University of North Dakota UND Scholarly Commons Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects January 2018 Tactical Implementation Of Strategic Guidance During The American Revolutionary War: Pedagogical Application For Classroom Use Ryan Menath Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.und.edu/theses Recommended Citation Menath, Ryan, "Tactical Implementation Of Strategic Guidance During The American Revolutionary War: Pedagogical Application For Classroom Use" (2018). Theses and Dissertations. 2285. https://commons.und.edu/theses/2285 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects at UND Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UND Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC GUIDANCE DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR: PEDAGOGICAL APPLICATION FOR CLASSROOM USE by Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Thomas Menath Bachelor of Science, United States Air Force Academy, 2001 Master of Arts, American Military University, 2012 A Final Project Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of North Dakota in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Arts Grand Forks, North Dakota May 2018 The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. ii Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................... vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................... viii ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1 Military Theorists and Teaching Models.............................................................. 4 Defining the Terms ............................................................................................. 9 Military Jargon in History ................................................................................. 13 Levels of War Pedagogical Methodology .......................................................... 15 Chapter Layout ................................................................................................. 19 II. A BRIEF HISTORIOGRAPHY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.... 22 The Sweeping Narrative .................................................................................... 23 The Socio-Political and Economic Causes ......................................................... 26 The Military ...................................................................................................... 31 Primary Sources ................................................................................................ 34 III. PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES AND APPLICATIONS ............................ 39 The Problem of Time ........................................................................................ 43 The Problem with “Critical Thinking” ............................................................... 44 Problems and Experiences ................................................................................. 47 Gamification ..................................................................................................... 55 IV. COURSE DESCRIPTION ............................................................................ 63 Assumptions ..................................................................................................... 65 v Goals and Outcomes ......................................................................................... 67 Lessons and Readings ....................................................................................... 68 Class Timing and Materials ............................................................................... 69 Block Guides and Lesson Plans ......................................................................... 69 V. BLOCK GUIDES AND LESSON PLANS ..................................................... 72 Block Guides .................................................................................................... 72 Lesson Plans ..................................................................................................... 74 VI. BLOCK GUIDE: Part I -- Strategic Survival, 1775-1776 ............................ 79 VII. BLOCK GUIDE: Part II — Operational Assessment, 1777-1778 ............ 108 VIII. BLOCK GUIDE: Part III -- Tactical Triumph, 1779-1783 .................... 133 IX. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................ 165 BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................... 171 Primary Sources .............................................................................................. 171 Monographs .................................................................................................... 174 Articles ........................................................................................................... 180 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................. 188 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. The Threads of Continuity………………………………………….…7 2. The Spectrum of War……………………………………….…………8 3. The Levels of War……………………………………………………10 vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the Department of History, the Graduate School, and my advisory committee, specifically the chair of my committee, Dr. Ty Reese, for all of the help and guidance on this project. A Doctor of Arts has an enormous amount of moving parts that are unique to the degree, and I am eternally grateful to my committee and the department for all of the help and guidance along the way. Dr. Reese was instrumental in keeping me focused on the specific areas of my research despite my tendency to try and incorporate all facets of academia. His ability to reign in my sometimes-outlandish ideas was exactly what I needed in an advisor. Thank you. My discussions in and out of the classroom with Dr. Hans Broedel, Dr. Eric Burin, and Dr. Albert Berger were crucial to the development of my research and teaching. I am indebted to them for their unceasing advice and direction. I would also like to thank the Department of History at the Air Force Academy for sponsoring me to undertake this endeavor. Your trust in me is greatly appreciated. I look forward to helping future Air Force leaders understand the value and importance of history. My parents instilled in me a thirst for knowledge and the realization that nothing is impossible with the right work ethic. Their continuing praise has always been a source of strength. Finally, I would like to thank my wife and children. They have provided me with unceasing love and support throughout this entire process, without which I could not have completed the program. Their humor, wit, and energy inspired me throughout my time at UND, and I am humbled by their incredible patience and encouragement. viii To my wife, Thank you for all of your love and support. I could not have done this without you. ix ABSTRACT The United States Air Force Academy is a specialized institution of higher learning dedicated to producing military officers in the U.S. Air Force. Specialized graduation requirements, like a required Military History course, present the opportunity for the implementation of unique pedagogical methodologies. Further, as a technologically forward- looking branch of service designed to control air, space, and cyberspace in a contested environment, the Air Force places a premium on twenty- and twenty-first century military history. Unfortunately, pre-airpower American military history gets overshadowed compared to later conflicts to the point where cadets attending the Air Force Academy get relatively little exposure to the American Revolution. Yet the American Revolution is a well-defined war in terms of leadership and the delineation of strategy, campaigns, and battles. An in-depth examination of the Revolutionary War gives cadets the opportunity to more easily learn about warfare and military history while gaining historical research skills. A study of American Revolution historiography shows a gap in work that transitions across the three levels of war. Further, a study of modern pedagogical methods highlights innovative techniques that foster an active learning, student-centered classroom environment instead of adhering to the traditional lecture. Combining military theory with pedagogy, one can create a classroom that incorporates gamification and teaches a military history of the American Revolutionary War while preparing cadets to enter the twenty-first-century Air Force. x This study concludes with a semester-length military history course on the American Revolutionary War that includes all lesson plans and a complete syllabus. It places a high premium on briefing skills, primary source material, and a deep understanding of the levels of war. In addition, the course elucidates the fact that each level of war influences the others, and that actions at the tactical level can have a drastic effect on the