The Battle of Oriskany: "Blood Shed a Stream Running Down" (Teaching with Historic Places)

This lesson is part of the National Park Service’s Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) program.


For hundreds of years, central and western New York had been inhabited by the six member nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. During the colonial period the French, the Dutch, and the British coveted its strategic location along an important fur trade route. The Mohawk Valley's rich farmland also yielded great quantities of food, and the land attracted European settlers. By the time of the Revolutionary War, Dutch, German, Irish, Scotch, and British settlers prospered from lucrative trade and productive farms.

Yet the whole area suffered from long-established prejudices and hatred between groups and individuals. When war broke out, European Americans and American Indians fought each other for control of New York's political power, land, and commerce. No episode better captures the brutal civil war in the Mohawk Valley than the Battle of Oriskany on August 6, 1777, where neighbor fighting neighbor transformed a quiet ravine into a bloody slaughterhouse.

Essential Question

What were the consequences of the the Battle of Oriskany for both European Americans and American Indians?

Objective

1. To evaluate the decisions several New Yorkers made about which side to support during the Revolutionary War.
2. To analyze the Battle of Oriskany to determine whether the Tories or the Rebels won the battle.
3. To determine what effects the Battle of Oriskany had on the American Revolution as a whole and on the subsequent history of the region.
4. To apply the historic lessons of Oriskany and Central New York to contemporary issues in their own community.

Background

Time Period: Late 18th century
Topics: The lesson could be used in US history, social studies, and geography courses in units on the Revolutionary War and American Indian history. It also could be used in courses on conflict resolution, cultural diversity, and art.

Full Lesson Plan