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Accessible Section 508 Format American Soldiers of the Battle Of AMERICAN SOLDIERS OF THE BATTLE OF GUILFORD COURTHOUSE TRAVEL TRUNK LESSON Introduction When your students visit Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, they will learn about the two different types of American soldiers who fought at this battle: militiamen and the Continental Army. This lesson uses historic pictures (primary sources), reproduction uniforms, and vocabulary to prepare your students with the basics of the American Army before visiting the site of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. With these uniforms, the students can learn about the materials themselves, what it was like to wear them, and learn about the different experiences of these two types of American soldiers. The images used for this lesson are included in the document; however, we strongly suggest you use the accompanying PowerPoint to project the images at a larger scale in the classroom. North Carolina Standards Addressed Essential Standard Clarifying Objectives 4.H.1 Analyze the chronology of key 4.H.1.4 Analyze how North Carolina’s role in major historical events in North Carolina conflicts and wars from the Pre-Colonial period history through Reconstruction R.1.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. Time 20 - 30 minutes Goal To introduce students to historic figures before visiting Guilford Courthouse National Military Park for a field trip. To implement critical thinking and collaboration by the students by identifying and distinguishing the two types of American soldiers, through analysis of the uniform and tools. To expand vocabulary. Learner Students will be able to distinguish the appearance and roles of a Militia Outcomes soldier and an American Continental soldier. Essential I can identify new vocabulary related to North Carolina’s role in the Question / American Revolution. Statement I can identify and distinguish the difference between a Continental Soldier and a militia soldier. I can explain what their different experiences were like. I can apply what I learned to a field trip to Guilford Courthouse National Military Park or any American Revolution battlefield. Travel Trunk is property of: Guilford Courthouse National Military Park This project was made possible by a grant from the National Park Foundation through generous support of partners like Disney, the lead sponsor of Open Outdoors for Kids, and donors across the country. Page 1 of 14 Essential Vocabulary Your students will analyze these terms and definitions as they analyze the pictures, clothes, and tools. The vocabulary is listed with the pictures, or in the directions associated with the reproduction materials. Cartridge A soldier stored his black powder ammunition in a leather pouch to keep it dry. box Black Explosive charge used as gunpowder during the American Revolution. When powder fired, the powder would make large clouds of smoke and cover the battlefield, making it difficult to see. All 18th century guns used black powder. Artillery Artillery soldiers fired cannonballs or grapeshot of different weights from cannons at long distances to hit large numbers of the enemy. Musket The most important weapon in the American Revolution. Most soldiers used this type of gun. The musket has a smooth bore, which means the ball ricochets in the barrel. It was hard to pick a target at further than 60 yards. In the American Revolution, an army fought in groups of men at a close range, and when a group of muskets fired, a wall of lead hit the enemy. Rifle This type of gun was not as commonly used as a musket. The inside of a rifle has grooves that spin the bullet. This meant the soldier can pick a target, unlike with a musket. However, the rifle took longer to load, which was not effective on a battlefield. Bayonet A sharp weapon on the end of a musket, used for stabbing, commonly used by professional soldiers, not militiamen. Haversack A linen bag used by a soldier to carry his food rations and eating utensils. Canteen Made of wood or tin, used by a soldier to carry water. General The highest officer rank in the army. George Washington was the General of the American Army. Major A rank below a General, but trusted enough to command an entire army General separate from the General. Nathanael Greene was a Major General. Militiaman A farmer or tradesman (like a blacksmith) who joined a state-raised army for (mə-ˈli-shə) three months to fight in the American Revolution. The age requirement for enlistment was 16 – 60 years old. The state governor or commanding general called regiments of a militia up for service. Hunting A field garment worn by men in the colonial era for hunting. Worn by militia Frock units because this was everyday clothing a man would have and he would wear this while serving a three-month service. Continental A professional soldier who served for more than three years in the United States Army under General George Washington, or Major General Nathanael Greene. In the last phase of the war, General Washington split the Continental Army between the North and the South. Nathanael Greene led the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution. Uniform A standard outfit for soldiers. In 1779 George Washington no longer used hunting frocks for the US Army, instead each region had an official uniform modeled after the British uniform, but with opposite colors. Regiment A unit/group of soldiers, made up of 400-500 men. Travel Trunk is property of: Guilford Courthouse National Military Park This project was made possible by a grant from the National Park Foundation through generous support of partners like Disney, the lead sponsor of Open Outdoors for Kids, and donors across the country. Page 2 of 14 Overview for Teachers to review before teaching lesson to students On March 15, 1781, the largest battle of the Southern Campaign was fought, the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Major General Nathanael Greene, with an army of almost 4,500 American militia and Continental soldiers, defended the ground at the small backcountry hamlet of Guilford Courthouse against Lord Charles Earl Cornwallis’ small British army of 1,900 veteran regulars and German Hessians. Nathanael Greene used two different types of soldiers in this battle, militia and Continental. What is the difference between these two? The difference breaks down to professional experience and length of service. A militiaman is a civilian, or someone who does not enlist in the Continental Army as a profession. In modern times, we do not use a militia because we have a standard professional Army. These militiamen’s everyday occupation or job was a farmer or tradesman, like a blacksmith, tanner, or anyone who makes a product. Freed African men or enslaved African men were subject to militia service, as you will see in the movie Another Such Victory during the field trip. Militiamen were the defense on the home front and the first type of soldier to fight in the American Revolution. These men, age 16 through 60 would practice in drills to learn how to fire their weapons and make battle formations. However, this did not mean that they were reliable in war, but the generals needed their numbers to support the Continental Army. A militiaman would take his own clothes, weapons, and ammunition to a battle. He would serve for three-month tours of duty, and then return home to work on his farm or business, or in the case of enslaved men, return to slavery. The Continental soldier served in US Army, fighting in the ranks that supported General George Washington, or Major General Nathanael Greene, or many other commanders. General George Washington created this regular army to “supplement, if not replace, the local militia system.” Washington wanted professional, trained soldiers who “could meet the British and their German auxiliaries in the field on equal terms,” and this took several years.1 The average Continental soldier was a “young, unmarried man with no property,” and they “enlisted for three years – or the duration of the war.”2 Several units recruited freed African slaves. You can compare modern soldiers who enlist as a profession or for several years to the American Continental soldier of the American Revolution. 1 Digby Smith and Kevin F. Kiley, An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms of the American Revolution, 1775-1783, (London: Lorenz Books, 2008), 58. 2 Exhibit wall text, Soldiers, Continentals, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, Greensboro, N.C. Travel Trunk is property of: Guilford Courthouse National Military Park This project was made possible by a grant from the National Park Foundation through generous support of partners like Disney, the lead sponsor of Open Outdoors for Kids, and donors across the country. Page 3 of 14 Part 1 – Introducing ideas about military today and in the past Begin the program by asking your students if they have family who are serving in our military, and then pull out the piece of camouflage, the students will most likely recognize this. The following is a guided conversation you can have with your students: Why does the military use camouflage today? o Answer: to hide from the enemy What kind of technology can the military use to make it easy to find someone? o Answer: any array of tools such as binoculars, scopes, drones, etc. During the American Revolution, military technology was completely different than what is used today, which means that the uniforms soldiers wore are different from what soldiers wear today. Vocabulary - Black powder Weapons on the battlefield Show Slide # 2 - Direct the students to read the vocabulary 1. Black powder - Explosive charge used as gunpowder during the American Revolution. When fired, the powder would make large clouds of smoke and cover the battlefield, making it difficult to see.
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