The Southern Campaign - Cowpens – A Brilliant Victory
The Revolutionary War in the South laid the groundwork for the eventual Patriot victory at Yorktown. There were many battles with both successes and defeats. Students will be asked to explore each southern battle with the primary essential question in mind. To guide them along this path, activities have been created that highlight certain aspects of southern battles, and where appropriate, show the connectivity of battles. Each battle will have a “Driving Question” that ties to the “Essential Question”. Students will be asked to complete activities that answer the “Driving Question”, culminating in a final project.
Lesson Created By: Lisa Ray and Lewis Huffman
Lesson Partners: National Parks Service, Sons of The America Revolution-National, Sons of The America Revolution-SC, ETV Education, Self Family Foundation
Essential Question
How did the South Carolina frontier experience affect the outcome of Revolutionary War battles fought during the Southern Campaign?
Driving Question – Why would a military strategy conceived in 1781 still be studied by military strategists today?
Grade(s):
- 8
Subject(s):
Recommended Technology:
Computer with internet access
Other Instructional Materials or Notes:
Lesson Progression
Background:
Small bands of partisan fighters were successfully thwarting British progress in the South and were greatly disrupting British supply lines. In an attempt to control the situation, British threats against civilian populations became harsher and British military leaders used coercive tactics in an attempt to control and expand the British perimeter. The harsh truth of the situation was that Patriots were far outnumbered in both men and supplies. Because of this, ingenuity and courage were needed to effectively assault the British defenses. Use the Driving Question to learn about the battle of Cowpens, and learn how frontier ingenuity and experience turned the tide of war for the Patriots.
Step 1 – Prior to beginning this lesson divide the class into groups.
Step 2 – Discuss podcasts and their purpose. Explain that prior to visual forms of entertainment, one of the first ways of mass communicating information and entertaining individuals, was through radio broadcasts. Podcasts represent audio communication in the 21st century using a variety of media devices. Students will create a podcast about the battle of Cowpens and are required to meet certain criteria that cover various aspects of the battle. Examples of podcasts and helpful tips about creating podcasts are found in the resources.
Step 3 – Each group should write their podcast with the specific criteria in mind. Each group can decide the type of podcast they will produce. However, the primary goal of the podcast is to connect the past to the present and answer the driving question. Student creativity can determine how the information will be projected. All students in the group must have speaking parts in the podcast and be represented in the final audio presentation.
Step 4 – Each podcast must:
- Identify individuals and groups important to the battle
- Identify goals of each side
- Identify the role of each group that fought for the British or the Patriots
- Identify how previous battles and preconceptions/misconceptions affected the outcome of the battle
- Identify how place and time may have affected the battle
- Identify strategies used by each side
- Answer the driving question based on what your group learned about the battle
Step 5 – Share the podcast with the class. There are options for publishing the podcast in a more public forum in the resources. Schools may also have district sites where these types of productions may be published.
About The Southern Campaign
The Southern Campaign of the American Revolution, picks up the story after the fall of Charleston in 1780. After catastrophes at The Waxhaws and Camden, victories in battles and skirmishes such as...
View AssetCowpens: A Brilliant Victory | The Southern Campaign
General Daniel Morgan’s battle plan at Cowpens was considered a masterpiece of military strategy and tactics. In Fall of 1780, General Nathaniel Greene sent a portion of his men under Morgan to fight...
View AssetA PBL to Connect the Battles of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution
South Carolina was center stage to some of the most significant events of the Revolutionary War. Most historians agree that battles fought during the Southern Campaign in South Carolina set the stage for Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown and the eventual decision by Parliament to sign a treaty with the Continental Congress to end the war. But how did a ragtag mixture of Continental soldiers and militia defeat one of the strongest military forces of the 18th century? Could it have something to do with the frontier experience in America and specifically during the Southern Campaign, the experience of South Carolina colonists? Using the tools of a good historical detective examine specific battles significant in the Southern Campaign. Comparing research topics given, as well as others developed and explored during research, examine each specific battle, putting together clues to get a holistic, panoramic view of specific battles as they relate to the time they were fought, the place they were fought, and the events involved before, during, and after the battle. Use the information discovered to answer the essential question.
View LessonThe Southern Campaign - The Battles of Waxhaws and Brattonsville
The Revolutionary War in the South laid the groundwork for the eventual Patriot victory at Yorktown. There were many battles with both successes and defeats. Students will be asked to explore each southern battle with the primary essential question in mind. To guide them along this path, activities have been created that highlight certain aspects of southern battles, and where appropriate, show the connectivity of battles. Each battle will have a “Driving Question” that ties to the “Essential Question”. Students will be asked to complete activities that answer the “Driving Question”, culminating in a final project.
