Teacher Resources
Wilmington
Inquiry Question
What does it mean to make a rational decision that leads to catastrophic results?
Primary Sources
What Teachers and Students Use
Lord Cornwallis to Sir Henry Clinton: Dispatches from Wilmington, April-May 1781
PRIMARY · Public Record Office (National Archives, United Kingdom)
5 analysis prompts
Major James Craig: Orders and Correspondence from Wilmington, 1781
PRIMARY · Public Record Office (National Archives, United Kingdom)
5 analysis prompts
North Carolina State Archives: New Hanover County Records and Governor's Papers, 1780-1782
PRIMARY · North Carolina State Archives
5 analysis prompts
Pension Applications: Cape Fear Region Militia, 1820s-1840s
PRIMARY · National Archives and Records Administration
5 analysis prompts
Wilmington Historic District and Cape Fear Museum: Revolutionary War Collections
INSTITUTIONAL · Cape Fear Museum of History and Science
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
- 1Describe the British strategic situation in the south after Guilford Courthouse
- 2Analyze the arguments for marching south versus north from Cornwallis's perspective
- 3Explain Greene's strategic response and trace its consequences through Ninety Six and Eutaw Springs
- 4Evaluate whether Cornwallis's decision was rational given what he knew in April 1781
Explore Further
Wilmington 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 PERSON
Cornwallis departed Wilmington in April 1781 on the march that ended at Yorktown. His decision made at Wilmington was the proximate cause of his Yorktown surrender. The two towns form one continuous strategic story.
Guilford Courthouse
SHARED EVENT
Cornwallis retreated to Wilmington after the pyrrhic victory at Guilford Courthouse; the battle's heavy casualties were the reason his army needed to rest at Wilmington before any further movement. The two sites form one operational sequence.
Charleston
SHARED EVENT
Cornwallis's Wilmington decision to march north rather than reinforce Charleston directly led to the collapse of British positions in South Carolina. Governor Burke, captured by Fanning's men based at Wilmington, was held on a prison hulk at Charleston. The two towns are bound by the southern campaign's final arc.
Assessment
Wilmington 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 Wilmington 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 Wilmington 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.