(Liberty) Bell Work
| Sentence Surgery Read the sentence below. Do you see any problems? Do not rewrite the sentence. In fact, don't even fix the sentence. Instead, on your paper, tell the writer three things that need to be corrected. captain washington leaped into the river? |  | Sentence Augmentation* Augment the sentence below to greatly improve it. Record your improved sentence on your paper. He was cold. *Augment: make (something) greater by adding to it |
| Word Work Using the parts in Christopher Gist's name, create a list of words to fit in the categories below. Pay particular attention to spelling patterns.
Word Wise Define the following words:
| On Target
Quick Write: Describe the adult you hope to become when you grow older. |
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Mood Music | Allow the music of the British Empire to transport you into a scene that has yet to be written. Draw the scene as you listen. Then write, using all the visual imagery you can muster. |
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George Washington Was a British Soldier
While I was at George Washington's Mount Vernon, I was privileged to visit the library. There I gazed upon an actual letter from George Washington to Lieutenant Robert Dinwiddie on March 7, 1754, signed in his own hand.
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The text of the letter can be found on the Mount Vernon website. Can you tell what Washington was concerned about? Specifically, what did he request for his upcoming mission? Why?
Is it strange to think of George Washington fought in the British military? How do you think he performed as he rose in the ranks? What do you think his duties were? The truth is, Washington was often impatient and impulsive. He made some major mistakes...and learned from them!
Is it strange to think of George Washington fought in the British military? How do you think he performed as he rose in the ranks? What do you think his duties were? The truth is, Washington was often impatient and impulsive. He made some major mistakes...and learned from them!
Washington received his marching orders from Governor Robert Dinwiddie:
You are to use all Expedition in proceeding to the Fork of Ohio with the Men under Com’d and there you are to finish and compleat in the best Manner and as soon as You possibly can, the fort w’ch I expect is there already begun by the Ohio Comp’a. You are to act on the Defensive, but in Case any Attempts are made to obstruct the Works or interrupt our Settlem’ts by any persons whatsoever You are to restrain all such Offenders, and in Case of resistance to make Prisoners of or kill and destroy them.
George Washington Started a World War
As a leader in the British army, George Washington, as mentioned above, was impetuous. Sometimes, the young soldier and leader jumped in with both feet, without considering the consequences. How often do we do the same thing, not thinking about our choices, but assuming that the first thoughts that came into our minds are the right ones?
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Washington is known to jump into icy rivers to swim his horse across instead of waiting for a ferry and without waiting for daylight. In the wilderness, he had the soldiers in his charge build a little round fort. They named it Fort Necessity, and it was the scene of terrible consequences for the British in their fight against the French.
Pictured below is a diorama on display in the interactive education center at Mount Vernon (Washington's famous property). In the diorama it's pretty easy to see how the fort is downhill from the surrounding countryside. The soldiers are packed into the stockade and spilling out behind earthen embankments, while the French and their native allies lie hidden and camouflaged in the trees. The diorama is quite revealing as to which side has the advantage, and yet George Washington chose Fort Necessity to be the headquarters for his wilderness campaigns. Washington must have learned a lot about how not to wage warfare through the events at Fort Necessity. |
History Has Its Eyes on You
Do you wonder if these events haunted George Washington for the rest of his life? Lyn-Manuel Miranda wrote the following for his Washington character to perform in the hit show, Hamilton. In the show, which takes place later, during the Revolutionary War, Washington still remembers the mistakes he made so many years earlier.
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Read the following, graphic account from Military History Now:
Who pulled the trigger first is unknown, but the consequence of the brief clash would have global ramifications. While the opposing forces exchanged musket volleys, the wounded French commander, Ensign Joseph Coulon de Villiers de Jumonville, called for a ceasefire. With the aid of an interpreter, the enemy officer tried to convince Washington that his mission was a peaceful one: To deliver a letter asking the Virginians to leave the Ohio, which was considered to be the domain of the King of France. As Washington examined the document, the Half King seized the initiative. “Thou art not yet dead, my father,” he said as he advanced on the wounded officer. With a mighty blow from his tomahawk, the Half King dashed Jumonville’s skull open, and washed his hands with the Frenchman’s brains. His accompanying warriors followed suit and began killing and scalping the enemy wounded, with the exception of one soldier who was saved by Washington. Tanaghrisson hoped the shocking display would salvage his reputation among local tribes; it horrified the Virginian colonel.
At this point, you may not know much about George Washington, but how do you think he would have reacted to the Half King's actions? The same article goes on to explain that "The massacre would return to haunt Washington."
George Washington Surrendered
| In fact, his frustration and disgust with that event, coupled with his impatience and impulsivity, may have led him into a French trap. It was shortly after the event at Fort Necessity, that George Washington was tricked into signing a complete surrender to the French. He should have paused. Not only did he not understand the French language, but his poor interpreter was no help to him. As a result, on July 3, 1754, George Washington signed the Articles of Capitulation. In so doing, he unknowingly confessed to the assassination of Jumonville. The entire series of events is said to have "set the world on fire". |  |
The French sent that signed document back to their homeland where it was used as propaganda against the British cause.
George Washington Became a Celebrity
| Very quickly, The Journal of Major George Washington was published in newspapers and in book form. Says the Mount Vernon commentary concerning it, "The Journal provides a first-hand glimpse of frontier diplomacy, the beginnings of the French and Indian War, as well as early indications of Washington's well-documented physical vigor and leadership." Washington was heralded as a hero and thrust into the public eye, paving the way for his future roles as a leader in America. | |
A copy of the Journal can be browsed on the Mount Vernon website. I myself breathed on the title page, of the rare copy displayed in the pictures (right). This is a special part of the document collection at Mount Vernon.
While We're on the Subject
 | To round our our science diet, we should also study some of earth's landforms. Also: How Does the Earth's Surface Affect Culture? |
