Teacher Resources
Dover
Inquiry Question
What does it mean for a vote to be "unanimous" and why did that matter in 1776?
Primary Sources
What Teachers and Students Use
Delaware Ratification of the U.S. Constitution, December 7, 1787
PRIMARY · National Archives, Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses
5 analysis prompts
Delaware Public Archives: Revolutionary War Records
PRIMARY · Delaware Public Archives
5 analysis prompts
Delaware Declaration of Rights and Fundamental Rules, September 11, 1776
PRIMARY · Delaware Public Archives
5 analysis prompts
Life and Correspondence of Joseph Reed
SECONDARY · Lindsay and Blakiston (William B. Reed)
5 analysis prompts
First State National Historical Park: Dover Unit
INSTITUTIONAL · National Park Service
5 analysis prompts
Downloads
Ready to Print
Student packet, teacher guide with answer key, and quiz — each formatted for classroom printing.
Opens in a new tab. Use your browser's Print dialog (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P) and choose “Save as PDF.”
Lesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Explain the difference between the July 2 independence vote and the July 4 signing
- 2Describe Continental Congress delegation voting structure
- 3Trace the chain of events leading to Rodney's ride and explain why it was decisive
- 4Analyze what Rodney's personal circumstances reveal about the stakes involved
Explore Further
Dover 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.
Philadelphia
SHARED EVENT
Caesar Rodney rode from Dover to Philadelphia to cast the decisive independence vote. Delaware's Constitutional Convention delegates traveled from Dover to Philadelphia. The two cities were inseparable in Delaware's Revolutionary story.
Trenton
SHARED EVENT
The Delaware Regiment — organized from Dover — crossed the Delaware River with Washington and fought at Trenton in December 1776, participating in the attack that revived Patriot morale.
Annapolis
SHARED THEME
John Dickinson, a major Delaware figure near Dover, presided over the 1786 Annapolis Convention that led directly to the Constitutional Convention. The Annapolis-to-Philadelphia-to-Dover ratification chain is a core founding story.
Assessment
Dover 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 Dover 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 Dover 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.