5th Grade Unit 6 Expository Essay: Bravery in the American Revolution
Life as an early colonist in America was often perilous and fraught with danger. Many early settlers displayed bravery as they joined the cause for our American Revolution. This assignment asks you to explain different ways that early colonists such as John Paul Jones, Deborah Sampson, and James Armistead displayed bravery or courage as they created a new country.
BE SURE TO:
- Clearly state your topic in the introduction
- Organize and develop your explanation effectively
- Use multiple sources for evidence, including definitions, quotes, and examples
- Include a strong introduction and conclusion
Group 1
Read the passage about Deborah Sampson.
Source 1.1
Women played an important part in the war during the American Revolution. They took care of the homes and families when their husbands went off to fight, they made supplies, and they took care of the sick and wounded. A few women even fought as soldiers.
One of these brave women was Deborah Sampson. Sampson was born in Massachusetts. Her father left the family when she was young. Her mother couldn’t afford to care for the children, so they had to live with different relatives and neighbors.
Deborah worked for a family as a servant for years, until, in 1782, she got a job as a schoolteacher. The war was still going on, and Deborah wanted to help in the fight. Women were not allowed to be in the army, so she dressed up as a man and signed up to be a soldier. She called herself Robert Shurtleff. Deborah was tall and strong, and she was a brave soldier, so she managed to fool everyone.
One day Deborah was wounded in the leg. She knew if she went to a hospital that doctors might find out she was a woman, so she treated her wound herself and told no one. But the leg never healed right. A short time later she caught a fever and had no choice but to go to the hospital. A doctor examined her and found out her secret. As a result, Deborah was let go from the army in October 1783, and Robert Shurtleff was again Deborah Sampson. Deborah went home, married a farmer, and together they raised a family of three children. Deborah also taught school. Nine years after the war, the government gave her money for being a soldier and recognized her for being as brave as any man.
Group 2
Read the passage about James Armistead.
Source 2.1
Hundreds of black people joined the Patriots. One was 22-year-old James Armistead, a slave from Virginia. Patriot General Lafayette (lah-fee-ET) was looking for new soldiers, and Armistead convinced his master to let him serve. Armistead got the job of spying on the British, but he was not the usual spy. He was a double agent and pretended to make friends with the British. Armistead went to the British camp as a laborer. British general Charles Cornwallis (korn-WAH-lis) liked him and told Armistead that the British would free him from slavery if he spied on the Patriots. Armistead pretended to spy for Cornwallis, while all the time he was really spying for the Patriots.
The Patriots used Armistead’s information, which helped them defeat Cornwallis at Yorktown in October 1781. Yorktown was the last major battle of the Revolution.
After the battle of Yorktown, Cornwallis went to Patriot headquarters and was surprised to see the man he thought was his spy. He learned that Armistead had all along been spying on him. Armistead won his freedom after the war and spent the rest of his life as a farmer.
Group 3
Read the passage about John Paul Jones.
Source 3.1
George Washington is called the “Father of our Country,” and John Paul Jones is called the “Father of the American Navy.” Jones earned this title during the American Revolution. He was born John Paul in Scotland in 1747, and first went to sea when he was twelve. By age twenty-one, he was commander, or leader, of a ship. John Paul came to the colonies in 1773, and he added “Jones” to his name. When war broke out, Jones was made a captain in the small Continental navy and sank or captured sixteen British ships in just six weeks.
One day in September 1779, Jones was sailing off the British coast. Suddenly his ship met up with a British warship, which was bigger and much better armed. The captain asked Jones if he was ready to give up. “Sir,” Jones replied, “I have not yet begun to fight.”
Jones had his crew tie their ship to the British ship, and the two crews fought hand-to-hand for more than two hours. Finally, the Patriots took over the British ship. It was one of the greatest naval victories of the American Revolution.
The war ended, and the Continental navy ended as well, putting Jones out of a job. The queen of Russia hired him to help her fight a war. After that, he settled in Paris, France, where he died in 1792. Jones’s body was brought back to the United States in 1913. His tomb is on display at the Naval Academy in Maryland.
Question 4
Life as an early colonist in America was often perilous and fraught with danger. Many early settlers displayed bravery as they joined the cause for our American Revolution. This assignment asks you to explain different ways that early colonists such as John Paul Jones, Deborah Sampson, and James Armistead displayed bravery or courage as they created a new country.
BE SURE TO:
- Clearly state your topic in the introduction
- Organize and develop your explanation effectively
- Use multiple sources for evidence, including definitions, quotes, and examples
- Include a strong introduction and conclusion
Teach with AI superpowers
Why teachers love Class Companion
Import assignments to get started in no time.
Create your own rubric to customize the AI feedback to your liking.
Overrule the AI feedback if a student disputes.