Student Activity

American War for Independence: Interactive Map

Photo caption

This interactive map follows the campaigns of the American Revolution from Lexington and Concord to Yorktown, and beyond to the Treaty of Paris. Students follow the movement of British and American troops through the Northern and Southern colonies, learn about decisions made by Generals and soldiers, and how the results of individual battles influenced the outcome of the war. The questions and links below can be used to guide inquiry and discussion of the interactive and this period of U.S. history.

Maps for 1775-1778: The Northern Phase of the War

Why is Boston considered the birthplace of the American Revolution?
- Orders from General Thomas Gage to Lieut. Colonel Francis Smith, 10th Regiment, April 18, 1775
Why were the Americans considered the victors of the Battle of Lexington and Concord?
Why were the British considered the victors of the Battle of Bunker Hill?
- Lieutenant J. Waller, British Account of Bunker Hill, June 22, 1775

Would you have joined the American Revolution? View the above video and based on your knowledge of the fighting that has taken place thus far in Massachusetts, construct a position statement declaring your support for or opposition to the war.
Returning to the interactive map, provide two reasons for why the Continental Congress moved troops to Canada.
Why were the British considered the victors in Quebec?
Why were the British more successful than the Americans during the battles in the New York area?
- Jabez Fitch, Diary Entries from the Battle of Long Island, August 1776
Analyze the strategies of Generals Howe and Washington used at the Battle of Trenton to determine if you agree with the argument that the Americans won.
Why was geography/topography important to the Battle of Ticonderoga?
Why was the Battle of Saratoga significant to the recognition of the United States of America as a nation?
- Baroness von Riedesel's "The Defeat and Surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga"
Why was the involvement of European nations significant to the Northern phase of the American Revolution?

Maps for 1778-1781: The Southern Phase of the War

Why did the British believe that shifting to the South would be an advantage for their side?
How was fighting at the Battle of Charleston and other sites in the South significantly different than the nature of the war in the north?
How does the information provided by the National Park Service on the Battle at Kings Mountain enhance your understanding of the significance of this event during the Revolutionary War?
- Robert Townsend's "Narrative of the Battle of Kings Mountain"
Why did General Cornwallis retreat after the Battle of Guilford Court House?
- Nathanael Greene, Letter to Joseph Reed, March 18, 1781
Why was the involvement French forces significant to the outcome of the Battle of Yorktown?
- George Washington to Charles Cornwallis, October 18, 1781 (Yorktown)

The Treaty of Paris, 1783

The Siege of Yorktown
What did the Treaty of Paris (1783) establish for the American colonies and the British Empire?
What did the peace negotiations entail and what did American colonial leaders such as Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay agree and disagree about regarding what the peace settlement should entail?
- Collection of papers from the peace negotiations between the American colonies and Great Britain

American War for Independence: Interactive Map

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