Teacher Resources
Cambridge
This lesson introduces middle school students to Cambridge as the headquarters of the American Revolution during the Siege of Boston, from July 1775 through March 1776. Students will examine how George Washington arrived to find not a professional army but a loose collection of New England militia companies — underfunded, poorly supplied, and with enlistments expiring at the worst possible moment. Through primary sources including Washington's General Orders and Henry Knox's artillery proposal, students explore the practical challenges of building an army from scratch while simultaneously maintaining a siege. The lesson emphasizes the enlistment crisis of winter 1775-76, when thousands of soldiers simply went home because their terms were up, and Washington had to rebuild the Continental Army in the face of a British garrison just across the Charles River. Students will grapple with questions about leadership, logistics, and what it actually takes to sustain a revolution beyond its initial burst of enthusiasm.
Grade Range
6-8
Duration
3 class periods
Included
5 Resources
What's Included
Everything
You Need
- Full lesson plan (3 class periods)
- 3 primary sources with analysis prompts
- Quiz with answer key (7 questions)
- Differentiation strategies (struggling / advanced / ELL)
- 1 printable handout
Lesson Overview
This lesson introduces middle school students to Cambridge as the headquarters of the American Revolution during the Siege of Boston, from July 1775 through March 1776. Students will examine how George Washington arrived to find not a professional army but a loose collection of New England militia companies — underfunded, poorly supplied, and with enlistments expiring at the worst possible moment. Through primary sources including Washington's General Orders and Henry Knox's artillery proposal, students explore the practical challenges of building an army from scratch while simultaneously maintaining a siege. The lesson emphasizes the enlistment crisis of winter 1775-76, when thousands of soldiers simply went home because their terms were up, and Washington had to rebuild the Continental Army in the face of a British garrison just across the Charles River. Students will grapple with questions about leadership, logistics, and what it actually takes to sustain a revolution beyond its initial burst of enthusiasm.
Essential Questions
- What does it actually take to turn a group of volunteers into an army?
- Why did soldiers leave during the enlistment crisis, and what does that tell us about their motivations?
- How did decisions made in Cambridge shape the outcome of the Siege of Boston?
Primary Sources
3 Sources for Analysis
PRIMARY · TIER1
Washington's General Orders from Cambridge (1775-1776)
National Archives / Library of Congress, Founders Online
PRIMARY · TIER1
Henry Knox's Artillery Proposal Letter (November 1775)
Massachusetts Historical Society / Library of Congress
PRIMARY · TIER1
Martha Washington's Cambridge Letters (Winter 1775-1776)
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association / Virginia Historical Society
Lesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Students will explain why Cambridge became the headquarters of the Continental Army in 1775
- 2Students will analyze Washington's General Orders to understand the challenges of commanding an untrained army
- 3Students will describe the enlistment crisis of 1775-76 and its implications for the Revolution
- 4Students will evaluate how logistical problems shaped the course of the Siege of Boston
Warm-Up · 10 minutes
Display a map showing Cambridge and Boston in 1775. Ask students: "You have just been put in charge of thousands of volunteers camped around a city occupied by professional soldiers. What do you need to figure out first?" List student responses and revisit them at the end of the lesson.
Direct Instruction · 20 minutes
· Context: after Bunker Hill, the colonial forces surrounded Boston but could not take it
· Washington arrives in Cambridge, July 1775: what he found versus what he expected
Closure · 10 minutes
Exit ticket: "Name one challenge Washington faced in Cambridge that you did not know about before this lesson. Why do you think this challenge is less well-known than the battles?"
Differentiation Strategies
Struggling Learners
Simplified General Orders excerpts with vocabulary support, sentence starters for the writing assignment, paired reading during source analysis
Advanced Learners
Full-text General Orders for comparison, research extension on Henry Knox's Ticonderoga expedition, essay connecting the enlistment crisis to later Continental Army reforms
ELL Support
Bilingual glossary of military terms, visual map-based activities, graphic organizer with sentence frames
Assessment
Cambridge: Headquarters of the Revolution
Answer all questions based on our study of Cambridge in the American Revolution. For short answer questions, use specific evidence from the sources we studied.
Why did Cambridge become the headquarters of the Continental Army in 1775?
multiple choice
When Washington arrived in Cambridge in July 1775, he found a well-organized professional army ready for his command.
true false
What was the enlistment crisis of 1775-76?
multiple choice
+ 4 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.