Teacher Resources
Connecticut's Revolutionary story spans maritime economy, Tory loyalists, coastal raids, and the Provisions State that fed the Continental Army through seven years of war.
The Context
Connecticut earned the nickname "the Provisions State" because its farms, foundries, and ports fed and armed the Continental Army throughout the war. Its coastal towns paid a heavy price — British raiders burned Danbury, New London, and Fairfield.
The state's experience was shaped by its divided loyalties — New Haven's Yale College harbored Tory sympathizers while its harbor smugglers defied British customs. The 1781 raids, led by the traitor Benedict Arnold himself, brought the war home in the most personal terms. Teaching Connecticut means teaching how communities that disagreed about revolution ultimately decided what they were willing to sacrifice.
Recommended Sequences
New London → Groton
3–4 class periods
Benedict Arnold returned to Connecticut as a British general, burning New London and ordering the assault on Fort Griswold that became one of the war's most controversial massacres. Students examine loyalty, betrayal, and the civilian cost of war from both sides of the Thames River.
Danbury → New Haven
3–4 class periods
The British raid on Danbury in 1777 destroyed the Continental Army's largest supply depot and pushed fence-sitters toward the Patriot cause. Pair it with New Haven — a loyalist-leaning college town that reluctantly embraced revolution — to teach how communities choose sides.
Town Resources
Complete teacher packets formatted for classroom printing — lesson plans, source packets, handouts, and quizzes.
Source Standards
Every source in our Connecticut materials is evaluated using a three-tier credibility system. Tier 1 includes primary documents, National Park Service materials, and peer-reviewed scholarship. Teacher narratives contextualize sources — they don't replace them.