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Teacher Resource Packet

Cornwallis's Fork: The Strategic Decision That Ended the War

Wilmington, NC

Grades 8-12·2 class periods

When Cornwallis rested at Wilmington in April 1781, he made a strategic decision that shaped the war's outcome more than any battle: he marched north into Virginia instead of south to reinforce the Carolinas. This lesson uses that decision as a case study in strategic reasoning under uncertainty — what Cornwallis knew, what he didn't know, what Greene did in response, and what the decision reveals about how wars end.

This Packet Includes

  • Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
  • 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
  • 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
  • Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
  • Answer Key
Unit:Cornwallis's Fork: The Strategic Decision That Ended the War — Lesson Overview
History is for Everyone
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Learning Objectives

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

  1. Describe the British strategic situation in the south after Guilford Courthouse
  2. Analyze the arguments for marching south versus north from Cornwallis's perspective
  3. Explain Greene's strategic response and trace its consequences through Ninety Six and Eutaw Springs
  4. Evaluate whether Cornwallis's decision was rational given what he knew in April 1781

Essential Questions

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

  • What does it mean to make a rational decision that leads to catastrophic results?
  • What is the relationship between tactical victory (Guilford Courthouse) and strategic failure (Yorktown)?
Unit:Cornwallis's Fork: The Strategic Decision That Ended the War — Primary Source Analysis
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Primary Source 1 of 5
Document Information
DocumentLord Cornwallis to Sir Henry Clinton: Dispatches from Wilmington, April-May 1781
SourcePublic Record Office (National Archives, United Kingdom)
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 Wilmington, NC? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Cornwallis's Fork: The Strategic Decision That Ended the War — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 2 of 5
Document Information
DocumentMajor James Craig: Orders and Correspondence from Wilmington, 1781
SourcePublic Record Office (National Archives, United Kingdom)
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 Wilmington, NC? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Cornwallis's Fork: The Strategic Decision That Ended the War — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 3 of 5
Document Information
DocumentNorth Carolina State Archives: New Hanover County Records and Governor's Papers, 1780-1782
SourceNorth Carolina State Archives
TypePRIMARY
North Carolina State Archives: New Hanover County Records and Governor's Papers, 1780-1782

North Carolina State Archives: New Hanover County Records and Governor's Papers, 1780-1782

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 Wilmington, NC? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Cornwallis's Fork: The Strategic Decision That Ended the War — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 4 of 5
Document Information
DocumentPension Applications: Cape Fear Region Militia, 1820s-1840s
SourceNational Archives and Records Administration
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 Wilmington, NC? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Cornwallis's Fork: The Strategic Decision That Ended the War — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 5 of 5
Document Information
DocumentWilmington Historic District and Cape Fear Museum: Revolutionary War Collections
SourceCape Fear Museum of History and Science
TypeINSTITUTIONAL
Wilmington Historic District and Cape Fear Museum: Revolutionary War Collections

Wilmington Historic District and Cape Fear Museum: Revolutionary War Collections

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 Wilmington, NC? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Cornwallis's Fork: The Strategic Decision That Ended the War — Wilmington Event Timeline
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Wilmington Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Wilmington Revolutionary Timeline


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


  • [ ] Cornwallis Departs Wilmington for Virginia
  • [ ] Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge
  • [ ] Battle of Guilford Courthouse — Cornwallis's Pyrrhic Victory
  • [ ] Greene Turns South — Dismantling British Interior
  • [ ] Cornwallis Arrives at Wilmington — Army at Half Strength

---


| Event | Date | Significance |

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

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Unit:Cornwallis's Fork: The Strategic Decision That Ended the War — 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 Wilmington during the Revolution?


_______________________________________________


## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Cornwallis's Fork: The Strategic Decision That Ended the War — 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

### General Lord Charles Cornwallis

British general who retreated to Wilmington NC after the costly victory at Guilford Courthouse in March 1781, then made the fateful decision to march into Virginia rather than south to reinforce South Carolina. His Yorktown surrender in October 1781 effectively ended the war.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.


### Major General Nathanael Greene

Rhode Island general who took command of the shattered Southern Army in December 1780. At Guilford Courthouse he traded his army's retreat for a quarter of Cornwallis's force, then turned south when Cornwallis retreated to Wilmington — dismantling the British position in the Carolinas while Cornwallis marched to his destruction in Virginia.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.



## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Cornwallis's Fork: The Strategic Decision That Ended the War — Assessment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Wilmington in the American Revolution

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

  1. 1.  What makes Wilmington 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 Wilmington 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:

ANSWER KEY · TEACHER COPY · DO NOT DISTRIBUTE

Wilmington in the American Revolution

Cornwallis's Fork: The Strategic Decision That Ended the War — Wilmington, NC

  1. 1.What makes Wilmington significant in Revolutionary history?
    Answer:A

    Wilmington played a significant role in the American Revolution as evidenced by the events we studied.

  2. 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. 3.Name one event that occurred in Wilmington 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. 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. 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.