Teacher Resources
Alexandria
Students analyze the Fairfax Resolves of July 1774 as a pre-independence document that articulated the constitutional arguments underlying the Revolution more than two years before the Declaration of Independence. Using Alexandria and Fairfax County as the local context, students examine how George Mason constructed a legal and philosophical argument against Parliamentary authority, compare the Resolves to the Declaration of Independence, and explore how local documents shaped national ones.
Grade Range
8-10
Duration
2 class periods
Included
3 Resources
What's Included
Everything
You Need
- 5 primary sources with analysis prompts
- Quiz with answer key (5 questions)
- 3 printable handouts
Lesson Overview
Students analyze the Fairfax Resolves of July 1774 as a pre-independence document that articulated the constitutional arguments underlying the Revolution more than two years before the Declaration of Independence. Using Alexandria and Fairfax County as the local context, students examine how George Mason constructed a legal and philosophical argument against Parliamentary authority, compare the Resolves to the Declaration of Independence, and explore how local documents shaped national ones.
Essential Questions
- How do local documents become national ones? What path did the Fairfax Resolves travel from Alexandria courthouse to the Declaration of Independence?
- What does it mean to argue for rights you do not extend to everyone? How do we read documents written by slaveholders about liberty?
- Why did the colonists frame their revolution in legal and constitutional terms rather than simply declaring resistance?
Primary Sources
5 Sources for Analysis
PRIMARY · TIER1
George Washington's Letters from Alexandria, 1769-1775
Library of Congress, George Washington Papers
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
Papers of George Mason, 1725-1792
University of North Carolina Press (Robert A. Rutland, ed.)
PRIMARY · TIER1
Port of Alexandria Customs Records, 1770-1785
National Archives and Records Administration
INSTITUTIONAL · TIER1
George Washington's Mount Vernon: Alexandria and the Revolutionary Context
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
View SourceLesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Students will analyze the Fairfax Resolves as a primary source document articulating colonial constitutional grievances
- 2Students will compare the language and arguments of the Fairfax Resolves to the Declaration of Independence
- 3Students will explain how local political documents contributed to the development of national revolutionary ideology
- 4Students will evaluate George Mason's constitutional reasoning and its influence on Virginia's revolutionary legal framework
Assessment
Alexandria in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.
What makes Alexandria significant in Revolutionary history?
multiple choice
Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
true false
Name one event that occurred in Alexandria during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
short answer
+ 2 more questions in the full packet
Ready to Print?
The full teacher packet includes cover page, lesson plan, all primary source worksheets, quiz, answer key, and standards alignment — formatted for classroom printing.