5th grade American History Program
April 23rd 2015 @ 2:00 PM
MADISON: “Give me your tired your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”
These words are part of a poem by Emma Lazarus that were written for the Statue of Liberty in
New York Harbor. “Lady Liberty” has been a symbol of hope and freedom for the millions of
immigrants who have come to the United States from all over the world.
Song: America
My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
CASSIE: Americans- both newcomers and those born here- have contributed to the remarkable
growth and changes of our nation. The history of the United States tells the story of these brave
men and women. They represent different nationalities and religions.
MAGGIE: While the united states of America is a land of great differences, it is one country
united in many ways. it is a land of industry and inventions, with a heart as big as Texas and
dreams as tall as the great Northwest. But where did it all begin? Who made it possible?
SAMMY B: The dream was planted in Jamestown, took root at Plymouth Rock and as colonies
spread up and down the Eastern seaboard, it traveled by horseback, by stagecoach, by foot,
and by flat boats going up river.
MATTIE P: It traveled to quitting parties, sewing bees, town meetings, and one-room
schoolhouses. it traveled to Boston where patriots had a tea party to protest King George the
Third’s idea of taxing the colonists.
BROGAN: The Stamp Act caused the colonists to adamantly protest. “No Taxation without
representation!” they cried. The colonies were beginning to unite against British taxes. thus
Samuel Adams organized the Sons of Liberty. This song depicts the colonists feelings toward
the taxes imposed by the British government..
Song: Revolutionary Tea (Graham Rogers accompanying on guitar)
1. There was an old lady lived over the sea
And she was an Island Queen.
Her daughter lived off in a new country,
With an ocean of water between;
The old lady's pockets were full of gold
But never contented was she,
So she called on her daughter to pay her a tax
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Of three pence a pound on her tea,
Of three pence a pound on her tea.
2. "Now mother, dear mother," the daughter replied,
"I shan't do the thing you ask.
I'm willing to pay a fair price for the tea,
But never the three penny tax."
"You shall," quoth the mother, and reddened she,
"For you're my own daughter, you see,
And sure, 'tis quite proper the daughter should pay
Her mother a tax on her tea,
Her mother a tax on her tea."
4. The tea was conveyed to the daughter's door,
All down by the ocean's side;
And the bouncing girl pour'd out every pound
In the dark and boiling tide.
And then she called out to the Island Queen,
"O mother, dear mother," quoth she,
"Your tea you may have when 'tis steep'd enough
But never a tax from me."
ESPEN: British soldiers were sent to enforce order among the colonists and arrest Samuel
Adams and John Hancock. As tension rose between British soldiers and colonists in Boston, a
patriot named Paul Revere was sent to warn their leaders and to spread the word to all the
patriots that the British were coming.
CALVIN: The sight of the red-coated British soldiers marching in their streets caused fighting to
break out. George Washington took command of the American Army as the Revolutionary War
ensued. Many heroes emerged...
KYLE H: I am General George Washington. At the Battle of Princeton, I addressed the worn
down troops of the Continental Army and pleaded, “My brave fellows, you have done all I have
asked you to do and more than can be reasonably expected; but your country is at stake, your
wives, your houses, and all that you hold dear. You have worn yourselves out with hardships,
but we know not how to spare you. If you will consent to stay only one more month longer, you
will render that service to the cause of liberty and to your country…”
ELI: I am Patrick Henry. In a speech to the House of Burgesses I proclaimed “I know not what
course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
EDWARD: I am John Parker, Captain of the Lexington minutemen. I ordered the militia to
“Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin
here.”
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HARRISON: I am Colonel William Prescott. I commanded the rebel forces in the Battle of
Bunker Hill. My order to the soldiers was “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”
JAXSON: I am Thomas Paine. I wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense that said it was time
to part with Britain. “A government of our own in our natural right.”
MICHAEL O: I am Ethan Allen. I commanded the Green Mountain boys of Vermont in the
capture of Fort Ticonderoga, an important early victory for the Americans.
