Riding for freedom: Americans of all ages joined the fight for independence.** Objective Students should be able to: * discuss ways (positive and negative) in which civilian participation can affect a war's outcome. ** Background "Paul Revere's Ride "Paul Revere's Ride" is an American poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that commemorates the actions of American patriot Paul Revere on April 18, 1775. [1] The poem was written on April 19, 1860 and first published in The Atlantic Monthly in January of 1861. ," a popular poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was published in 1863. Although Longfellow changed or omitted some facts to create a more exciting tale, his version is how most people know Revere's story. Sybil Ludington's story became known much later. Henry Ludington's grandchildren GRANDCHILDREN, domestic relations. The children of one's children. Sometimes these may claim bequests given in a will to children, though in general they can make no such claim. 6 Co. 16. gave letters, diaries, and other family records to historian Willis Fletcher Johnson. He used them to write a memoir of the Colonel, published in 1907. Only a few pages relate to Sybil's contributions. ** Critical Thinking CAUSE AND EFFECT: Why did Tories want to capture Henry Ludington Colonel Henry Ludington (1739-1817) was the commander of the 7th Regiment of the Dutchess County Militia, a volunteer regiment of local men who fought in the Battle of Danbury in April, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War. ? (They considered him disloyal to the King; to collect a reward offered by the British) MAKING INFERENCES: How do you think the Ludington children felt about participating in their father's work? (proud to contribute, appreciative of trust placed in them; other answers acceptable) ** Activity HOW FAR?: Sybil's path was roughly oval, not a straight line. To illustrate the distance she rode, post a map of your own area. Mark the location of your school. Have students use the map scale to trace a 40-mile line in any direction. Where do they end up? Can they imagine riding a horse that far? STANDARD SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8 ** Civic ideals and practices: During the American Revolution American Revolution, 1775–83, struggle by which the Thirteen Colonies on the Atlantic seaboard of North America won independence from Great Britain and became the United States. It is also called the American War of Independence. , a teenager faced danger to help win the fight for independence. RESOURCES ** Bohrer, Melissa Lukeman, Glory, Passion, and Principle (Atria Atria The heart has four chambers. The right and left atria are at the top of the heart and receive returning blood from the veins. The right and left ventricles are at the bottom of the heart and act as the body's main pumps. Books, 2004). grades 6-12. ** Redmond, Shirley-Raye, Patriots in Petticoats (Random House, 2005). Grades 5-8. WEB SITES ** A Ride to the Rescue womensenews.org /article.cfm/dgn/aid/2241 ** Sybil's route today (video) ludingtonsride.com /virtualtour.htm When wars are fought close to home, whole families are often involved. That was true of the Ludingtons of Fredericksburgh, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . During the American Revolution [1775-1783], Colonel Henry Ludington fought under General George Washington and served Washington as an aide. But Henry wasn't the only Patriot in the Ludington family. This play is about one real family's contributions to America's fight for independence from Britain and King George King George has referred to many kings throughout history. When used, by Americans, without further reference it most often means George III of the United Kingdom, against whom the Whigs of the American Revolution rebelled. III. SCENE 1 Narrator NARRATOR. A pleader who draws narrs serviens narrator, a sergeant at law. Fleta, 1. 