As the Revolutionary War reached into the West to frontier communities in the Ohio River Valley, American Indians, French traders, British and American colonists, and African Americans faced life-changing decisions about whether to fight—and on which side.
The story, told through vignettes that portray a different segment of society struggling to survive in an increasingly tense, violent situation are part of an Electronic Field Trip broadcast called “American Revolution on the Frontier,” which premieres Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Electronic Field Trips are Emmy-Award winning, live Internet events and television broadcasts for children in fourth through eighth grades. It allows classrooms around the world to experience interactive history lessons from Colonial Williamsburg.
“These are stories about the diversity of the people living on the frontier,” said Abigail Schumann, director/writer of “American Revolution on the Frontier.”
“When the American Revolution breaks out, it is not just siding with one side or another,” she said. “It is about looking out for your own interests.”
The stories include:
White Eyes, a member of the Delaware Indian tribe, was trying to look out for his own people when he proposed in 1776 that Congress create a 14th state specifically for Native Americans. A treaty to do just that was signed at Fort Pitt in 1778, but it was tabled after White Eyes was murdered.
The story of the Shawnee people and the cultural blending of former slave turned translator/negotiator offers the opportunity to hear a rare language.
“The Shawnee language is spoken by roughly 5,000 to 6,000 tribal members today,” said Buck Woodard, cultural anthropologist and director of the American Indian initiative for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Shawnee is currently taught in homes but not in a formal school setting.
Why was the authentic Shawnee language used here, but other languages, including French or the native language of the Delaware Indians wasn’t included?
“The answer is simply that the story about the Shawnee is a story about the important role of translators on the frontier,” Schumann said. “So it was essential that both languages spoken by the characters be represented.”
A story set in Vincennes, a town in the Illinois territory, is seen through the eyes of four children who have very different perspectives and consequences to the impending war. Family decisions affect each child in a different way. The story emphasizes the families of all types – from the Indian nations to the settlers.
“American Revolution on the Frontier” highlights the struggles of the people groups whose homes were in areas considered the “American frontier.” They included Native Americans, as well as European immigrants. For these families, choosing sides was forced upon them in a violent way.
Electronic Field Trips are broadcast monthly from October through April. They cover civics and history topics, including the global economy, science, 18th-century music and the complicated topic of enslaved Americans.
The award-winning one-hour live broadcasts are available through online streaming or from local public television affiliates. The broadcasts feature historical documentary or dramatic video in combination with live discussion by experts and historians, as well as interactive opportunities for all viewers via Twitter or an instant feedback poll.
See more information about the 2014-15 season here.
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