JACK: I am Thomas Jefferson. I completed writing the Declaration of Independence on July
4th, 1776. I explained why the American colonies must declare independence from Britain. I
wrote, “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal; that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness.” This document made it clear that the colonies would no longer be part
of British rule. Instead, they would now be “free and independent states.“
LIAM: I am Nathan Hale. I volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City,
but was captured by the British. My last words before I was hung as a spy were, “I only regret
that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
STONE: I am Captain John Paul Jones. I was an American naval commander of the ship
Bonhomme Richard. in a battle with the British ship Serapis I shouted, “I have not yet begun to
fight!”
SAMANTHA: Throughout the war, Patriotic women helped keep the Revolution alive by
collecting food, raising money, and making clothing for the soldiers. Martha Washington
(General Washington’s wife), Mary Ludwig Hays (nicknamed Molly Pitcher), Deborah Sampson
(disguised as a soldier), and Phillis Wheatley (an African-American poet whose poems
supported the Revolution), are just a few.
AKACIA: Other countries helped the United States win the American Revolution. French and
Spanish soldiers aided the American cause. And in the end, the Americans ultimately defeated
the mighty Great Britain and would be recognized as the United States of America, an
independent nation.
GRACE: Many of our nation's traditional songs have fascinating facts and stories behind them.
This song was sung by the British at the beginning of the American Revolution to poke
fun at the colonists. ln 1777, the American troops reclaimed it as their own. The song
was given the lyrics we sing today by Edward Bangs who served as a minuteman at the
Battle of Lexington
Song: Yankee Doodle
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Father and I went down to eamp,
Along with Captain Gooding;
And there we saw the men and boys,
As thick as hasty pudding.
Yankee doodle, keep it up,
Yankee doodle dandy;
Mind the music and the step,
And with the girls be handy.
There was Captain Washington
Upon a slapping stallion,
A-giving orders to his men,
I guess there was a million.
Yankee doodle, keep it up,
Yankee doodle dandy;
Mind the music and the step,
And with the girls be handy.
BODI: By September 1787, and after many months of disagreement, our Constitution was
framed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Our founding fathers established made sure that
“We the People” would determine the type of government established in this new nation. This
special document spelled out the role of the government and the rights of each citizen.
BEN: I am Benjamin Franklin. I urged my fellow delegates to sign this special document with
me saying, “I consent...to this constitution because I expect no better and because I am not sure
that it is not the best.”
CARINA: The play party is one of America's most important contributions to the world of folk
dances and folk games. It is rooted in the customs of the old countries from which the early
settlers came. Defined simply, a play party is a kind of country dance done to a singing
accompaniment. The songs and figures of our early play parties harken back to Scottish,
English, Irish and German folk traditions.
AIDAN: Springing out of the rugged frontier life of the European pioneers trekking across what
was to become the United States, play parties provided the focus for many a community
gathering. They were uniquely suited to the simplicity and straightforwardness of rural life,
needing no accompaniment and, no equipment.
LAUREN: They provided an occasion for togetherness and celebration in a lighthearted setting.
The whole community, young and old, drew together through this kind of social interaction. I’ve
been to Haarlem, originally a tune from England, was made into a play-party dance in New
England.
Song: I’ve been to Haarlem
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I’ve been to Haarlem I’ve been to Dover
I’ve travelled this wide world all over,
over, over, three times over.
Find me another ship when this trip is over.
Sailing east, sailing west,
Sailing over the ocean.
You better watch out when the boat begins to rock,
or you’ll lose your friend in the ocean.
KYLE C: Little is known about the origins of this song except that it comes from the southern
state of Alabama.
Song: Alabama gal
I don’t know how, how. I don’t know how, how.
I don’t know how, how, Alabama gal.
I’ll show you how, how. I’ll show you how, how.
I’ll show you how, how, Alabama gal.
Ain’t I rock candy. Ain’t I rock candy.
Ain’t I rock candy, Alabama gal.
Come through in a hurry. Come through in a hurry.
