Teacher Resources
Yorktown
Students examine the mechanics and strategy of 18th-century siege warfare using Yorktown as the primary case study. Through maps, primary accounts, and step-by-step analysis of the parallel construction, students understand why the siege succeeded and what role the French alliance played.
Grade Range
6-8
Duration
2 class periods
Included
3 Resources
What's Included
Everything
You Need
- 5 primary sources with analysis prompts
- Quiz with answer key (5 questions)
- 3 printable handouts
Lesson Overview
Students examine the mechanics and strategy of 18th-century siege warfare using Yorktown as the primary case study. Through maps, primary accounts, and step-by-step analysis of the parallel construction, students understand why the siege succeeded and what role the French alliance played.
Essential Questions
- Why was Yorktown a siege rather than a battle? What did siege warfare require that conventional battle did not?
- How much of the Yorktown victory was American, and how much was French? Does the distinction matter?
Primary Sources
5 Sources for Analysis
PRIMARY · TIER1
Articles of Capitulation, Yorktown, October 19, 1781
National Archives and Records Administration
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
George Washington's Diary, August-October 1781
Library of Congress, Manuscript Division
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
Mémoires militaires, historiques et politiques de Rochambeau
Fain (Jean-Baptiste-Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau)
PRIMARY · TIER1
Log of HMS London: Vice-Admiral Graves at the Battle of the Chesapeake, September 1781
Public Record Office (National Archives, United Kingdom)
INSTITUTIONAL · TIER1
Colonial National Historical Park: Yorktown Battlefield
National Park Service
View SourceLesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Explain how 18th-century siege warfare worked: parallels, redoubts, artillery reduction
- 2Identify the sequence of events at Yorktown from October 6 through October 19, 1781
- 3Analyze the essential roles of the French navy (de Grasse) and French army (Rochambeau) in the American victory
- 4Evaluate the significance of the redoubt assaults on October 14 in changing the siege's trajectory
Assessment
Yorktown in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.
What makes Yorktown significant in Revolutionary history?
multiple choice
Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
true false
Name one event that occurred in Yorktown during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
short answer
+ 2 more questions in the full packet
Ready to Print?
The full teacher packet includes cover page, lesson plan, all primary source worksheets, quiz, answer key, and standards alignment — formatted for classroom printing.