongside Light-Horse Harry Lee and Elijah Clarke, capturing Fort Cornwallis on June 5, 1781.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.


### Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Brown

British Loyalist officer known as "Burnfoot Brown" after Patriots burned his feet in 1775. Commanded the British garrison at Augusta from 1780 until the June 1781 surrender of Fort Cornwallis to Pickens and Lee. His use of Cherokee and Creek allies made the Augusta theater particularly brutal.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.



## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War — Assessment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Augusta in the American Revolution

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

  1. 1.  What makes Augusta significant in Revolutionary history?

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

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

    Answer:

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

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

    Answer:

ANSWER KEY · TEACHER COPY · DO NOT DISTRIBUTE

Augusta in the American Revolution

Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War — Augusta, GA

  1. 1.What makes Augusta significant in Revolutionary history?
    Answer:A

    Augusta played a significant role in the American Revolution as evidenced by the events we studied.

  2. 2.Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
    Answer:True

    Primary sources provide firsthand evidence about historical events.

  3. 3.Name one event that occurred in Augusta during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
    Answer:[Varies - accept any accurate event with reasonable explanation]

    Students should identify a specific event and connect it to broader Revolutionary themes.

  4. 4.Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?
    Answer:A

    Multiple perspectives help us understand the full complexity of historical events.

  5. 5.Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.
    Answer:[Varies - accept any accurate connection]

    Students should demonstrate understanding of the interconnected nature of Revolutionary events.

Unit:Augusta 1780–1781: Backcountry Civil War — Standards Alignment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Standards Addressed

Common Core ELA

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.6: Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.1: Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content

C3 Framework

  • D2.His.4.9-12: Analyze complex and interacting factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras
  • D2.His.5.9-12: Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people's perspectives
  • D2.His.9.9-12: Analyze the relationship between causation and correlation in historical events