History is for Everyone
History is for EveryoneAmerican Revolution Network

Teacher Resource Packet

Molly Pitcher: History, Legend, and the Role of Women in the Revolution

Carlisle, PA

Grades 6-9·2 class periods

Students examine the Mary Ludwig Hays story — documented history vs. legendary accretion — to analyze how historical memory is created, what real roles women played in the Continental Army, and how myths about individuals can both illuminate and obscure historical truth.

This Packet Includes

  • Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
  • 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
  • 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
  • Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
  • Answer Key
Unit:Molly Pitcher: History, Legend, and the Role of Women in the Revolution — Lesson Overview
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Distinguish between documented facts about Mary Ludwig Hays and later legendary additions
  2. Describe the actual roles women played in the Continental Army: camp followers, nurses, laundresses, water carriers
  3. Analyze how the "Molly Pitcher" legend developed over time and what needs it served
  4. Evaluate the tension between historical accuracy and inspiring historical narratives

Essential Questions

Keep these questions in mind as you work through this packet:

  • What is the difference between a historical person and a historical legend? When does a legend become historically misleading?
  • What roles did women actually play in the Revolutionary War, and why are those roles less celebrated than the legend?
  • Why do societies create heroic legends? What purposes do they serve, and what do they obscure?
Unit:Molly Pitcher: History, Legend, and the Role of Women in the Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 1 of 5
Document Information
DocumentBoard of War Papers: Carlisle Arsenal Correspondence, 1776-1781
SourceNational Archives and Records Administration
TypePRIMARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Carlisle, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Molly Pitcher: History, Legend, and the Role of Women in the Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 2 of 5
Document Information
DocumentPennsylvania Archives, Series 2 and 5: Militia Records and Border Defense
SourcePennsylvania State Archives
TypePRIMARY
Pennsylvania Archives, Series 2 and 5: Militia Records and Border Defense

Pennsylvania Archives, Series 2 and 5: Militia Records and Border Defense

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Carlisle, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Molly Pitcher: History, Legend, and the Role of Women in the Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 3 of 5
Document Information
DocumentThe Whiskey Rebellion: Frontier Epilogue to the American Revolution
SourceOxford University Press (Thomas P. Slaughter)
TypeSECONDARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What primary sources does this draw from?

  5. What interpretation does the author offer?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Carlisle, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Molly Pitcher: History, Legend, and the Role of Women in the Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 4 of 5
Document Information
DocumentJournals of the Military Expedition of Major General John Sullivan, 1779
SourceKnapp, Peck & Thomson (Frederick Cook, ed.)
TypePRIMARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Carlisle, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Molly Pitcher: History, Legend, and the Role of Women in the Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 5 of 5
Document Information
DocumentCumberland County Historical Society: Revolutionary War Collections
SourceCumberland County Historical Society
TypeINSTITUTIONAL
Cumberland County Historical Society: Revolutionary War Collections

Cumberland County Historical Society: Revolutionary War Collections

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What is the institution's mission?

  5. How does that mission shape the presentation?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Carlisle, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Molly Pitcher: History, Legend, and the Role of Women in the Revolution — Carlisle Event Timeline
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Carlisle Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Carlisle Revolutionary Timeline


Instructions: Place the following events in order and add one detail about each.


  • [ ] Sullivan-Clinton Expedition Stages Through Carlisle
  • [ ] Mary Hays McCauley Returns to Carlisle
  • [ ] Hessian Prisoners Arrive at Carlisle After Trenton
  • [ ] Mary Hays at the Battle of Monmouth
  • [ ] Carlisle Rifle Companies March to Boston

---


| Event | Date | Significance |

|-------|------|-------------|

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Unit:Molly Pitcher: History, Legend, and the Role of Women in the Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source Analysis

graphic organizer

Structured analysis of Revolutionary-era documents

# Primary Source Analysis Worksheet


## Source Information

  • Title: _________________
  • Author: _________________
  • Date: _________________
  • Type: _________________

## Observation

What do you notice? (List 3 things)

1.

2.

3.


## Reflection

What do you wonder? (List 2 questions)

1.

2.


## Analysis

What does this source tell us about Carlisle during the Revolution?


_______________________________________________


## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Molly Pitcher: History, Legend, and the Role of Women in the Revolution — Key Figures Profile
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Key Figures Profile

worksheet

Research template for Revolutionary figures

# Revolutionary Figure Profile


## Basic Information

  • Name: _________________
  • Birth/Death Years: _________________
  • Occupation(s): _________________

## Role in the Revolution

### Mary Ludwig Hays

Carlisle resident who accompanied her husband William Hays to the Continental Army and is traditionally identified as "Molly Pitcher." At the Battle of Monmouth in 1778, she reportedly carried water to troops and manned a cannon after her husband was incapacitated.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.


### William Thompson

Carlisle area officer who commanded the first Pennsylvania rifle regiment, leading frontier marksmen to the siege of Boston in 1775. He was captured at the Battle of Trois-Rivières in Canada and spent years as a prisoner of war.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.



## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Molly Pitcher: History, Legend, and the Role of Women in the Revolution — Assessment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Carlisle in the American Revolution

Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.

  1. 1.  What makes Carlisle significant in Revolutionary history?

  2. 2.  Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.

  3. 3.  Name one event that occurred in Carlisle during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.

    Answer:

  4. 4.  Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?

  5. 5.  Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.

    Answer:

ANSWER KEY · TEACHER COPY · DO NOT DISTRIBUTE

Carlisle in the American Revolution

Molly Pitcher: History, Legend, and the Role of Women in the Revolution — Carlisle, PA

  1. 1.What makes Carlisle significant in Revolutionary history?
    Answer:A

    Carlisle played a significant role in the American Revolution as evidenced by the events we studied.

  2. 2.Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
    Answer:True

    Primary sources provide firsthand evidence about historical events.

  3. 3.Name one event that occurred in Carlisle during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
    Answer:[Varies - accept any accurate event with reasonable explanation]

    Students should identify a specific event and connect it to broader Revolutionary themes.

  4. 4.Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?
    Answer:A

    Multiple perspectives help us understand the full complexity of historical events.

  5. 5.Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.
    Answer:[Varies - accept any accurate connection]

    Students should demonstrate understanding of the interconnected nature of Revolutionary events.