L4+Cooper+Marcy

** UNIVERSITY **** OF MAINE AT FARMINGTON ** ** COLLEGE **** OF EDUCATION ****, HEALTH AND REHABILITATION ** ** LESSON PLAN FORMAT ** Social Studies- E. History E1. Historical Knowledge, Concepts, Themes, and Patterns Grade 9-Diploma- "The Revolutionary Era, 1754-1783" Students understand major eras, major enduring themes, and historic influences in United States and world history, including the roots of democratic philosophy, ideals, and institutions in the world. c. Trace and critique the roots and evolution of democratic ideals and constitutional principles in the history of the United states and the world using historical sources. To check for understanding of the demonstration I will have the students do a quick write on their blog for homework. I will ask them to write about what they think the purpose of doing that activity was, what they learned, and if they thought it was helpful. I will check these and make comments and clarifications. During each class discussion, I will check for understanding using the thumbs system and adjust the discussion accordingly. I will have the students put their heads down for confidentiality and ask them to put thumbs up if they understand, down if they don’t, and sideways if in between. I will also walk around and make sure the students all have their organizers filled out so they have the information they need to complete their homework. Students will receive feedback from their short description. I will make a comment on the final product in the discussion section of the wiki and then the student can make any changes before it is scored. Students will be able to write an essay describing the tactics used by the Continental army to win the Revolutionary War and post it to a wiki adding both graphics and 2 hyperlinks. Technology: Teacher: The video from Youtube and commenting on students' blogs. Students: Writing blogs and creating a wikispace with hyperlinks and graphics. Content Area: Science: Physics of the accuracy of the weaponry used in the battles English: writing an outline and an essay Students will learn about the different tactics in the brain storm cooperative learning activity. The groups will be selected by students when they enter the room and choose where to sit at the different tables. Each table will be a different group. One student in the group will keep time. Each student will brain storm or research one word on the board. After a few minutes, students will go around in their groups and share what they discovered so the others can fill in the wheel. Then we will fill in missing information as a class.
 * __ Teacher’s Name __**** : **Ms. Cooper** __Date of Lesson__: 4 **
 * __ Grade Level __**** : 11 __Topic__: ** Tactics of War
 * __ Objectives __**
 * Student will understand that ** a grassroots, ragtag militia defeated the country with the largest empire in the world.
 * Student will know ** the difference between the guerrilla tactics used by the colonists and the European style of warfare.
 * Student will be able to ** describe the tactics used by the Continental army to win the revolutionary war.
 * __ Maine __****__ Learning Results Alignment __**
 * Rationale ** This lesson is about how war tactics can change and the side that does not favor tradition can beat the odds and come out on top.
 * __ Assessment __**
 * Formative (Assessment for Learning) **
 * Summative (Assessment of Learning) **
 * __ Integration __**
 * __ Groupings __**
 * __ Differentiated Instruction __**
 * Strategies **
 * Verbal: ** class discussion to fill in Describing wheel.
 * Logical:** Talk about the accuracy of weaponry in the war.
 * Kinesthetic:** Do a live person demonstration of how far away a person would have to be to see the whites of another person's eyes.
 * Visual:** The hook.
 * Naturalist:** The use of terrain in guerrilla tactics.
 * Intrapersonal:** the cooperative learning activity- round robin brain storm.
 * Interpersonal:** Journal entry about change. How change can be good or helpful and the consequences of holding onto traditions just for the sake of tradition.
 * Musical:**Find a music piece to add to the wiki if desired, can be mood enhancing or content related.
 * Modifications/Accommodations **
 * // I //**** **//will review student’s IEP, 504 or ELLIDEP and make appropriate modifications and accommodations.//** **

Absent Students: Students are expected to check the class wiki for any assignments and for class notes even when they are absent from class. Feel free to email me if you have any questions at any time. You are expected to work with your seasonal partners if you have questions about make up work. If problems arise please let me know so those issues can be resolved.

Students that have trouble forming outlines can use Inspiration to help them organize their thoughts.
 * Extensions ** Students can use information from the previous lesson and from this lesson to make a list of all the reasons why the colonists won the war and a lists of all the reasons why the British should have won the war. Each reason will need to be explained in 1-3 sentences. This can then be put on a wikipage and used as part of the study guide for the test.

