Student Learning Expectations

Module V focuses on Cornwallis's southern campaign. It depicts his frustrated attempt to find Loyalist supporters in the South and his defeat by the colonial army with French naval support. At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• state at least three reasons why the Crown forces in 1779 believed that they might win victories in the Southern colonies and keep at least these colonies within the empire.

• describe the situation after early 1778 that lead Parliament to withhold sending the entire navy and a much larger army to war in the colonies.

• describe the two parts of the Crown's plan to win the southern colonies and the reasons that each part of these plans tended to backfire for the Crown.

• state the major reasons why a very violent and intense civil war broke out between Loyalists and rebels in each of the southern colonies during the latter part of the war.

• explain the perceptions of some Crown soldiers to the destruction and killing they saw as a result of the civil wars in the colonies.

• state the reasons why Benedict Arnold, prior to his betrayal, was considered a hero by many Americans.

• state a definition of betray, and describe what Benedict Arnold had to do to betray the colonial side.

• state the likely affects of Benedict Arnold's turning traitor on the thoughts and feelings of individuals in the colonies and in England who supported the cause of the Continental Congress.

• state the major characteristics of Nathanael Greene's strategy for winning in the South and the likely reasons why this strategy was so successful.

• state the meaning of the phrase, "won the battle but lost the war," and explain how this statement characterized the efforts of Nathanael Greene's army during the southern campaign.

• state the major reasons why the Crown forces were so unsuccessful in restoring the authority of the Crown in the South.

• state at least three characteristics of Cornwallis's efforts in the South that were similar to the efforts of the French and Americans in Vietnam from 1945-1975.

• describe General de Rochambeau's attitude towards fighting the British in an attempt to take control of New York City.

• describe the elements that had to be coordinated in order for the Americans and French to defeat Cornwallis's forces at Yorktown.

• state at least two reasons why Cornwallis blamed General George Clinton who was stationed in New York City during 1781 for the problems that led to his surrender at Yorktown.

• describe at least three important contributions of the French fleet to the defeat of Cornwallis at Yorktown.

• describe what Cornwallis did to the blacks who had joined with him to defeat the colonists and who accompanied his retreating army to Yorktown.

• describe the perceptions of soldiers in the victorious Continental army as they observed the Crown troops laying down their weapons.

• state at least three reasons why, after the surrender in Yorktown, many in England decided to end their efforts to win back the colonies.

Suggested Enrichment Activities

The activities below may be used to complement students' inquiry into this video and its content.

1. Ask students to investigate Benedict Arnold's actions during the war. First, they may want to construct a definition of the terms hero and traitor. Then have them debate which of these terms describes Arnold better. They may want to make a list of his heroic and traitorous actions and give a motive for each. (Module IV: "Oh, Fatal Ambition" suggests other activities on Arnold.)

2. Have students investigate the civil wars that took place in the southern colonies during the Revolutionary War. Have them list the motives for each side in these wars. They should investigate the amount of destruction and number of deaths which resulted from these wars. Have them then chart the successful achievement of each side's objectives. They could write a story from the point of view of the Loyalists or the supporters of the rebel cause. What would each side have felt? What evidence can students find to justify these feelings?

3. Have students propose a new plan for Cornwallis's southern campaign. First, they should trace his route through the colonies. Have them mark the site of each battle and indicate whether he won or lost it. They should calculate the number of miles his troops covered. Next they should construct a list of reasons why his actions ended in defeat. Finally, they develop a plan that they might have used to conquer the South for Britain. Have them explain why their plan would have been at least as successful, if not more successful, than Cornwallis's was. As an additional exercise, they could decide Cornwallis's effectiveness as a general. This study of the southern campaign could form a part of their evidence.

4. Ask students to investigate the use of siege warfare during the Revolutionary War. They should delve into the philosophy and actions needed for this type of fighting. They could use the siege of Yorktown as a case study. Have them assess the quality of the siege by Washington and Rochambeau against Cornwallis. They could investigate the reasons for the success of this act. They could also analyze how Washington and Rochambeau's forces departed from the philosophy or actions of traditional siege warfare.

5. Have students examine the consequences of the Revolutionary War. They may want to consult secondary sources, such as those listed in the Reference List at the end of this guide. Students could list the reasons which were most important to the colonists immediately after the war and then arrange this list in descending order of importance. In a parallel list, they could arrange the reasons which are most important to Americans today.

Additional Questions for Discussion

Below are questions for classroom discussion.

1. After the beginning of 1778, Parliament withheld sending the entire Royal Navy and a much larger army to war in the colonies. What particular situation led to them to this decision?

2. During the latter part of the war, a very violent and intense civil war broke out between the Loyalists and rebels in each of the Southern colonies. What were at least two reasons why these civil wars occurred?

3. Many Crown soldiers witnessed destruction and killing as a result of these civil wars. What were their reactions to what they saw?

4. Describe the major characteristics of Nathanael Greene's strategy for winning the South. Explain why his strategy was so successful.

5. What is the meaning of the phrase "win the battles but lose the war"? How does this phrase characterize Cornwallis's efforts during his southern campaign?

6. Cornwallis's efforts in the South have been compared with the efforts of the French and Americans in Vietnam from 1945 to 1975. What are some similarities between these two war efforts?

7. What was Rochambeau's opinion of Washington's plan to attack New York City?

8. What were some of the elements that the American and French forces had to coordinate before they met Cornwallis's forces at Yorktown?

9. Name several contributions of the French fleet to Cornwallis's defeat at Yorktown.

Student Resources

• 5-A. Questions to Focus Inquiry: The World Turned Upside Down - This exercise focuses students' attention on essential facts in these chapters of the video.

• 5-B. Content and Overview: The World Turned Upside Down - This activity provides contextual background for the period from late 1779 to October 1781, just after General Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown. This information helps students construct a better sense of the perceptions, conditions and attitudes emphasized in the video.

• 5-C. Noteworthy Quotations: The World Turned Upside Down - This exercise provides a number of quotations illustrative of the various moods and feelings during the period from December 1779 to October 1781.