Archive for the Primary Source Starters Category (19 posts)

Crossing the Delaware: General George Washington and Primary Sources

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George Washington crossing the Delaware River, c. 1912

This guest post is from the Library of Congress Teacher in Residence, Earnestine Sweeting.

When I’ve asked my students, “Would anyone be interested in a trip on a ferry?” they’ve all cheered with excitement.  But I wonder how many of us would be brave enough to take a night voyage through an ice-clogged river on a boat battered by snow and high winds.

Primary sources from the Library of Congress can let students explore this momentous–and shivery–event.

On the evening of December 25, 1776, General George Washington and his Continental Army crossed the Delaware River.  For many of us, Washington’s crossing is known as one of many daring events of the American Revolution. In his papers, Washington described the passing of his Continental Army as one of difficulty due to a violent storm of snow and hail. Although their mission was a success, he explained how ice made the passage tedious.

Washington crossing the Delaware, c. 1898

Emanuel Leutze’s famous painting depicts the severity of the night while this print titled George Washington Crossing the Delaware River provides another version. What did each artist emphasize? Take a look at the bibliographic information for these sources.  Considering both pieces were created after the events, what does that suggest about their accuracy?

Teachers can have students:

  •  Create a multi-sensory narrative writing piece.  First, have the students draw on their five senses to describe what Emanuel Leutze reveals.  Use the Primary Source Analysis Tool as a prewriting plan to help students organize their thoughts.
  • Compare this print of Leutze’s iconic painting with Thomas Sully’s or another artist’s depiction of Washington’s crossing.
  • Examine how Washington describes the victories at Trenton and Princeton.
  • Evaluate the historical accuracy portrayed in Leutze’s depiction of the crossing. Have students consider the time of the passage and weather conditions of the Delaware River, research the Durham boats Washington secured for the trip, and raise questions around the men in the boat – Who do you suppose was on the boat with Washington? Was it realistic to have the so many men on the boat? What thoughts come to mind about the flag they carried?

For background information, browse The American Revolution, 1763 – 1783 for more details.

Tell us how you might use images and descriptions of Washington’s crossing to deepen your students’ understanding of this event?

 

Point of View in Photographs – All in the Details, Part 2

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Focusing on details in a set of visual images can reinforce the idea that photographs have a point of view. Studying and comparing various photographs of a subject can reveal a great deal about how each photographer viewed the subject. In the previous post,we asked you to post your answers to the question “Which of these photographs are of the same person?” This post will explore the answer.

Point of View in Photographs – All in the Details

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Focusing on details in a set of visual images can reinforce the idea that photographs have a point of view. Studying and comparing various photographs of a subject can reveal a great deal about how each photographer viewed the subject. Study the set of images and, in the comments, post your answer to the question. We’ll answer the question in the next post.

A Clean Sweep for the New Year: Exploring a Cartoon from the Turn of the Twentieth Century

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Explore a cartoon, published as the front cover of a magazine in January 1905, that draws on the many metaphors about the New Year offering a clean start. Although many of the specific images in the cartoon may be unfamiliar to students, the labels on them offer a clear starting point for researching the context and the details the artist included.