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Summary and Objective
Students will understand that events in history can be better appreciated if viewed from the point of view of all the people involved in the incident. In the case with the 1704 attack on the town of Deerfield, three cultural communities found themselves immersed in a confrontation
that led to a violent eruption of events. The impact of this raid would leave a lasting impression on the English
settlers of New England.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
Initiate the discussion by inviting students to share how arguments develop today. Broaden this topic into how larger communities find themselves in conflict.
Step 2.
Relate how the human experience of today is not unique and that situations in the past have similarities. Introduce the background of the imperial conflict in North America in the Seventeenth Century between Great Britain and France. Show a map from the period of North America and compare it to a current map of the continent. Refer to the the maps shown on "The Many Stories of 1704" website.
Step 3.
Now introduce the indigenous peoples who lived in the Americas in the Seventeenth Century. Show a map of the Native tribal communities on the North American continent.
Have the students share their thoughts on what it would be like to have total strangers come into their community and start telling them what to do. Thread this thought to the situation that the Native communities of northern New England and Canada had to face with the arrival of the British and French.
Step 4.
Show a map of Deerfield and how it was viewed as a "frontier" settlement. Invite the students to offer their input on why the town's location made it vulnerable to attack by the French.
Step 5.
Using the website, "The Many Stories of 1704", point out the various Native American tribal communities: Huron, Mohawk, and Wobanaki(Abenak). Show the Native American sash attached to this activity. Ask the students why one would wear this type of clothing; what could one conclude if a Native warrior handed an English prisoner a sash to wear?
Step 6.
The French had their own customs, just like the English and indigenous peoples. They had a different faith-Roman Catholic, as opposed to the Protestant English. Sadly, neither side trusted one another. The French also thought differently about the indigenous peoples of North America; they learned their languages and culture. Many of the French married indigenous people. Refer to the website, "The Many Stories of 1704", and highlight the French point of view.
Step 7.
Invite the students to respond to the night of the attack.
Show the "Old Indian House door". Ask them to describe what feelings they would have as either the attacker or the person inside the house. Show the snowshoes from the collection and how effective they would be in traveling over the snow during the attack and the long trek back to Canada. Expand upon the use of footwear in winter in colonial times and in the present. Invite students to model the use of snowshoes.
Step 8.
As a culminating activity, instruct the children to write a brief journal entry that reflects the feelings and point of view of one of these three: English settler taken captive, French soldier, or Native American warrior. Students will be writing, in essence, a journal entry that is historical fiction. Include in the entry at least 5 vocabluary terms that reflect the time period, for example; snow shoes, tomahawk, musket, candles, linen clothing. Refer to "The Many Stories of 1704" website for more detailed examples from the captioned slides.
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