Women of the American Revolution
Guiding Question: How does art function as historical memory?
Big Idea: Art as Historical Expression
History persists in art. Women of the American Revolution–including Abigail Adams, Deborah Sampson, Mercy Otis Warren, and Penelope Barker–were memorialized for their actions in different ways through art, popular culture, and memory. The representations of these women tell us about their passions as well as offer insight into the way women in American History were viewed during their time and in culture immediately after.
Students will be able to identify each woman and her relationship to the American Revolution and create a reader’s theater style skit imagining a conversation they might have about what the world knows about them today.
2 45-minute sessions
- Students will be able to identify four women related to the Revolutionary War and early American history.
- Students will be able to utilize primary resources related to the American Revolution to discuss these four women.
- Students will be able to synthesize primary sources and previous knowledge to create a skit imagining a conversation between two of these four women.
Students should have an introductory understanding of the American Revolution, the leading causes and the major male historical figures involved. They should have a basic understanding of events such as the 2nd Continental Congress and The Boston Tea Party.
- Women’s History Biography of Abigail Adams: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/abigail-adams
- Women’s History Biography of Penelope Barker: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/penelope-barker
- Women’s History Biography of Deborah Sampson: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/deborah-sampson
- Women’s History Biography of Mercy Otis Warren: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/mercy-otis-warren
- Letter from Abigail Adams: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/abigail-adams-john-adams-remember-ladies?ms=googlegrant
- Painting, Abigail Adams Supervising the Hanging of the Wash in the East Room, https://www.whitehousehistory.org/photos/fotoware?id=DE9C443A64A24D97%20AD70C0C6937C9B3F
- Letter from Mercy Otis Warren: https://www.masshist.org/database/3373?ft=Correspondence%20of%20Mercy%20Otis%20Warren%20and%20Hannah%20Winthrop&from=/features/warren-winthrop&noalt=1
- Untold History Video of Mercy Otis Warren: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg2d9N9Ka1Y
- Engraving of Deborah Sampson: https://www.loc.gov/item/2002725275/
- Print of Deborah Sampson and George Washington: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002698474/
- Copy of the Edenton Resolves: https://www.ncpedia.org/media/image/edenton-north-carolina
- Cartoon of Penelope Barker: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/heritage_floor/penelope_barker
- Exit Ticket 1 Resource: https://www.loc.gov/resource/ds.14880/.
- Warm Up 2 Resource: https://d1y822qhq55g6.cloudfront.net/pdfs/Forged-by-Fire-Play_Script.pdf
- Exit Ticket 2 Resource: https://www.loc.gov/item/97515166/
- Note Taking Sheets inspired by the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources “Observe-Reflect-Question” tool. Learn more about facilitating this strategy here: https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/teachers/getting-started-with-primary-sources/documents/Analyzing_Primary_Sources.pdf
Primary Source Analysis
Warm Up 1:
The teacher will lead the class in a discussion of representations of historical figures in pop culture. Who can they think of? Where did they see that representation in film, a book, on TV, in music, a musical, etc.? What did you learn from that representation? What questions did it raise? Are all of these representations 100% accurate?
Perhaps utilize this clip, a trailer for the film of the Hamilton Musical, and discuss from there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSCKfXpAGHc
Activity 1:
Group students into small groups of no more than 4 and assign each group 2 of the women featured in this lesson. Mix and match as needed. Each group should have a copy of the written biographies of each woman, a printed copy of the primary source or an electronic device to access the resources.
Each group will begin by reading the biographies of their women and taking initial notes–perhaps on a pre-provided page that includes a time frame, basic information, their role in the Revolution, and their “argument” or passion.
Students will then look at primary source 1 for each woman, a more traditional source or something related directly to the woman. They will discuss what elements of that primary source support the details from the written biography. They will highlight or underline any direct quotes from the women featured in either resource. Utilize the notetaking document provided to facilitate this process or another preferred notetaking method.
Students will then look at primary source 2, which relates more to cultural representations of these women and take notes. What about this source supports the written biography? What is added? What questions does it raise? Is it a positive or negative connotation? Utilize the notetaking document provided to facilitate this process or another preferred notetaking method.
Exit Ticket 1:
Show this print to the students: https://www.loc.gov/resource/ds.14880/
Each group member will write a “Tweet” or “Instagram caption” from the point of View of someone they notice in each primary source in response to the primary source print and provide a one sentence explanation of why that woman may have felt that way using evidence from the primary source itself.
Reader’s Theater Style Skit
Warm Up 2:
The teacher will lead the class in a refresher of what was learned from the previous activity session. They will read Page 1 and 2 of a reader’s theater style skit created by the White House Historical Association about the burning of the White House in 1814.
Resource: https://d1y822qhq55g6.cloudfront.net/pdfs/Forged-by-Fire-Play_Script.pdf
Have students discuss what they thought about the play–what stood out to them? How was it written? What was not included?
Activity 2:
The students will begin in their small groups discussing their initial notes on their women’s biographies and their primary sources. They will discuss their exit ticket responses within their small groups–why did the woman respond that way? What shapes the way she thinks?
Students will review previously underlined elements of the written biography that stand out to them. Together in their small groups, they will choose a setting from the prepared list of options as a setting for their skit.
Setting 1: Two women of the American Revolution have traveled through time and are getting ready to vote for the first time.
Setting 2: Two women of the American Revolution are having a discussion about how a history textbook doesn’t mention them at all.
Setting 3: Two women of the American Revolution are looking at a unique or interesting portrait of themselves in a museum.
Students will take turns crafting dialogue for this skit until they have at least one page of dialogue or six lines from each woman. They will reference one or both primary sources and the written biography to support the conversation.
Students will pass their dialogue to another group and then read them aloud to the group as time allows. If time does not allow, the teacher will have 1-3 groups read them allowed in front of the class.
Students will identify which characters represent which women and how they recognize that based on the previously provided primary and secondary sources.
Exit Ticket 2:
Students will view this primary source and write down three things they notice about the artwork and three questions they have about the source, and one thing the women they studied may have thought about this source. Primary source: https://www.loc.gov/item/97515166/
Exit Ticket: An Exit Ticket at the end of each session that ties to evaluation of primary sources and representations of women in historical cultural representation.
Additional homework as necessary: Ask each member of each group to write 6 more lines of dialogue for the women in their group.
- DocsTeach Primary Sources Analysis Documents: https://docsteach.org/tools/analyzing-documents
- Women of the American Revolution Colonial Williamsburg Virtual Field Trip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t90HZsjWnHQ
- WHHA & Untold Video on the Burning of the White House: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/videos/the-burning-of-the-white-house
- “Abigail Adams: First Lady of the American Revolution” by Patricia Lakin, illustrated by Bob Dacey and Debra Bandelin.
- “Who was Abigail Adams?” by True Kelly, illustrated by John O’Brien.
- “Cloaked in Courage: Uncovering Deborah Sampson, Patriot Soldier” by Beth Anderson, illustrated by Anne Lambelet.
- “Within Our Power: The Story of the Edenton Ladies’ Tea Party” by Sally Walker, illustrated by Jonathan D. Voss.
- “Dolley Madison, the White House, and the Big Tornado” by Alice Boynton and Wiley Blevins, illustrated by Massimiliano di Lauro.
- “Write on Mercy: The Secret Life of Mercy Otis Warren” by Gretchen Woelfle, illustrated by Alexandra Wallner.
C3 Standards:
- D2.His.9.3-5. Summarize how different kinds of historical sources are used to explain events in the past.
- D2.His.12.3-5. Generate questions about multiple historical sources and their relationships to particular historical events and developments.
- D3.3.3-5. Identify evidence that draws information from multiple sources in response to compelling questions.
This biography is sponsored in part by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Eastern Region Program, coordinated by Waynesburg University. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.
For further information or questions, please contact history@womenshistory.org.