Tuesday Recap

Madison Smith
Jul 14
6 min read

Today at Camp Freedom we learned about three incredible people from the Revolutionary Era whose examples still inspire us today. We also had a fun water activity that helped us appreciate just how miraculous America's victory in the Revolutionary War really was.

Molly Pitcher (Mary Ludwig Hays)

Our first story was about Mary Ludwig Hays, better known as Molly Pitcher. She was born to Dutch parents. One fun fact we learned is that wooden shoes were common in Dutch culture because they lasted a long time and were good for your feet.

When Mary was around ten years old, she was responsible for a little calf. One morning, she discovered it had been stolen from its pen. She traced the tracks on the ground to a river, where she found a teenage boy attempting to load it into his wagon. The boy insisted he had found it and claimed it was his. Mary confronted him, saying she knew he had opened her calf's gate to take it. The boy's father overheard Mary and forced his son to return the calf. Later, the boy, angry and seeking revenge, tried to ruin Mary's prize-winning cow by cutting off its tail at the county fair. Mary caught sight of him with his knife in the stalls and wasn't about to let that happen! Wearing her pretty pink dress and ribbons, she marched over and struck his bare foot with her sturdy wooden shoe. The boy ran off, and she saved her calf.

Years later, in 1777, Mary's husband, William, joined George Washington's army as an artilleryman. Operating a cannon required the coordinated effort of four individuals. It was a dangerous job and Mary worried constantly about her husband. Was he eating enough? Was he staying clean? Was he taking care of himself? Eventually she decided to become a camp follower, traveling with the army to cook meals, wash clothes, and care for the soldiers. One unforgettable day in 1778, the weather climbed well over 100 degrees with intense humidity. Many of the soldiers were suffering from heat exhaustion. Mary spent the day running back and forth from the well, bringing bucket after bucket of water to cool the exhausted men. At one point she looked over and watched as her husband was hit and collapsed beside his cannon. Without hesitation, Mary stepped into his place. She knew he would want the cannon to keep firing, so she took over. During the battle, a British cannonball flew right between her legs, tearing a hole through her petticoat without injuring her. It was truly miraculous. Mary is said to have picked up the cannonball, loaded it into the cannon, and fired it back at the British.

George Mason

Next we learned about George Mason, one of America's "forgotten Founding Fathers."

George Mason lived near George Washington in Virginia and had nine children. When the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia, he was unable to attend right away because his wife had recently passed away and he needed to care for his family.

Before the Declaration of Independence was written, Virginia had declared its desire for freedom from the king. On May 15, 1776, Virginia instructed its delegates to propose independence. Richard Henry Lee carried that resolution to the Continental Congress, which eventually formed committees that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Many of the ideas behind the Declaration began in Virginia with George Mason.

Life under British rule was frustrating. England required the colonists to send their raw materials, such as animal pelts, back to England. The British would manufacture finished goods there and then sell them back to the colonists at high prices. Americans were often forbidden from making and selling many products themselves. Because of these unfair policies, many colonists began boycotting British goods. George Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights and helped write Virginia's constitution. His Declaration of Rights later became the model for much of the United States Bill of Rights.

Upon the completion of the Constitution, Mason declined to sign it. He outlined 16 reasons for his decision. Two of his major concerns were the absence of a Declaration of Rights in the Constitution and the failure to abolish slavery. The Bill of Rights was eventually added in 1791.

Revolutionary War Activity

We also learned just how overwhelming the odds were during the Revolutionary War.

King George III sent approximately 400 ships carrying about 32,000 British soldiers. In comparison, the Americans had around 16,000 soldiers, many of whom were ordinary farmers with little military training. By the second day of the war, America had already lost nearly one-fifth of its army, making the odds even greater against us.

We also learned how difficult it was to fire a musket. Loading just one shot took 20 to 30 seconds and involved several careful steps:

Tear open the paper cartridge with your teeth.
Pour the gunpowder down the barrel.
Drop the musket ball into the barrel.
Use the ramrod to push everything tightly to the bottom.
Return the ramrod.
Prime the firing pan.
Cock the hammer.
Aim.
Fire.

After trying to imagine doing all of that while people were shooting at you, it became even more amazing that America won the war. It was truly a miracle. The kids then got to have a water gun fight. They were frequently getting soaked while trying to refill their own squirt guns, which aptly illustrated what they had learned about our Revolutionary soldiers.

Benjamin Franklin

Our last presenter was Benjamin Franklin, one of the most extraordinary figures in American history. Born into a poor family, Franklin's father, who immigrated to America in search of religious freedom, worked as a candle and soap maker and had 17 children. Benjamin attended school only for a short time, specifically at ages eight and nine, but by ten, his family could no longer afford it. Rather than giving up, Benjamin borrowed books and taught himself. He demonstrated that a passion for reading and learning is more valuable than the number of years spent in school.

At age twelve he became an apprentice to his older brother James, who owned a newspaper. Benjamin loved writing, but James refused to publish anything he wrote. So Benjamin secretly created a fictional widow named Silence Dogood and slipped her letters under the print shop door at night. The letters became wildly popular throughout Boston. When James finally discovered the truth, he was furious and gave Benjamin a heavy beating. Benjamin finally left to make his own way in the world.

His inventions and accomplishments seem almost endless:

Bifocal glasses
The long-handled reaching arm
Lightning rods
America's first lending library
A volunteer fire department
A hospital
Improvements to policing and public safety

Benjamin Franklin never patented his inventions because he wanted everyone to be able to afford them.

Although Franklin loved England, he believed he could not support tyranny. He helped give America what our presenter described as "sweat, ink, and bold ideas" while working toward independence. He reminded us that independence comes with responsibility. And that we should not only speak our minds, but we should also listen to others, stand up for what is right, and use our talents to make life better for everyone.

The kids were challenged to read for at least 30 minutes every day. Benjamin Franklin's life is proof that a person who is determined to keep learning can change the world.

Craft Time: The First Hot-Air Balloon

During our craft, we learned about Joseph and Étienne Montgolfier, the French brothers who invented the first successful hot-air balloon. Before anyone was willing to ride in it, they launched three passengers: a sheep, a rooster, and a duck! Someone watching the first launch asked Benjamin Franklin what possible use a hot-air balloon could have. Franklin wisely replied, "What is the use of a newborn baby?" His point was that great inventions often begin as small ideas whose future importance no one can yet imagine. The Campers were reminded that even though they may feel small now, they are capable of doing great things.

Snack Time

We also learned some fun facts during snack time!

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson planted peanuts at his Monticello estate? They were often referred to as "ground peas" or "monkey nuts" and were considered an exotic garden novelty.
Soft Pretzels were brought to America in the 1700s by German immigrants (often referred to as the Pennsylvania Dutch), who settled in Pennsylvania. The City Tavern Restaurant in Philadelphia was often visited by delegates of the Continental Congress fresh pretzels were a staple food they sold.
Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had apple orchards. George Washington's favorite apple was called a Newtown Pippin. Thomas Jefferson's favorite was the Esopus Spitzenburg.

We want to give a shout out to Ridley's grocery store in Morgan. They donated the apples that the children ate at snack time today. Thank you Ridley's!

Last, but not least- CONGRATULATIONS TO CAROLINE HUFFMAN!!! She is the first this year to pass off EVERY SINGLE memorization!!!

That's it for today! Thank you so much! Your kids are amazing! Many of the presenters have commented on how well behaved your children are! They are great kids and we are so glad to have them with us this week! See you tomorrow!