Kayla Greenwood                           American Revolutionary

March 6,2008

In the Revolutionary war I was a women who had important roles. Women went with their sons and husbands and joined the military we were called camp followers. Some stayed and did household duties and raise their children. I chose to go with the army. Most European countries had large sums of women follow them. We would take care of the men in the army as to sewing and washing their clothes, they considered it necessary. The Americans didnt like the fact we followed the army. Without women the British would comment on our ragged unclean uniforms and the men wouldnt bother to shower. Some of us were paid for our services, such as women who mended and cooked. Some generals had us carry wagons from battle to battle, were at a battle we would give out water and bandages to soldiers and care for the wounded. On June 28 they engage the British at Monmouth Courthouse it was long and hot my husband and his unit is under attack and a cannonball has jus fired me way and I cant see any of the unit nor my husband. Where the air was clear many men were falling to the ground so I decide to help the man keep firing the guns. I glance as to see if my husband has any sign of blood no blood. So I continue to help fire the cannon the cannonballs were heavy but I knew if was important to keep going the commander came over and said ceasefire the British retreated and we won. I see my husband get up slowly as I run to offer something to drink. The men thank me and I go back to my duties. I make supper for my husband and wash his uniform and also making extra money for washing other uniforms of men whose wife did not accompany them. After supper an officer came over and congratulated me for the gun handling during the battle, but I am barely noticed I go on with my duties. My husband is re-enlisting but I tell him that I am concerned but I do not go. I tell my husband that I am having a baby and I do not want the baby being born during the war. I tell him we shall return home and start a life he agrees. We return to Williamsburg and he says that he will return to the army when I am good enough to stay home alone.

Why Might American women be less welcome then women of the British women?

Because the Americans didnt really like the fact that women followed them and British didnt like when the Americans were so dirty.

What affect might short enlistments have had on the Continental Army?

Edson Varela           b-block           History                  03-05-08

Im a Boston businessman in 1774 with a wife and young son. While I never really agree with British taxes, I have  quietly dealt with them when the outrage over Tea Act of 1773 results in the Boston tea party, I also disagree with the drastic action taken by my fellow political beliefs.

However when the British responds in 1774 by passing The coercive acts, I am outraged.

The committee of  leaders has gathered  and called for the creation of armed militias to be ready at short notice and think they are called Minutemen .I decide to wait and see what happens and what kind of punishments might be inflicted on the colonists. I was shocked

At the successes of the Minutemen. And I decided to join the continental army and was

Welcome gratefully. And were informed with plans to attack. Encouraged with the win in Trenton, me and my soldiers were anxious to fight again. But we got  tired and Washington decides to move to west to protect Philadelphia from the British attack. Me and Washington decided to attack the British soldiers at Germantown and were led by Anthony Wayne.25

I go to Hartford, Connecticut where my sister is. During this time my husband is fighting in the war. I decide to still support the war effort by helping injured soldiers in hospitals. Also I help raise money to help the Patriots. I hear that my husband is stationed in Saratoga. An army officer comes to me sisters house and tells me that my husband has died in the battle. Im proud of the sacrifice that my family and me has made during the war.

Question for Reflection

How could colonial women contribute to the war effort?

      Women contributed by taking care of their children and families while their husbands were fighting. Also they would also try to help injured soldiers and try to raise money for them. They would also do the regular jobs that the men would usually do.

Hayley Lima

I am a woman living in Groton, Mass with my four children and a husband who is at war. I had two chooses I could either go to war with my husband or stay home and raise my children and work on take care of my farm. I chose to stay home and raise my children and take care of my farm. I chose that for many reasons my main reason was my husband and I worked very hard to get what we have and I didnt want my children to have no parents if both of us died. While I was home cleaning up my farm I overheard other families talking saying that the loyalist was trying to send messages through. I had two choices I could either do something and stop them or not do anything and ignore it. I chose to ignore it because I thought that they wouldnt bother my family or me and if I tried to stop them they might do something to my family. Everything was ok for a little bit and then the British started to come in and I had to think if I should stay at my farm and risk my life and my childrens life and my home or flee with my children to my sisters house. I decided to flee to my sisters house with my children. I went there because she has two kids and her husband is at war so she knows how I feel. I was at her house and I havent heard from my husband in a while. I started to get worried but I didnt let fear take over me. Then one day an officer was at the house and my sister answered I had thought she lost her husband until she told me that they needed to speak with me. Right then and there I knew something bad has happened, then the officer told me they found him dead. They ended up giving me his wedding band and my last letter I wrote him. I had lost a wonderful husband and a great father to my children.

I am a patriot I have a son and a daughter and I have a wife, I never believed in the taxes and I will fight fir them, I joined to be a minute man after the outrage in the tea act of 1773 witch resulted in the Boston tea party were they dumped hundreds of crates of tea in the Boston harbor, so like I said I joined the minute men for the winter of 1774 and 1775 so I was training for the military and I was trained to prepare quick so if we herd the word of war we would be in fighting shape. On the morning of April 19 everyone is discussing that the British sent 700 troops out for battle in Lexington and concord these troops are met by us the minutemen and the battle is being fought. As the minutemen hide to sneak attack the British we hide in the trees, bushes, and everywhere possible, as the British march down a narrow rode as they get ready to fire at and minute men in there ay possibly killing or injuring them. On June 17 me and many other minutemen are ordered to go take over bunker hill and we need to keep the British trapped in the harbor as we are fighting non stop at the peak of the battle we receive cannon fire witch is really bad for us because all we need is to get our selves blown to smithereens. That afternoon the British begin to slow there roll of firing at us because they are running low on ammo as they try to retreat. After we fight the Bunker Hill battle. Later that year I defend my country even more I stay with the army but I am one of few it doesnt last long as Washington orders the troops south to defend New York as we move onto long island and begin building fortifications, on august 26 we fire our attacks and we didnt plan our defense ass well as our offense as we raze and fire our guns we cant see our enemy but we can her the ratter tat tat. Of their drums and them yelling the commands and all of a sudden you se them and her a couple attacks of cannon balls and you begin to see the germens as you turn and run you and all your men get called back from the front line and are told to run for cover as we are getting bombarded with fire power of rifles and cannons we think what we have to do is surrender so I drop my weapon and throw up my hands but yet the one person charging me with a bayonet ends up sticking me with it right in my stomach and driving me back into a tree until I feel my life bleed out of me .

Vanessa Marcial                    B       3/5/08

                             History

 I am a patriot during the time of the Revolutionary war. I work as a businessman in the city

>Many of the patriots didnt all agree with the British taxes because it was too expensive.

>The patriots became outraged because after the Boston Tea Party the British Parliaments decide to come up with a law called the Intolerable act. This act closed the Boston ports and put Massachusetts under the power of the British military. Making the people of Mass. Pay money to support the soldiers during the war.

>so I decided to wait and see what would happen because the citizens of the town decided to take the ammunition and the weapons of the soldiers and store them away, out the sight of the army.

>I am shocked to see that certain minutemen are helping the colony protect their ammunition store in Concord, in 1775.

>After the British leave Boston the colony decide to seal Boston, except by sea. Trying to prevent the British from leaving the city.

>George Washington comes to take command of the minutemen as well as forces from other areas, thus combing and creating a continental army.

>I decided to join the Revolutionary war; by December general Washington had only a few thousand soldiers in his outfit.

>By the time that I get to the battle field in New York I find out that general Washington has lost that part of the war and the continental congress begin to loose faith in him.

>Washington decides to tell the troops that he is planning to attack Trenton on Christmas day. He said that they were going to sneak across the Delaware River; this plan actually went as it planned we successfully got across.

>Many of the Hessians troops lay down their weapons and others were killed at gunpoint.

>After our victory in Trenton me and many other soldiers became very anxious for our next battle.

>Washington decides to send is troops to Princeton to attack the British from the rear and we encounter the British on the road to the Princeton.

>At the begging of battle we saw that the British were ready to fire at us o me and many other soldiers decided to run.

>As me and many of the troops decide to run we see Washington on top of his horse riding toward the British line, inspiring the   troops that were trying to retreat stand up and fight, forcing the British to stand down thus winning another battle.

>Washington knowing that we were tired decided to move us up Philadelphia because of a possible British attack.

>When we reach Morristown we realize that there are less then 3,000 soldiers. Many of our soldiers were freezing to death dying from hunger and dying from the disease commonly known as the smallpoxs.

>Knowing that Washingtons soldiers are weak and defenseless we are attacked by the British and we were forced to retreat and they took over Philadelphia and the continental congress is forced to leave as well because they scared for there lives.

>General Washington is very upset about the last outcome of the battle, so he decides to attack the British at Germantown on the day of October 3.

>Washington assigns a group of soldiers to attack first, and I was in the group led by Anthony Wayne, this group ran directly into the British infantry I was shocked to see that the British retreated before our eyes.

>Their retreat encouraged us to keep fighting against the British; we slaughter the British even though they beg for mercy.

>Even though we began to win the battle, General Washington forced us to retreat again but this time we were forced to retreat to the Valley Forge.

>This winter wasnt as bad as the other times that we were forced to be in the snow.

