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Colonial Life
Annie Smith

Hello! My name is Annie Smith. I am 28 years old and my husband, Phineas, is 30 years old and i have been married 8 years. Together we have 4 children: William (7), Franny (6), Felicity (4), and Henry (2). We all live in the Middle Colonies, Pennsylvania. Here in Pennsylvania, Phineas is a tradesman. I stay at home tending to the children, We aren’t the wealthiest people in town, but not poor either, so I’d say we’re about middle class. But Phineas has been smart in his trades so I believe we’re working our way up!

My family and I came to the new world in search of religious freedom. When we were back in England, my brother, James, who lived with us at the time, was killed by some members of the church because he was Jewish. But in Pennsylvania we are looking for a new start. We believe that Pennsylvania is a good place for this because of the Great Law of 1682 which states that people of all faiths would be treated equally; assuring us that we have made the write choice.

So ever since we’ve been hear, we’ve been adjusting really well. It’s like heaven on Earth compared to England. The humid weather has been getting to us a bit but we tough it out. When i have any ounce of free time is work out in our garden with my eldest daughter Franny. Theres plenty of fertile soil here so it’s great to work with. The whole family has been happy about the transition to the colonies and are glad that we finally are being treated write.

Revolution
**Source:** Hart, Diane, and Bert Bower. //History Alive!: the United States through industrialism.// Palo Alto, Calif.: Teachers’ Curriculum Institute, 2011. Print.

**Topic:** Winters at Valley Forge (Pennsylvania)

“We had nothing to eat for two or three days previously... But we must now have what Congress said, a sumptuous Thanksgiving... It gave each and every man a gill of rice and a table spoon of vinegar!” (Hart 94).

A prussian man, Baron Friedrich von Steuben, was put in charge of training. His training methods we constant drill but they were lifting everyone’s spirit (Hart 95).

“Marquis de Lafayette... was on of the richest men in France... (used his) own money to buy the men warm clothing” (Hart 95).

**Source:** Dutcher, Joan. “Valley Forge”. [Online]. [|__The Winter At Valley Forge__], 1952.

“Valley Forge, 40 km (25 mi) west of Philadelphia, was the campground of 11,000 troops of George Washington’s Continental Army form December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. Because of the suffering endured there by the hungry, poorly clothed, and badly housed troops, 2,500 of whom died” (McGranahan 1).

“A week before Christmas....” (McGranahan 1).

“Some were still boys--as young as 12-- others in their 50s and 60s. They were described as fair, pale, freckled, brown, swarthy, and black. While the majority were white, the army included both Negroes and American Indians” (McGranahan 1).

I. Exposition a. Characters i. Emma Flynn (17) 1. Has 3 brothers a. Joe (12) b. Hank (19) c. Peter (22) i. Peter and Emma are really close 2. Mom died a year after giving birth to Joe ii. Keeps a diary iii. Live in Pennsylvania 7-8 hours away from Valley Forge (by horses) II. Rising Action a. Dad, Phineas, got shot by British solders i. Brother, Peter, wants revenge against the British so he joins the war in honor of his father ii. December 19, 1777 he leaves for Valley Forge; 1. Emma is extremely sad and depressed; missing her brother. b. Hank must take care of family i. the family is running out of money so he tells Emma that the only way they wont be broke is if she marries a rich man. III. Climax a. Wedding b. Writing letters to her brother about how upset she is and missing him i. He tells her about how the war is going and how the winters at Valley Forge are near killing him IV. Falling action a. Emma worries about Peter and how he is doing i. She usually gets a letter every week or so  ii. Letters get fewer and fewer 1. Hasn’t had a letter in 2 months V. Denouement a. After 4 months Emma and the rest of the family haven’t heard anything from Peter b. She thinks he’s dead i. She was riding the horses in the stable 1. Trying to get her mind off of things ii. Went down to give her horse a treat and under the bin she found 6 letters from Peter that her hubby, Ferb, has been hiding. c. So mad that she plans a death sentence for him that would leave her single and rich! i. Poisons his [beer]? ii. She laughs while watching her demonic, atrocious, fiendish **ex-**hubby die a long, painful, death! d. (all being writing [told to the reader] threw her diary)

Theme: a story of lost love, secrets, redemption and social retribution.

December 1, 1777

Dear Diary, Hello. I just found this under my dad’s bed when I was looking for paper. It must have been my mothers because she loved to write. She died when I was five. She was giving birth to Joe, my younger brother, 12 years of age now. I am Emma Flynn-Elizabeth’s daughter. I also have two older brothers. Hank is 19 and Peter, 22. Peter and I and really close. My father—Phineas—is my brother’s and my hero. Raising all four of us and working around the clock all on his own. I couldn’t ask for a better father. I’ve lived in Pennsylvania all my life. Our middle class family has muddled threw some tough times dealing with money but my father just got a job as a shipbuilder which should bring in twice as much as we already make working on our farm! I must go do my chores around the house now. Yours truly,  Emma Flynn

December 4, 1777

Dear Diary, The most awful news I have just received. My father was on the shipyard working his new job and a British soldier, for no go reason, shot my father and all the other workers working on the ships! He’s gone. DEAD. I was in my room reading the entries my mother has put in the journal and Peter came running in telling me the tragedy. I don’t even know what to think. What are we going to do? How will we go on with out him?  In regard of my loving father,  Emma Flynn

December 6, 1777

Dear Diary, I’m scared to death. Peter as been talking all sorts of craziness every since the… incident. Talking about going to join the war down in Valley Forge. Knowing it’s a whole 6 or 7 hours away from here by carriage made me tear up. He said it’s something he just “…has to do”. “In honor of father…” he says. I just can’t bare the thought of him leaving us! With Hank in charge, who knows what will happen!? I’m worried. We are all grieving from the death of my father and we are all talking craziness but I just can't have Peter away from us. What will we do? ;(

Sad & Scared Emma Flynn