American Revolution Texts

Brown v. Board of Education
May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, The American Revolution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).
Library of CongressA group of parents in Topeka, Kansas, decided toas their schools for white children. Because the
take a stand in 1951. For more than 50 years, schools were equally good, though separate, the
a policy of “separate but equal”—in practice, school boards insisted that they were complying
separate but unequal—had kept black and white with the law that had been established by the
people segregated on many levels in the United Supreme Court in an 1896 case called Plessy v.
States. The Topeka families wanted their children Ferguson. That case related to street cars, but
to be admitted to the white grade schools in their had been used to defend “separate but equal”
neighborhoods instead of being sent across town segregation in many other aspects of life.
to attend all-black schools. When their children
were denied admittance to the white schools, the On May 17, 1954, after three years of
parents sued the Topeka Board of Education. hearing arguments, the Supreme Court came
to a unanimous and momentous decision.
The case, known as Brown v. Board of Overturning that 1896 case, Chief Justice
Education of Topeka, Kansas, went all the way to Earl Warren wrote, “In the field of public
the Supreme Court. The question the justices had education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’
to consider was, “Does segregation of children has no place. Separate educational facilities
in public schools . . . on the basis of race, even are inherently unequal.”
though the physical facilities and other ‘tangible’
factors may be equal, deprive the children The Court agreed that sometimes (though
of the minority group of equal educational certainly not always) the teachers, buildings,
opportunities?” books, and course of study in black schools were
just as good as those in white schools. Still, black
The Topeka Board of Education and other children were being deprived of equal protection
segregated school systems argued that the schools under the law. The Court’s opinion read: “To
they ran for black students were just as good separate [black students] from others of similar

By Helen Wieman Bledsoe, Cobblestone, © by Carus Publishing Company. Reproduced with permission. 201

age and qualifications solely because of their race many years before the law was fully obeyed. The
generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status Civil Rights Act of 1964 speeded up the process.
in the community that may affect their hearts
and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone.” Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka,
No matter how fine the black schools might Kansas, made the American school system
be, it still was unfair to prevent black students more democratic and fair for all citizens. As a
from studying alongside white students. Racial landmark Supreme Court decision, it became
discrimination no longer had a place in America’s a catalyst for other civil rights gains in public
public schools. Despite the Court’s ruling, it took accommodations, housing, voting, recreation,
and employment opportunities.
Library of Congress
May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, The American Revolution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).
And Let’s Not Forget . . . CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964

M any Southern states had spent decades trying to get around the 13th,
14th and 15th Amendments and refused to enforce equality. So, during
the civil rights movement of the 1960s, African Americans looked to the
federal government in Washington, D.C., for help. On July 2, 1964, President
Lyndon B. Johnson signed one of the most sweeping civil rights laws in U.S.
history. Giving the U.S. Justice Department the responsibility of enforcing
it, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made segregation illegal. It also prevented
discrimination in the workplace, as well as in education, housing, and
public places. And it protected the right to vote as a civil right. Unlike the
first civil rights laws in the mid-1800s, the 1964 act prevented discrimin­ a­
tion based on religion, sex, or national origin, not just on race or color.

202 By Helen Wieman Bledsoe, sidebar by Alex Lichtenstein, Cobblestone, © by Carus Publishing Company. Reproduced with permission.

Tinker v. Des Moines:By Marcia Amidon Lusted. May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, The American Revolution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).
© Bettman/CORBIS
Defending the Right to Protest

Mary Beth Tinker and her brother, John, display two black armbands. The students from North High School were
suspended from classes along with three other students for wearing the bands to quietly protest the Vietnam War.

