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Teacher Resource Packet

The Rules of War: Surrender, Massacre, and Military Honor

Groton, CT

Grades 9-12·60 minutes

Using the Fort Griswold massacre as a case study, students examine 18th-century rules of war — the laws governing surrender, the treatment of prisoners, and the distinction between battle deaths and massacre — to understand how military honor was defined and violated during the Revolution.

This Packet Includes

  • Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
  • 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
  • 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
  • Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
  • Answer Key
Unit:The Rules of War: Surrender, Massacre, and Military Honor — Lesson Overview
History is for Everyone
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Learning Objectives

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

  1. Explain the 18th-century military customs governing surrender and the treatment of prisoners
  2. Describe what happened at Fort Griswold after Colonel Ledyard's surrender and why it was controversial
  3. Analyze conflicting accounts of the massacre from British and American perspectives
  4. Evaluate how violations of military law were used as propaganda by both sides

Essential Questions

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

  • What rules govern how wars are fought, and what happens when those rules are broken?
  • How do we evaluate actions taken in the heat of battle against the standards of military law?
  • Why did both sides in the Revolution accuse each other of atrocities, and how should historians evaluate those claims?
Unit:The Rules of War: Surrender, Massacre, and Military Honor — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
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Primary Source 1 of 5
Document Information
DocumentDeposition of Ensign William Seymour Regarding the Fall of Fort Griswold
SourceConnecticut Historical Society
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 Groton, CT? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Rules of War: Surrender, Massacre, and Military Honor — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 2 of 5
Document Information
DocumentConnecticut Gazette, September 14, 1781: Account of the Groton Massacre
SourceConnecticut Gazette (New London)
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 Groton, CT? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Rules of War: Surrender, Massacre, and Military Honor — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 3 of 5
Document Information
DocumentFort Griswold Battlefield State Park Interpretive Program
SourceConnecticut DEEP / National Register of Historic Places
TypeINSTITUTIONAL
Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park Interpretive Program

Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park Interpretive Program

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

Unit:The Rules of War: Surrender, Massacre, and Military Honor — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 4 of 5
Document Information
DocumentDear Liberty: Connecticut's Mobilization for the Revolutionary War
SourceWesleyan University Press (Joy Day Buel and Richard Buel Jr.)
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 Groton, CT? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Rules of War: Surrender, Massacre, and Military Honor — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 5 of 5
Document Information
DocumentFort Griswold National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form
SourceNational Park Service, National Register of Historic Places
TypeINSTITUTIONAL

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

Unit:The Rules of War: Surrender, Massacre, and Military Honor — Groton Event Timeline
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Name: Date: Period:

Groton Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Groton Revolutionary Timeline


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


  • [ ] Battle of Fort Griswold
  • [ ] Killing of Colonel Ledyard After Surrender
  • [ ] Groton Community Buries Its Dead After the Massacre
  • [ ] Jordan Freeman Kills Major Montgomery
  • [ ] Wounded Defenders Sent Down the Hill

---


| Event | Date | Significance |

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

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Unit:The Rules of War: Surrender, Massacre, and Military Honor — 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 Groton during the Revolution?


_______________________________________________


## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?


_______________________________________________

Unit:The Rules of War: Surrender, Massacre, and Military Honor — 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

### Colonel William Ledyard

Commander of Fort Griswold who led the garrison's fierce defense against the British assault on September 6, 1781. After the fort was overwhelmed, Ledyard reportedly offered his sword in surrender and was stabbed with it by a British officer. His death became the central atrocity of the Fort Griswold massacre.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.


### Major William Montgomery

British officer who led the initial assault on Fort Griswold and was killed during the fighting. His death enraged the British troops, contributing to the violence that followed the fort's surrender. The killing of a senior officer during an assault often led to retaliatory violence in eighteenth-century warfare.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.



## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?


_______________________________________________

Unit:The Rules of War: Surrender, Massacre, and Military Honor — Assessment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Groton in the American Revolution

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

  1. 1.  What makes Groton 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 Groton 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

Groton in the American Revolution

The Rules of War: Surrender, Massacre, and Military Honor — Groton, CT

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

    Groton 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 Groton 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.