Exploring the American Revolutionary War Through Primary Source Documents

Introduction

Welcome! There are so many ways to learn about historical events, people, and places, and one of the most interesting and accurate ways to do this is through the use of primary source documents. Primary source documents are pictures, diary entries, letters, maps, or first-hand accounts presented by the people who actually saw or did something. When learning about the American Revolutionary War, we can look at battle maps, read letters from soldiers and their families, look at pictures and read first-hand accounts from the people who actually lived through this event in history.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this course students will:

• Be able to identify and classify a primary source document from the American Revolutionary War period

• Be able to acknowledge and be able to show an understanding of the importance of primary source documents, and how they uniquely and accurately capture one's personal experiences as it relates to the American Revolutionary War

• Learn about the precipitating events that led to the American Revolutionary War, about the key people involved, the major battles and other events, all through the use of primary source documents.

• Be able to demonstrate a deep understanding of the American Revolutionary War by generating a reflective essay using primary source documents from people who participated in or observed aspects of the American Revolutionary War to show deep understanding of the material.