Unsung Heroes in the South and in the West

(Liberty) Bell Work

How many candles would be
on George's cake, ​this year?

Birthday:  November 19, 1752

How many words can you make
from the letters in his name?
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G  E  O  R  G  E     R  O  G  E  R  S     C  L  A  R  K

ART APPRECIATION

​Analyze the paintings shown here.  Check out the details.

• What do you notice?
• What do you think is happening?
• What caused the scene in each painting?
• What might happen after the scenes shown?
• What do these artworks make you wonder?

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Word Wise

counterfeit

territory

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LOUISIANA?

Before we go any further, we must understand the Louisiana Territory.  At this time, Louisiana was a territory of land extending through the center of North America.  It was a richly promising piece of land acquired from the French and claimed by Spain from 1762 to 1802 (It was named Louisiana in honor of King Louis IV in 1682).

​Refer to a map of the United States to complete the following:

• Find the Mississippi River.
• Which of current U.S. states then belonged to Spain?

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This is highly important to the development of the United States of America as we know it in the 21st century.

• When and how did this territory become part of the United States?
• Who explored through this land, sent by President Thomas Jefferson in 1804?  Why is that interesting in regards to today's lesson set?

FYI:  We'll dive deeper into the Louisiana Purchase and the Corps of Discovery, later in the year.

Liberty's Kids

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Money Money Money

When Clark went looking for Galvez for financial assistance, he wasn't kidding:  war is expensive! Check the following infographic and see what you can see (Note:  dollar amounts have been adjusted on this graphic to 2011 values for the sake of comparison.).

What happens when counterfeit money is introduced?  How does counterfeiting affect the economy?

Bernardo de Gálvez

Bernardo de Gálvez was the Spanish governor or the Louisiana Territory.  In some parts of the southern United States (Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana), Gálvez is more well-known than here at home.  Regardless, he is definitely an unsung hero for all of our nation because of his efforts to finance Revolutionary forces and combat British divisions in the south.  By doing so, Gálvez was able to free George Washington to strategize in the colonies.

​Interestingly, says Galveston.com:

Galveston was named for Bernardo de Gálvez, a Spanish colonial governor and general. Gálvez sent Jose de Evia to chart the Gulf of Mexico from the Texas coast to New Orleans, and on July 23, 1786, de Evia charted an area near the mouth of a river and named it Galveston Bay. Later, the island and city took the same name. Bernardo de Gálvez died the same year, never setting foot on his namesake island.

George Rogers Clark

As heroic as George Rogers Clark was in leading Patriot forces in the Revolution, he gets overshadowed by his younger brother, the more well-known William Clark.

While Gálvez was working his operation in the south, Clark was working in the "west".  Read about his Battle of Vincennes.

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OLD MAN RIVER

You might be surprised what you can find on an infographic about the 3,000 miles along the Mississippi River.