Chapter 14 Stories of the American Revolution

Starting Point: Te American Revolutionary War is a inspiring collection of experiences and history by regular people who believed in the goals of liberty and gave all they had, some even their lives, to see the dream realized.

Spot Light

The stone walls of Fort Ticonderoga

Fort Ticonderoga: Fort Ticonderoga is located near to the south end of Lake Champlain in the state of New York. Te fort is star-shaped.

ADY TO R X PLO R? War? war? 135

America's Story One - interior 1st.indd 135 1/16/17 11:46 AM The Declaration of France and America The British Independence sign an alliance to unify

March 1776 February 1778

In this chapter, we are going to learn about the war that the colonies fought for their freedom from England — the American Revolution. Tis was a long war, full of heroes and tales of bravery, and it would take me a great deal longer than one or two chapters to tell you about it all. Instead of giving you a large number of names, dates, and battle information, I am going to tell you the story of only a few of the most important people and their brave deeds. As you remember from our last chapter, the frst shot of the Revolution was fred in Lexington. Te British had gone there to capture the stores of ammunition gathered by the Patriots. Tey did not succeed, for the brave Patriots held them of, forcing them out of Lexington. Afer the battle at Lexington, the English army marched on to Concord. Again, they planned to capture the stockpile of ammunitions there, and again they failed, for the American soldiers, who had beaten them there had hidden most of the ammunition in the woods. From all over the colonies, men laid down their tools of trade and picked up their weapons, ready to fght for freedom. Te British, who had thought they would have an easy time, were surprised by the fghting spirit of these colonists! Te English soldiers, who had marched on Lexington and Concord, now turned to march back to Boston. Tey had a hard time of it though, for along the way American soldiers hid and ambushed them, “Indian style.” By the time the remaining British troops reached Boston, they were being chased by twenty thousand American militiamen. I wonder if those British soldiers felt like bear cubs that had awakened a giant nest of swarming bees! It was during this time that the leaders of the colonies, the , were meeting to appoint a commander in chief for what was now being called the Continental Army. Tey chose George Washington. Brave Mr. Washington is a bit older than he was in our last encounter; he had spent the last 17 years running his plantation and helping the . Shortly aferward, the American spy network learned the British were trying to fortify their control in Boston by sending troops out into the hills around the city. Te Americans beat them to it and set up battle lines throughout the hills. What followed was to become the famous Battle of Bunker Hill. It took three attacks from the British to knock the Continental Army back, and it would never 136 The Batle of Lexington

America's Story One - interior 1st.indd 136 1/16/17 11:46 AM have happened at all except the Americans ran out of gunpowder. Many more British soldiers than American soldiers were killed that day. Even though they won the Battle of Bunker Hill, the British were starting to understand that this war was not going to be as easy as they had thought it would be to win. General George Washington was busy training his men. Te farmers and other tradesmen who had flled the ranks of the The Death of General Warren voluntary colonial militia, were now ftted at the Batle of Bunker’s Hill for uniforms and being trained in ways of battle. General Washington was a fne man who loved God and his country, and he was a great general. He put a plan into action to regain control of Boston and its harbor. One night, he ordered his men to quietly station themselves and their cannons on the hills looking down on Boston. Te unsuspecting British, who were occupying the city, awoke to a rather unpleasant surprise! It would be rather unsettling to wake up to an army and cannons surrounding your town. Te British had the battle of Bunker Hill fresh in their memories and decided to leave Boston without a fght. Afer leaving Boston, the British came with a bigger army to New York. Teir plan was to seize the northern colonies along with the bigger cities of New York and . Tey thought if they could do this, the other colonies’ resistance would crumble. General Washington met the British army at New York, but the smaller American army could not hold of the determined English forces, and Washington and his army were forced to fee through New Jersey. Tis was very discouraging for the American army. Te year afer that, the British again defeated the American army and took control of Philadelphia. Te king of England was thrilled to see the American front crumbling to his soldiers. Surely these stubborn colonists would not be able to withstand for long and would soon give up! What was the American response to this? Mr. Tomas Jeferson was appointed to write something very important. Do you remember what it was? Yes, the Declaration of Independence was written in 1776. It was July 4, 1776, when the Congress adopted the declaration. Te Americans may not have won those battles, but the war was not over yet. Determination and celebration flled the streets of Boston and other towns throughout the colonies. People came together to celebrate the freedom they knew was worth fghting for. Te Liberty Bell rang strong and clear as the people celebrated together.

137

America's Story One - interior 1st.indd 137 1/16/17 11:46 AM Are you starting to see how the puzzle pieces are ftting together now? Let’s take a few minutes to look at the “American Revolution Timeline” in your Student’s Journal. Take the time right now to review what has happened so far in our “Fight for Freedom” story.

narration break Use your American Revolution Timeline to retell what has happened so far in our story of the Revolution.

Afer the Declaration of Independence was written and celebrated, the Americans took heart, and little by little started winning battles. Te frst major victory for the colonists came when General Washington and his troops secretly crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey on the day afer Christmas 1776. Tere they surprised the enemy and won the battle at Trenton. Another battle was fought and won in the upper part of New York near Saratoga. With great determination, the American army drove back the British that had marched down from Canada. A while later, Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, the brave commanders of the “Green Mountain Boys,” and militia from Massachusetts and Connecticut, took control of Fort Ticonderoga in New York. General Washington was having a rough time of it, though, and was encamped in Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. It was a bitter winter, and the men did not have enough clothes, coats, or boots to keep them warm. Troughout that terrible winter of 1777, many men died of frostbite and disease. Te dwellings they had were ramshackle and did not keep the wind from blowing through. Spirits sagged as winter dragged on and on. General Washington prayed for his men and for the cause of freedom. Finally, afer months of starving and freezing Washington Crossing the Delaware conditions, something good happened! Our old friend , who was in France at the time of these battles, heard the news about how his fellow colonists were having a hard go of it. He decided to go talk with the king of France. Of course, as we know, France and England did not get along.

138

America's Story One - interior 1st.indd 138 1/16/17 11:46 AM Te king of France saw this as an opportunity to get back at England for winning the French and Indian War and taking away so many of the French American forts and settlements. It wasn’t long before there were French reinforcements sent to General George Washington. Among the new faces were several ofcers from other countries besides France. It seemed that this revolution was catching the attention of the world. Finally, spring came and with it better health. Te days were flled with training, and the men’s spirits lifed. By early summer, the group at Valley Forge looked like diferent men. Clothes and shoes had been s e n gathered from all over the colonies to replace the ragged uniforms Jo l the men had been wearing. Te new training gave the men a new- au P found confdence. All over the colonies, hope was rising, and the fght oh n J for freedom continued on. Now I would like to tell you the story of another brave hero of the Revolution. Tis man did not fght his battles on the rolling hills or in the forest of America. His battleground was the sea. Even though America did not have a navy, John Paul Jones used whatever ships he could fnd to fght the British in the Atlantic Ocean. Many of the ships were pitiful indeed! It would take great courage to face the highly trained, world-renowned, English navy with its huge man-o-war fghting ships ftted with heavy guns and cannons. Courage was one thing these men had! Te American Navy, if that is what you could call it, was made up mostly of sailing men who used their own ships to attack the British ships bringing ammunitions and food to their army fghting in America. Tese men were called privateers. However, they did not just capture the English shipping vessels; they captured many fghting ships also. Commodore John Paul Jones was known for his bravery and knowledge of the sea and ships. It was well known that John Paul Jones would not back down from a fght easily. He was Scottish by birth and had the typical Scottish temperament, but had come to America when he was young, and considered it to be his homeland. One could fll up an entire book with stories of John Paul Jones’ adventures, for there are many! Since I cannot do that, I will tell you my favorite story of his courage and determination. I have ofen heard it said that courage is not the lack of fear, but the overcoming of it. If you never face fear, you never need courage. Our stout-hearted lads of the sea certainly had their courage tested, for time and time again they were faced with odds that were very much against them. Tis particular story about John Paul Jones certainly shows us that he faced fear with great courage. The Bonhomme Richard Commodore Jones was on the fagship of his feet. Te ship was a rotten tub of a ship that had most certainly seen its better days! John Paul had named this ship the Bonhomme Richard or the Poor Richard, afer Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac. Te feet sailed back and forth looking for an English warship to fght, but only found 139

America's Story One - interior 1st.indd 139 1/16/17 11:46 AM unarmed merchant ships. Tey soon lost interest in waylaying and capturing the goods intended for the British army stationed in America. Finally, a large feet of merchant ships was spotted, and John Paul Jones gave the orders to get closer. As they approached, the American saw that the feet of vessels was being guarded by two frigates. Te larger of the two had more than 40 guns on it. Of course, this is the one that John Paul went for! Can you just see it? Te sight of the junky, old, rotten ship chasing the strong, well-fortifed British warship must have brought laughter to the captain of the English ship. Te English warship, the Serapis, was soon shooting holes all up and down the sides of the Bonhomme Richard. Te old ship was leaking like a sieve, but John Paul was not giving up. When the captain of the English warship called out, “Have you surrendered?” John Paul gave this response, “I have not yet begun to fght!” Why would a leaking ship make John Paul surrender? He would rather go to the bottom of the sea with his ship. Jones commanded that his ship be brought so close to the enemy ship that the English gunners could not open the gun ports. He also ordered that his ship be lashed to the English ship! Te Bonhomme Richard was on fre, and water was pouring into her sides. One of the ofcers on board the ship thought for sure they were on their way down, so he freed the English prisoners they had captured earlier. Of course, the prisoners saw that they were fghting one of their own ships, and did everything possible to help the English warship. One of John Paul Jones’ men who was fghting on the rigging threw a hand grenade into an open hatch of the English warship. Te explosion cleared the deck of the English ship, and only the English captain was lef standing there. Jones took control of the English frigate, and transferred his crew onto it. Te Bonhomme Richard sank to the bottom of the sea with its fag still waving. FLEET: largest group of naval vessels under one commander, Tere were many heroes and amazing battles in the American Revolution. In our next chapter, we are going to hear the sad tale of a hero turned traitor, discover what kind of life an American soldier had, and meet some very interesting women who bravely served our country. I hope you have enjoyed today’s story of heroism. Our America is well on its way to becoming an Batle between the Bonhomme Richard and the Serapis independent country.

narration break Retell your favorite part of the story.

140

America's Story One - interior 1st.indd 140 1/16/17 11:46 AM An Historic Harbor: Boston Te natural harbor at Boston has led to the city being a center of trade since the colonial period, and it remains a popular port today. It also served as the site for the , though that was not the only resistance to the . Te Philadelphia Tea Party took place afer the townspeople had met and presented a list of resolutions in opposition to the Act. Tey met in what we now call . Teir resolutions were adopted by the people of Boston a few weeks later, which would be followed by the Boston Tea Party in December 1773. Just days later, a British ship, the Polly, tried to make it to Philadelphia to unload its cargo of tea. Stopped in the town of Chester, the townspeople made clear the consequences to the captain should he attempt to unload his cargo. He chose to take on supplies and leave without unloading his cargo.

Boston Harbor (CC BY-SA 3.0) BY-SA (CC

A chart of the harbor of Boston

141

America's Story One - interior 1st.indd 141 1/16/17 11:47 AM

broadswords. British Colonel Banastre Tarleton was noted for his many Southerners to side with the Patriots.

attacked twice before the British seized it — residents painted the (1775) promised freedom steeple of this church black to make it harder for the for the British. Thousands British to bombard. of African Americans during the war.

142

America's Story One - interior 1st.indd 142 1/16/17 11:47 AM broadswords. British Colonel Banastre Tarleton was noted for his many Southerners to side with the Patriots.

(1775) promised freedom for the British. Thousands of African Americans during the war.

143

America's Story One - interior 1st.indd 143 1/16/17 11:47 AM C ULT S URAL CONNECTION

It is interesting to note that although the United States of America, which was originally 13 English colonies, eventually won the War for Independence, the two nations have maintained a mostly friendly relationship with each other since the mid-1800s. In fact, since the 1940s, the two nations have shared a “special relationship” — a bond forged as allies against the tyrants who tried to take over the world during World War 2, which you will learn more about in a later volume. England and America share the bond of a common heritage, language, and, in many ways, a common culture.

Lancaster bombers from the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team Batle of Britain, World War II the Red Arrows, 2011

HOUGHTS T TO RMMBR male population of the colonies were considered soldiers. 2. Women and children took care of farms and plantations while men and boys were 144

America's Story One - interior 1st.indd 144 1/16/17 11:47 AM Stories of the American Revolution 14

Materials needed for this chapter: Student Activity Pages Pencil/eraser Glue/tape Scissors Colored pencils or crayons Globe, U.S. map

Oral Narration Questions and Answers. Q. Use your American Revolution mini-timeline and retell what has happened so far in our story of the Revolution. A. Te student’s answer should include what has been learned so far about the fght for independence.

Q. Retell your favorite part of today’s story. A. Answers will vary.

Optional Digging Deeper Find a picture of the painting, “Washington Crossing the Delaware,” by Emanuel Leutze. Study the painting with your student, examining all of the expressions on the faces. Imagine with your child that you are on one of the boats or barges in the painting. Encourage your child to use sensory words to tell you how he would feel (is he cold, wet, etc.), what he would see, what does the air smells like, what sounds can he hear (remember, it’s the middle of the night in late December!)?

America’s Story 1 133

America's Story One TG int.indd 133 1/30/17 11:46 AM Written Narration Idea for Older Students: Tell your favorite part of our history story.

______

134 America’s Story 1

America's Story One TG int.indd 134 1/30/17 11:46 AM Day 82

Sketching Name ______

Stories of the American Revolution. Draw one of the Minute Men!

Angela’s Minute Man My Minute Man

After the battles of Lexington and Concord, there was another big battle in Massachusetts at a place called Bunker Hill. What happened there?

______

Te patriots sufered some losses after the British left Boston, but the Declaration of Independence lifted their spirits. Why do you think it cheered them up?

______

America’s Story 1 135

America's Story One TG int.indd 135 1/30/17 11:46 AM Complete the American Revolution Timeline! Create a mini-timeline featuring events from the Revolutionary War. Cut out the timeline parts on pages 137 and 139. Ten glue the timeline pieces together in order of the events. Ten cut out the pocket and follow the directions for folding and gluing it to the space below. Be sure to only glue where told so your mini-timeline can ft in the pocket when completed.

Glue pocket for American Revolution timeline here.

136 America’s Story 1

America's Story One TG int.indd 136 1/30/17 11:46 AM 1

Ride of Paul Revere Battle at Bunker Hill

Dec. 16, 1773 April 18, 1775 April 19, 1775 June 17, 1775

Boston Tea Battles at Lexington & Concord Party American RevolutionTimeline

2

Washington crossed the Delaware and won the battle at Trenton

July 4, 1776 Dec. 26, 1776 July 6, 1777 – Oct. 17, 1777 Glue here

Decloration of Independence The battles of Ticonderoga adopted by Congress. and Saratoga. Victories for the Americans.

Cut timeline pieces out on solid black line. Glue together where marked. Store in pocket.

America’s Story 1 137

America's Story One TG int.indd 137 1/30/17 11:46 AM 3

John Paul Jones captures the Serapis

Winter of 1777 Sept. 23, 1779 Oct. 29, 1781 Glue here

The British surrender George Washington and at Yorktown, Virginia his troops spend the winter at Valley Forge

American Revolution Fold Timeline Fold

Fold

Paste folded under tabs to activity page. Leave top open.

Cut pocket out on heavy black line.

America’s Story 1 139

America's Story One TG int.indd 139 1/30/17 11:46 AM Day 84

Map Adventures Name ______

Stories of the American Revolution. You are a British ofcer, and you need a map to help your men navigate this confict. Mark this map with the following locations discussed in this chapter:

Boston

New York (City)

Lexington, Concord

New Jersey

Delaware River

Massachusetts, Connecticut

Valley Forge

Te winter at Valley Forge was very difcult. What happened that helped the men feel better and better prepared them to fght?

______

America’s Story 1 141

America's Story One TG int.indd 141 1/30/17 11:47 AM Pretend you are John Paul Jones. Write a letter to a friend explaining what happened on the day your ship, the Bonhomme Richard, sank.

______

Word Collectors: Did you fnd the special word for the chapter? Write it down:

______

Now, collect three other words you learned from this chapter by writing them below!

______

Do any of your words have similar meanings? Are any of them connected to one another in some way? Discuss this with your teacher!

______

142 America’s Story 1

America's Story One TG int.indd 142 1/30/17 11:47 AM Day 85 My Timeline! Name ______

Stories of the American Revolution. Pretend you are a British soldier. You have been ordered to leave Boston after the battles at Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill. How do you feel about those battles and leaving? What do you think is going to happen next? Write your thoughts down in a journal entry.

______

______

America’s Story 1 143

America's Story One TG int.indd 143 1/30/17 11:47 AM 1/30/17 11:47 AM Timeline Page 14

John Newton, former slave trader, writes the famous Benedict Arnold hymn “Amazing Grace” Battle of Charleston accused of treason

1779 1780 1780

Note: John Newton’s connection to Wilberforce is noted in chapter 9. The Battle of Charleston is noted in chapter 15, as is the story of Benedict Arnold. America's Story One TG int.indd 144