Come through in a hurry, Alabama gal.
BRIAN V: Old Dan Tucker is a popular tune from oral tradition in the central united states. The
words may have been written by songwriter and performer Dan Emmett. The song was
popularized in 1843 and it quickly became a hit in the antebellum period. Today it is a bluegrass
and country music standard.
Song: Old Dan Tucker
Old Dan Tucker was a mighty man, he washed his face in a frying pan,
Combed his hair with a wagon wheel, died with a toothache in his heel,
So get out the way, old Dan Tucker, get out the way, old Dan Tucker,
Get out the way, old Dan Tucker, you’re too late to get your supper.
Old Dan Tucker came to town, ridin’ a billy goat, leading a hound.
Hound dog barked then billy goat jumped. Dan fell off and landed on a stump.
So get out the way, old Dan Tucker, get out the way, old Dan Tucker,
Get out the way, old Dan Tucker, you’re too late to get your supper.
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Old Dan Tucker was so tall, he wouldn’t fit in his bed at all.
When he lay down, his feet would stick out. The birds would roost there while he slept,
So get out the way, old Dan Tucker, get out the way, old Dan Tucker,
Get out the way, old Dan Tucker, you’re too late to get your supper.
Old Dan Tucker’s back in town, swingin’ the ladies all around.
First to the right and then to the left, then to the gal he loves best.
So get out the way, old Dan Tucker, get out the way, old Dan Tucker,
Get out the way, old Dan Tucker, you’re too late to get your supper.
AVA H: The California Gold Rush was one of the epic events in American history. Roughly
100,000 people raced to the West Coast after the discovery of gold in the California foothills in
January 1848. These profit-seeking pioneers quickly quadrupled the population of the territory,
speeding its admission into the Union as the nation’s 31st state.
LOGAN: In 1847, “Oh! Susanna” made its debut in a Pittsburgh ice cream parlor. Within a
couple of years, gold seekers from every state were singing the song as they headed west to
California. Even though Stephen Foster wrote “Oh! Susanna” just prior to the discovery of gold
in California, the song became both traveling music and an anthem, a good-time tune that
expressed the adventuresome spirit of America’s gold-seeking Forty-Niners.
Song: Oh Susanna
I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee
I'm going to Louisiana, my true love for to see
It rained all night the day I left
The weather it was dry
The sun so hot, I froze to death
Susanna, don't you cry
Oh, Susanna, oh don't you cry for me
For I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee.
WILL D: As the United States grew in land and power, it began changing greatly. By 1848 after
the war with mexico, the United States owned land from coast to coast. The transportation
systems grew, building canals, a national road, and railroads.
GISELLE: By the mid 1800’s many people worked for reforms. Susan B. Anthony dedicated
much of her life to the struggle for women’s rights. Frederick Douglas escaped slavery and
exposed its horrors through speeches and writing. These efforts continued for many years.
MATTHEW: Facing the harsh conditions of plantation life, enslaved people struggled to
preserve their families and cultures. To remind them of home they sang songs. African
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American musicians created spirituals mixing church hymns with music their ancestors brought
from different parts of Africa.
Song: Now let me fly
Way down yonder in the middle of the field
See me workin’ at the chariot wheel
Not so partic’lar about workin’ at the wheel
But I just want to see how the chariot feels
Now let me fly! Now let me fly!
Now let me fly, way up high,
Way in the middle of the air.
EMMA R: Abolitionists such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, and John Brown
became more vocal against slavery. The Underground Railroad was set up as a secret system
to help enslaved people escape from the South to freedom in the North. To find their way north,
escaping slaves were guided by the Northern Star or “drinking gourd” as it was sometimes
called.
Song: When the saints/This train
This train is bound for glory, this train.
This train is bound for glory, this train.
This train is bound for glory, If you ride it you must be holy
This train is bound for glory, this train.
Oh, when the saints, go marching in,
Oh, when the saints go marching in,
Oh how I want to be in that number,
When the saints go marching in.
