Revolutionary War Journal Project!

Introduction:

From the birth of the republic to the present day, brave young men and women have taken up arms and answered the call to defend this great nation. From the minutemen at Lexington and Concord who fired to shot heard around the world, to the soldiers fighting the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq, American soldiers have been the defenders of liberty, democracy, and freedom around the globe. Although today pictures of war are brought into homes on television screens by embedded journalists who travel with the armies and describe the events surrounding each battle, this was not always the case. It was not before the 1840’s, and the Mexican War, that Americans learned about the war from journalists in the field. Prior to that time, citizens relied on the stories of the soldiers who were actually at the battles. Many of these soldiers kept a written account of their service to our country in a diary or a journal. Today those journals offer tremendous insight into the battles and give us an idea about how those soldiers felt during each conflict. Much of what we know about the American Revolution comes from such accounts.

Directions:

You are to create a battlefield journal of a colonial soldier during the American Revolution. Your journal should contain seven entries based on the battles and events listed below. Be sure to include facts such as: dates, leaders, the outcome, and other significant aspects about each battle. You must also include personal thoughts and feelings as a soldier taking part in this great struggle for liberty! Each entry should consist of two or three paragraphs and should be written in the first person. When writing your entries, you must also include several colorful adjectives. Entries should also include pictures or maps of the events. Your journal should be historically accurate, in the correct chronological order, and contain your soldier’s personal thoughts within each entry. For each entry, you will need a neat handwritten rough draft that will be kept in your project folder. Each entry must have a rough draft for full credit. The final copy of the journal should be neatly typed and bound. Be sure to use correct grammar and spelling. This assignment will count as a grade in Social Studies, English, and Computers.

Getting Your Information:

This project will be given to students prior to beginning the “American Revolution” section of United States History class. Much of the information needed to complete the project will be presented in Social Studies class in the form of notes, discussions, activities, and videos. Short readings and descriptions of each battle are also available for students to use during classroom activities. These readings can be accessed from home via the class Web site at www.mrgigliotti.com. Students are also to use the resources in the media center, the public library, and the Internet. It is imperative that students complete appropriate portions of the journal each day and keep up with the information discussed in class, so that they do not fall behind during the project.

Follow the directions for each section below to complete your Revolutionary War Journal!

Part I: Choose ONE of the battles below and write a quality journal entry:

- Battle of Lexington and Concord

- Battle at Fort Ticonderoga

- The Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill)

Part II: Analyze the Declaration of Independence:

Read the information and questions below concerning the Declaration of Independence. To find the answers, read, think about, and analyze the actual document. List the answers in your rough draft before writing your journal entry. Finally when you have answered all of the questions, write a journal entry based on the answers.

Imagine that General Washington has just read the Declaration of Independence to the troops. Since the great works of Thomas Jefferson inspire you, you have asked to read over a copy

Question #2 Continued – Analyzing the Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence. While you are reading the document, several questions come to mind. In many ways the Declaration of Independence is a perfect essay. To help you with your task, each part of the Declaration has been divided into boldfaced sections. As you are sitting in your tent, analyze the document by answering the questions below. Record your results within your journal.

Questions to answer within your journal entry:

1. Look at the section entitled “The Preamble”. In this section, Jefferson discusses the idea of

“dissolving the political bonds that have tied them with another . . .” What “political ties” is

Jefferson referring to in this section? Which two peoples does he suggest should separate?

2. Look at the section entitled “The Preamble”. What does Jefferson mean by “natural rights”?

3. Look at the section entitled “A New Theory of Government”. What truths does Jefferson

claim that all men are endowed with at birth? What three things does Jefferson list as

“inalienable rights”?

4. Look at the section entitled “Reasons for Separation”. List at least FIVE grievances Jefferson

sites about King George III.

5. Look at the section entitled “A Formal Declaration of War”. What did the signers of the

Declaration of Independence pledge to one another?

Part III: Choose ONE of the battles below and write a quality journal entry:

- The Battles near New York

- The Battle of Trenton

- The Battle of Princeton

Part IV: Analyze Thomas Paine’s “The American Crisis”:

Read the first paragraph of Thomas Paine’s “The American Crisis”. Think carefully about what Paine is saying in the reading. Create an entry in your journal describing how Paine’s words affect your morale or the way you feel about continuing the cause of the Revolution and liberty. Remember, you have just experienced a terrible defeat near New York and the Continental Army is on the verge of falling apart at this point in the war. After reading the essay do you believe the war should continue? Why or why not? Be sure to give details and examples from the text.

Part V: Choose ONE of the battles below and write a quality journal entry:

- Battle of Brandywine

- Battle of Germantown

- Battle of Saratoga (The British Blunder of 1777)

- Winter at Valley Forge

Part VI: Choose ONE of the battles below and write a quality journal entry:

- The events surrounding Benedict Arnold at West Point

- The War in the West with George Rodgers Clark and the Long Knives

- The War at Sea with John Paul Jones

Part VII: Choose ONE of the battles below and write a quality journal entry:

- The War in the South with Francis Marion “The Swamp Fox”

- The Battle of Cowpens

- The Battle of Yorktown

- The signing of the Treaty of Paris