PORTSMOUTH - Fifth grade students at St. Philomena School recently participated in an all-day "Revolutionary War Experience" dressed in clothes reminiscent of the time period.
Pieter Roos, executive director of the Newport Restoration Foundation and father of fifth grade student Charlotte Roos, kicked off the event with a presentation on the local history of the period. He brought along a flintlock musket that everyone had the opportunity to hold and aim - a feat of strength for 11-year-olds.
Throughout the day, students participated in activities at several stations around the classroom that social studies teacher Maureen Finneson created in an effort to give students a practical experience of life in the colonies circa 1776. Students made, baked and ate hardtack - the flat, cracker-like staple carried by the soldiers. They also had an opportunity to practice their signature with quill pen and inkpot; then sign the "Declaration of Independence" which required many dips and strokes. Participation in the timed Minute-Man muster was animated as each student-soldier sprang from a cot, put on gear, packed a rucksack, grabbed a rifle and was ready to join the other troops - all to be done in a minute. Fifth graders also marched some distance carrying the weight of a flintlock musket and worked on academic packets relating to four New England colonies.
Throughout the afternoon, thirsty revolutionaries could visit the Shun the Detested Beverage Refreshment Stand to quaff a raspberry tea or ice-cold root beer. They also spent time with Mike Pine of the Artillery Company of Newport, who, in authentic costume, described the experiences of a militia man. He demonstrated creating and loading ammunition into a musket and pistol; he conducted military drills and had students dress in authentic military garb. The students were amazed by the weight of a minute-man's clothing and the many miles a soldier would have to bear the load.
"I loved it because I actually got to experience what it was like to be a Minute Man," piped up Justin Matrone, when asked how he enjoyed the event. He was most surprised to learn "that the ladies carried pistols!"
Alia Treyfrey was intrigued by the fact that the slogan, "The British are coming" is incorrect. "We were all British subjects, so the colonists actually said, 'The redcoats are coming or the regulars are coming,'" she stated.
Patrick McGovern reviewed the hardtack. "It tasted like a tortilla without the salt," he said, deeming the entire day "fantastic!"
All of the students appreciated the fact that their lives are much easier today compared to what the colonists endured living under the cold, harsh conditions of 1776.
(This story originally published in The Providence Visitor)
