Towns

CT, USA

Danbury

Lesson plans and classroom materials.

Supply Lines and Strategy: Why Danbury Was a Target

7-9 · 50 minutes

What you'll get

  • 5 primary sources with analysis prompts
  • Quiz with answer key (5 questions)
  • 3 printable handouts
Print full packet
7-950 minutesCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7 — Integrate visual information with other information in print and digital textsCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1 — Cite textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sourcesD2.His.1.6-8 — Analyze connections among events and developments in broader historical contexts

Learning Objectives

  1. Explain why military logistics were a decisive factor in the Revolutionary War
  2. Describe what the Danbury supply depot contained and why its destruction mattered
  3. Analyze the British strategy of coastal raiding as an alternative to conventional battlefield operations
  4. Connect the loss of Danbury stores to broader challenges of Continental Army supply

Essential Questions

  • How do armies fight a war when they cannot reliably feed or equip their soldiers?
  • Why would destroying supplies sometimes be more valuable than winning a battle?
  • What does the Danbury raid reveal about British strategy and American vulnerability in 1777?

Procedure

Primary Sources

Continental Congress Resolution on the Danbury Raid, May 1777

Library of Congress, Journals of the Continental Congress · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Governor Jonathan Trumbull to Congress, April 27, 1777

Connecticut State Library, Jonathan Trumbull Papers · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center: The Danbury Raid Context

Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center · INSTITUTIONAL · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

History of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896

Burr Printing House (James Montgomery Bailey) · SECONDARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

Connecticut Council of Safety Records: April-May 1777

Connecticut State Archives · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Handouts & Materials

Danbury 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

Danbury in the American Revolution

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

1.

What makes Danbury 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 Danbury 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.