KENNEDY: Many issues including slavery divided the northern and the southern states. many
southerners believed that the South should secede, or break away, from the United States.
They created The Confederacy with Jefferson Davis as their President. Newly elected President
of the United States, Abraham Lincoln wanted to preserve the Union. Thus the Civil War broke
out at Fort Sumter.
RIVER: Brothers fought against brothers in this war. Young men lied about their age to take part
in it. The Civil War lasted 4 long years and was the most destructive was in U.S. History. Much
like today, families and friends looked forward with great anticipation for the day when their
soldiers would return home.
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MADDY L: Patrick Gilmore did not write the original tune, but he said it was “a musical waif
which I happened to hear somebody humming in the early days of the rebellion, and taking a
fancy to it, wrote it down, dressed it up, gave it a name, and rhymed it into usefulness for a
special purpose suited to the times."
Song: When Johnny Comes Marching Home
When Johnny comes marching home again. Hurrah! Hurrah!
We’ll give him a hearty welcome then. Hurrah! Hurrah!
The men will cheer, the boys will shout, the ladies they will all turn out.
And we’ll all be glad when Johnny comes marching home!
Get ready for the Jubilee. Hurrah! Hurrah!
We’ll give the hero three times three. Hurrah! Hurrah!
The laurel wreath is ready now, to place upon his royal brow.
And we’ll all feel glad when Johnny comes marching home.
TANNER: Although slaves were freed when President Lincoln signed the Emancipation
Proclamation during the war, it would be many more years before African Americans would gain
equal rights.
MADIGAN: The Erie Canal is famous in song and story. Proposed in 1808 and completed in
1825, the canal links the waters of Lake Erie in the west to the Hudson River in the east. At the
time it was built it was called an engineering marvel. A ten-foot wide towpath was built along the
bank of the canal for the horses and/or mules, which pulled the boats and their driver. The canal
opened the country west of the Appalachian Mountains to settlers and to offer a cheap and safe
way to carry produce to a market.
LINDSEY: In order to keep pace with the growing demands of traffic, the Erie Canal was
enlarged multiple time. The final version of the canal was completed in 1918, and is 12 to 14
feet deep, 120 to 200 feet wide, and 363 miles long, from Albany to Buffalo. 57 locks were built
to handle barges carrying up to 3,000 tons of cargo, with lifts of 6 to 40 feet. This is the Erie
Canal which today is utilized more often by recreational boats than cargo-carrying barges.
Song: Erie Canal
I had a mule her name was Sal.
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.
She’s a good old worker and a good old pal.
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.
We’ve hauled some barges in our day,
Filled with lumber coal and hay,
And we know every inch of the way,
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From Albany down to Buffalo.
Chorus:
Low bridge, everybody down.
Low bridge, ‘cause we’re goin’ through a town;
And you’ll always know your neighbor, you’ll always know your pal
If you’ve ever navigated on the Erie Canal.
Git up there, Sal, we passed that lock.
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.
And we’ll make Rome ‘fore six o’clock.
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.
Just one more trip and back we’ll go.
Through the rain and sleet and snow.
‘Cause we know every inch of the way,
From Albany down to Buffalo.
Chorus
MADIE H: During the industrial revolution low wages, long workdays and disasters encouraged
many workers to join labor unions to fight for improved working conditions. By 1900, ten million
children under the age of 16 were working in the fields, factories, mills and mines of the United
States.
AVA B: It took people like Florence Kelly to insist on labor laws to protect children. in 1899
newspaper boys of new York City joined forces and went on strike to improve their working
conditions. It worked!
BRIANA: Baseball is America's sport, having been invented in Cooperstown, New York by
Abner Doubleday in 1839. Jack Norworth, the author of the words to "Take Me Out to the Ball
Game," had never seen a major league ball game himself until after his song was published in
1908. Now the song belongs to the tradition of baseball as it is frequently played and sung as
part of the seventh inning stretch.
