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Student Worksheet Packet

Supply Lines and Strategy: Why Danbury Was a Target

Danbury, CT

Grades 7-9·50 minutes

Students examine the April 1777 British raid on Danbury through the lens of military logistics — understanding why destroying a supply depot was as valuable as winning a battle — and explore how the Continental Army struggled to feed and equip its forces throughout the war.

This Packet Includes

  • Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
  • 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
  • 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
  • Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
Unit:Supply Lines and Strategy: Why Danbury Was a Target — Lesson Overview
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Learning Objectives

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

  1. Explain why military logistics were a decisive factor in the Revolutionary War
  2. Describe what the Danbury supply depot contained and why its destruction mattered
  3. Analyze the British strategy of coastal raiding as an alternative to conventional battlefield operations
  4. Connect the loss of Danbury stores to broader challenges of Continental Army supply

Essential Questions

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

  • How do armies fight a war when they cannot reliably feed or equip their soldiers?
  • Why would destroying supplies sometimes be more valuable than winning a battle?
  • What does the Danbury raid reveal about British strategy and American vulnerability in 1777?
Unit:Supply Lines and Strategy: Why Danbury Was a Target — Primary Source Analysis
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Primary Source 1 of 5
Document Information
DocumentContinental Congress Resolution on the Danbury Raid, May 1777
SourceLibrary of Congress, Journals of the Continental Congress
TypePRIMARY
Continental Congress Resolution on the Danbury Raid, May 1777

Continental Congress Resolution on the Danbury Raid, May 1777

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 Danbury, CT? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Supply Lines and Strategy: Why Danbury Was a Target — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
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Primary Source 2 of 5
Document Information
DocumentGovernor Jonathan Trumbull to Congress, April 27, 1777
SourceConnecticut State Library, Jonathan Trumbull Papers
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 Danbury, CT? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Supply Lines and Strategy: Why Danbury Was a Target — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 3 of 5
Document Information
DocumentKeeler Tavern Museum and History Center: The Danbury Raid Context
SourceKeeler Tavern Museum and History Center
TypeINSTITUTIONAL
Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center: The Danbury Raid Context

Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center: The Danbury Raid Context

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 Danbury, CT? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Supply Lines and Strategy: Why Danbury Was a Target — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 4 of 5
Document Information
DocumentHistory of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896
SourceBurr Printing House (James Montgomery Bailey)
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 Danbury, CT? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Supply Lines and Strategy: Why Danbury Was a Target — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 5 of 5
Document Information
DocumentConnecticut Council of Safety Records: April-May 1777
SourceConnecticut State Archives
TypePRIMARY
Connecticut Council of Safety Records: April-May 1777

Connecticut Council of Safety Records: April-May 1777

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 Danbury, CT? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Supply Lines and Strategy: Why Danbury Was a Target — Danbury Event Timeline
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Danbury Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Danbury Revolutionary Timeline


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


  • [ ] British Raid on Danbury
  • [ ] Sybil Ludington's Ride Summons Militia to Danbury's Aid
  • [ ] Battle of Ridgefield
  • [ ] Continental Army Assesses the Loss of Danbury Stores
  • [ ] Sybil Ludington's Midnight Ride

---


| Event | Date | Significance |

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

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Unit:Supply Lines and Strategy: Why Danbury Was a Target — 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 Danbury during the Revolution?


_______________________________________________


## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Supply Lines and Strategy: Why Danbury Was a Target — Key Figures Profile
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Key Figures Profile

worksheet

Research template for Revolutionary figures

# Revolutionary Figure Profile


## Basic Information

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

## Role in the Revolution

### General William Tryon

British general who led the punitive expedition against Danbury in April 1777, destroying the Continental supply depot. Tryon's raids on Connecticut were designed to punish communities supporting the rebellion and divert American military resources.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.


### Sybil Ludington

Sixteen-year-old daughter of militia Colonel Henry Ludington who, according to tradition, rode forty miles through the night to muster her father's regiment after the British attack on Danbury. Her ride, though less documented than Paul Revere's, has become one of the Revolution's most celebrated acts of civilian courage.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.



## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Supply Lines and Strategy: Why Danbury Was a Target — Assessment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Danbury in the American Revolution

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

  1. 1.  What makes Danbury 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 Danbury 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: