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Student Worksheet Packet

Hugh Mercer: From Culloden to Princeton

Fredericksburg, VA

Grades 7-9·2 class periods

This lesson uses Hugh Mercer's biography to examine the Atlantic dimensions of the American Revolution — the way that events in Scotland, the Caribbean, and the American frontier all fed into the making of a Revolutionary officer. Students trace Mercer's path from the Battle of Culloden (1746) to Fredericksburg to Princeton (1777), analyzing how his varied experiences shaped his military capabilities and why Washington valued him. The lesson asks students to think about immigrants and refugees in the Revolution and what it meant to fight for a new country when the old one had betrayed you.

This Packet Includes

  • Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
  • 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
  • 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
  • Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
Unit:Hugh Mercer: From Culloden to Princeton — Lesson Overview
History is for Everyone
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Learning Objectives

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

  1. Students will trace Hugh Mercer's biography from Culloden to Fredericksburg to Princeton
  2. Students will analyze the Atlantic dimensions of the American Revolution through the lens of Scottish immigration
  3. Students will evaluate what Mercer's death at Princeton meant for the Continental Army and for Fredericksburg
  4. Students will examine the role of immigrants and refugees in the Patriot cause

Essential Questions

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

  • What does Hugh Mercer's story tell us about the Atlantic world from which the American Revolution emerged?
  • Why do people fight for causes in countries not their own? What does Mercer's trajectory from Culloden to Princeton suggest?
  • What is lost when a leader dies in battle? How do we measure the cost of individual sacrifice?
Unit:Hugh Mercer: From Culloden to Princeton — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 1 of 5
Document Information
DocumentGeorge Washington's Early Letters and Diary Fragments, 1748-1754
SourceLibrary of Congress, George Washington Papers
TypePRIMARY
George Washington's Early Letters and Diary Fragments, 1748-1754

George Washington's Early Letters and Diary Fragments, 1748-1754

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 Fredericksburg, VA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Hugh Mercer: From Culloden to Princeton — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 2 of 5
Document Information
DocumentMary Ball Washington Letters, 1749-1788
SourceMount Vernon Ladies' Association
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 Fredericksburg, VA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Hugh Mercer: From Culloden to Princeton — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 3 of 5
Document Information
DocumentFredericksburg Masonic Lodge No. 4: Minutes and Membership Records, 1752-1780
SourceMasonic Lodge No. 4, Fredericksburg
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 Fredericksburg, VA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Hugh Mercer: From Culloden to Princeton — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 4 of 5
Document Information
DocumentContinental Army Supply Records: Fredericksburg Depot, 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 Fredericksburg, VA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Hugh Mercer: From Culloden to Princeton — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 5 of 5
Document Information
DocumentKenmore and Washington Heritage Sites: Fredericksburg's Revolutionary Era
SourceGeorge Washington Foundation
TypeINSTITUTIONAL
Kenmore and Washington Heritage Sites: Fredericksburg's Revolutionary Era

Kenmore and Washington Heritage Sites: Fredericksburg's Revolutionary Era

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 Fredericksburg, VA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Hugh Mercer: From Culloden to Princeton — Fredericksburg Event Timeline
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Fredericksburg Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Fredericksburg Revolutionary Timeline


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


  • [ ] Hugh Mercer Killed at Battle of Princeton
  • [ ] Fielding Lewis Opens Gunnery Manufactory
  • [ ] Fielding Lewis Dies in Financial Ruin
  • [ ] Hugh Mercer Organizes Virginia Militia
  • [ ] Washington Bids Farewell to His Mother Before Yorktown Campaign

---


| Event | Date | Significance |

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

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Unit:Hugh Mercer: From Culloden to Princeton — 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 Fredericksburg during the Revolution?


_______________________________________________


## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Hugh Mercer: From Culloden to Princeton — 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

### Hugh Mercer

Scottish physician who fled Scotland after Culloden, settled in Fredericksburg, became a close friend of Washington, and rose to Brigadier General in the Continental Army. Fatally wounded at the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777, after being mistaken for Washington by British soldiers. One of the most admired officers the Revolution lost.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.


### Mary Ball Washington

George Washington's widowed mother, who moved to a house in Fredericksburg in 1772 and lived there until her death in 1789. Maintained a complicated relationship with her famous son throughout the war years, repeatedly requesting his presence in Fredericksburg while he was occupied with military command.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.



## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Hugh Mercer: From Culloden to Princeton — Assessment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Fredericksburg in the American Revolution

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

  1. 1.  What makes Fredericksburg 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 Fredericksburg 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: