This map details the positions taken by the British army under General Burgoyne and the American Army under General Gates at the Battle of Saratoga in New York on Oct. 10, 1777. The British Army surrendered on Oct. 16, 1777, marking the first great American victory of the Revolutionary War. Saratoga is considered a turning point in the American War for Independence, both for the American victory and the introduction of French forces who allied with the Americans following the battle.
Isaac A. Chapman drew this map from an original sketch taken by an American officer.
This source meets the 4.09 and 8.20 Tennessee social studies requirements.
1) What geographical features can you identify on the map? How do you think these features would affect the planning and execution of the Battle of Saratoga?
2) Who created this map, and on what was it based? How do you think this map compares to the original item on which it was based?
3) Where on the map can you identify groups of British and American soldiers? How did their location affect them in battle?
4) Imagine you are a British or American soldier at the Battle of Saratoga. What sights, smells and sounds would you experience? How would those experiences affect you?
5) What is the significance of the Battle of Saratoga? How did it affect the American War for Independence?
Visit our website for more primary sources on this era of history, Colonial America and the War for Independence.
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Civics Essay Contest
The Civics Essay Contest is a writing contest for Tennessee students in grades K-12 in public, private, or home schools to encourage students to be actively engaged citizens now and in the future. The essay contest and Student Mock Election are part of the Secretary of State’s civic engagement program.
This year’s essay contest theme is “Why Your Vote Matters.” Student winners will receive a TNStars 529 Program College Savings scholarship of $100, $250, or $500 in addition to a trip to the State Capitol.
Schools can choose two (2) essays from each grade level to submit for the contest. Essays should be typed, double spaced on 8 ½ x 11” paper. Parents may help type essays for younger grades. Essays exceeding the word limit will be automatically disqualified.
Click here for more information, including writing prompts for grade levels, deadlines, contest rules, etc.
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2022-2023 School Year DocsBox Reservations
Please visit our website for more information on making DocsBox reservations. There is NO FEE to use these DocsBoxes.
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| National History Day
National History Day is a year-long curriculum enhancement program that engages students in grades 6-12 in discovering and interpreting historical topics. Students produce dramatic performances, imaginative exhibits, multimedia documentaries, websites, and research papers based on research related to an annual theme. These projects compete at the local, state, and national levels.
The 2022-2023 competition theme is Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas. Please visit our website to explore primary sources that would be useful to your students’ projects.
In Tennessee, National History Day is organized by the Tennessee Historical Society and co-sponsored by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office and Humanities Tennessee. Click here to access the Tennessee Educators' Toolkit for 2022-2023.
Questions? Email your state coordinator, Nikki Ward, at historyday@tennesseehistory.org.
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Trailblazing Tennesseans: People Who Made History in the Volunteer StateWe are excited to announce our 2022-2023 teacher workshop series, Trailblazing Tennesseans: People Who Made History in the Volunteer State. This workshop series will feature activities and primary sources corresponding to the Tennessee Social Studies Standards.
Visit our website for registration information.
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Tennessee Council for History Education Conference 2022The Tennessee Council for History Education will offer an in-person conference in 2022. “Visualizing History: How to Better Engage Students in the Post-Pandemic Classroom” will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at the Scarritt Bennett Center in Nashville. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Kristy Brugar from the University of Oklahoma, whose talk is titled “What Am I Looking At?: Visual Materials, Complexity, and History Education.”
For more information and to register, visit the TNCHE website at www.tnche.com.
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Discover Tennessee History will offer a seven-part webinar series for the 2022-2023 school year. Each month, from September 2022 to March 2023, one of our partner organizations will offer a one-hour session exploring topics in Tennessee history with related primary sources and educational resources that can be used with your students.
Recordings of this series and last year's series are available. PD credit can be earned for each session.
To register for the 2022-2023 webinars, please complete this form.
Session 1 - Sept. 13, 2022
Discover Tennessee History Day
Presenting Organization: Tennessee History Day/Tennessee Historical Society
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Constitution Day Constitution Day is observed each year on Sept. 17 to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution. On Sept. 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pa., delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the U.S. Constitution. Citizenship Day is celebrated each year on this date. Click here to learn a citizen's responsibilities and get a better understanding of your local and state government.
For resources to help you commemorate Constitution Day, visit the National Constitution Center.
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