Another option for an extension: Make a Garage band recording of a journal entry as either a British soldier or a Colonial militia man retelling a battle from the soldier’s point of view. The entry would explain what the soldier did during the battle, what he wore, and why he was fighting. Type II Technology: Students will write blogs about their understanding of the material. They will also create a wiki page with hyperlinks and graphics. The teacher will comment and provide feedback on both the blog and wiki pages of the students. Individual laptops projector and screen describing wheel Blog accounts Wikispace accounts a mowed field a nice day Content notes Tactics [] [] Muskets, Rifles, and Cannon [] Officers [] Linear tactics [] War of attrition- a struggle in which you harm your opponent in a lot of small ways, so that they become gradually weaker [] Teacher: The video from Youtube and commenting on students' blogs. Students: Writing blogs and creating a wikispace with hyperlinks and graphics. Day 1 Pass out hand out Hook: Youtube Video 10 mins, beginning to 2:10-7:39 Short discussion of the video (pre-assessment) 10 mins Quick write about change 10 mins Power point with Images and Cooperative brain storm activity 20 mins rearrange the room 5 mins Class discussion of terms 15 mins whites of the eyes demonstration 10 mins Day 2 Quick write about tactics of war 10 mins Class discussion The class will be arranged in 3 groups faced inward toward each other. All the students can see the board but they only need to for part of the class. After the brain storm activity they will rearrange the room into a U with the open part of the U facing the board. Students will understand that a grassroots, ragtag militia defeated the country with the largest empire in the world. The reason why we are learning about this today is to notice a time in history when the tactics of warfare changed and how the side who did not hold on to tradition had an advantage. //Students understand major eras, major enduring themes, and historic influences in United States and world history, including the roots of democratic philosophy, ideals, and institutions in the world.// I have chosen a video from Youtube from the military channel. I will have questions in a hand out about what I want the students to look for in the movie. I play the video that reenacts the battle of Bunker Hill, a battle a little later in the war. It shows the difference in tactics of the colonial militia and the British army under general Howe. **Where, Why, What, Hook, Tailor: Verbal and Visual** 10 mins
 * __ Materials, Resources and Technology __**
 * __ Source for Lesson Plan and Research __**
 * __ Maine __****__ Standards for Initial Teacher Certification and Rationale __**
 * // Standard 3 - Demonstrates a knowledge of the diverse ways in which students learn and develop by providing learning opportunities that support their intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and cultural development. //**
 * Rationale ** : The class agenda will be posted on the wiki ahead of class so that students will always know what we will be doing and what will follow each activity. This will help students who need to have organization in the classroom. The cooperative learning activity will be great for students that like to learn in groups. The demonstration is great for learners that like to do activities. The research or finding out what each term on the board means is great for students that like to discover. Also this subject can pit students with British heritage against American students and I will be upfront and clear that it is not acceptable. I will create an environment that all students will feel free to offer their ideas because class discussion is an integral part of my lessons. I will also have for more wait time to allow all students the opportunity to think and then answer.
 * // • Standard 4 - Plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, curriculum goals, and learning and development theory. //**
 * Rationale ** : The facet I am using in this lesson is describe. In the final product students will be able to write an essay describing the tactics used by the Continental army to win the Revolutionary War and post it to a wiki adding both graphics and 2 hyperlinks. This ties into the MLR because it shows how war tactics can change and the side that does not favor tradition can beat the odds and come out on top. Please see attached content notes.
 * // • Standard 5 - Understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies and appropriate technology to meet students’ needs. //**
 * Rationale ** :
 * Verbal: ** class discussion to fill in Describing wheel.
 * Logical:** Talk about the accuracy of weaponry in the war.
 * Kinesthetic:** Do a live person demonstration of how far away a person would have to be to see the whites of another person's eyes.
 * Visual:** The hook.
 * Naturalist:** The use of terrain in guerrilla tactics.
 * Intrapersonal:** the cooperative learning activity- round robin brain storm.
 * Interpersonal:** Journal entry about change. How change can be good or helpful and the consequences of holding onto traditions just for the sake of tradition.
