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Student Worksheet Packet

Falmouth Burns: Civilian Cost and Propaganda in 1775

Portland, ME

Grades 6-8·2 class periods

This lesson uses the burning of Falmouth to examine how a single British military action shaped colonial public opinion and accelerated the push toward independence. Students analyze the gap between British strategic intention (deterrence) and actual effect (propaganda gift), trace how news of the burning traveled through the colonies, and consider the experience of Falmouth's 2,000 displaced residents during the winter of 1775–76. The lesson integrates primary documents, mapping activities, and structured discussion to build historical thinking skills around cause, effect, and unintended consequences.

This Packet Includes

  • Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
  • 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
  • 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
  • Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
Unit:Falmouth Burns: Civilian Cost and Propaganda in 1775 — Lesson Overview
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Learning Objectives

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

  1. Students will describe the events of October 17–18, 1775 in Falmouth and explain their causes
  2. Students will analyze the gap between British strategic intentions and actual outcomes of the burning
  3. Students will trace how news of the burning traveled through the colonies and evaluate its propagandistic use
  4. Students will consider the civilian experience of displacement using documentary and visual evidence

Essential Questions

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

  • Can a military action succeed tactically while failing strategically? What does Falmouth teach us?
  • How does news travel — and how does the way news travels shape its political impact?
  • Whose experience of the Revolution is missing from standard accounts focused on battles?
Unit:Falmouth Burns: Civilian Cost and Propaganda in 1775 — Primary Source Analysis
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Primary Source 1 of 5
Document Information
DocumentCaptain Henry Mowat's Orders and Dispatches: Falmouth Bombardment, October 1775
SourceBritish Admiralty Records, Public Record Office, Kew
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 Portland, ME? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Falmouth Burns: Civilian Cost and Propaganda in 1775 — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 2 of 5
Document Information
DocumentJournals of the Continental Congress: Falmouth Burning Resolution, November 1775
SourceLibrary of Congress
TypePRIMARY
Journals of the Continental Congress: Falmouth Burning Resolution, November 1775

Journals of the Continental Congress: Falmouth Burning Resolution, November 1775

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 Portland, ME? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Falmouth Burns: Civilian Cost and Propaganda in 1775 — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 3 of 5
Document Information
DocumentRecords of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress: Falmouth Relief Measures, 1775
SourceMassachusetts State Archives
TypePRIMARY
Records of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress: Falmouth Relief Measures, 1775

Records of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress: Falmouth Relief Measures, 1775

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 Portland, ME? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Falmouth Burns: Civilian Cost and Propaganda in 1775 — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 4 of 5
Document Information
DocumentEyewitness Account of the Burning of Falmouth (George Lux)
SourceMassachusetts Historical Society Proceedings
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 Portland, ME? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Falmouth Burns: Civilian Cost and Propaganda in 1775 — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 5 of 5
Document Information
DocumentNational Register of Historic Places: Portland, Maine -- Falmouth History
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 Portland, ME? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Falmouth Burns: Civilian Cost and Propaganda in 1775 — Portland Event Timeline
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Portland Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Portland Revolutionary Timeline


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


  • [ ] Bombardment and Burning of Falmouth
  • [ ] News of Falmouth Burning Spreads
  • [ ] Continental Congress Authorizes Naval Force
  • [ ] Mowat Issues Ultimatum to Falmouth
  • [ ] Ichabod Jones Confrontation and Mowat Capture

---


| Event | Date | Significance |

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

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Unit:Falmouth Burns: Civilian Cost and Propaganda in 1775 — 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 Portland during the Revolution?


_______________________________________________


## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Falmouth Burns: Civilian Cost and Propaganda in 1775 — Key Figures Profile
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Key Figures Profile

worksheet

Research template for Revolutionary figures

# Revolutionary Figure Profile


## Basic Information

  • Name: _________________
  • Birth/Death Years: _________________
  • Occupation(s): _________________

## Role in the Revolution

### Lieutenant Henry Mowat

Royal Navy officer who commanded the five-vessel squadron that bombarded Falmouth on October 18, 1775. Had been briefly captured by Patriots in Falmouth in May 1775; his return with orders to punish the town carried personal as well as military dimensions.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.


### Vice Admiral Samuel Graves

British naval commander who ordered the punitive expedition against New England coastal towns in autumn 1775, believing collective punishment would deter Patriot organization. His strategy backfired: the destruction of Falmouth accelerated the colonial push toward independence and a formal American navy.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.



## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Falmouth Burns: Civilian Cost and Propaganda in 1775 — Assessment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Portland in the American Revolution

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

  1. 1.  What makes Portland 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 Portland 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: