Teacher Resources
Brattleboro
This lesson uses the Westminster Massacre of March 13, 1775 to challenge students's assumptions about where and how the American Revolution began. By examining an event that preceded Lexington and Concord by five weeks — caused not by British regulars but by a colonial sheriff's posse — students explore the Revolution as a conflict about local authority, land rights, and self-governance, not only as a war against Britain.
Grade Range
6-8
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
This lesson uses the Westminster Massacre of March 13, 1775 to challenge students's assumptions about where and how the American Revolution began. By examining an event that preceded Lexington and Concord by five weeks — caused not by British regulars but by a colonial sheriff's posse — students explore the Revolution as a conflict about local authority, land rights, and self-governance, not only as a war against Britain.
Essential Questions
- Was the American Revolution primarily a conflict with Britain, or was it also a conflict among Americans about who had legitimate authority?
- Why do some events become famous symbols of a cause while others — equally important — are forgotten?
- What does a gravestone inscription tell us about how a community understood its own history?
Primary Sources
5 Sources for Analysis
PRIMARY · TIER1
Declaration of Independence of Vermont, January 15, 1777
Vermont State Archives and Records Administration
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
Correspondence of the Governor of New York Concerning the New Hampshire Grants, 1777-1783
New York State Library
PRIMARY · TIER1
Journals of the Continental Congress: Vermont Statehood Debates, 1777-1791
Library of Congress
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
State Papers of Vermont, Volume I: General Petitions, 1778-1787
Vermont State Papers Office
SECONDARY · TIER1
Vermont in Quandary: 1763-1825
Vermont Historical Society (Chilton Williamson)
Lesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Students will describe the land grant dispute that brought New Hampshire Grants settlers into conflict with New York authorities
- 2Students will analyze the Westminster Massacre as a political and legal conflict as well as a violent incident
- 3Students will compare the Westminster Massacre to Lexington and Concord and explain what each reveals about the Revolution's causes
- 4Students will evaluate the language of William French's gravestone inscription as a primary source
Assessment
Brattleboro in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.
What makes Brattleboro 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 Brattleboro 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.