2, c. 37. Obsolete. A: The first shots of the Revolution are fired at Lexington and Concord Noun 1. Lexington and Concord - the first battle of the American Revolution (April 19, 1775) Lexington, Concord American Revolution, American Revolutionary War, American War of Independence, War of American Independence - the revolution of the American , Massachusetts, in April 1775. [See chronology, pp. 18-19.] By October 1776, the fighting has moved into New York and New Jersey. Henry Ludington fights with General Washington at the Battle of White Plains, New York For other places with the same name, see White Plains (disambiguation). White Plains is a city in south-central Westchester County, New York, about 4 miles (6 km) east of the Hudson River and . Afterward, Ludington returns home. Colonel Henry Ludington: The British have pulled back to New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. for the winter. They won't bother us again until the weather gets warmer. Abigail Ludington: But every Tory we know will be looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. you. They'll want to collect the reward the British offered for your capture. Narrator A: Besides serving as an aide to General Washington and heading the local militia, Henry helps spies who work for the American Secret Service. He tells his two eldest children the secret codes and signals, so they can help the spies when he is away. He also trusts the girls with his life. One night ... Henry: I need a few hours' sleep. Sybil: Don't worry, Father. We're ready to stand guard. Rebecca: I already loaded our muskets! Let's go Let's Go may refer to: Television
SCENE 2 Narrator B: The girls hide outside, alert. After a while, shadowy figures approach. The sisters slip inside the house and wake their parents. Sybil: Someone is out there! Rebecca: A lot of them. Henry: Wake your brothers and sisters. Bring them here! [To the gathered children] OK, kids--grab a musket musket: see small arms. musket Muzzle-loading shoulder firearm developed in 16th-century Spain. Designed as a larger version of the harquebus, muskets were fired with matchlocks until flintlocks were developed in the 17th century; flintlocks were . Let's try this ... Narrator B: Everyone but the baby starts moving around the candlelit can·dle·lit adj. Illuminated by candles: a candlelit ceremony. house. From outside, where a group of armed Tories hides, the nine Ludingtons look like a crowd. Ichabod Prosser: I heard that Ludington was on his own tonight. But the house is full of armed militia. Nate Gibbs: Blast! I want to catch him. Prosser: Me, too. How can we get him? We have only 40 men tonight. Narrator B: The Tories sneak around the house, hooting and yelling from behind fences and trees. Meanwhile, inside ... Archibald: What are they doing, Father? Henry: Trying to scare us. Just keep moving, hold up your muskets, and make sure they see your shadows on the window shades! Narrator B: The trick works. The Tories leave. Thanks to his family, Colonel Ludington is safe to fight another day. SCENE 3 Narrator C: By the spring of 1777, the British are chasing Washington's army through New Jersey. Fighting also continues in New York and New England New England, name applied to the region comprising six states of the NE United States—Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The region is thought to have been so named by Capt. . On April 25, 1777, 2,000 British troops go ashore at Compo, Connecticut. Major General William Tryon William Tryon (January 27, 1729–1788) was colonial governor of the Province of North Carolina (1765-1771) and the Province of New York (1771-1780), though he did not retain much power in New York beyond 1771. : American rebels have hidden arms and supplies in Danbury. If we can destroy that stash stash Drug slang noun A place where illicit drugs are hidden , we'll weaken their army. How far to Danbury? Aide: About 20 miles, sir. Tryon (to his troops): All right, men! Let's strike before they know we're here. Forward, march! Narrator C: The troops reach Danbury the next afternoon. Worried citizens watch the redcoated soldiers march into town. Charity: Lobsterbacks! Why are they bothering us? Ezra: Our army hid supplies here. It was supposed to be top-secret! Charity: The British are getting drunk on stolen liquor. Now they're setting buildings afire! Ezra: Get the children, and run! SCENE 4 Narrator D: As Danbury burns, messengers ride for help. By 9 that night, one staggers staggers /stag·gers/ (stag´erz) a form of vertigo occurring in decompression sickness. staggers incoordination of any kind, including a tendency to fall, and recumbency if harassed. into the Ludington home, about 15 miles from Danbury. Messenger: The British are burning Danbury! If your militia can join two American army units nearby, we'll have a chance to drive out the redcoats. Henry: My men are at their