Teacher Resources
Danbury
Inquiry Question
How do armies fight a war when they cannot reliably feed or equip their soldiers?
Primary Sources
What Teachers and Students Use
Continental Congress Resolution on the Danbury Raid, May 1777
PRIMARY · Library of Congress, Journals of the Continental Congress
5 analysis prompts
Governor Jonathan Trumbull to Congress, April 27, 1777
PRIMARY · Connecticut State Library, Jonathan Trumbull Papers
5 analysis prompts
Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center: The Danbury Raid Context
INSTITUTIONAL · Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center
5 analysis prompts
History of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896
SECONDARY · Burr Printing House (James Montgomery Bailey)
5 analysis prompts
Connecticut Council of Safety Records: April-May 1777
PRIMARY · Connecticut State Archives
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 why military logistics were a decisive factor in the Revolutionary War
- 2Describe what the Danbury supply depot contained and why its destruction mattered
- 3Analyze the British strategy of coastal raiding as an alternative to conventional battlefield operations
- 4Connect the loss of Danbury stores to broader challenges of Continental Army supply
Explore Further
Danbury 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.
New London
SHARED THEME
Both towns were raided by British forces under Benedict Arnold and William Tryon in separate 1777/1781 coastal-inland operations designed to terrorize Connecticut Patriots and destroy military supplies.
New Haven
SHARED EVENT
Both were raided by British forces.
Kingston
COMPARISON
Both were burned by British raids in 1777.
Assessment
Danbury 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 Danbury 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 Danbury 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.