Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Who were the major figures involved in the American Revolution? Who were the political leaders, and who were the military leaders? Was there any overlap between political and military leaders? How might the military influence politics, and vice versa?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be beneficial to assign specific leaders to students. Readers might focus not only on leaders who are discussed in the book, such as George Washington, but also on leaders who are not, such as Alexander Hamilton. Discussion on leaders in the book will help to supply context on the backgrounds and accomplishments of these leaders, while focusing on other leaders will help to provide context on events and figures outside of George Washington’s campaigns.

• “People of the American Revolution” – This site from the National Park Service provides a list of people involved in the American Revolution. Some of them are less well-known; assigning an unfamiliar figure might serve as a challenge for advanced students.
• “8 Key Figures from the Revolutionary War” – This site from Norwich University in Vermont provides a list of both political and military leaders.