homes, scattered for miles! Abigail: This weary lad can't fetch them. Henry: But I can't go. I need to muster men as they arrive here. Sybil: I'll go, Father! I know where everyone lives. Henry: I hate to send you out in this rainstorm. But you know everyone, and you can ride like the wind. Narrator D: Sybil saddles her horse, Star, and leaps on. Sybil: Don't worry. I'll be fine! Narrator D: She flicks Star's reins and gallops into the forest. SCENE 5 Narrator E: It is pitch-dark. Roads are rough, and paths are slippery with mud. Sybil must keep Star from getting hurt--and avoid bandits and horse thieves who roam by night. Sybil: There, Star! The first house! Narrator E: She gallops up to the door and pounds on it with a heavy stick. Sybil (shouting): Wake, and get to Ludington's by dawn! The British are burning Danbury! Spread the word! Narrator E: She races to the next house, and the next, riding through the night. Finally, at one farmhouse ... Sybil: The British are burning Danbury! Get to Ludington's-Mrs. Tanner: Sybil! Wait! Sybil: I can't. It's almost dawn! Mrs. Tanner: Everyone who got your message passed it on. They're almost ready to march. Narrator E: Sybil rushes home. Hundreds of men and boys crowd the Ludingtons' yard. Some have muskets. Others have only farm tools for weapons. As they march off ... Henry (shouting): Where are we going, men? Militiamen: To Danbury! To drive the redcoats from our shores! Narrator E: Abigail and the children watch them march away--until the last man is out of sight. SCENE 6 Narrator F: Weeks pass, with no word of what is happening. Then, one day ... Archibald: Here comes Father! Narrator F: The family rushes into the yard to meet him. Ludington children (excited): Tell us, Father! What happened? Henry: The night we left, we joined the other units. We found the British at Ridgefield [Connecticut]. We were outnumbered three to one, and short on ammunition. But the redcoats marched in rows, while our sharpshooters hid behind trees and stone walls. We chased the redcoats back to their ships at Compo! AFTERWORD af·ter·word n. See epilogue. For four and a half more years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time Americans suffered bitter defeats along with surprising victories. Thousands of lives were lost. Then, in October 1781, British General Thomas Cornwallis Thomas Cornwallis (c. 1605–1675), was one of the first Commissioners of the Province of Maryland (Proprietary Colony of Maryland) and Captain of the colony’s military during the early years of settlement. surrendered to General Washington at Yorktown, Virginia Yorktown is a census-designated place (CDP) in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 203 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York CountyGR6, one of the 8 original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634. . With independence won, the Ludington family settled back into ordinary, peacetime life. In 1784, Sybil married her childhood sweetheart and began a family of her own. She lived to be 77. In 1817, Fredericksburgh was renamed Kent. One area is called Ludingtonville, in Henry's honor. But Sybil has become her family's most famous member. If you go to Carmel, New York Carmel is a town located in Putnam County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 33,006. It is the county seat of Putnam County6. The Town of Carmel is on the south border of the county. The town hall is in Mahopac. , you will see a statue of Sybil Ludington Sybil Ludington (1761–1839) was the daughter of Colonel Henry Ludington, the commander of the local militia near Fredericksburgh Precinct, New York (later renamed Ludingtonville, and now part of the town of Kent) during the American Revolution. on her horse, galloping through the night to help free America from Britain's mighty grip. Words to Know * militia: a military unit made up of citizen volunteers, called upon in emergencies. * muster: assemble and organize as a group. * Patriot: a colonist who supported the fight for independence. * Tory: a colonist who remained loyal to Britain's King. Cast of characters Colonel Henry Ludington, leader of an American militia Abigail Ludington, his wife Sybil, 16 Rebecca, 14 } three of their eight children Archibald, 9 Ichabod Prosser } Tory neighbors of * Nate Gibbs } the Ludingtons Major General William Tryon, leader of British troops Aide, to General Tryon * Charity, a resident of Danbury, Connecticut “Danbury” redirects here. For other uses, see Danbury (disambiguation). Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It has an estimated population as of July 1, 2005 of 78,736. * Ezra, her husband Messenger, from Danbury * Mrs. Tanner, a neighbor of the Ludingtons Militiamen, a crowd of men and boys Narrators A-F * An asterisk indicates an imaginary character. All others were real people. Think About It 1 Why was Sybil chosen to carry the message of warning to militia members? 2 Why was her ride important? What might have been different if she had failed to alert the militia? This play is largely based on Colonel Henry Ludington: A Memoir, written by Willis Fletcher Johnson and printed in 1907 by Lavinia Elizabeth Ludington and Charles Henry For other persons named Charles Henry, see Charles Henry (disambiguation). Charles Henry (1859- ? ) was a French librarian and editor. He was born at Bollwiller, Haut-Rhin, and was educated in Paris, where in 1881 he became assiatant and afterward librarian in the Sorbonne. Lundington. THE MARCH TO INDEPENDENCE 1765 Britain's Parliament passes the Stamp Act Stamp Act, 1765, revenue law passed by the British Parliament during the ministry of George Grenville. The first direct tax to be levied on the American colonies, it required that all newspapers, pamphlets, legal documents, commercial bills, advertisements, and other , requiring colonists to pay a tax on all printed matter. Many colonists protest the tax and refuse to pay it. 1773 Dec. 16: American Patriots stage the Boston Tea Party--protesting a British tax on tea by dumping 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. 1775 April 18-19: Soon after Paul Revere's ride, the first shots of the American Revolution are fired at Lexington and Concord, Mass. 1776 July 4: Continental Congress members issue the Declaration of Independence. August 27: British troops take over New York City. Dec. 25-26: General Washington crosses the Delaware River Delaware River River in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York, U.S. Formed by the junction of its eastern and western branches in southern New York, it flows about 405 mi (650 km) to empty into the Atlantic Ocean at Delaware Bay. Navigable to Trenton, N.J. ; his army captures Trenton, N.J., from the enemy. 1777 April 26: British troops burn Danbury, Conn.; Sybil Ludington alerts an American militia to fight back. 1781 Oct. 19: British General Thomas Cornwallis surrenders to Washington at Yorktown, Va. 1783 Sept. 3: Britain signs the Treaty of Paris The Treaty of Paris of 1783 ended the U.S. Revolutionary War and granted the thirteen colonies political independence. A preliminary treaty between Great Britain and the United States was signed in 1782, but the final agreement was not signed until September 3, 1783. , a peace agreement that formally acknowledges the U.S. as an independent nation. QUICK QUIZ
** Match each place name in the left column with the
correct description in the right column.
16. Danbury A. Sybil Ludington's hometown
in New York State
17. Fredericksburgh B. where Henry Ludington fought
with George Washington
18. Lexington C. Connecticut town burned by
the British in April 1777
19. Ridgefield D. Massachusetts town where
American Revolution began
20. White Plains E. where Colonel Ludington's
militia caught up with
British troops
ANSWERS 16. E 17. A 18. D 19. E 20. B
Move Over, Paul Revere!
Thanks to a popular poem, most Americans have heard of "the midnight
ride of Paul Revere." Sybil Ludington's ride is little-known. But, say
some historians, Sybil had the tougher task--and the greater success.
How do the two night rides compare? You decide.
PAUL REVERE SYBIL LUDINGTON
(age 40] (age 16)
night of April night of April
18-19, 1775 26-27, 1777
DISTANCE About 14 miles (one-way) About 40 miles
TRAVELLED (round-trip)
OTHERS ON Yes, two other riders No, was the lone
SAME MISSION? carried the same message messenger
TRAVEL Fair weather; mostly on Rainstorm; rough roads
CONDITIONS established roads and paths through forest
and farmland
RIDE DURATION About 2 hours Most of the night
Warned Lexington, but was Got the word out to all
END RESULT arrested by the British the militia (hundreds
before reaching Concord gathered to march with
(another rider made it Colonel Ludington) and
to Concord) returned home safely
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion