Meghan+R.+-+Historical+Fiction+Character

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Colonial Life
Hello, My name is Jane Peterson and I am 6 years old. I live in the colony of Rhode Island with my family. I have a average sized family, 7 brothers and 4 sisters. My family lives here now because we didn’t have enough money to support our family back in England. So we moved here for a fresh start and hopefully to earn some money. My father died of an unknown disease on the boat ride over here. We were all very sad, but my mother found a new husband very quickly because there aren’t many women for all the men in the colonies. My new father wants us to move down south so we can start a large farm and grow tobacco. He thinks we can earn lots of money growing tobacco. My mother isn’t sure it’s a good idea, but my siblings and I all think it would be a great adventure. Did I forget to mention that I also live with my grandparents, uncle, aunt, and two cousins? Well I do, and if we move down south and start a farm my stepfather’s brother will live with us because he is a great farmer, but doesn’t have much land.

Meanwhile while we still live here in Rhode Island my mother is beginning to teach me how to run the house and be a mother. I don’t go to school, but my mother and oldest siblings teach me everything I need to know about cooking, cleaning, and running a family. My brothers learn from my stepfather. He teaches them to hunt, fish, trade, and anything else they need to learn. My brothers are hopeful that we move down south because then they will be taught how to farm and crop.

Our experience here in the new world has been very different than back in England. I miss my cousins and other family that were left behind in England. We are all still grieving the deaths of my youngest brother and father. My baby brother died the day he was born. My father told me the baby didn’t get enough air, and that’s how he died. Other than the death and missing England I am starting to like it here. I’ve finally gotten used to seeing black slaves and smelling the awful farms.

Revolution
__**HFC Research- American Revolution**__

=//**__Topic__ : The Trap at Yorktown & Cornwallis’s Surrender **//=

 __**Source:**__  Hart, Diane, and Bert Bower. //History alive!: the United States through industrialism// . Palo Alto, Calif.: Teachers' Curriculum Institute, 2011. Print.  “By the time Cornwallis was settling into Yorktown, France had sent.. 5,000 troops to join Washington’s army...” [Hart 96]

Washington’s army was moved down south to Virginia and joined the large French army.

“The trap was sprung...” and Washington’s army attacked on October 6th 1781. [Hart 97]

Cornwallis had expected that his navy would come and rescue his troops, but the navy did not come get him.

 “Cornwallis clung to the hope that the British navy would come to his rescue” [Hart 97]

“When no ships arrived, he finally agreed to surrender” [Hart 97]

On October 19th the British and Cornwallis surrendered and left Yorktown.

“American and French troops formed two long lines that stretched... to Yorktown” [Hart 97]

They made a long line that the British troops slowly and sadly walked down. They also gave up all of their weapons to the American and French. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “ The crowd watched as 8,000 British troops left Yorktown to lay down their arms.” [Hart 97]

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cornwallis claimed to be sick the day of the troops marching out, but in reality he wasn't able to face the ‘embarrassment’ of loosing to such a small and less powerful army.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For Americans, this was a glorious day that they never forgot.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">__**Source 2:**__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> "Battle of Yorktown." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">//Kidport Home Page// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://www.kidport.com/reflib/usahistory/americanrevolution/YorktownBattle.htm>.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “On September 5, 1771, the French fleet attacked the British navy in Chesapeake Bay.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Cornwallis was hoping for his navy to rescue him, but the French defeated his navy.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “After defeating the British Navy, French...began bombarding the forts with Cornwallis and his troops.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The British army was trapped in between the French navy and the American army.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “By mid-October, Cornwallis was running out of food and ammunition.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “Although this was only one quarter of the British troops in America, the surrender has a devastating affect on the British government.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The British army suddenly were worried that they may lose the entire war!

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “They were now motivated to negotiate the end of the war, and the Treaty of Paris"

HFC Story Plot **1.** **Exposition:** My stepfather goes to fight in the battle of Yorktown. **2.** **Rising Action:** My mother is upset that my brother wants to join the war, and doesn’t let him join for fear he may die in it. **3.** **Climax:** My brother sneaks off to the war, and runs into our stepfather who tries to send him back to Rhode Island with our family. Meanwhile the battle of Yorktown is in full swing. **4.** **Falling Action:** French navy arrives at Yorktown, my stepfather dies in battle, Cornwallis surrenders, and my brother sends us letters updating us on what’s happening including fathers death. **5.** **Resolution:** British troops left Yorktown, big celebration & accomplishment, and then my brother comes home. **6.** **Dénouement:** Mother is extremely upset about father, angry with my brother but forgives him & glad he’s safe and home.

*******7. Theme:** This is mainly social with some parts being political. In the story there will be some political elements but the basis will be social**.*********