Teacher Resources
New Haven
Inquiry Question
Who had the authority to make military decisions in April 1775, and how was that authority contested?
Primary Sources
What Teachers and Students Use
Governor Jonathan Trumbull to General Washington, July 6, 1779
PRIMARY · Connecticut State Library, Jonathan Trumbull Papers
5 analysis prompts
Literary Diary of Ezra Stiles, Volume II (1776-1781)
PRIMARY · Yale University Library, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
5 analysis prompts
Connecticut's Revolutionary War Coastal Raids: A National Register Context
INSTITUTIONAL · National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places
5 analysis prompts
Three Centuries of New Haven, 1638-1938
SECONDARY · Yale University Press (Rollin G. Osterweis)
5 analysis prompts
Connecticut Council of Safety Minutes, 1779
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 the political and military context of the days immediately following Lexington and Concord
- 2Analyze the competing considerations facing New Haven's selectmen when Arnold demanded the powder house key
- 3Evaluate how local decision-making shaped the early Revolutionary War mobilization
- 4Connect individual episodes to larger patterns of colonial self-governance
Explore Further
New Haven 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 PERSON
Benedict Arnold had deep ties to both towns. He was born in Norwich (near New London), captained the New Haven Governor's Foot Guards, and later burned New London in 1781. His trajectory from New Haven militia leader to New London's destroyer is one of the Revolution's most dramatic personal arcs.
Danbury
SHARED EVENT
Both were raided by British forces during the war.
New London
GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY
Connecticut coastal towns affected by British raids.
Assessment
New Haven 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 New Haven 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 New Haven 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.