Student Worksheet Packet

The Western Frontier: Fort Pitt and the Revolution Beyond the Appalachians

Pittsburgh, PA

Grades 6-8·2-3 class periods

This lesson asks students to understand the Revolutionary War as a continental conflict, not just an eastern coastal campaign. Using Fort Pitt and Pittsburgh as a case study, students explore how geography shaped military strategy, how the Ohio Valley became a theater of sustained warfare, and what the western frontier looked like from multiple perspectives — Continental soldiers, Native American nations, frontier settlers, and British commanders at Detroit. Students analyze primary source maps, letters from Fort Pitt commanders, and accounts of both offensive expeditions and defensive raids to reconstruct the reality of western frontier warfare.

This Packet Includes

Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
3 Reading & Activity Handouts
Assessment Quiz (5 questions)

Name: Date: Period:

Learning Objectives

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

Students will explain why the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers made Fort Pitt strategically essential
Students will trace the connection between Fort Pitt's supply function and George Rogers Clark's Illinois campaigns
Students will analyze frontier warfare from at least two different perspectives, including Native American nations
Students will evaluate the relationship between logistics and military outcomes using the McIntosh expedition as a case study

Essential Questions

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

How does geography determine military strategy? What does Fort Pitt teach us about this relationship?
Who fought the western frontier war, and what did each side want? How do the answers change depending on which perspective you take?
What is the relationship between logistics — supplies, transportation, resources — and the outcomes of military campaigns?

Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source 1 of 5

Document Information

DocumentFort Pitt Garrison Orderly Books and Correspondence, 1775-1781

SourcePennsylvania State Archives

TypePRIMARY

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 Pittsburgh, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source 2 of 5

Document Information

DocumentPapers of Generals Edward Hand and Daniel Brodhead: Fort Pitt Commands, 1777-1781

SourceHistorical Society of Pennsylvania

TypePRIMARY

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 Pittsburgh, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source 3 of 5

Document Information

DocumentThe American Revolution in Indian Country: Crisis and Diversity in Native American Communities

SourceCambridge University Press (Colin G. Calloway)

TypeSECONDARY

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 Pittsburgh, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source 4 of 5

Document Information

DocumentCouncil Fires on the Upper Ohio: A Narrative of Indian Affairs in the Upper Ohio Valley until 1795

SourceUniversity of Pittsburgh Press (Randolph C. Downes)

TypeSECONDARY

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 Pittsburgh, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source 5 of 5

Document Information

DocumentFort Pitt Museum: Research Collections and Interpretive Materials

SourceFort Pitt Museum / Senator John Heinz History Center

TypeINSTITUTIONAL

Fort Pitt Museum: Research Collections and Interpretive Materials

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 Pittsburgh, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Name: Date: Period:

Pittsburgh Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Pittsburgh Revolutionary Timeline

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

[ ] George Rogers Clark Stages Illinois Campaign Through Pittsburgh
[ ] Crawford Expedition Defeated at Sandusky
[ ] Treaty of Paris Confirms Ohio Valley Claims
[ ] Gnadenhutten Massacre
[ ] Continental Army Assumes Control of Fort Pitt

---

| Event | Date | Significance |

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

| | | |

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)

## Reflection

What do you wonder? (List 2 questions)

## Analysis

What does this source tell us about Pittsburgh during the Revolution?

_______________________________________________

## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?

_______________________________________________

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

### George Rogers Clark

Virginia militia officer who organized and led the 1778–1779 Illinois campaign that captured Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes, securing American claims to the Northwest Territory. Pittsburgh served as a key staging and supply point for Clark's operations, making Fort Pitt integral to the western theater's most consequential American offensive.

My questions about this person:

### William Crawford

Virginia militia colonel and land surveyor closely associated with George Washington, who served in frontier defense operations out of Pittsburgh. Led the Sandusky Expedition of June 1782 into Ohio country, was captured after the expedition's defeat, and was burned at the stake by Delaware warriors. His death became one of the defining tragedies of the western frontier war.

My questions about this person:

## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?

_______________________________________________

Name: Date: Period:

Pittsburgh in the American Revolution

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

1. What makes Pittsburgh significant in Revolutionary history?
AIt was the site of important Revolutionary eventsBIt had no connection to the RevolutionCIt was founded after the RevolutionDIt was a British stronghold throughout the war
2. Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
True False
3. Name one event that occurred in Pittsburgh during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
Answer:
4. Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?
ADifferent people experienced events differentlyBIt makes history more confusingCOnly one perspective is ever correctDPerspectives don't matter in history
5. Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.
Answer: