Ella+H.+-+Historical+Fiction+Character

toc

Colonial Life
**__The Diary of Ada Samspon__** On the outskirts of Richmond, Virginia there is a huge plantation owned by one of the wealthiest men in America. On this plantation is a young girl named Ada Sampson. Ada is a young child, only 15 years of age. She has been working on this plantation her entire life. Almost a decade before Ada was born; her parents were captured from their small village in Africa and taken as slaves to Europe. It was a minor miracle that they were both transferred to the same ship to be taken to the new world. They had Ada five years after they arrived in America. Ada has been completely alone for seven years. The O’Connel plantation is the only building within miles. But calling it just a “building” is an insult to this grand estate. The marble exterior sparkles and shines in the sunlight. It’s a surprising contrast with the dark green grass and the topiary’s that litter the front garden. Behind and in front of the house, there is a vast expanse of rolling hills, always dotted with servants picking the tobacco.

Revolution

 * Source:** Hart, Diane, and Bert Bower. History Alive!: The United States through industrialism. Palo Alto, Calif: Teacher’s Curriculum Institute, 2011. Print.


 * Topic:** Attack at Trenton

“Washington knew that he had to do something, and quickly” (Hart 92).

Washington plotted an attack on the Hessian troops who were camped for the winter in Trenton, New Jersey. (Hart 92).

“Heartened by Paine’s words, his men did not ‘shrink fro the service of their country’” (Hart 92).

December 25, 1776: crossed the Delaware River in small boats; when they got on shore Washington whispered: “Victory or Death” (Hart 92).

“As the Americans made their way toward Trenton, a driving snow chilled them to bone. Ice and rocks cut through their worn-out shoes. One officer reported to Washington that the troop’s guns were too wet to fire. ‘Use the bayonets,’ the general replied. ‘The town must be taken’” (Hart 92).

The Hessians were caught completely by surprised and surrendered (Hart 92).


 * Source:** "The Battle of Trenton - 1776."British Battles - analyzing and documenting British Battles from the previous centuries. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2010. .


 * Topic:** The Battle of Trenton

Washington was the faced with the expiration of the Continental Army’s period of enlistment.

He resolved to attack the Hessians before his army dispersed.

“Washington’s plan was to cross the Delaware at three points with a force commanded by Lt Col Cadwallader with a Rhode Island regiment, some Pennsylvanians, Delaware militia and two guns, a second force under Brigadier Ewing of militia and the third commanded by himself which would cross the river above Trenton and attack the Hessian garrison in the town.”

Washington had around 2,400 men from Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.

“It was a cold dark night and the river was running with flowing ice. At about 11pm a heavy snow and sleet storm broke. Washington’s forces did not reach the east bank until around 3am. His soldiers were badly clothed and many did not have shoes. Washington’s men then marched to Trenton, some of the men leaving traces of blood on the snow.”

The Hessian commander had been ordered to construct defense works around the town but didn’t. The message that the Americans were coming was found in his pocket after his death.

“The main American force under Washington entered Trenton from the North-West. Sullivan marched around the town and attacked from the South. The remainder took a position to the North East, cutting of the Hessians’ retreat.”

The commander of the Hessians’ surrendered to George Washington while dying.


 * Source:** Marshall-Dutchell, Joan. "The Winter At Valley Forge."americanrevwar. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2010. 


 * Topic:** The Battle of Trenton

“...you might have tracked the army from White March to Valley Forge by the blood of their feet” (George Washington).


 * Source:** "The Battle of Trenton." The American Revolutionary War. N.p., 10 Nov. 2010. Web. 10 Nov. 2010. 


 * Topic:** The Battle of Trenton

The third division that was supposed to attack from the South never made it because of the weather; the troops that were supposed to be used as a diversion were unable to bring their artillery and were too late to be of any assistance.

“The American victory was aided by John Honeyman, a spy enlisted by Washington, who gathered intelligence in Trenton and misled the Hessian defenders.”

