Last updated: March 15, 2023
Lesson Plan
Life at Fort Stanwix
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- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
- Common Core Standards:
- 3.RI.1, 3.RI.2, 3.RI.3, 3.RI.8, 4.RI.3, 4.RI.7, 4.RI.9, 5.RI.1, 5.RI.7, 5.RI.9, 6.RI.1, 6.RI.3, 3.RL.1, 5.RL.1
Essential Question
What was life like at the historic Fort Stanwix for a soldier in the Continental Army and the many others who lived there while fighting in the American Revolution.
Objective
At the end of this virtual tour, students will be able to describe the different roles that were filled to support the Continental Army at Fort Stanwix during the American Revolution and what would have happened had they not worked together.
Background
The historic Fort Stanwix was located at the Oneida Carrying Place, a strategic portage known by the Oneida as ”The Great Carry”. Fort Stanwix was constructed by the British in 1758 to replace five smaller forts built in the area during the French and Indian War.
Preparation
After clicking the link below, you will be taking a virtual field trip to Fort Stanwix National Monument. Located in present-day Rome, NY the fort was originally built by the British in 1758 to protect an important area called the Oneida Carrying Place from the French. Known as “the fort that never surrendered,” Fort Stanwix, under the command of Col. Peter Gansevoort, successfully repelled a prolonged siege in August 1777 by British, German, Loyalist, Canadian, and American Indian troops and warriors commanded by British Gen. Barry St. Leger. The failed siege combined with the battles at Oriskany, Bennington, and Saratoga thwarted a coordinated effort by the British in 1777, under the leadership of Gen. John Burgoyne, to take the northern colonies, and led to American alliances with France and the Netherlands. Troops from Fort Stanwix also participated in the 1779 Clinton-Sullivan Campaign and protected America’s northwest frontier from British campaigns until the fort was abandoned in 1781.
Link to the virtual tour: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=aSCa1YQymVH
Procedure
As you take the tour of Fort Stanwix, there is much to see. Overlaid on the 360° images are interactive icons you can hover over that will provide you with information about the Fort and the objects within. Circles on the floor will allow you to move around from room to room, up and down stairs, and even through doors to the outside of the Fort. Use your mouse to zoom in and get a closer look at the fort. During your exploration consider what life was like as an officer, soldier, trader, American Indian, or others living at or visiting the Fort in the late 1700s.
Vocabulary
American Revolution — the war in which Great Britain’s 13 North American colonies won their independence. The colonies became a new country, the United States. The Revolution began in 1775 and ended in 1783.
Barracks — a building or group of buildings used to house soldiers.
Bastion — a projecting part of a fortification built at an angle to the line of a wall, to allow defensive fire in several directions.
Blacksmith — a person who makes and repairs things in iron by hand.
Carpenter — a person who makes and repairs wooden objects and structures.
Craftsmen — a person who is skilled in a particular craft.
Oneida Carrying Place — an important link in the main 18th century trade route between the Atlantic seaboard of North America and interior of the continent located between Wood Creek and Mohawk River within present-day Rome, NY.
Siege — a military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling the surrender of those inside.
Suttler — a person who followed an army and sold provisions to the soldiers.
Enrichment Activities
Check out the following pages to watch more videos related to daily life at the historic Fort Stanwix.
Related Lessons or Education Materials
The stories of other people in the fort's garrison (or "community) can be found on the following page of the Fort Stanwix National Monument website.
Discover the stories behind the items they left behind in the Curious Collections of Fort Stanwix series.