World of Naaya - Teacher's Guide - Environment 1: The Woodlands

Part 4: The American Revolution


Introduction: The colonists were fed up. They felt they should have a say in the taxes they paid to England, but the British weren't about to give the Colonies any control over their own affairs. Soon, the War of Independence (also called the Revolutionary War) exploded. The colonists were successful in their revolt against the British. The United States was born!
Areas: The River and The Waterfall
Benjamin Franklin

Portraits

Historical Figure: Benjamin Franklin

Date Story (told by Benjamin Franklin)
1706-1790 "I'm Benjamin Franklin. I became famous around the world as a writer, a scientist and an inventor. Everywhere I went, people wanted to hear me talk about electricity, and the famous experiment where I flew a kite in a lightning storm. But, you know, my fame helped me draw attention to the needs of the colonies when I visited England and France."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
Benjamin Franklin was an author, a publisher, a scientist, and a great diplomat.  He helped the colonists work together and persuaded France to help the Americans with their revolution. He invented  bifocal glasses, the potbelly stove, swim fins and the lightning rod.  He became famous around the world for experimenting with electricity. He started the first public library, and the first fire department in North America. He was one of seventeen children!

Time Tokens

The Boston Tea Party

Date Story (told by Benjamin Franklin)
1773 "When I heard about the Boston Tea Party, I knew the spirit of revolution was here to stay. The colonists were not going to tolerate ANY kind of tax without having a say."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
To protest taxes that the British put on tea, angry colonists stormed onto ships that were anchored in Boston Harbor. The patriots dressed up as Native Americans and called themselves "The Sons of Liberty". This event inspired colonists everywhere, and excitement about the revolution spread. They dumped 342 tea chests into the harbor.

Lexington & Concord

Date Story (told by Benjamin Franklin)
1775 "The War of Independence began that day. Within a few months, George Washington was made a general and was appointed commander-in-chief of the new Continental Army."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
The Revolutionary War began when fighting broke out in Lexington and Concord, Massachusets. British soldiers had been sent to seize any stockpiles of colonists weapons.  The colonists found out and were in Concord waiting for them. American soldiers and volunteers  forced British troops back to Boston. The first gunshot in this fight became known as "The shot heard 'round the world.

The Declaration of Independence

Date Story (told by Benjamin Franklin)
1776 "I was on the team that created the Declaration, but it was Thomas Jefferson who wrote the final words. He became famous as "The Pen of the Revolution."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
With the Declaration of Independence, the colonists announced that they were free from England and no longer under British Rule. It was officially signed by representatives of all of the colonies on July 4th, 1776. It was written by Thomas Jefferson, who  became the 3rd President of the United States. Every year, we celebrate the Fourth of July as our Country's birthday.

Yorktown

Date Story (told by Benjamin Franklin)
1781 "I think Yorktown was the most important battle of the revolution. While small battles continued for a few years, the Colonists had won the war... and their independance. Three years later, the Treaty of Paris made it official: The American Revolutionary War was over."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
The British had set up  headquarters by the sea in Yorktown, and planned to take control Virginia from there. General Washington's Army marched almost 500 miles to block the British. 28 French warships came in from the ocean and stopped all British ships from bringing supplies into Yorktown. The British Army was trapped and was force to surrender.

Fact Files

Title Fact Story (told by Benjamin Franklin)
Minute Men The Minutemen were colonist soldiers who could be ready "at a minute's notice" when they had to fight the British.  "The minutemen weren't professional soldiers. Some of them were farmers who left their plows behind and raced to defend the colonies.".
Paul Revere's Ride Paul Revere rode to warn colonists that the British were on their way to Concord.  This let the minutemen get ready in time to fight. "Paul Revere became famous for his ride, but he was actually  one three men who rode that night. A man named William Dawes rode, too.  And Sam Prescott made it to Concord to warn everyone." 
"Join or Die" Ben Franklin created a picture that became famous throughout the colonies.  It showed a snake cut up into sections with the initials of a different colony next to each piece.  This became a symbol of the need for the colonies to unite during the revolution. "I made this sketch to show how all the people in the colonies had to stick together  Just as a snake would die if it was chopped up.  Our revoultion would die out if we didn't all come together to defeat the British."
Redcoats The British soldiers were often called "Redcoats" because of their bright red uniforms." "Sometimes, when colonists were being rude, they would call their British enemies 'bloody backs' or 'lobsters.'"
George Washinton's False Teeth In his lifetime, General George Washington had several sets  of false teeth.  They were made of gold, horse and donkey teeth, and one pair was made of hippopotamus teeth! "George Washington looks pretty serious in most of his portraits--like the one that's on dollar,--but he was an interesting man of action.  He was an athlelete, a great horserider, and he was quite the dancer, too."
Thanks, France France was the colonists' main ally in their struggle for independence.  The French government sent money, supplies, troops and their navy.  Several French officers held high positions in the Continental Army. "I spent several years in France, drumming up help for the revolution.  I  persuaded the king to send money and his ships to North America.  France's support for our revolution was a big reason that we were victorious."

Nature Frames

Bald Eagle

Story (told by Benjamin Franklin)
The bald eagle was chosen as the national symbol of the USA, in 1782.
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
The bald eagle is a large bird of prey.  When it attacks, it drops down on it target at up to 100 miles an hour. It builds its nest at the very top of tall trees to keep eggs safe. The bald eagle can see fish up to 1 mile away. It is call a bald eagle because its white feathered head makes it seem bald from a distance.

White Oak

Story (told by Benjamin Franklin)
"The white oak was used for barrel making. When its wood gets wet, it swells up and seals joint in the barrel. This made it great to store liquid."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
The white oak is the most common tree species in the Eastern United States It can grow from 80 to 100 feet tall and be up to 4 feet in diameter. White oak trees can live to be 500-600 years old. Oak tree seeds are acorns, which get eaten by squirrels, chipmunks and deer.

Raccoon

Story (told by Benjamin Franklin)
"Raccoons were hunted by colonists and Native Americans all over. They were traded frequently with europe and hats with raccoon fur became very fashionable back in England."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
The raccoon is a small furry animal found all over North and South America. It lives in hollow trees or rocky dens. When it lives near people, the raccoon often moves into attics, sewers, basements, garages or sheds. The name raccoon comes from the Native American Algonquin language.  It means "he scratches with his hands."