Teacher Resources
Morristown
This lesson guides middle school students through the Continental Army's two winter encampments at Morristown, New Jersey, where soldiers faced starvation, disease, and brutal cold that tested the Revolution's survival. Students will examine why Washington chose Morristown for winter quarters, how soldiers endured the catastrophic Hard Winter of 1779-80, and what the experience reveals about the difference between fighting a war and surviving one. The lesson uses Joseph Plumb Martin's memoir to ground students in the enlisted soldier's perspective — not the general's strategy or the politician's rhetoric, but the daily reality of hunger, cold, and the choice to stay when leaving would have been easier. Students will compare Morristown with Valley Forge to understand why Morristown's winters were arguably worse yet receive far less attention in popular memory.
Grade Range
6-8
Duration
3 class periods
Included
5 Resources
What's Included
Everything
You Need
- Full lesson plan (3 class periods)
- 3 primary sources with analysis prompts
- Quiz with answer key (5 questions)
- Differentiation strategies (struggling / advanced / ELL)
- 2 printable handouts
Lesson Overview
This lesson guides middle school students through the Continental Army's two winter encampments at Morristown, New Jersey, where soldiers faced starvation, disease, and brutal cold that tested the Revolution's survival. Students will examine why Washington chose Morristown for winter quarters, how soldiers endured the catastrophic Hard Winter of 1779-80, and what the experience reveals about the difference between fighting a war and surviving one. The lesson uses Joseph Plumb Martin's memoir to ground students in the enlisted soldier's perspective — not the general's strategy or the politician's rhetoric, but the daily reality of hunger, cold, and the choice to stay when leaving would have been easier. Students will compare Morristown with Valley Forge to understand why Morristown's winters were arguably worse yet receive far less attention in popular memory.
Essential Questions
- What does it mean to endure for a cause when the cause cannot provide for you?
- Why is the story of Morristown less well-known than Valley Forge, and what does that tell us about how we remember history?
- How did ordinary soldiers experience the Revolution differently from officers and politicians?
Primary Sources
3 Sources for Analysis
PRIMARY · TIER1
Dr. James Thacher's Military Journal: The Morristown Winters
Massachusetts Historical Society / Morristown NHP Archives
PRIMARY · TIER1
Washington's Letters to Congress on the Supply Crisis (1779-1780)
Library of Congress / National Archives
PRIMARY · TIER1
Pennsylvania Line Mutiny Documents (January 1781)
Pennsylvania State Archives / National Archives
Lesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Students will explain why Washington chose Morristown for winter quarters and describe the strategic advantages of the location
- 2Students will describe the conditions soldiers endured during the Hard Winter of 1779-80 using primary source evidence
- 3Students will analyze why soldiers chose to remain despite extreme hardship and broken promises from Congress
- 4Students will compare the Morristown and Valley Forge encampments and evaluate why Valley Forge dominates popular memory
Warm-Up · 10 minutes
Show students a photograph of the reconstructed soldier huts at Jockey Hollow. Ask: "These huts were about 12 feet by 16 feet — roughly the size of this corner of the classroom. Twelve soldiers slept in each one. What would that be like for an entire winter?" Then display a period map showing Morristown's location behind the Watchung Mountains. Ask: "Why would a general choose to camp here?"
Direct Instruction · 20 minutes
· Context: why Morristown — the Watchung Mountains as a natural barrier, the iron industry, the distance from British-held New York
· The first winter (1777): smallpox, inoculation, and the decision that saved the army
Closure · 10 minutes
Exit ticket: "Joseph Plumb Martin could not fully explain why he stayed at Morristown. What does it tell us about the Revolution that its own participants couldn't always explain their commitment?" Brief share-out discussion.
Differentiation Strategies
Struggling Learners
Annotated memoir excerpts with vocabulary support, sentence starters for writing, visual comparison chart with pre-filled Valley Forge column
Advanced Learners
Additional reading on the Pennsylvania Line mutiny of January 1781; essay comparing enlisted soldiers' motivations with officers' motivations for service
ELL Support
Bilingual key terms glossary, visual timeline of the two encampments, partner reading of primary source excerpts
Assessment
Morristown and the Continental Army
Answer all questions based on our study of Morristown in the American Revolution. For short answer questions, use specific evidence from the sources and materials we studied.
Why did Washington choose Morristown for winter quarters in both 1777 and 1779?
multiple choice
What was historically significant about Washington's decision to inoculate the army against smallpox at Morristown in 1777?
multiple choice
What made the Hard Winter of 1779-80 at Morristown so devastating?
multiple choice
+ 2 more questions in the full packet
Ready to Print?
The full teacher packet includes cover page, lesson plan, all primary source worksheets, quiz, answer key, and standards alignment — formatted for classroom printing.