Brian+H.+-+Historical+Fiction+Character

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Colonial Life
Edward Jefferson Hi my name is Edward Jefferson. I am 5’8 and weigh 155 pounds. I have dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. I grew up in England. My parents were middle class farmers. I was the oldest out of eight brothers and sisters. Being the oldest of the farm I had the most chores on the farm. In 1760 when I was 18, my parents died of cholera a disease caused by contained food or contained water. I then decided to move to the colonies to start a new life and to grow tobacco. I have been in America for seven years now and have experienced a lot. I now own a large tobacco farm in Maryland. I am successful because my parents taught me in my childhood about growing crops. I chose Maryland because of how low and fertile the land is, which is great for growing tobacco. I also own farm animals because in the colonies most of the farmers had to provide for themselves like me. I am now married to a woman named Alice Jefferson. We have only three kids so far named James, Washington, and Jennifer. We are planning to have six more babies. On my farm two of my brothers live with me. In the wintertime it is hard to stay warm with all the people in the house because everyone huddles over the fire, which is the only heat source on the farm. My children attended a private school so that they get an education and can become successful in their life. We are all Catholic and attend church every Sunday.

Revolution
Edward Jefferson December 25 1776 Journal Entry 1 Dear Diary, This is my first journal entry. I started to write down the events I have endured over the course of the Revolution, knowing if we win this war this book will be an important for the people who read these historic events. This is my first story, The Battle of Trenton.

I stood on the shore hands around my face trying to keep warm, waiting for the boat to arrive. The air was almost turning my breath to icicles. It was one of the coldest nights of the year. I stood their taller then most of the other soldiers. There faces barely visible with the scarf covering their faces but their eyes told me everything. Under there eyes where dark bags from being tired because it was about midnight now, they looked frightened knowing what was about to come next. We stood near the Delaware River. It was Christmas 1776; I wished I were with my wife and my children. I was thinking of my kids lying in their beds warm and cozy with the hot chocolate in their bellies.

No one talked at the moment because of the horrible battle that my come next knowing from the battle in New York. We lost so many of our friends, so many deaths it makes me furious at the thought that the lobster backs will win. We lost half our army. We are fighting in the American Revolution and this may be my last battle. I now hear George Washington yelling in the distance” Victory or Death”. Which was a sad truth to all of us, if this sneak attack on the Germans, who where paid by the British to fight, were to be lost we would have to surrender. We are nine miles north of our destination of Trenton in New Jersey, where there base lies. We are hoping the Germans are sound asleep with that Christmas feast full in their stomach. Just thinking of that makes my stomach growl. I tug my jacket closer together because of the bitterly cold air. All the soldiers are bunch together keeping warm, fog in eyes when finally the boat arrives for my group and me.

Historical Fiction Character Research Source: Hart, Diane, and Bert Bower. //History Alive!: the United States through Industrialism//. Palo Alto, CA: Teachers' Curriculum Institute, 2011. Print. Topic: The Victory in Trenton · **On December 25, 1776 in Trenton, New Jersey the battle began** · **“Washington army crossed the ice-choked Delaware River”(Hart 92)** · **They started about 9 miles above the Delaware river from new jersey** · **Washington yelled, “Victory or Death”(Hart 92)** · **He screamed this because the battle in New York was a horrible loss for his army that lost many soldiers.** · **If this battle was lost the war would be over and the English would win.** · **The weather was snowy and cold** · **“One officer reported to Washington that the troop’s guns were too wet to fire”(Hart 92)** · **Found the redcoats asleep from the Christmas feast** · **Caught by surprise they surrendered and “Washington took 868 prisoners without losing one man”(Hart 92)** · **This was a easy victory for the colonists** · **This victory electrified Patriots** · **“The game was not yet up”(Hart 92)**

**Source:** "The Victory at Trenton - US History Website - American History Study." //Apples4theteacher.com - A Primary Website - Educational Games and Activities for Kids//. 07 Sept. 2010. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. . **Topic:** Battle of Trenton · **German soldiers hired by the British were attacked** · **Washington knew that “It was there custom to hold a feast and revel”(The Victory at Trenton)** · **2400 men where prepared to cross the river at a nine mile point above Trenton** · **“General Knox, who had been sent ahead by Washington, loudly shouted to let the struggling boatman know to land”(The Victory in Trenton)** · **At sunset troops on boats started to make there journey** · **After 10 hours of boat loads they finally where all there.** · **Four in morning they began there attack** · **Brought new hope in the colonies**

**Source:** "The American Revolution - (The Battle of Trenton )." //The American Revolution - (Home)//. 05 Mar. 2007. Web. 18 Nov. 2010. . Topic: Battle of Trenton · **In the battle it says that two people were killed and five were wounded which has changed from the history textbook** · **“American troops surprised a Hessian picket guard”(The Battle of Trenton) This was how it start the battle** · **“Nine hundred and eighteen prisoners, six brass cannons, forty horses…”(The Battle of Trenton).**

Exposition: December 25th 1776 Christmas. It is the Battle of Trenton. Cold stormy night, breath is visible, the Delaware River was almost frozen. At about midnight, I was wishing to be with my family. George Washington is leading this war and I am one of his loyal war friends. Our army traveled 9 miles to Trenton. Inciting incident: The New York battle wiped out most of our army. If this battle where to be lost the whole war would be over. They had to do this war for the soldier’s spirits.

Rising Action: Waiting for the wooden boat. Wishing to be with my family on this night. Once the boat arrives it is covered in puke from sick soldiers one of the soldiers doesn’t want to get into the boat and has an argument with the captain. Until finally the captain of the boat puts a gun on the soldier’s head and he decides to get inside the boat. I row the boat to get warm. It is a long ride with lots of fog in our faces. We arrive at the bottom of the hill near Trenton. All the soldiers sleep while waiting for the thousands of other soldiers to arrive except for George Washington and a few others who keep watch.

Climax: Some one is shaking me to get me up. It is George Washington who tells me we are about to attack. I am with the assault team about to go inside the camp. We climb up the hill and walk about half a mile until we see the camp. All lights are off except the front light where five guards stand drunk. George Washington tells me and 20 others to stop and on the count of three shoot at the guard closet to them.1, 2,3 pop. Two are dead while three were shoot in the foot. The three start to scream to try to tell the other soldiers who are asleep to wake up. We run up to them. Pop. The three men have just fired at us and have killed two of our men. This makes me furious and I rush to them and slam their faces with the but of my gun. Blood splatter all over my chest. Pop. Pain shoots threw my whole body. I pass out.

Falling Action: I wake to find cloth covering my shin. I look around to find myself on the ground in the same place where I had been shot. The camp around me is now full of laughter and curses in German. We have taken over the whole camp of the Germans and have them as captives. George Washington is now standing next to me and starts to explain that the army followed him into the camp and went into every cabin and point a gun at all the Germans who were paid by the British to fight. It took quite some time but was done without any soldiers dying except for a few. He then asks me what happened when I went up and smashed the guard’s faces. I just shrugged and said that when people kill my friends I turn into another person. He just says rest up and pats my thigh and then walks away with a smile.

Resolution: I got to go home after my injury for a little while until I heal. I then had a real Christmas with my family.

Dénouement: The colonies where jubilant about the victory and raised high hopes for the future.

Theme of the Essay: I want people to know that in history people haven’t stop fighting for what they believe is right. When you down you have to find it inside yourself to get back up and get your spirits back.