Song: Baseball fever
Melody:
Take me out to the ball game
Take me out with the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks
I don't care if I never get back
Let me root, root, root
For the home team
If they don't win it's a shame
For it's one, Two,
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Three strikes you're out
At the old ball game!
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Crowd chants:
1. Strike one, strike two, strike three, you’re out!
2. Home run, we need one now!
3. Come on Blue! That’s a ball! Anyone can see that!
Hey, batter, batter, batter, batter, hey! Hey, batter batter swing! Let’s go!
GUNNAR: In 1914, war broke out in Europe, the United States, now a world power tried to stay
out of the war. But after Germany sank U.S. ships, we declared war on Germany. The United
States helped its allies win World War I.
CRISTIAN: The 1920’s was a period of strong economic growth, a boom. people called this
period the “roaring twenties.” Times were good and many people were living better than they
had before. Radios and talking movies were now becoming a part of people’s lives.
LUKE B: A depression hit the United States in the 1930’s. The Stock market crashed. The
economy went from boom to bust. it lasted 10 years with few jobs, loss of homes, long bread
lines, and much hardship for many Americans.
ASHLEY: Bad times helped the rise of German, Japanese, and Italian dictators who wanted to
conquer other nations. Once again the United States tried to keep out of war. Then Japan
bombed ships at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The U.S. declared war on japan. Germany and Italy
declared war on the United States. again Americans fought overseas. We were victorious!
GREGORY: The United Nations was formed to allow nations to work together to find peaceful
solutions to problems. The Cold War began as World War II ended. It was a long bitter struggle
between the United States and the soviet Union, and their different ways to life.
REESE: The struggle for civil rights came to the forefront in 1955 when African American Rosa
Parks refused to give up her eat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Martin Luther King Jr.
became the voice of the Civil Rights Movement. At the same time, America was involved in the
unpopular Vietnam War. Originally an African American spiritual, this song, Down by the
Riverside, became a popular protest song sung by blacks and whites alike.
Song: Down by the Riverside
1. Gonna lay down my sword and shield, Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside, Down by the riverside.
Gonna lay down my sword and shield, Down by the riverside,
Ain’t goin’ study war no more. x7
2. Gonna put on my long white robe
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3. Gonna put on my starry crown
4. Gonna put on my golden shoes
5. Gonna talk with the prince of peace
LUKE L: It wasn’t until 1959 that Alaska and Hawaii officially gained statehood and our
country’s flag included all 50 stars.
SONG: 50 nifty
Fifty Nifty United States from thirteen original colonies;
Fifty Nifty stars in the flag that billows so beautifully in the breeze.
Each individual state contributes a quality that is great.
Each individual state deserves a bow, We salute them now.
Fifty Nifty United States from thirteen original colonies,
Shout 'em, scout 'em, Tell all about 'em,
One by one, til we've given a day to every state in the good ol'(old) USA
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, ConnecticutDelaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, IndianaIowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska..., Nevada,New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York,North Carolina, North Dakota, O H I O,Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,
South Dakota, Tennessee, Tex-as,Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
North, South, East, West in our calm, objective opinion (Name of favorite State)
Is the Best of the Fifty Nifty United States from thirteen original colonies
Shout 'em,scout'em, tell all about 'em
One by One, till we've given a day to every state in the good old U...S...A......
SOFIA B: The final frontier, SPACE, became a race between the Soviet Union and the United
States. American spaceship Apollo 11 blasted off with U.S. astronauts. Neil Armstrong and
Buzz Ardin became the first people ever to walk on the moon on July 16th, 1969...and Rock and
Roll was here to stay!
JAKE: Life for Americans was very different at the end of the 1900’s. The Cold War ended.
Technologies like the internet increased communication and access to information. And, the
threat of terrorism became a reality on September 2001.
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DELANEY: In spite of tragedy, the American people pulled together and expressed hope for the
future. we are the future. We come from many backgrounds, but we are united by our shared
belief in the ideals like freedom, justice, and equality.
Song: America the Beautiful
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern impassion'd stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine!
O Beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
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