Witness to Revolution Teacher Resource Guide Introduction

The Museum of the American Revolution is home to General George Washington’s War Tent, the office and sleeping quarters of the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The tent was present at the scene of many pivotal moments of the war, including the 1781 Siege of Yorktown. It was also witness to the Marquis de Lafayette’s visit in 1824, the Civil War, and the country’s centennial celebration in 1876. From the Revolutionary War to the present day, generations of Americans and visitors from abroad have found inspiration from Washington’s War Tent as they learn about Washington’s leadership and America’s ongoing experiment in liberty, equality, and self-government.

Today, your students can explore the story of Washington’s Tent through the activities in this Teacher Resource Guide, which supports the following Museum resources:

• Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent, a special exhibition on display at the Museum from Feb. 17, 2024 to Jan. 5, 2025
• Among His Troops: Washington’s War Tent in a Newly Discovered Watercolor, an online exhibit
• Washington’s Field Headquarters, an immersive virtual tour of a Continental Army encampment

Explore the modular activities and ready-made worksheets to help your students dig deeper into the complexities of the Revolutionary era and other periods in American history through the story of Washington’s War Tent. Each unit is supported by one of the Big Idea essays, as well as by a glossary of key terms. Paintings, objects, and primary source documents are woven throughout each of the three units.

Activities are geared towards students at the middle school level but are written to support teacher flexibility in increasing or decreasing the challenge as appropriate for your students. See how these activities fit into national history standards using the National Standards Alignment Chart.

We love feedback! Send us comments, questions, suggestions, and examples of student work at [email protected].

Connecting Activities to Museum Resources