But for the soldiers it became very difficult, many of our soldiers died because of the weather conditions, and the other soldiers were freezing to death because we didnt have enough supplies to keep us safe and alive. There wasnt anything for us we didnt have anything to keep us warm. We didnt even have shoes to keep our feet warm throughout the entire winter; we were forced to wrap our feet in cloths just so that we wouldnt be frostbitten.

>Our food is scarce and we dont even have meat, any type of meat for any of us to eat.

Many of our soldiers legs had to be amputated because the coldness of the winter and the wounds of our wars turned their legs black and had to be cut off.

>we die of hunger because no  one wants to sell us food, we have heard rumors that we are not given food because the farmer and merchants do not want to give us any they prefer to sell the food to only the British because the have a lot of money to pay for it.

>I become sick and tired of the war so I decide to leave the war, it takes me many weeks to get home but I get there, When I arrive home I am welcomed with open arms and I am able to continue my little business during the time of the French alliance of 1778,

Im a stay at home women. Im 25 years old. I live in a small farm outside of Groton, Massachusetts. Ive been married for 10 years and I have 4 children. My husband is in the war, Im a patriot and believe in the wart but decided to stay home and take care of my kids and the farm, but I will do watever I can to help the war efforts.

My household is almost self-sufficient. I raise chickens and grow vegetables. I save left overs to make things like soap from leftover grease, and brooms, candles and clothes. I spin my own clothes when needed. I cook my own foods and I preserve foods for drying, smoking and salting. Twice a week I bake bread for my family and clean the house very often. I also learned how to use a firearm with my husband and I know how to harvest.

Most of the men in Groton have left for the war and all us ladies are basically here alone and now the loyalist messengers are coming here. Thirty ladies and I gathered to help the war effort by trying to intercept or slow down the loyalist messengers. In order for us to look more frightening and serious we decided to put on our husbands old clothes and get our weapons. We all gathered at the bridge at the edge of town and take turns standing watch. On the second day of the vigil a guy on a horse approaches the town. We surrounded him. At first he didnt take us seriously, so we pulled him from his horse, I searched him while the other ladies guarded him with guns. I searched his horse and coat and found dispatches that were supposed to be delivered to the nearest British forces. After I let the nearest Patriots forces know what we had done and what we found. They took the messenger and his dispatches away. We all felt very proud that we helped with the war effort.

Lately Ive been working very hard on the farm and taking care of my children. Ive getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night but still keeping things in order. Ive received letters from my husband but I still fear for his life.

Yesterday John McCain, my neighbors son let me know that the Bristish troops are marching towards Groton and theyre are going to extablish here. He told me that some patriot families have been fleeing from the city. I was scared so I also decided to flee to my sisters home in Hartford, Connecticut. Leaving my home is very hard, I hate leaving my home unattended, but I know that this is the best choice. I fear for my well-being under the British rule. Before leaving I tell my neighbors who decided to stay behind to tell my husband that Im staying with my sister in Connecticut until the British leave Groton.

When I arrived in Hartford my sister and my two children were happy to see us. We spend time talking, catching up on our lives. We are both frustated with the fact that we cant do more for the war effort.

The women of Hartford begin to organize fundraising campaigns. My sister and I decide to join them, and go door to door to raise funds for the Patriot soldiers. We all raise $5000 in Continental  currency the cause. The Continental Congress has overprinted money, as well as the individual states, making the money raised worth less. Regardless of this we the money raised will help to fight the war. I also joined  the local league of rolling bandages for about a week. This aid in treament for wounded soldiers. Its a small effort but I helped the war efforts, and that satisfies me very much.

In late October, 1777, I hear talk of a great Patriot victory. All of the newspapers are full of stories about the victory of Saratoga in upstate New York and the surrender of an entire British army. Many colonists, including me, believe that Patriots are going to win this war and rumors spread that the French are finally going to sign a Treaty of alliance with the Continental Congress.     

I havent heard from my husband in months, but I believe that his unit took part in Saratoga. I continue to help with money raising efforts and bandage rolling as I wait for news.

On a cloudy November day, a Continental Army officer arrived at my sisters door. When I saw him standing at the doorsteps my heart sunk in because I knew he had bad news. As he walked and sat down, he told my sister that my husband was killed at the battle of Saratoga on October 16, 1777. He gave me some of my husbands personal things like our wedding ring and my last letter to him. The letter was stained with his blood. I start crying, it just hurt so much. I soon leave the parlor, walked into the kitchen and found my four children reading. I told them to gather around me and hug, while I was trying to figure out how I was going to tell them about their fathers death. I soon told them and they were shocked, and started crying.

Regardless of my husbands death and all the things Ive through, I know that my husband sacrificed his life and family for the Patriot cause. Im very proud of him but still sad.

ASHLEY MATINEZ