 * Musical:**Find a music piece to add to the wiki if desired, can be mood enhancing or content related.
 * Technology:** Type II Technology: Students will write blogs about their understanding of the material. They will also create a wiki page with hyperlinks and graphics. The teacher will comment and provide feedback on both the blog and wiki pages of the students.
 * // • Standard 8 - Understands and uses a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and support the development of the learner. //**
 * Rationale ** : To check for understanding of the demonstration I will have the students do a quick write on their blog for homework. I will ask them to write about what they think the purpose of doing that activity was, what they learned, and if they thought it was helpful. I will check these and make comments and clarifications. During each class discussion, I will check for understanding using the thumbs system and adjust the discussion accordingly. I will have the students put their heads down for confidentiality and ask them to put thumbs up if they understand, down if they don’t, and sideways if in between. I will also walk around and make sure the students all have their organizers filled out so they have the information they need to complete their homework. Students will receive feedback from their short description. I will make a comment on the final product in the discussion section of the wiki and then the student can make any changes before it is scored. Students will be able to write an essay describing the tactics used by the Continental army to win the Revolutionary War and post it to a wiki adding both graphics and 2 hyperlinks.
 * __ Teaching and Learning Sequence __**** : **

After the video, I will ask the students what they saw in the video. I will also ask them why the colonists changed tactics, due to weaponry used. I will tell them what I wanted them to see in the movie. This is the pre-assessment for this lesson. From the discussion I can see what the students remember from the readings and what they already understand from the video. After discussing a few points about how the militia changed their tactics, I will have the students quick write about how change can be good or helpful and the consequences of holding onto traditions just for the sake of tradition. A question could be: ‘Change occurs all around us. Just because it is new and different does not automatically mean it is bad. Quick write how change can be good, when the facts are weighed, and that holding onto tradition just because it has always been that way is not a good reason.’ Then I will put a Powerpoint together with the images to give a visual for this list of words: linear tactics, physiological warfare, muskets vs rifles, terrain, whites of the eyes, cannons, officers, and a war of attrition. This is so students know right away what each word is and how to describe them. In their cooperative learning groups they will brain storm and use resources from a list I will provide to describe or write important things about each word on the board. They will organize this information on the describing wheel graphic organizer. We will rearrange the desk and come together as a class to talk about what the students found out during the activity. As a class we will fill in all the information that might be missing for some of the students. To end the class and to help the students understand exactly how in accurate the weaponry was we will do a demonstration. I will bring them out to the hall or if it is a nice day out to the football field. First I will tell one student to go to the other end of the field and walk jog toward us, not really fast but a good clip. I will have the rest of the students with me and when they can see the whites of the jogging student's eyes they will raise their hand. When all the students have raised their hands I will ask the jogging student to stop. This is so all the students can have a visual about how far apart they would be shooting at each other. To check for understanding of the demonstration I will have the students do a quick write on their blog for homework. I will ask them to write about what they think the purpose of doing that activity was, what they learned, and if they thought it was helpful. I will check these and make comments and clarifications. During each class discussion I will check for understanding using the thumbs system. I will also walk around and make sure the students all have their organizers filled out so they have the information they need to complete their homework. 70 mins Day 2 Before this unit I will have done background research with the students in my class to find out if any of them have relatives that either have served or are currently in the armed forces. I will start the class with a quick write about the tactics of war. A sample question would be: “When you think of war what do you think of?” Then we will have a class discussion. If we have any students in the class with military relatives and the student wants to share some information the discussion will start with that. Then I will lead the discussion of the evolution of tactics. Where the guerilla tactics came from (the Indians), how the colonists used them, mention Vietnam, and then to today’s war in Afghanistan and Iraq, terrorism. Then I’ll have the students write a blog reflection about if they think the changes in war are better for humanity or if we should go back to linear tactics and muskets. I will allow the end of class to start to ask any questions about how to add hyperlinks, graphic, and music to a wikipage.
 * Equip, Explore, Rethink, Tailors: Verbal, Logical, Kinesthetic, Naturalist, Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal. **

Students will learn about the different tactics in the brain storm cooperative learning activity. The groups will be selected by students when they enter the room and choose where to sit at the different tables. Each table will be a different group. One student in the group will keep time. Each student will brain storm or research one word on the board. After a few minutes, students will go around in their groups and share what they discovered so the others can fill in the wheel. Then we will fill in missing information as a class. The facet I am using in this lesson is describe. In the final product students will be able to write an essay describing the tactics used by the Continental army to win the Revolutionary War and post it to a wiki adding both graphics and 2 hyperlinks. Students will be given the choice to add music their wiki page for extra credit on the assignment. Before they do this they will write out a short description or an outline and turn it in. I will review them and suggest changes or improvements. I will make a comment on the final product in the discussion section of the wiki and then the student can make any changes before it is scored. They will be graded by a checklist that they will have so they know what is expected. **Explore, Experience, Rethink, Revise, Refine, Tailors: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Musical.** 40 mins

Students will self assess by including a section at the end of the wikispace to defend their choices of the hyperlinks and graphics and what they add to the piece. Also a rationale statement for the music piece, if they have one, is required for the extra points. I will provide timely feedback by handing back the outline or short description the next day. I will proof read any essays from students that want me to and give them back the next day. Any questions the students have can be put in their blogs during their quick writes. I will also comment on students' blogs within 24 hours of the post. This lesson connects to the last lesson because it explains exactly how the colonists managed to win the war, through a change in war tactics. The last lesson lists the facts on both sides and makes a prediction using that information. For homework students will reflect on the demonstration done in class. They will also write this essay and include the hyperlinks to more information and graphics to enhance the page. The wiki page will be due a week after the last project was due. That way the students do not feel too stressed about all the work. Students will need to study for a quiz next class over the different battles of the war. **Evaluate, Tailors: Interpersonal and Music.** a week Battlefield tactics had to be modified to accommodate this new weapon. Linear tactics were developed. Instead of the large squares of pikemen moving as a block, the musketmen were usually lined up in three ranks, bringing the maximum number of muskets to bear on the enemy. Firing rank-by-rank, the massed musketmen could fire a devastating nine volleys per minute! Tactics of this era sought to simply blast their opponents off the battlefield with concentrated musket fire. Unfortunately for the soldiers, it became a tactical fact of life, that a regiment was rated not by how well it could deliver a volley of musket fire, but rather, how well they could stand after receiving a volley. As regimental reputations were built on battlefield gallantry, they began to develop more colorful uniforms. This was psychological warfare. A distinctive uniform of a well known regiment would instill fear in their opponents, often causing them to retreat rather than stand and fight. Each of the European nations created their own styles and colors of uniforms. This system remained in place until World War I. Since then, some individual regiments still have //"full dress"// or ceremonial uniform in addition to the service or field uniform. Our for bearers were rightfully concerned when facing some of the British Regiments sent here to put down the rebellion. Some of them had fierce reputations and were known throughout the western world! The traditional enemy of the colonists was the Indian. The tactics used to fight the Indians were quite different from those of massed European armies. Our use of Indian tactics inflicted numerous casualties upon the British, but if did not win battles. It wasn't until the Continental Army, and to a lesser degree, the militia, mastered the art of 18th century warfare - - - standing in ranks and trading volleys and finally capturing the battle field at bayonet point, did we start winning battles. With the loss of one third of their men, the British never forgot the lessons learned at Bunker Hill. They were always cautious about attacking Americans when in fortified positions. But, by the later stages of the war, the lines of the blue clad, battle hardened, American Continentals also struck terror in their hearts.
 * Content Notes **
 * Tactics**

Linear tactics remained the rule through­ out the nineteenth and the first part of the twentieth centuries. The mass carnage caused by the invention of the machine gun in World War I forced these time honored tactics to change. The concept of linear tactics is counterintuitive. It is almost ridiculous that two armies would face one another at less than a hundred yards in tight formations, three ranks deep, firing volley after volley. As they shot, they moved closer together, often closing the fight with a bayonet charge as one force drove the other from the field. Clumped, the soldiers seemingly offered their foes a classic “sitting duck” target. But this was true of both sides. Why then did eighteenth-century armies adopt such tactics? American officers with prior military experience had learned the art of warfare under British commanders in the French and Indian War and other North American actions. Certainly, this was true of George Washington and many of his staff. Others, including Horatio Gates, were Englishmen who had served in the British army. When these men studied the art of warfare, they naturally were drawn to the writings of British tacticians and historians. The American foe of the Revolution had once been comrade and teacher. But that just puts the question at one remove. The answer is in the arms the armies used. The smoothbore military musket—the English version came to be known as the Brown Bess—is often maligned for inaccuracy, though the weapon was true enough at short range, say less than eighty yards. Yet accuracy was not at all the issue. Rate of fire, with companies firing in volley, gave muskets their military advantage. A well-drilled company could load and fire in unison at least four times a minute, and some seasoned units probably did better. No soldier aimed his weapon at any single adversary. He “presented” his weapon straight ahead, or obliquely to the right or left, at the command of his officers, and fired in unison with his company as rapidly as possible. As a modern historian has written, “Speed was everything. Speed for the defending force to pour as many bullets into the attacking force as possible; speed for the attacking force to close with its adversary before it had been too severely decimated to have sufficient strength to carry the position. . . .” Linear positioning and rapid volleys explain the significance of the contributions to the American cause of Baron Friedrich von Steuben. Joining Washington’s regulars in their winter encampment at Valley Forge in February 1778, the German baron somewhat simplified the British manual of arms and used the new manual to drill the Continental force relentlessly and effectively in rapid loading and firing of the musket. He improved their battlefield maneuverability, too. Historian Douglas Southall Freeman called von Steuben the “first teacher” of the American army. Rapidity of fire—sending constant, coordinated volleys in the direction of the enemy—was infinitely more important than the accuracy of any individual’s musket. Such firepower was hard to achieve unless the men were arrayed in open terrain and organized by company. So much for rocks and trees. What about those rifles? These formidable firearms had been in use for about a hundred years before the Revolution, and they were plentiful in the southern and middle colonies, though relatively rare in New England. True enough, they were more accurate and effective at greater distances, several hundred yards, than were military muskets. But accuracy came at a price: rifles took too long to load. A minute or more was needed to tightly “patch” the ball and carefully ram it down the barrel to engage the rifled grooves that spun the ball and gave it true trajectory. Moreover, unlike the riflemen, musketmen did not carry the powder horns used in the time-consuming measurement of powder for each charge. A musket’s charge, along with the ball, was measured and encased in a paper cartridge. The wrapper served as the ball’s wadding when it was quickly, though loosely, thrown down the barrel and pushed home with the rammer. The comparative sluggishness of reloading a rifle rendered it unsatisfactory for linear military tactics. Interpreter Dale Smoot says during his Magazine presentations, “Rifles are fine weapons for shooting at things that don’t shoot back—like deer.” There was another problem with rifles and, indeed, all civilian long arms of the period. They were not fashioned to accommodate bayonets, an essential weapon of eighteenth-century infantry. Regular forces moved into lines of battle with bayonets fixed. Military bayonets were offset from the muzzle to permit loading and firing with the bayonets in place, always ready for a charge to force the enemy from the field. Civilian weapons might be equipped with plug bayonets, essentially knives with wooden plugs to be inserted into the barrel of the firearm, rendering it incapable of firing.
 * Linear Tactics/guns **

The American colonies had both strengths and weaknesses in terms of undertaking a revolution. The colonial population of well over two million was nearly one third of that in Britain (McCusker and Menard, 1985). The growth in the colonial economy had generated a remarkably high level of per capita wealth and income (Jones, 1980). Yet the hurdles confronting the Americans in achieving independence were indeed formidable. The British military had an array of advantages. With virtual control of the Atlantic its navy could attack anywhere along the American coast at will and would have borne logistical support for the army without much interference. A large core of experienced officers commanded a highly disciplined and well-drilled army in the large-unit tactics of eighteenth century European warfare. By these measures the American military would have great difficulty in defeating the British. Its navy was small. The Continental Army had relatively few officers proficient in large-unit military tactics. Lacking both the numbers and the discipline of its adversary the American army was unlikely to be able to meet the British army on equal terms on the battlefield (Higginbotham, 1977). In addition, the British were in a better position than the Americans to finance a war. A tax system was in place that had provided substantial revenue during previous colonial wars. Also for a variety of reasons the government had acquired an exceptional capacity to generate debt to fund wartime expenses (North and Weingast, 1989). For the Continental Congress the situation was much different. After declaring independence Congress had set about defining the institutional relationship between it and the former colonies. The powers granted to Congress were established under the Articles of Confederation. Reflecting the political environment neither the power to tax nor the power to regulate commerce was given to Congress. Having no tax system to generate revenue also made it very difficult to borrow money. According to the Articles the states were to make voluntary payments to Congress for its war efforts. This precarious revenue system was to hamper funding by Congress throughout the war (Baack, 2001). It was within these military and financial constraints that the war strategies by the British and the Americans were developed. In terms of military strategies both of the contestants realized that America was simply too large for the British army to occupy all of the cities and countryside. This being the case the British decided initially that they would try to impose a naval blockade and capture major American seaports. Having already occupied Boston, the British during 1776 and 1777 took New York, Newport, and Philadelphia. With plenty of room to maneuver his forces and unable to match those of the British, George Washington chose to engage in a war of attrition. The purpose was twofold. First, by not engaging in an all out offensive Washington reduced the probability of losing his army. Second, over time the British might tire of the war. Frustrated without a conclusive victory, the British altered their strategy. During 1777 a plan was devised to cut off New England from the rest of the colonies, contain the Continental Army, and then defeat it. An army was assembled in Canada under the command of General Burgoyne and then sent to and down along the Hudson River. It was to link up with an army sent from New York City. Unfortunately for the British the plan totally unraveled as in October Burgoyne's army was defeated at the battle of Saratoga and forced to surrender (Ketchum, 1997). With the victory at Saratoga the military side of the war had improved considerably for the Americans. However, the financial situation was seriously deteriorating. The states to this point had made no voluntary payments to Congress. At the same time the continental currency had to compete with a variety of other currencies for resources. The states were issuing their own individual currencies to help finance expenditures. Moreover the British in an effort to destroy the funding system of the Continental Congress had undertaken a covert program of counterfeiting the Continental dollar. These dollars were printed and then distributed throughout the former colonies by the British army and agents loyal to the Crown (Newman, 1957). Altogether this expansion of the nominal money supply in the colonies led to a rapid depreciation of the Continental dollar (Calomiris, 1988, Michener, 1988). Furthermore, inflation may have been enhanced by any negative impact upon output resulting from the disruption of markets along with the destruction of property and loss of able-bodied men (Buel, 1998). By the end of 1777 inflation had reduced the specie value of the Continental to about twenty percent of what it had been when originally issued. This rapid decline in value was becoming a serious problem for Congress in that up to this point almost ninety percent of its revenue had been generated from currency emissions.
 * British Military Advantages**
 * British Financial Advantages **
 * Military and Financial Factors Determine Strategy **
 * Saratoga **
 * The American Financial Situation Deteriorates **

