12-11-20

One afternoon, about a month ago, my son suggested that we skip the chapter in the social studies textbook that discusses the American Revolution. He argued that it would be boring. Since he already knew all about the war, we should spend time learning something new. I know he knows a great deal about war. After all, I’ve been discussing it with him practically since he was a toddler. But as much knowledge as he has, I knew he didn’t know everything. So I suggested that he write a persuasive essay in order to convince me that he knew enough not to bother with Bunker Hill, Trenton, Yorktown and the rest. His eyes grew wide, his smile wider, “Really, if I do this we don’t have to waste time on the Revolution?”

“Not exactly.”

He groaned.

“But if you do a fantastic job on the essay, we’ll breeze over the things you know and I’ll only have you take notes on what’s new.” Slightly less enthused than if we could have dove right into westward expansion, he agreed to the assignment.

The final draft might be my favorite essay so far this year. He takes his frustration at having to write out in the essay, but he does it with a touch of creativity — attempting to transform his anger at me into humor. “My mother is a history bazooka,” is the best line he’s ever written. His verbal explanation was even better — pretending to hold a bazooka, firing endless rounds of historical facts, and then falling to the floor, pretending to be shot. 

After he finished writing, I wanted to head to the library to print it. I’m trying to keep some sort of record of the work he has done so that I have evidence of it next year — or whenever it’s safe to return to school.  On the way, we took a detour to the beach. We try to go to the beach every day after school. We walk or my son hunts for treasures. Today, all he found was a dead seagull. It made him sad.

You can read his essay here:

Why I Shouldn’t Study the American Revolution

I should not do the unit on the American Revolution in my textbook. My reasons are: I have been there, I have read and watched shows about it, and I have Mama, the great nerd. This might not sound like much, but all the knowledge adds up.  

My first reason is, I have been to where the war began, where it took place, and where it ended in Yorktown. I was at the sight of the Boston Massacre where the folks were shot at by the British for calling them lobsters, red coats, and throwing rocks. At Yorktown, a ranger took us around the battlefield and told stories about Cornwallis’s surrender. I was at the same port where the Boston Tea Party occurred because the colonists were mad at the taxes. My moms took me to Lexington and Concord, the first Battle of the War. When I visited Lexington and Concord there was an awesome musket demonstration. We went to the Old Barracks in Trenton. It was a hospital during the war for small pox. Valley Forge and Jockey Hollow are where the troops stayed for two cold years. I crossed the Delaware River where George crossed to defeat the British in Trenton.    

I also went to many of the presidents’ houses. Mount Vernon was home to Washington who was Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Peacefield was home to John Adams who went to France with Franklin. Monticello was home to Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Montpelier was home to Madison who wrote the Bill of Rights. 

Since I was a bookworm for my first Halloween, I guess that sent me down a very bookish path. I read a lot of books. I get a lot of information in them. I stay informed about the past and the present. I have read books about the Revolution and people from that time period. I particularly like the Who Was books.  Some of the peoples’ lives that I have read about that made the Revolution possible were Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, Jackson, and Hamilton. 

 My moms and I watch TV at night. Since one mom does not like movies, we usually end up watching documentaries.  Many of them are on American history and you just know they include the American Revolution. I wish they were on ancient weapons or Genghis Khan. We also watch movies and plays about history. Two examples are 1776 – which I watched with Grandpa — and Hamilton.

I have the most annoying mom ever. She is a history bazooka. She is always shooting nerdy facts at me. During the summers and some weekends, we go see presidents’ houses or just historical houses in general. That’s who is responsible, not me. Some places Mom took me to are Mount Vernon all the way to Antietam. Maybe I should skip the Civil War unit too. Come on, can’t we just go to the Bahamas. You probably would never have guessed, but mom gives me most of my books. 

To think, the war all started with taxes, tea, and representation. So now you know I know all the history from freezing men in Valley Forge and Jockey Hollow to the surrender of Cornwallis. That’s why I should not re-read it.