ERIC ED364448: "Simon Fobes Goes to War." The Life of a Revolutionary War Soldier.

9 Pages·1993·0.29 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 364 448
SO 023 394
TITLE
"Simon Fobes Goes to War." The Life of a
Revolutionary War Soldier.
INSTITUTION
National Archives and Records Administration,
Washington, DC. Office of Public Programs.
PUB DATE
[93]
NOTE
llp.; For related documents, see SO 023 393-400.
PUB TYPE
Teaching Guides (For
Classroom Use
Guides
Teacher) (052)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
Elementary Secondary Education; Field Trips; *History
Instruction; Learning Activities; *Primary Sources;
*Public Agencies; Resource Materials; *Revolutionary
War (United States); Social Studies; *United States
History
IDENTIFIERS
*National Archives DC
ABSTRACT
This publication is intended for teachers bringing a
class to visit the National Archives in Washington, D.C., for a
workshop on primary documents. The National Archives serves as the
repository for all federal records of enduring value. Primary sources
are vital teaching tools because they actively engage the student's
imagination so that he or she may visualize past events and make
sense of their reality and meaning. This publication concerns a
workshop on the American Revolution. Background information is
provided on the Revolution and on two documents included in the
workshop: the painting, "The Surrender of General Burgoyne at
Saratoga" (by John Trumbull), and the Warrant of Simon Fobes.
Photographs of the documents are included as; well as student
exercises that focus on each document. (De)
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
***********************************************************************
"Simon Fobes Goes to War"
The Life of a
Revolutionary War Soldier
U S. DEPAPITOMENT OR EDUCATION
Othee 01 EduCIttosl Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
ylCENTER (ER#C)
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War"
Fobes Goes to
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side of Canada" called.my,
William Howe's army to
Leger's army, and Gen.
FOR THE TEACHER
heart of the rebellion,
divide New England, the
south. Burgoyne
from the colonies farther
the rebellion would
thought that this division of
Thank you for arranging for your class the
plan,
toward ending it. The
go a long way
primary document workshop "Simon Fobes
coordination be-
however, required the closest
Goes to War." For too many students, history is
and this, as it turned out,
just an endless string of dates and events chron-
tween the three armies,
icled in a textbook. Primary sources actively
was its fatal flaw.
the rapid and easy
Burgoyne had started with
engage the student's imagination so that he or she
fort at Ticonderoga.
capture of the American
may visualize past events and sense their reality
ran into
Thereafter, however, Burgoyne soon
and meaning. Before your workshop, it would be
Gen. Philip Schuyler
advantageous to introduce your students to pri- trouble, for the American
already bad roads be-
diligently obstructed the
mary sources with the poster-size documents and
and the Hudson with
the attendant exercises we have provided. The
tween Lake Champlain
which slowed the
exercises may be photocopied and should be
entanglements of felled trees,
Already moving too
British pace to a mile a day.
adapted to fit your objectives and teaching style.
wilderness, Burgoyne
slowly through desolate
We hope that these preliminary materials and our
supplies
the exhaustion of his
workshop will enhance your class's understanding
was approaching
entire left wing of his
a id appreciation of America's Revolutionary
and was forced to send the
needed provisions at Ben-
army to seize badly
fight for freedom.
the command of
nington. There, militia under
this troop detachment.
John Stark annihilated
The American Revolution
Burgoyne's army was so
By mid-September,
When George III came to the thrones in 1760,
numbers) and
depleted (to about half its original
scarcely anyone in England or America
American harass-
so exhausted from constant
foresaw independence for the 13 British colonies
that Maj. Gen. Horatio
ment and lack of supplies,
in North America. Colonists were proud of their
of the American
Gates and the northern portion
affiliation with Great Britain and satisfied with
from a fortified
Army dared to take a stand
the prosperity they enjoyed as part of Britain's
overlooking the Hud-
position on Bemis Heights
commercial empire. From the Sugar Act in 1764
southern movement. St.
son to block Burgoyne's
to the Intolerable Acts of 1774, this relationship
migcommunication
Leger's incompetence and
__between Britain and the c olonies steadily deterio-
possibility of a relief ef-
with Howe precluded the
rated into a c,..ition that Edmund i1ke in
last-ditch attacks
fort, so Burgoyne launched two
1775 described as "unalterable by any human art.
position; the Battles of
on the impregnable
...
An Englishman is the unfittest person on earth
proved un-
Freeman's Farm and Bemis Heights
to argue another Englishman into slavery" When
mitigated disasters for the British.
the colonists, or Englishmen, as Burke put it,
his position
Two days after Bemis Heights,
found themselves relegated to a position of
Octo-
hopeless, Burgoyne finally capitulated on
inferiority by Parliament, it was inevitable that
surrender of an
ber 17, 1777, at Saratoga. The
trouble would ensue, that the slogan "No taxa-
equipment had a
entire British army with all its
tion without representation" would become com-
the Ameri-
tremendous psychological impact on
monplace, and that the "shot heard round the
been at stake soon became
can cause. What had
world" would soon ring out.
1778 France
obvious, however. In February
'Evo years had passed since those first shots at
support to
signed a treaty pledging full military
Lexington. The Revolution was gathering
declaration
the American states, tantamount to a
strength, and the issue that would decide the
of war against England.
outcome of the war became evident. Could the
British score such a success in putting down the
American revolt that the French would not dare
enter the war openly to aid the American rebels?
In 1777 British Maj. Gen. John Burgoyne
concluded that the strategic key to this success
was British control of the interior water route
3
between New Thrk and the St. Lawrence River.