The Southern Campaign - The Battle at Guilford Courthouse
The Revolutionary War in the South laid the groundwork for the eventual Patriot victory at Yorktown. There were many battles with both successes and defeats. Students will be asked to explore each southern battle with the primary essential question in mind. To guide them along this path, activities have been created that highlight certain aspects of southern battles, and where appropriate, show the connectivity of battles. Each battle will have a “Driving Question” that ties to the “Essential Question”. Students will be asked to complete activities that answer the “Driving Question”, culminating in a final project.
The Southern Campaign - The Battles of Kings Mountain and Cowpens
The Revolutionary War in the South laid the groundwork for the eventual Patriot victory at Yorktown. There were many battles with both successes and defeats. Students will be asked to explore each southern battle with the primary essential question in mind. To guide them along this path, activities have been created that highlight certain aspects of southern battles, and where appropriate, show the connectivity of battles. Each battle will have a “Driving Question” that ties to the “Essential Question”. Students will be asked to complete activities that answer the “Driving Question”, culminating in a final project.
View Lesson
The Southern Campaign - The Battles of Camden and Musgrove Mill
The Revolutionary War in the South laid the groundwork for the eventual Patriot victory at Yorktown. There were many battles with both successes and defeats. Students will be asked to explore each southern battle with the primary essential question in mind. To guide them along this path, activities have been created that highlight certain aspects of southern battles, and where appropriate, show the connectivity of battles. Each battle will have a “Driving Question” that ties to the “Essential Question”. Students will be asked to complete activities that answer the “Driving Question”, culminating in a final project.
View Lesson
The Southern Campaign - Ninety Six: The End Game
The Revolutionary War in the South laid the groundwork for the eventual Patriot victory at Yorktown. There were many battles with both successes and defeats. Students will be asked to explore each southern battle with the primary essential question in mind. To guide them along this path, activities have been created that highlight certain aspects of southern battles, and where appropriate, show the connectivity of battles. Each battle will have a “Driving Question” that ties to the “Essential Question”. Students will be asked to complete activities that answer the “Driving Question”, culminating in a final project.
The Southern Campaign - Cowpens – A Brilliant Victory
The Revolutionary War in the South laid the groundwork for the eventual Patriot victory at Yorktown. There were many battles with both successes and defeats. Students will be asked to explore each southern battle with the primary essential question in mind. To guide them along this path, activities have been created that highlight certain aspects of southern battles, and where appropriate, show the connectivity of battles. Each battle will have a “Driving Question” that ties to the “Essential Question”. Students will be asked to complete activities that answer the “Driving Question”, culminating in a final project.
Cowpens Battle Facts
View ResourcePodcasts Tips/Resources
How to create podcast from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
View ResourceCowpens: A Brilliant Victory | The Southern Campaign
General Daniel Morgan’s battle plan at Cowpens was considered a masterpiece of military strategy and tactics.
In Fall of 1780, General Nathaniel Greene sent a portion of his men under Morgan to fight the British in western South Carolina.
In response, Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton was sent to chase after Morgan's army. Tarleton met Morgan's men on January 17, 1781 at the Battle of Cowpens.
Morgan learned a lot from the mistakes of Waxhaws and Camden. Because he understood his troops’ capabilities and the landscape of the battlefield, he was able to layout a plan that would change the entire plan of the Southern Campaign.
The Battle of Cowpens from a British Perspective
This site gives you the battles fought by Britain and its Empire forces from the 18th Century to the end of the 19th Century, illustrated and mapped.
View ResourceStandards
- 8.2.CO Compare the motives and demographics of loyalists and patriots within South Carolina and the colonies.
- This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into the economic, political, and social motivations of the patriots and the loyalists in the era of the American Revolution.
- 8.2.CE Explain the economic, political, and social factors surrounding the American Revolution.
- This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into how the colonies began to unify to create a distinctive American identity over the course of events of the American Revolution.
- 8.2.CX Contextualize the roles of various groups of South Carolinians as the colonies moved toward becoming an independent nation.
- This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into the motivations of colonists during the American Revolution and the progression of conflict and failed compromise that ultimately led to revolution.
Assessments
Audio Podcast Rubric - Cowpens - Google Doc.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JoCyATeYWPQCRkTEBYn9fpEugzX9wgIC--Cv...