It seemed like just a small act of protest. On years later, he remembered what it was like to walk
December 16, 1965, three students came to two into school wearing the armband:
Des Moines, Iowa schools wearing black armbands.
John and Mary Beth Tinker and Christopher Eckhardt We walked quietly through the doors on the
were protesting the war in Vietnam, especially the northeast side of the building, and up the stairs
loss of American lives there and their belief that a to my corner locker. . . . I took off my overcoat,
cease-fire was necessary. They didn’t shout slogans or and there for all the world to see, was my
attempt to tell other students about this protest. They scarlet letter. Well, really it was just a two inch
simply decided to wear the armbands as a kind of wide piece of black cloth pinned to my jacket.
peaceful protest known as civil disobedience, which
is refusing to obey a law or rule in order to protest a Christopher was suspended from school. At the
government action. In this case they were breaking Harding Middle School in Des Moines, Mary Beth
a school district rule that prohibited anything that Tinker, who was 13, was also suspended. John Tinker,
might cause a disturbing situation in the school. who was also 15, did not wear his armband until the
next day, when like his sister and his friend he was
Christopher Eckhardt was fifteen years old on that also sent home on suspension.
morning. He attended Roosevelt High School. Many

203

National Archives In most schools, an incident like this, which reached the highest court in the land: the United
By Marcia Amidon Lusted. May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, The American Revolution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).was carried out by students who didn’t show any States Supreme Court. Tinker v. Des Moines would
aggression or even protest verbally, would be handled become a landmark in judicial history.
quickly and soon forgotten. But there was a larger
issue underlying the December 16 protests. It had to Christopher Eckhardt commented again, years
do with students’ right to free speech. The incident later, that he was surprised that the case would reach
began to attract attention beyond the school. The the Supreme Court.
Eckhardt and Tinker families contacted the Iowa
Civil Liberties Union (ICLU) and asked them if it was I knew at the time that the U.S. Supreme
legal for the school district to prevent students from Court consisted of nine dudes in black robes
wearing armbands. The ICLU asked the Des Moines who made decisions that affected the rest of
school board to review the actions of the school the country. But never in my wildest dreams
administrators and to protect the students’ right to did I ever think we would end up in front of
free speech. But the school board argued that they felt the Supreme Court.
the protest, even if it was peaceful, could be disruptive
and even cause violence in the schools. The arguments But it was not a quick trip into U.S. legal history.
over this incident would blossom into a debate over The ICLU sued the school district on behalf of the
whether students’ rights to free speech and free three students, which went to trial in the U.S. District
expression under the United States Constitution Court. The case was automatically tried in a federal
stopped at the door of the school. The case would go court because it had to do with the U.S. Constitution
to court many times over the next three years, until it or its amendments. The judge ended up ruling against
the Tinkers and Christopher Eckhardt, saying that
Cover page of the court record of John Tinker’s testimony while the students did have the right to free speech,
the school administrators acted properly in restricting
a situation that they thought might be disruptive or
dangerous.

However, the students and their families were
not done. They appealed the decision and the case
went to the next level: the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court
of Appeals. Cases are only tried when there is a
possibility that a lower court committed an error. The
hearing was set for April of 1967, and the decision of
the court was split 4–4 between the eight sitting judges
on the case. This automatically meant that the lower
court’s decision was upheld, and the school district’s
ban on armbands was still in effect. The families were
disappointed, but their lawyer, Dan Johnston, realized
that the Appeals Court’s ruling was in conflict with
two Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rulings on two
different incidents in other places, which also dealt
with students and their freedom of speech in school.
Because of this, he felt that the Tinker v. Des Moines
case had a chance of being heard by the U.S. Supreme
Court, the highest court in the country. Johnston filed
a writ of certiorari, which was a petition asking for the
Supreme Court to review the case. On March 4, 1968,
the Supreme Court decided to hear the case.

On November 12, 1968, the Tinker and Eckhardt
families were in the courtroom of the Supreme Court
building in Washington, D.C., to hear the arguments in

204

By Marcia Amidon Lusted. May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, The American Revolution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann). their case. Each lawyer had only 30 minutes to argue Amendment protection at school, provided that their
for his side of the case. The justices asked questions of expression of that right does not cause a disruption.
the lawyers, often interrupting their arguments. Some It had taken three and a half years, but these three
justices were clearly sympathetic to the students, while students were finally cleared of any blame from their
others sided with the school board and were sometimes 1965 act of protest.
hostile in their questions. Justice Thurgood Marshall,
who seemed sympathetic to the case, questioned Allan Tinker v. Des Moines still stands as a legal
Herrick, the attorney for the school district: precedent for students’ rights to free speech. In the
almost fifty years since the case, however, there
Q (Marshall): How many [students] were have been Supreme Court rulings that have seemed
wearing arm bands? to erode those student rights. Because Tinker v. Des
Moines had a narrow focus on a specific situation—
A (Herrick): There were five suspended for students were protected by the First Amendment
wearing arm bands. only in specific circumstances—it might not apply to
future cases with different circumstances. But it still
Q: Any wearing arm bands that were not stands as one of the most important court cases in
suspended? U.S. history. In the words of Justice Abe Fortas, who
wrote the court’s official opinion:
A: Yes, sir, I think there were two.
Any word spoken, in class, in the lunchroom,
Q: That makes seven . . . seven out of 18,000? or on the campus, that deviates from the
And the School Board was advised that seven views of another person may start an
students wearing armbands were disrupting argument or cause a disturbance. But our
18,000? Am I correct? Constitution says we must take this risk;
and our history says that it is this sort of
Christopher Eckhardt remembered hearing this hazardous freedom—this kind of openness—
exchange and Justice Marshall’s disbelief, and feeling that is the basis of our national strength and
confident that they would win the case. And on of the independence and vigor of Americans
February 24, 1969, he found out that he was right: who grow up and live in this relatively
the Court had voted 7–2 in favor of the Tinkers permissive, often disputatious, society.
and Eckhardt. They ruled that students have First

Other Supreme Court Cases . . . That Affect You!

Since Tinker v. Des Moines in 1969, there have been other Supreme Court cases that
affect teens in particular. These are usually cases whether Supreme Court has to find
a balance between the rights of students and the need of school officials to protect

all students as a group. Many students do not realize that what they are and are
not allowed to do in school may be directly related to a Supreme Court case.

Ingraham v. Wright, 1977

Is it hard to imagine being paddled or spanked at school? In 1977, a 14-year-old boy named James Ingraham
was sent to the principal’s office in his middle school. His teacher said he was being “rowdy” in the school
auditorium. Because James’ school district allowed corporal punishment (physical punishment such as
spanking or hitting), the principal decide to give James five swats with a paddle. James refused, claiming he
hadn’t done anything wrong, but he was held down and given 20 swats instead. He suffered bruises and had
to stay out of school for ten days. He and his mother sued the principal and other school officials, claiming
that James’ punishment violated the 8th Amendment because it was “cruel and unusual punishment.”

205

Verdict: The Supreme Court ruled against James, saying that the 8th Amendment was meant to protect By Marcia Amidon Lusted. May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, The American Revolution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).
criminals from being punished excessively by the government. The Court claimed that it did not apply
to school children who did not behave. However, the Court did say that schools should be careful
about when they decided to use corporal punishment, depending on the student’s attitude, history, and
physical condition.

Impact: This verdict leaves the decision of whether or not to even allow corporal punishment up to the
individual state and local school districts. Currently about half the states allow it.

Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 1988

Does freedom of speech also apply to school newspapers? This was the question that the Supreme Court
had to address in 1988. Students enrolled in a journalism class in Hazelwood, Missouri, were responsible
for writing and editing their school newspaper, The Spectrum. Two of the articles included in the final
issue of the school year dealt with divorce and teen pregnancy. The names of the girls in the pregnancy
article were changed, but in the divorce article, a student blamed her father for her parents’ divorce,
using her real name. The father was not given the opportunity to learn about the article or comment
on it. The school principal was worried about privacy and whether the articles were appropriate for the
school paper, and he prevented them from being published. The student journalists sued, saying that
their right to freedom of speech had been violated.

Verdict: The Supreme Court ruled against the journalists, saying that the newspaper was school sponsored
and it was not a public forum where everyone could share their views. Instead, the newspaper was a
requirement of a journalism class and a supervised learning experience, and the school had the right to
edit articles if it felt it was appropriate. The Court noted that educators do not offend First Amendment
rights by controlling the style and content of student writing in a school-sponsored activity, as long as
their reasons for editing the content is related to a serious educational concern.

Impact: This ruling makes it acceptable for schools to censor any form of student expression, such as
yearbooks, theatrical productions, speeches, and creative writing. However, it does encourage schools to
take a careful look at why they are censoring student expression, to balance the good of the school with
the students’ right to free expression.

West Side Community Schools v. Mergens, 1990

How many clubs are there at your school? Chances are there are many, for all kinds of interests and
groups. In 1990, a senior at Westside High School in Omaha, Nebraska, asked the school’s principal if
she could start an after-school religious club. The principal refused to give permission, saying that a
religious club would be illegal in a public school. The year before, Congress had passed the Equal Access
Act, which required schools to allow political and religious student clubs if they allowed other kinds of
student-interest clubs. This case would be the first test of this act.

Verdict: The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the student, saying that allowing students to meet and talk
about religion after school did not mean that the school was sponsoring that religion. The Court said,
“We think that secondary school students are mature enough and are likely to understand that a school
does not endorse or support student speech” just because it allows it to take place.

Impact: If a school only allow clubs that are tied to its curriculum, like foreign languages or journalism clubs,
then it doesn’t have to allow clubs that aren’t related to the curriculum. But as soon as it lets students form
clubs according to their interests, such as an environmental club or a dancing club, which aren’t part of the
school’s curriculum, then it also has to allow religious, political, and other types of clubs, too.

206

Short Nonfiction for American History

The American Revolution
and Constitution

Image Bank

Library of Congress George III

Engraver Benjamin Smith created this portrait of His Most Gracious Majesty
King George the Third around 1804, based on a painting by Sir William Beechey.

George III was king of England during the Revolutionary War.

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Revolution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-1

Thomas Paine Library of Congress

Thomas Paine, a political activist and writer, was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States,
best known for his famous quote, “These are the times that try men’s souls.”
His 1776 pamphlet Common Sense was a call to arms for Americans
to rise up against British rule and seek independence.

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Revolution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-2

French and In

This engraving shows French soldiers and their Algonquin
during the winter of 1689. Despite the fact that the stockade

and a reliance on other Native American scouts, the
Sixty men, women, and children w

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

ndian Attack

North Wind Picture Archive

allies attacking a stockade fort in Schenectady, New York,
e was strong enough to resist attack, due to the deep snow
e gates were left open and no guards were posted.
were killed in the two-hour attack.

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-3

Washington

Another in a series of paintings by Junius Brutus Stearn
and was reproduced as this lithograph in 1854. It shows W

fighting during the Battle of Monongahela in Penn
and French and Canadian troops wa

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

n the Soldier

Library of Congress

ns, this is titled Life of George Washington—The Soldier
Washington, who was a colonel at the time, and his soldiers
nsylvania. The 1755 battle between British soldiers
as part of the French and Indian War.

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-4

1768 Boston b

Paul Revere, patriot, printer, and silversmi
The caption reads “The town of Boston
landing their troops! 1768” as

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

by Paul Revere

Library of Congress

ith, engraved this view of Boston in 1770.
in New England and British ships of war
British troops occupy the city.

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-5

Boston M

An 1868 engraving, based on a painting by Alonso Cha

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

Massacre

North Wind Picture Archives

appel, showing the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770.

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-6

Boston Massacre by Paul Revere Yale University Art Gallery

Boston patriot, artist, and silversmith Paul Revere create this hand-colored engraving
just three weeks after the Boston Massacre in 1770. It also contained
inflammatory text calling the British soldiers “fierce Barbarians.”

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Revolution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-7

Boston M

Death of Crispus Attucks at the Boston Massacre, by J
in the Boston Massacre of 1770. Attucks, part African an

American Revolution after a mob attacked a Briti

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

Massacre

American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA/Bridgeman Images

James Wells Champney, 1856, depicts Crispus Attucks
nd part Native American, was the first person killed in the
ish soldier in front of the Boston Custom House.

