History is for Everyone
History is for EveryoneAmerican Revolution Network

Student Worksheet Packet

The Last Battle: Fort Henry and the Frontier Revolution

Wheeling, WV

Grades 8-12·2 class periods

This lesson uses the 1782 siege of Fort Henry to challenge students to think about how and why wars end — or fail to end — and about the gap between diplomatic history and lived experience. Students examine why the Revolutionary War's formal conclusion at Yorktown did not end the conflict on the western frontier, analyze the causes and consequences of the Gnadenhutten massacre and the 1782 siege, and consider what it means to describe Fort Henry as the site of the "last battle" of the Revolution.

This Packet Includes

  • Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
  • 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
  • 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
  • Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
Unit:The Last Battle: Fort Henry and the Frontier Revolution — Lesson Overview
History is for Everyone
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Learning Objectives

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

  1. Students will explain why the upper Ohio Valley frontier continued to experience violent conflict after Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown in October 1781
  2. Students will analyze the connection between the Gnadenhutten massacre (March 1782) and the September 1782 siege of Fort Henry
  3. Students will evaluate the claim that Fort Henry was the site of the "last battle" of the Revolutionary War, considering what criteria define a "last battle"
  4. Students will compare the eastern and western narratives of the Revolution and explain why they differ

Essential Questions

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

  • When does a war actually end — when political leaders sign treaties, or when fighting stops?
  • Who was not represented in the peace settlement at Paris, and what were the consequences of that exclusion?
  • How does geography shape military experience, and why did the frontier war follow a different timeline than the eastern theater?
Unit:The Last Battle: Fort Henry and the Frontier Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
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Primary Source 1 of 5
Document Information
DocumentDeposition of Silas Zane Regarding the Siege of Fort Henry, September 1777
SourceDraper Manuscript Collection, Wisconsin 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 Wheeling, WV? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Last Battle: Fort Henry and the Frontier Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 2 of 5
Document Information
DocumentDraper Manuscript Collection: Ohio Valley Frontier Papers
SourceWisconsin Historical Society
TypePRIMARY
Draper Manuscript Collection: Ohio Valley Frontier Papers

Draper Manuscript Collection: Ohio Valley Frontier Papers

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 Wheeling, WV? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Last Battle: Fort Henry and the Frontier Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 3 of 5
Document Information
DocumentVirginia State Papers, Volume III: Frontier Defense Correspondence, 1781-1785
SourceVirginia State Library (William P. Palmer, ed.)
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 Wheeling, WV? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Last Battle: Fort Henry and the Frontier Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 4 of 5
Document Information
DocumentJournals of the Continental Congress: Western Land and Defense Resolutions, 1779-1783
SourceLibrary of Congress
TypePRIMARY
Journals of the Continental Congress: Western Land and Defense Resolutions, 1779-1783

Journals of the Continental Congress: Western Land and Defense Resolutions, 1779-1783

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 Wheeling, WV? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Last Battle: Fort Henry and the Frontier Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 5 of 5
Document Information
DocumentNotes on the Settlement and Indian Wars of the Western Parts of Virginia and Pennsylvania
SourceCadiz, Ohio (Joseph Doddridge)
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 Wheeling, WV? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Last Battle: Fort Henry and the Frontier Revolution — Wheeling Event Timeline
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Wheeling Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Wheeling Revolutionary Timeline


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


  • [ ] Second Siege of Fort Henry — The Last Battle of the Revolution
  • [ ] First Siege of Fort Henry — September 1777
  • [ ] Betty Zane's Gunpowder Run (Traditional Account)
  • [ ] Gnadenhutten Massacre and Its Aftermath — March 1782
  • [ ] Lord Dunmore's War and Fort Henry Construction

---


| Event | Date | Significance |

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

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Unit:The Last Battle: Fort Henry and the Frontier Revolution — 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 Wheeling during the Revolution?


_______________________________________________


## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?


_______________________________________________

Unit:The Last Battle: Fort Henry and the Frontier Revolution — 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 Ebenezer Zane

Virginia-born frontiersman who founded Wheeling in 1769 and built the first permanent settlement on the site of Fort Henry. He organized and commanded the defense of Fort Henry during both the 1777 and 1782 sieges. After the war he negotiated Zane's Trace, a road through Ohio that opened the interior. His three brothers all fought at Fort Henry.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.


### Silas Zane

Younger brother of Ebenezer Zane who fought alongside his family at Fort Henry during both sieges. Silas was one of the garrison's experienced riflemen and helped maintain the defense during the extended September 1777 engagement when the outer settlements had already fallen to the attacking force.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.



## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?


_______________________________________________

Unit:The Last Battle: Fort Henry and the Frontier Revolution — Assessment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Wheeling in the American Revolution

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

  1. 1.  What makes Wheeling 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 Wheeling 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: