Teacher Resources
Wheeling
Inquiry Question
When does a war actually end — when political leaders sign treaties, or when fighting stops?
Primary Sources
What Teachers and Students Use
Deposition of Silas Zane Regarding the Siege of Fort Henry, September 1777
PRIMARY · Draper Manuscript Collection, Wisconsin Historical Society
5 analysis prompts
Draper Manuscript Collection: Ohio Valley Frontier Papers
PRIMARY · Wisconsin Historical Society
5 analysis prompts
Virginia State Papers, Volume III: Frontier Defense Correspondence, 1781-1785
PRIMARY · Virginia State Library (William P. Palmer, ed.)
5 analysis prompts
Journals of the Continental Congress: Western Land and Defense Resolutions, 1779-1783
PRIMARY · Library of Congress
5 analysis prompts
Notes on the Settlement and Indian Wars of the Western Parts of Virginia and Pennsylvania
PRIMARY · Cadiz, Ohio (Joseph Doddridge)
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
- 1Students will explain why the upper Ohio Valley frontier continued to experience violent conflict after Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown in October 1781
- 2Students will analyze the connection between the Gnadenhutten massacre (March 1782) and the September 1782 siege of Fort Henry
- 3Students will evaluate the claim that Fort Henry was the site of the "last battle" of the Revolutionary War, considering what criteria define a "last battle"
- 4Students will compare the eastern and western narratives of the Revolution and explain why they differ
Explore Further
Wheeling 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.
Yorktown
SHARED THEME
Yorktown in October 1781 ended the eastern war while Wheeling's second siege in September 1782 closed the western one; together the two events bracket the actual military end of the Revolution, demonstrating how different the war's timeline was in different theaters.
Pittsburgh
GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY
Ohio Valley frontier posts.
Philadelphia
SHARED THEME
Philadelphia was the seat of the Continental Congress that issued directives for western frontier defense — often inadequate — while Wheeling's garrison bore the practical consequences; the tension between eastern political decisions and western military reality shaped the entire frontier war.
Assessment
Wheeling 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 Wheeling 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 Wheeling 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.