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Teacher Resource Packet

The Cost of a Wrong Advice: Decision-Making at Fort Washington and Fort Lee

Fort Lee, NJ

Grades 8-10·2 class periods

Students examine the decision to hold Fort Washington in November 1776 — made against Greene's initial advice but with his subsequent endorsement — as a case study in military decision-making under uncertainty. Using primary sources including Washington's correspondence and Greene's post-battle letters, students analyze how leaders process conflicting advice, own consequential mistakes, and adapt.

This Packet Includes

  • Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
  • 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
  • 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
  • Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
  • Answer Key
Unit:The Cost of a Wrong Advice: Decision-Making at Fort Washington and Fort Lee — Lesson Overview
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Learning Objectives

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

  1. Identify the chain of decisions leading to the fall of Forts Washington and Lee in November 1776
  2. Analyze how Washington and Greene processed conflicting intelligence and recommendations
  3. Evaluate how Greene's Fort Washington mistake shaped his subsequent command philosophy
  4. Apply a structured decision-making framework to a historical military scenario

Essential Questions

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

  • How do leaders decide when advice from trusted subordinates conflicts? What factors should outweigh others?
  • What is the difference between a bad decision and an unlucky one? How do we evaluate historical choices in hindsight?
Unit:The Cost of a Wrong Advice: Decision-Making at Fort Washington and Fort Lee — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 1 of 5
Document Information
DocumentWashington's Correspondence on the Fall of Fort Lee and Fort Washington, November 1776
SourceLibrary of Congress, George Washington Papers
TypePRIMARY
Washington's Correspondence on the Fall of Fort Lee and Fort Washington, November 1776

Washington's Correspondence on the Fall of Fort Lee and Fort Washington, November 1776

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 Fort Lee, NJ? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Cost of a Wrong Advice: Decision-Making at Fort Washington and Fort Lee — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 2 of 5
Document Information
DocumentLord Cornwallis's Report on the Surprise Crossing at Fort Lee, November 20, 1776
SourceUK National Archives, War Office 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 Fort Lee, NJ? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Cost of a Wrong Advice: Decision-Making at Fort Washington and Fort Lee — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 3 of 5
Document Information
DocumentThe American Crisis, No. 1 -- Written During the Retreat from Fort Lee
SourcePhiladelphia (Thomas Paine)
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 Fort Lee, NJ? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Cost of a Wrong Advice: Decision-Making at Fort Washington and Fort Lee — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 4 of 5
Document Information
Document1776
SourceSimon & Schuster (David McCullough)
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 Fort Lee, NJ? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Cost of a Wrong Advice: Decision-Making at Fort Washington and Fort Lee — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 5 of 5
Document Information
DocumentFort Lee Historic Park: State Historic Site Documentation
SourceNew Jersey State Park Service
TypeINSTITUTIONAL
Fort Lee Historic Park: State Historic Site Documentation

Fort Lee Historic Park: State Historic Site Documentation

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 Fort Lee, NJ? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Cost of a Wrong Advice: Decision-Making at Fort Washington and Fort Lee — Fort Lee Event Timeline
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Fort Lee Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Fort Lee Revolutionary Timeline


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


  • [ ] Fall of Fort Washington
  • [ ] Hessian Forces Scale the Palisades at Dawn
  • [ ] Evacuation of Fort Lee
  • [ ] Greene Commands Fort Lee and Warns Washington
  • [ ] Beginning of the Retreat Across New Jersey

---


| Event | Date | Significance |

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

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Unit:The Cost of a Wrong Advice: Decision-Making at Fort Washington and Fort Lee — 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 Fort Lee during the Revolution?


_______________________________________________


## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?


_______________________________________________

Unit:The Cost of a Wrong Advice: Decision-Making at Fort Washington and Fort Lee — 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

### Nathanael Greene

Rhode Island Quaker who commanded Fort Lee and recommended holding Fort Washington — a decision that contributed to the worst American defeat of 1776. Greene learned from the disaster and became one of the most effective generals of the war, later winning the Southern campaign.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.


### Robert Magaw

Commander of Fort Washington who surrendered the garrison of nearly 3,000 troops on November 16, 1776, after a massive British assault. The loss was the largest American surrender until the Civil War and directly precipitated the crisis at Fort Lee.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.



## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?


_______________________________________________

Unit:The Cost of a Wrong Advice: Decision-Making at Fort Washington and Fort Lee — Assessment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Fort Lee in the American Revolution

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

  1. 1.  What makes Fort Lee 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 Fort Lee 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

Fort Lee in the American Revolution

The Cost of a Wrong Advice: Decision-Making at Fort Washington and Fort Lee — Fort Lee, NJ

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

    Fort Lee 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 Fort Lee 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.