Teacher Resources
The Revolution extended far beyond the eastern seaboard — and the frontier campaigns decided what kind of country the new United States would become.
The Context
The frontier campaigns are rarely taught, but they decided what kind of country the new United States would become. Clark's audacious march through the Illinois Country secured American claims to the Northwest Territory at the peace table.
The founding of Marietta in 1788 under the Northwest Ordinance — which banned slavery in the territory — set the terms for a century of expansion and conflict. Wheeling's forts sheltered settlers under constant threat from Native nations who had their own reasons to resist the spread of American power westward. Teaching the frontier means teaching students that the Revolution was a continental event, not just a coastal one.
Recommended Sequences
Wheeling → Kaskaskia
4–6 class periods
George Rogers Clark's audacious march through the Illinois Country in 1778–79 is one of the war's most overlooked campaigns. Begin with Wheeling's Fort Henry — a frontier outpost under constant threat — then follow Clark's small force to Kaskaskia, whose capture secured American claims to the Northwest Territory at the peace table.
Kaskaskia → Marietta
3–5 class periods
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 — which organized the territory Clark won and banned slavery from it — set the terms for a century of expansion. Marietta, the first organized settlement under the Ordinance, shows students how the Revolution's ideals were translated (and distorted) into territorial policy.
Source Standards
Every source in our frontier 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.