Towns

PA, USA

Germantown

Lesson plans and classroom materials.

Fog of War: Why the Battle of Germantown Failed

7-9 · 2 class periods

What you'll get

  • 5 primary sources with analysis prompts
  • Quiz with answer key (5 questions)
  • 3 printable handouts
Print full packet
7-92 class periodsCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7: Integrate visual information with other information in print and digital textsCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysisD2.His.14.6-8: Explain multiple causes and effects of events and developments in the past

Learning Objectives

  1. Describe Washington's four-column battle plan and explain its tactical logic
  2. Identify three specific factors that caused the American attack to fail
  3. Analyze how the Chew House incident diverted critical forces and time
  4. Evaluate Washington's decision to attack at Germantown — was it a strategic mistake or a reasonable calculated risk?

Essential Questions

  • What is "friction" in military operations? What makes coordinated plans fail even when participants try to execute them?
  • Was Washington right to attack at Germantown? What would have happened if he had not tried?
  • How does the physical environment — fog, terrain, architecture — shape the outcome of a battle?

Procedure

Primary Sources

Washington's Battle Plan for Germantown, October 1777

Library of Congress, George Washington Papers · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

General Howe's Official Dispatch on the Battle of Germantown

UK National Archives, Colonial Office Papers · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

The Philadelphia Campaign, Vol. 2: Germantown and the Roads to Valley Forge

Stackpole Books (Thomas McGuire) · SECONDARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

Germantown: NPS and Pennsylvania Trail of History Interpretive Resources

National Park Service / Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission · INSTITUTIONAL · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Continental Army Orderly Books: Germantown Campaign, September-October 1777

Library of Congress, Manuscript Division · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

Handouts & Materials

Germantown 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

Germantown in the American Revolution

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

1.

What makes Germantown 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 Germantown 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.