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-8

Boston Massacre Four Coffins Library of Congress

Paul Revere created this woodcut illustration and letterpress type on March 12, 1770,
following the Boston Massacre. It was printed in a newspaper, The Boston Gazette and
Country Journal. The coffins in the illustration bear the initials for the four Americans killed
during the massacre: Samuel Gray, Samuel Maverick, James Caldwell, and Crispus Attucks.

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Revolution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-9

Crispus Attucks Memorial Portrait Library of Congress

A photographic print of a memorial portrait of Crispus Attucks, who was the first person killed
in the Revolutionary War. Attucks, son of an African father and a Native American mother,
was a runaway slave who came to Boston and worked as a sailor. He was killed
during the Boston Massacre in 1770 and may even have started the incident.

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Revolution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-10

Boston Tea Par

This lithograph by lithographers Sarony & Major wa
of British tea, thrown into Boston Harbor during the

as Native Americans threw the tea overboard fro

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

rty Lithograph

Library of Congress

as published around 1846. It shows the destruction
Boston Tea Party of 1773. Patriots barely disguised
om British ships to protest the British tax on tea.

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-11

Library of Congress Boston Tea Party Poem

This poem, “Tea Destroyed by Indians,” was written in honor of the Boston Tea Party in 1773.
The Indians were actually colonial patriots in disguise, throwing British tea into Boston Harbor to protest

the British tea tax. Published as a broadside, the poem urges Bostonians to “keep up your courage.”

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Revolution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-12

Raising the L

This engraving by John C. McRae was published a
townspeople are raising a Liberty Pole, a symbol of dissen

In the scene, several men are also remo

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

Liberty Pole

Library of Congress

around 1875. It shows a festive village scene where
nt against England and a place for townspeople to gather.
oving a sign that shows King George III.

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-13

Pulling Down a Sta

This engraving by John C. McRae, pu
of soldiers pulling down a statu

The incident took place at Bowling Green

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

atue of King George

Library of Congress

ublished around 1875, shows a group
ue of King George III of Britain.
n in the city of New York in July of 1776.

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-14

Deborah Sam

The frontispiece and title page of Deborah
Dedham, Massachusetts, by Nathaniel and B
herself as a man in order to serve in the Con

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

mpson Book

Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society

Sampson’s book of memoirs, published in
Benjamin Heaton in 1797. Deborah disguised
ntinental Army during the Revolutionary War.

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-15

The Boston Boys and

This painting, The Boston Boys and General Gage, was created in 1887
confronts General Gage to protest how their sledding hills and ice-skatin

bravery and responded, “You may go, my brave boys; and be assu

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

d General Gage 1775

Library of Congress

7 by American artist, Henry Bacon. In this scene, a group of schoolboys
ng ponds were destroyed by British troops. General Gage admired their
ured, that if my troops trouble you again, they should be punished.”

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-16

Boston M

This early map of Boston, created by William Price, s
while she researched and wrote Sleds on Boston Commo

in New England in America with the many additio

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Map 1769

Library of Congress Geography and Map Division

served as a touchstone map to author Louise Borden
on. The title reads “A new plan of ye great town of Boston
onall buildings & new streets, to the year, 1769.”

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-17

Boston

Another map that informed author Louise Borden while
This dedication is engraved on the map: “To his exc
New England is humbly dedicated by his excellency

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

n Map

Library of Congress Geography and Map Division

e she researched and wrote Sleds on Boston Common.
cellency William Burnet, esqr., this plan of Boston in
ys most obedient and humble servant Will Burgiss.”

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-18

Battle of Bunker

This oil painting, titled The Battle of Bunker’s Hi
It shows a scene from the battle between th

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

r Hill (Trumbull)

Yale University Art Gallery

ill, was painted in 1786 by artist John Trumbull.
he American patriots and the British troops.

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-19

Battle of Bunker H

An engraving by an unknown artist, show
during the Battle of Bunk

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

Hill (Charlestown)

Yale University Art Gallery

wing a view of the burning of Charlestown
ker Hill on June 17, 1775.

