Towns

VA, USA

Williamsburg

Lesson plans and classroom materials.

The Capitol and the Tavern: Where Virginia's Revolution Was Argued

6-8 · 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
6-82 class periodsCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sourcesCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6: Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purposeD2.His.5.6-8: Explain how and why perspectives of people have changed over time

Learning Objectives

  1. Explain the function of the House of Burgesses and its role in Virginia's path to independence
  2. Identify key moments in Williamsburg political history (Stamp Act speech 1765, Gunpowder Incident 1775, Virginia Declaration of Rights 1776)
  3. Analyze how the Raleigh Tavern functioned as an informal political space when the Capitol's official authority was suspended
  4. Connect Williamsburg political debates to broader colonial resistance movements

Essential Questions

  • Why did Virginia produce so many of the Revolution's leading figures? What did Williamsburg provide that other colonial towns did not?
  • What is the difference between formal political authority (the Capitol) and informal political organizing (the Tavern)? How did both matter?

Procedure

Primary Sources

Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia, 1773-1776

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation / Virginia State Library · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Patrick Henry's Virginia Stamp Act Resolves, May 1765

Library of Virginia · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Virginia Declaration of Rights, June 12, 1776 (George Mason's Draft)

Library of Virginia · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Lord Dunmore's Proclamation, November 7, 1775

National Archives and Records Administration · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation: Revolutionary City Program and Research Collections

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation · INSTITUTIONAL · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Handouts & Materials

Williamsburg 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

Williamsburg in the American Revolution

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

1.

What makes Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg 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.