Investigating All Aspects of the American War of Independence - Written by Nick

I have a few questions about the Revolutionary War: 

       Why is George Washington more celebrated than Francis Marion?       

           Why do the Northern battles seem more important than those fought in the Southern Colonies?

Have you ever noticed how everybody looks at George Washington and seems to forget about all the other heroes in the American War of Independence?

I think that George Washington seems to get more attention because his battles were a lot bigger than Francis Marion. Marion’s battles were just as important, because he was attacking the supply line for the British. Also, he was protecting the plantations and farms in the South that helped supply George Washington’s Continental Army with food and clothing.

I think the Northern battles are more celebrated because they tended bigger than the ones in the South. In the South, we had more guerrilla warfare; the Americans fought their enemies in different ways. They would hide in the forest, jump out, fire a couple of shots at the Redcoats (who were perfect targets in their red uniforms), then run away. It might seem a strange way to fight a war, but it was good for the Americans because they had fewer casualties.

In the North, the British fought in an open field and shot volleys by ranks. This meant that each order to fire produced more casualties in this style of fighting. Also, they used more supplies such as food; they had to find shelter for the troops.

In any fight, a group needs good leaders and good followers. George Washington was definitely what America needed to fight and win its war for freedom, but he could not have won the war by himself. He needed people like Francis Marion, and we need to remember that.

Why it is important to make trips to historical places -- by Nick

Today I’m writing on why it is important to take trips to see historical places. I think it’s important to take trips because then you can separate fact from fiction; over the years, a story can be stretched. Also, you have the visual learner; if you read something, it might just go in one ear and out the other. However, if you see it yourself, it can change everything for you. It can finally click with you. It is easier to write on if you see where people fought and died. It stays better in your memory.  


Also, you can get a better idea of what the people went through. Back then, you didn’t have all the conveniences that we have today. There was no air conditioning and there were no cars. The soldiers wore woolen uniforms, which were really hot when most of the fighting was done in the summer. If you go to a place like Charleston during the summer, you can feel the heat that they had to fight in.  Going to South Carolina, you can see the lay of the land. You can experience some of the difficulties that they had to overcome.

I can’t wait to walk where Francis Marion walked and experience some of the conditions that he faced.

Why I'm interested in the Swamp Fox (written by Nick)

I got interested in the Swamp Fox when I was young.  I was allowed to watch The Patriot with Mel Gibson. I was totally impressed with this hero. However, more recently I found out how inaccurate the movie was, so I became interested in finding out more about his life and what he did in the American Revolution.

I have read one book on the Swamp Fox that is historical fiction. Mizz Liz found it for us in the library, and it was easy to read. One of the things that I found confusing was all the characters; they were hard to tell apart. Some of them were real, and some were imaginary; I found it hard to tell who were historical persons and who were not historical. 

That is part of the reason why we are taking this trip. I want to separate the real history from the TV versions. Why is that important? It is important because truth is important. It is all right to have fun and watch good movies, but we can’t always mix fun with truth, especially now.