Guns for General Washington

 

Voices of the Revolution: Four Activities

 

  1. In Guns for General Washington you will be studying a character that played an important role during the American Revolution. You are reading a story about young Will Knox and his brother Colonel Henry Knox and their dangerous mission to bring the guns from Fort Ticonderoga to General Washington. Their adventure took them across 300 miles of rugged terrain. This brave act was one among many that occurred as our nation began to take shape.

 

To help you gain a better understanding of some of the events and the impact they had, you are first going to take a virtual trip along "The Road to Revolution."

 

    1. Access the CCPS Web Page

¨   Click on the word Netscape located on the tool bar at the top of the page

¨   Type in the following website in the location space under the tool bar

http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/road.html

 

    1. Follow the steps below to begin your journey

 

á      Click on begin. 

á      You need to read the caption under the picture. It will give you essential information to help you answer the question that follows it. 

á      If you answer correctly, a trumpet sounds and you are off to the next selection. If you make the wrong choice, you will get additional information and clues. 

á      Along the way, you will have opportunities to read Chronicles (primary source documents), watch and listen to short Videos, and explore other Links that will provide you with additional information.

á      When you have completed the activity, you will have a better understanding of the events that led to the Revolution.

 

 

  1. In the story, Guns for General Washington, Will and Henry Knox traveled to Fort Ticonderoga to bring the much-needed guns to the troops. 

á      Why were there so many guns at the fort?

á       Who was the hero who was responsible for capturing the guns that were there? 

Use information from your book to find the answer. Then go to the following website to find out more:

http://earlyamerica.com/review/fall97/arnold.html

 

Write your answers in the space below.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

3.   Can you be a hero and a traitor at the same time?

 

In the last activity you read several articles about Benedict Arnold. He played an important role during the revolution but, unfortunately, it was not always a positive one. 

LetÕs go back in time to the year 1775. Arnold joined Ethan Allen and together they led the forces against the British and captured Fort Ticonderoga.  Hailed as a hero, Arnold served the PatriotsÕ cause with honor for the next 5 years. 

Now letÕs travel to the year 1780. Arnold is commander of the American fort at West Point. He is caught and charged with planning to turn the fort over to the British and working to bring about the collapse of the American cause. 

 

Visit the following websites to learn more about this hero/traitor:

 

á      http://www.heroswelcome.com/Arnold.htm

 

á      http://www.si.umich.edu/spies/index-stories.html- click on the articles about "The Infamous Benedict Arnold"

 

á      You may also visit the following site and watch a short video about Benedict Arnold. Once you enter the site, scroll down to The Treason of Benedict Arnold and push "play."

http://earlyamerica.com/series.html

 

 

Using what you have learned, on another sheet of paper, write a character sketch of Benedict Arnold the hero and one of Benedict Arnold the traitor.

In your sketches, include character traits that you discovered while gathering data from various sources. Be sure to incorporate at least one quotation from Arnold in each sketch.

      You can begin your prewriting by completing an attribute web. Then summarize the traits you feel will give the reader a sense of what the person was like. Use this information to develop your character sketches.

 

Text Box: Remember that when writing a character sketch, you are describing the personality of the person and not a biography. A good character sketch will include: ¥ Details about the person and words of the person that reveal character traits that you discovered in your research. ¥ At least one quotation by the person. ¥ A summary statement about the subjectÕs character that gives a sense of what the person was really like. 4. Arnold and his family went back to England where he died in 1801. It has been said that Benedict Arnold died as man without a country. What do you think that means?  Write a brief constructed response to explain your answer.