Rope Circles and Giant Trees: Making History Come Alive Robert Millward

Social Studies and the Young Learner 19 (3), pp. 15–19 ©2007 National Council for the Social Studies Rope Circles and Giant Trees: Making History Come Alive Robert Millward Every year, I dine in an imaginary hollow cottonwood tree with primary lead plates at various locations on the and intermediate students. This is how I begin a series of lessons on the French and Allegheny and Ohio River thus claim- Indian War era. Students in fourth grade through middle school can get a real feel ing the territory for France. Griffing’s for what the colonial frontier was like when I incorporate physical activity, paintings, painting helps to make the expedition artifacts, diaries and discussions into the lessons. come alive. It was this expedition that provoked great concerns among the Big Trees and 15 feet in circumference and white colonists of Virginia and Pennsylvania, I begin the first lesson by dividing the pines were often 10 feet in circumfer- since they too claimed ownership of class into four small groups. One group ence. the Ohio Valley. It was these compet- is given a 45-foot length rope and told At this point I show the students ing claims that led to The French and to make a rope circle on the floor and “We Dined in a Hollow Cottonwood Indian War. then to sit inside the circle. A second Tree,” a painting by Robert Griffing, group constructs a circle with an 18-foot which depicts people meeting inside the Items of Trade length of rope. The third group forms a hollow trunk of a giant cottonwood!1 I then introduce the students to the lives circle with a 15-foot section of rope. The The painting was inspired by one sen- of Eastern Woodland Indians and try to final group makes a circle on the floor tence from the diary of a French Jesuit overcome some of the typical Hollywood with a 12-foot rope. Priest. Father Bonnecamp accompanied stereotypes that many students have of After they make their circles on the Celoron’s expedition of more than 400 Native Americans, such as believing floor, I tell the students that 250 years French Soldiers and Ottawa Indians into that all Indians lived in tepees, wore ago, they could touch the objects that the Ohio Territory in 1749. Students feathered head dresses, and welcomed these rope circles represent. These are also amazed to learn that the huge other people with a raised hand while objects were all of the same type. Their canoes in the foreground of the paint- saying, “How.” I get students to think guesses about what the circles repre- ing could carry two tons of supplies or about life on the frontier by having them sent always generates an interesting 40 soldiers. try to make a fire using a bow drill and discussion. Some kids suggest that the Griffing does extensive research a fire stick. A bow drill is easy to make.2 ropes represent campfires, or an Indian months before starting a painting about a Then, in an outdoor demonstration, I Village, some think the circles represent historical incident. For example, he read show students how a fire can be started the size of a tepee or a council circle, the journals of Father Bonnecamp and much more quickly with a steel striker, and their ideas go on. Celoron, which gave him information which was a favorite trade item between Students are flabbergasted when they on many things, such as the appearance frontiersmen and Native Americans in learn that these rope circles represent of the Native American warriors who the early years. This activity is a perfect the actual diameter of trees that grew accompanied him, the size of the expe- introduction into the fur trade simply in the United States 250 years ago. dition and types of canoes used in the because strikers, brass kettles, vermil- Cottonwoods and sycamores were often expedition, as well as the daily events lion, glass beads, trade shirts, blankets, 45 feet in circumference, black walnut of the journey. Most history texts, how- and jewelry were all commonly items and oak trees were often 18 feet in cir- ever, only focus on Celoron’s purpose that were exchanged for beaver pelts. cumference, maples stood 200 feet high for the expedition, which was to bury continued on page 18 This journal’s center spread, pages 16 and 17, shows the painting “We Dined in a Hollow Cottonwood Tree” by Robert Griffing. After removing the pullout, you can view the entire painting at a glance. Copyright © 2003. January/February 2007 15 ROPE CIRCLES from page 15 by choosing two students to represent a close their eyes to imagine the tall trees fur trader and his partner. I assign them and shadowy forest floor, which is dim The trade dramatically changed the actual names such as John Frasier or even at noon. life style of the Shawnee, Delaware, Barney Currin, since both men were The next question relates directly to Wyandot, Seneca, Mingo, and other experienced frontier fur traders. The economics: How much would such a Eastern Woodland clans. remaining members of the class then pack train be worth in today’s currency? Paintings help to tell how the fur form a line around the perimeter of After they have a chance to speculate trade had a dramatic impact on the the room with John Frasier standing in on the answer they are amazed to learn life of Eastern Woodland Indians. For front, while his partner Barney stands at that a typical pack train could be worth example, I often show several paintings the rear. The students represent a typi- $100,000.00 (in current dollars) and that depict Eastern Woodland Indians cal 20-horse pack train loaded. Once they find this amount unbelievable.4 on the trail, in villages, or prior to loaded with trade goods, these horses The trip from the warehouse in Carlisle battle. I ask students to see if they can or mules begin a 200-mile journey from to the Ohio Valley often took 20 days determine whether a painting depicts Carlisle, Pennsylvania, into the Ohio or longer. Fur traders spent another 30 an Eastern Woodland tribe prior to or frontier. Students are amazed at what days traveling from village to village, after the arrival of fur traders. Students these horses carried: Blankets, sugar, trading their merchandise for beaver soon realize that cloth leggings, silver scissors, jewelry, tobacco, vermillion, pelts and other animal skins. When armbands, cloth shirts, steel knives, hatchets, guns, lead, awls, files, ribbons, they finally traded all their merchan- rifles, vermillion, and beaded neck thread, string, rope, beads, and shirts, dise, they would begin their return back bands represent trade items that were to name just a few of the items. (I often to Carlisle. Now the horses would be brought to their villages by fur trad- bring samples of many of these items loaded with beaver pelts and deerskins. ers. These traders used packhorses to to class) The value of the pack train on the return carry trade goods into the woods and I then pose a question: “If only half trip could be $200,000.00 or more to transport out the valuable beaver of the horses are carrying trade goods, (in current dollars). The approximate pelts and deerskins. Questions about what are the other horses carrying?” profit from the venture equals this total ProDUCTioN, DisTriBUTioN, and After lots of guessing (as well as some income minus the value of materials on CONSUMPTioN and about CULTUre clues that I provide), the students fig- the original outbound pack train. arise naturally in this discussion. ure out that the remaining horses are Competition and Hostilities carrying food-oats and corn, because Sometimes I will start this lesson with Beaver Pelts and Global Trade almost no grass grows on the forest floor. the question: “How could a beaver To help students to understand the eco- The giant green canopy of the mature start a war?” Kids love to try to solve nomic impact of the fur trade on Native Pennsylvania forest, not yet exploited this question. After they learn about Americans in the 1750s, I developed by loggers captures most of the sunlight the economics behind a single pack a lesson to depict a pack train. I start before it reaches the ground. Students train and then learn that often there ACTIVITY It’s April 1753, John Frazier and Barney Currin, along with Just after supper, a chill shoots up Frazier’s back as he 18 packhorses, are following a very narrow Indian path in spots small puffs of smoke, coming from a campfire, in the the backwoods of Pennsylvania. Luck has been with them far off mountain valley. on this trip, so far. Their mules are healthy and none have “Who’s out there,” whispers Barney. Frazier could tell by gotten lost during the 50-day trek through the dark and Barney’s anxious gaze that he feared the worst. dreary Pennsylvania forest. “Easy does it now, let’s sneak over yonder,” Frazier mur- The pack train is homeward bound. Fourteen mules are mured, “We’re going to creep along this ridge and see heavily loaded with beaver pelts and deerskins that they who’s making that smoke.” With rifles in hand, they slowly traded with the Shawnee, and three carry the remaining inch their way around boulders and giant trees and steadily food supplies for the men and mules. One mule with a approach the distant campfire. lame hoof carries nothing. The Shawnee were glad to exchange their furs for …(Work with a partner to develop an exciting finish to Frazier’s trade goods that included knives, tomahawks, this story).

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