“Honeyman was responsible for estimating the strength of the Hessian defenders and for convincing them that the Americans were confused and in condition to attack.”

The weather made crossing the Delaware impossible, which made the story that the American’s were in disarray more believable to the Hessians.

“The Hessians sent out a patrol every night to check for nearby enemy forces, but they were not sent out that night because of the storm.”

Washington hoped to salvage a victory after the end of a very disappointing campaign.

He wanted to attack the Hessians at Bordentown, but the militia there was to weak to be of any good. The reason he chose Trenton was because the Hessians there were well known for celebrating Christmas by getting a bit tipsy.

“Washington decided on a predawn attack on December 26, while the Hessian troops and officers would be drunk and tired, and hopefully suffering hangovers.”

Washington wanted to reach the other side of the Delaware River by 12:00 Am to leave plenty of time to cross the river and reach Trenton, but as soon as they started to cross the river a storm started. The troops finally reached the shores by 3:00 AM, three hours behind schedule.

The commander of the Hessians had Loyalists and American deserters on his side, telling him the day and hour of the attack, but he did not know how large the American was gong to be.

“He figured that it would be nothing more than small hit-and-run patrol actions to which he had become accustomed and indifferent.”

The total amount of American’s that were wounded in this battle: two. (One of the men that got hurt was Lieutenant James Monroe, future president of the United States).


 * Source:** Hart, Diane, and Bert Bower. History Alive!: The United States through industrialism. Palo Alto, Calif: Teacher’s Curriculum Institute, 2011. Print.


 * Topic:** Winter at Valley Forge

“...It gave each and every man a gill [a few ounces] of rice and a tablespoon of vinegar! The army was now not only starved but naked. The greatest part were not only shirtless and barefoot, but destitute of [without] all other clothing, especially blankets” (Hart 94).

Washington’s soldiers drilled and trained throughout the winter and got stronger each day (Hart 95).

Baron Friedrich von Steuben from Prussia trained the soldiers and Marquis de Lafayette from France used his own money to buy supplies for the men (Hart 95).

· December 25, 1776; early morning. · Troops in small wooden boats getting ready to cross the Delaware River for a sneak-attack on the Hessians. · All the men are badly clothed, and many do not have shoes. · Washington wants to get to the other side of the river by 12:00 AM to leave plenty of time to reach Trenton. · At about 11pm a heavy snow and sleet storm starts. · Men are tossed to and fro in their flimsy wooden boats while trying to get across the ice-clogged river. · Are tired from having spent the night fighting the river, some of them so cold that they could not move by themselves. · The men do not reach the East bank until around 3am, three hours behind schedule. · As the men make their way towards Trenton, a snowstorm starts! · Ice and rocks cut through their shoes. o “…you might have tracked the army…by the blood of their feet” (George Washington). · An officer reports to Washington that the guns are to wet to fire. o “Use the bayonets…the town must be taken” (Hart 92). · The soldiers make it to Trenton. · All of the Hessians are either drunk or sleeping off a good Christmas feast. o Hessians send out a patrol every night but they don’t tonight because of the storm. · The plan: cross the Delaware at three points. · What goes wrong: the third division that was supposed to attack from the South never makes it because of the weather; the troops that are supposed to be used as a diversion are unable to bring their artillery and are too late to be of any assistance. · Men make sneak up on the Hessians, who are so surprised that they don’t know what’s going on and can’t get enough men up and loading their guns. · Washington’s men take most of the people prisoner, but kill the others that resist and try to fight back. · The Hessian commander surrenders while dying. · The only wounded people on our side are two officers, everyone else is fine and in high spirits. · Washington’s men take the town, and a celebration ensues! · If they lost, many of the troops would not re-enlist, meaning that the army would be much smaller and wouldn’t stand a chance against Britain
 * Exposition:**
 * Inciting Incident:**
 * Rising Action:**
 * Climax:**
 * Falling Action:**
 * Resolution:**
 * Political Impact:**