Teacher Resource Packet
Newburgh 1783: When the Army Nearly Said No
Newburgh, NY
This lesson uses the Newburgh Conspiracy to introduce students to civil-military relations and the challenge of keeping military force subordinate to civilian authority. Students examine why Continental Army officers had legitimate grievances, what the anonymous Newburgh letters proposed, and how Washington's response prevented a crisis. The lesson asks students to evaluate Washington's argument — not just accept it — and to consider what the episode reveals about the relationship between military service, political obligation, and the promises a republic makes to those who defend it.
This Packet Includes
- Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
- 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
- 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
- Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
- Answer Key
Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Explain why Continental Army officers had legitimate grievances against Congress in early 1783
- Analyze what the Newburgh addresses proposed and why it threatened republican government
- Evaluate Washington's argument at the March 15 meeting and explain why it was effective
- Assess what the conspiracy reveals about the relationship between military service and civic obligation
Essential Questions
Keep these questions in mind as you work through this packet:
- What does a republic owe to the soldiers who fight for it? What happens when it fails that obligation?
- Why is military subordination to civilian government important even when the civilian government has failed its commitments?
- What made Washington's argument work when a written resolution would not have?
General Orders from Newburgh Headquarters, 1782-1783
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What was happening when this was written?
How might the author's position affect their account?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in Newburgh, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?
Washington's Address to the Officers of the Army (Newburgh Address), March 15, 1783
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What was happening when this was written?
How might the author's position affect their account?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in Newburgh, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What primary sources does this draw from?
What interpretation does the author offer?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in Newburgh, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?
Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What is the institution's mission?
How does that mission shape the presentation?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in Newburgh, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What was happening when this was written?
How might the author's position affect their account?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in Newburgh, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?
Newburgh Event Timeline
timeline
Students place key events in chronological order and add details
# Newburgh Revolutionary Timeline
Instructions: Place the following events in order and add one detail about each.
- [ ] Washington Addresses Officers — Newburgh Conspiracy Ends
- [ ] Washington Proclaims Cessation of Hostilities
- [ ] Anonymous Newburgh Addresses Circulated Among Officers
- [ ] Treaty of Paris Ratified — War Formally Ends
- [ ] Washington Establishes Badge of Military Merit (Purple Heart Precursor)
---
| Event | Date | Significance |
|-------|------|-------------|
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
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 Newburgh during the Revolution?
_______________________________________________
## Perspective
Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?
_______________________________________________
Key Figures Profile
worksheet
Research template for Revolutionary figures
# Revolutionary Figure Profile
## Basic Information
- Name: _________________
- Birth/Death Years: _________________
- Occupation(s): _________________
## Role in the Revolution
### George Washington
Maintained headquarters at Hasbrouck House in Newburgh from April 1782 to August 1783. His address to the officers on March 15, 1783, prevented the Newburgh Conspiracy from becoming a military coup and established the precedent of civilian control that has defined American civil-military relations ever since.
My questions about this person:
1.
2.
### Jonathan Hasbrouck
Owner of Hasbrouck House in Newburgh, who died in 1780. His widow Tryntje allowed Washington to use the family's Dutch stone house as his headquarters from April 1782. The house remained in the family until New York State purchased it in 1850, making it one of the first publicly owned historic sites in America.
My questions about this person:
1.
2.
## Reflection
Which figure interests you most and why?
_______________________________________________
Newburgh in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.
1. What makes Newburgh significant in Revolutionary history?
2. Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
3. Name one event that occurred in Newburgh during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
Answer:
4. Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?
5. Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.
Answer:
Newburgh in the American Revolution
Newburgh 1783: When the Army Nearly Said No — Newburgh, NY
- 1.What makes Newburgh significant in Revolutionary history?Answer:A
Newburgh played a significant role in the American Revolution as evidenced by the events we studied.
- 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.Name one event that occurred in Newburgh 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.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.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.