After 75 yards it was very hard for a soldier to deliberately hit a man sized target. To compensate for inaccurate shooting, the men fired volleys, sending a mass of balls toward the enemy, some of which should hit. In order to fire volleys in unison, they formed into units of two or three ranks (lines) deep, shoulder to shoulder. The unit would operate like a machine, lead by an officer (assisted by his non -coms), who would give the orders to load, fire and maneuver. Units could turn their lines, form into columns or squares, advance or turn about at the direction of their officers. Early in the war, the Americans did not have a universal system. Each state or even regiment had their own, making command by generals harder. The Americans also did not practice large unit -Brigade or larger- drills early in the war.The tactics of the day called for each unit to form next to it's neighbor, forming a line across the battlefield. ( not necessarily a straight line, or an unbroken one.) They would both defend and attack in these formations, which gives them the name of linear tactics.The tactics were not designed to shoot down the enemy until he gave way, but to break up his organized lines so that your side could then march forward, in cohesive, organized and linear fashion, and charge with the bayonet. A disorganized unit can not stand against an organized bayonet charge. Each unit tried to break the unity of the enemy formation so it could charge with the bayonet. Charged units, if not able to organize themselves, would give way if possible- or die spitted.Muskets could be fired as fast as every 15 seconds., or 45 shots per minute. It took a sense of timing to be able to drive a charge home while the enemy was reloading and unable to fire and break up your lines.Rifles, while much more accurate than muskets, also were loaded much slower. It would take almost 30 seconds, and sometimes a minute or more, to reload a rifle. In that time they were often charged with the bayonet, and since rifles were not equipped with bayonets, riflemen usually had to yield to musketmen.Early in the war, the Americans had a shortage of bayonets. When France joined the war, they supplied muskets with bayonets, and the other accutrements- uniforms, cartridge boxes, etc, alleviating the Americans shortage of arms and bayonets. The French provided a hundred thousand muskets and bayonets during the war. Cannon were considered the queens of the battlefield. Infantry unsupported by cannon usually lost if the enemy had cannon. American Militia units were known for not standing up against British units with cannon support, since they rarely had any of their own. 3 lb cannon at fort lee || The Muzzleloading cannon used were smoothbores, and smaller than used in later wars. Most were 3, 4 or 6 pound guns, mounted on wooden carriages with large wheels. Some 3 pound guns had iron legs to stand on and were called "grasshoppers". Larger guns of 12 pounds were sometimes used in the field, and even larger guns were mounted in fortifications and ships. The cannon fired either solid ball, various small shot, or sometimes shells. Shells are a hollow iron ball filled with blackpowder and fitted with a fuse. The shot used could be buckshot, musket balls or grape shot, which are larger iron or lead balls about 1 inch in diameter.Cannon had a range of several hundred yards. A 3 pounder ranged about 800 yards with solid shot, and 2 hundred yards with grape shot, maximum. At close range, loaded with shot, it could destroy an enemy company.It is a myth that the Americans won by using cover, while the dumb British stood in the open in ranks to be shot by the hidden Americans. Both sides fought primarily in the open, in formation. When von Stueben took over training at Valley Forge, he put a single standard and methodology into the American army, so they could work better together. They then became a match for the British on the open ground in every respect. The Americans had been hampered by various methods and commands of maneuver, with little large scale drill. Von Stueben changed that, setting a single standard and training the army to use it, and the Americans proved their ability to use these techniques at the [|Battle of Monmouth]. Instead of a regimental way, or state way, there was only the ARMY way. One method, one way to issue the order.Certainly on occasion the Americans used cover, hiding behind trees and rock walls. The start of the war at Lexington and Concord is a prime example, and the [|New Jersey Militia], used it well also, both being examples of partisan warfare. Most battles of armies were fought using linear tactics. Even most partizan battles were fought using some form of linear tactics- they would fire volleys, and often stood in lines. Both sides used cover when they could. The slow rate of fire made manuever important, so units fought and moved in lines, even in woods, so they could protect against bayonet charges. Eighteenth-century European warfare adhered to conventional means. Nations went to war assuming that their enemies would observe unspoken protocols. For example, European armies refrained from targeting officers. This framework provided the backdrop for Great Britain's entry into the American Revolutionary War. However, the British soon discovered that the Americans held little respect for conventional warfare. Many Patriot military commanders fought with unconventional or guerrilla-style tactics. This blatant disregard for the conventions of European military operations significantly impacted the art of war in North America and throughout the world. This research project will focus on the unconventional military tactics employed by Patriot leaders during the American Revolutionary War. Using a case-study approach, I will identify specific battles in which unconventional tactics were used and then evaluate each to determine its impact on the development of military tactics in general. In addition to evaluating particular battles, I will examine five American commanders—Daniel Morgan, Francis Marion, Horatio Gates, Nathanael Greene, and George Washington. This combined approach will produce enough examples to portray a wide array of tactics while remaining concise and manageable. George Washington, Commander of the Continental Army, will be the crucial commander in this research. He lost several battles, and many of his operations proved ineffective. However, once Washington forsook his reliance on more traditional European-style tactics, he became a more effective leader. Key battles like Trenton and Princeton kept the British off-balance, motivated Continental soldiers, enhanced Patriot recruitment, and set the stage for an ultimate American victory.
 * Muskets**
 * Canons **
 * [[image:file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMarcy%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_image001.jpg width="216" height="131" caption="3 lb cannon at fort lee"]] ||
 * Officers**
 * Reflection: **