Teacher Resources
Cowpens
Inquiry Question
Why did the same kind of militia that failed at Camden succeed at Cowpens?
Primary Sources
What Teachers and Students Use
General Daniel Morgan to General Nathanael Greene: Report of the Battle of Cowpens, January 19, 1781
PRIMARY · National Archives and Records Administration
5 analysis prompts
A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781: Cowpens Chapter
PRIMARY · T. Cadell (Banastre Tarleton)
5 analysis prompts
Cowpens National Battlefield: Official NPS Interpretive Resources
INSTITUTIONAL · National Park Service
5 analysis prompts
Pension Depositions of Cowpens Veterans, 1820-1840
PRIMARY · National Archives and Records Administration, Revolutionary War Pension Files
5 analysis prompts
The Papers of General Nathanael Greene, Vol. VII: Cowpens and After
PRIMARY · University of North Carolina Press (Richard K. Showman, ed.)
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
- 1Students will identify the specific capabilities and limitations of militia vs. Continental regular forces
- 2Students will analyze Morgan's tactical plan and explain why it worked
- 3Students will compare the command decisions at Camden and Cowpens to identify what made the difference
- 4Students will apply a constraints-based planning framework to a historical problem
Explore Further
Cowpens 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.
Camden
SHARED PERSON
Tarleton's Legion at Cowpens was the same force that had pursued Camden survivors and conducted the Waxhaws massacre. Morgan's defeat of the Legion reversed the most feared British force in the southern theater.
Kings Mountain
SHARED THEME
Both were decisive American victories that reversed southern momentum.
Yorktown
SHARED PERSON
Cornwallis, whose response to Cowpens set in motion the chain of decisions ending at Yorktown, connects the two battlefields. Several officers at Cowpens also served in the Yorktown campaign.
Assessment
Cowpens 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 Cowpens 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 Cowpens 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.