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-20

Burning F

This engraving was created
It shows Captain Henry Mowat’s ship fi

on October 18, 1775, and the town

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

Falmouth

Library of Congress

d by John Norman in 1782.
firing on the town of Falmouth, Maine,
n burning as a result of the attack.

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-21

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

Benedict Arnold

He will always be remembered in American history as one
of the greatest traitors of all time. Benedict Arnold, who
was born in Connecticut in 1741, started out as a hero
of the Revolutionary War. He fought against the British at
Fort Ticonderoga, during the Battle of Lake Champlain,
and at Saratoga. At some point, however, he decided
that he wasn’t getting enough recognition for his actions.
So in 1779, Arnold began secretly negotiating with the
British. He made a deal to hand over the American fort
at West Point in exchange for money and a position as a
commander in the British army. The plot was discovered,
however, with the help of the Culper spy ring, who
intercepted Arnold’s correspondence with the British.
Arnold managed to escape to the British lines, but even
today calling someone a “Benedict Arnold” means they
are a traitor.

This portrait of Colonel Benedict Arnold was painted “after
he commanded provincial troops sent against Quebec,
through the wilderness of Canada, and was wounded in
storming that city, under General Montgomery.”

Library of Congress

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-22

Treason o

In this engraving after a painting by Charles F. Blauvelt, Treas
to conceal in his boot the papers that would reveal the lo

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

of Arnold

Library of Congress

son of Arnold, Benedict Arnold persuades Major John Andre
ocation of the American fort at West Point to the British.

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-23

The Culper Spy Ring/The Capture of Major John Andre Library of Congress

During the early part of the American Revolution, George Washington and the
patriots were missing an important tool in their fight against the British. They
didn’t have a reliable intelligence network of spies to gather information about
the enemy. This changed in 1778 with the creation of the Culper spy ring.
George Washington asked a young American officer named Benjamin Tallmadge
to establish a secret service. Tallmadge recruited some of his friends from his
hometown of Setauket, Long Island. They were people he knew and trusted.
Together, they created a network of spies that would become the most effective
intelligence group of the war. The Culper spy ring was named after the code
name of one of its members. One of the ring’s greatest achievements was inter-
cepting British plans to ambush the French army when it arrived in Rhode Island
to aid the Americans. The Culper spy ring also uncovered correspondence
between Benedict Arnold, an American officer, and Major John Andre, a British
commander. As a result, Arnold was discovered to be a traitor. Major Andre was
captured and hung as a spy in October 1780, on Washington’s orders.
This print, The Capture of Major John Andre, depicts the capture of the British
officer by John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart, at Tarrytown, New
York, September 23, 1780. Andre is removing negotiation papers, intended for
Benedict Arnold for betrayal of West Point to the British, from his boot.

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Revolution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

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A

GE
F
D

May be reproduced for classroom use. Toolkit Texts: Short Nonfiction for American History, American Rev

A Soldier’s Gear:

Colonial Militia

B

A cT ohme fmlinontlowcekampounsukseetdwiansbtahtetlemdousrting the

late 1700s and early 1800s. Skilled soldiers
could reload and fire a musket three or even
four times per minute.

B pAremmueskaesut risedloaamdeodunbtyopfoguurninpgowa der into

the muzzle, followed by the musket ball.

C pThoewdfleinrttloocfikremtheechwaenaipsomn.igPnuitlleinsgththee

trigger causes the hammer to swing down,
scraping a piece of flint against a steel plate
to create a spark.

D S20oltdoie3r0s carried a cartridge box that held a
premade charges of powder and

musket ball, individually wrapped in paper.

E Akepeopws ditedrryh.orn holds extra gunpowder and

F fAoohdavaenrdsapcekrsiosnaalsimteamllsp.oWuchhileussoemd etotimhoelsd

made of leather, it was more commonly linen

or cotton.

C G Aitekmnsa.psack holds a blanket and bulkier

David Stirling

volution and Constitution, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, ©2015 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

IB-25