His "'Thoughts for Conducting the War from the
people who were often confused and usually
The Surrender of General
divided in sentiment. It comes as a shock to realize
were actualiy
how many Americans in
Burgoyne at Saratoga
1775
opposed to independence. Many historians con-,
elude that no more than a third of the colonists
by John Trumbull
were active patriots, another third were Loyalists,
he document on the front of your poster
with the remaining third uncommitted. The fact
depicts one of the "two military subjects
that a Tory and not a redcoat hangs from the
T.
gallows in the Simon Fobes's warrant provides
paramount Lc; all others" as stated and painted by
your students with a glimpse behind the great
statesman-artist John Trumbull. On February 6,
1817, the Congress authorized President Madison
struggle with the professional armies of England.
"to employ the aforesaid John Trumbull, to
The continuing struggle between patriot and
compose and execute four paintings, commemo-
Loyalist was a civil war just as real and bitter as the
rative of the most important events of the Ameri-
one which broke in 1861 and one that continued
can revolution, to be placed when finished in the
along the western frontier after the peace treaty
capitol of the United Statee Trumbull com-
with England.
pleted The Surrender of General Burgoyne at Sara-
toga in 1821, and a copy of the work resides in the
Still Picture Branch of the National Archives. The
Whaf is the National Archives?
focal point of Trumbull's painting depicts Bur-
goyne offering his sword to Gates. Also featured
prominently, because of their considerable con-
Established in 1934, the National Archives helps
serving as the
tributions in battle, are Daniel Morgan and Philip
preserve our nation's history by
repository for all federal records of enduring
Schuyler, shown at right by the cannon. Conspic-
uously absent among the American participants
value. It thus serves the federal government,
researchers of many topics, and the American
is Benedict Arnold. Trumbull chose Saratoga as
and
his subject bt cause it was, in his words, "a
public. Because the federal records reflect
years of American de-
circumstance without parallel" and thus "indis-
document more than
200
pensable" when portraying the most important
velopment, the records in the National Archives
events of the American Revolution. The signifi-
holdings are great in number, diverse in charac-
tance of Saratoga is as poignant today as it was
ter, and rich in information.
then. An analysis of this painting provides you
Before your students participate in a tour or a
with an opportunity to discuss with your students
workshop, they should be familiar with the mis-
the ramifications of this momentous event.
sion of the National Archives. We recommend
that you present your students with the following
vocabulary words and questions:
The Warrant of Simon Fobes
Please define Archives, Archivist, Document,
During the 1820s a growing spirit of national-
Record, Preservation.
ism took hold in the United States, and the
Why do you and your family save documents?
Revolution took on a romantic aspect in the
Why are they important?
minds of Americans who had not lived through
the
The US. government keeps its records in
the conflict. Thc youngest veterans were in their
National Archives,
sixties, grandfathers with stories to tell, and the
Why does the government save its records?
country was wealthy and secure enough to show
its gratitude. In 1832 Congress passed the first
What kinds of records might the U.S. govern-
comprehensive pension act, providing a yearly
ment want to save?
grant to every man who had served for 6 months
National
What famous documents are at the
or more. To be eligible, a soldier no longer had to
Archives?
be disabled or poor; service in any military
organization was satisfactory, as long as this
You will be called by the National Archives
service could be proved beyond a reasonable
docent assigned to your class about a week before
the date of your tour or workshop. If the
doubt.
The document on the back of your poster is a
workshop will be held in your classroom, then
copy of the warrant (a certificate of rank for non-
please be prepared to relay information concern-
commissioned officers) that Sgt. Simon Fobes
ing directions, parking, and school check-in
submitted to prove his eligibility under the
procedures.
Whether it is our Behind-the-Scenes Tour or
Pension Act of 1832. The warrant's unofficial
Workshops, we are
one of our Primary Document
drawings make it unique among the many histori-
confident that the experience will provide an
cally valuable military pension records kept at the
exciting new look at history. In order to assess our
National Archives. It is an excellent example of
performance, we would appreciate your cooper-
how military pension records enable students to
ation in completing the enclosed evaluation form
look through the romantic haze that has settled
and returning it in the self-addressed stamped
down over the history of the Revolution since the
envelope provided.
1820s. The Revolution was not a pageant of
If you have any additional questions regarding
patriotic demigods, but like all wars, it was a hard,
the Volun-
your tour or workshop, please contact
wearing, bloody, and tragic business
a struggle
teer and Tour Office Staff at
to the death. The struggle, furthermore, was
202-501-5205.
fought out by people very much like ourselves,
Exercise I:
The Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga
by John Trumbull
and your examination of the
about the American Revolution
On the basis of what you know
significance.
of what is taking place and its
painting, form an interpretation
being portrayed)
1. What is the date of the event
stand out)
2.Which figures in the painting
these important positions>
3. Why has the artist given them
of the American Army?
British Army? Who is the commander
4. Who is the cormnander of the
surrender is taking place>
5. What symbolic act lets us know a
could he recreate
the event took place? If not, then how
6. Did the artist create this painting as
something he had never seen?
Revolution?
for the American cause during the
7. Why was this event so important
give for the American victory
help of the French, what other reasons can you
S. In addition to the
in the Revolutionary War?
Exercise li:
The
Warrant of Simon Fobes
Read and examine the written document and its drawings.
1. How old is the documen0
issued?
2. What important events occurred in the 13 colonies during the year the document was
3. What was the purpose of this warran0
4. Who issued i0
5. What rank did Simon Fobes attain? In what state militia did he serve?
6. Why did Simon Fobes send his warrant to the U.S. government?
7. What do the drawings depic0
What does this tell you about the
8. Why does a Tory and not a redcoat hang in the drawing?
nature of the Revolutionary War?
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