Teacher Resources
Annapolis
Students analyze Washington's resignation and the Treaty of Paris ratification as the Revolution's defining constitutional moment, examining how ceremony communicated republican principles and tracing the path from the Annapolis Convention of 1786 to the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
Grade Range
8-12
Duration
3 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 Washington's resignation and the Treaty of Paris ratification as the Revolution's defining constitutional moment, examining how ceremony communicated republican principles and tracing the path from the Annapolis Convention of 1786 to the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
Essential Questions
- Why did contemporaries consider Washington's resignation more significant than his military victories?
- What does it mean to design a political ceremony — what was the Annapolis resignation designed to communicate?
- How did the failures of the Articles of Confederation lead to the Constitutional Convention?
Primary Sources
5 Sources for Analysis
PRIMARY · TIER1
General Washington's Address to Congress on Resigning His Commission, December 23, 1783
Library of Congress, George Washington Papers
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
Ratification of the Treaty of Paris by the Continental Congress, January 14, 1784
National Archives, Record Group 360
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
Journals of the Continental Congress, Volume XXV (1783)
Library of Congress
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
Maryland State Archives: Revolutionary War Records Collection
Maryland State Archives
View SourceSECONDARY · TIER1
Maryland State House: A History of the Oldest State Capitol in Continuous Use
Maryland State Archives (Edward Papenfuse)
Lesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Explain the significance of Washington's resignation as a precedent for civilian control of the military
- 2Analyze the Treaty of Paris ratification as the formal conclusion of the Revolutionary War
- 3Evaluate how ceremony communicated political principles in the founding era
- 4Connect the Annapolis Convention of 1786 to the Constitutional Convention of 1787
Assessment
Annapolis in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.
What makes Annapolis 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 Annapolis 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.