The Hudson River Ramblers - www.hudsonriverramblers.com
Revolution on the River
-
Rich &
Jonathan look
to sing and tell
you real songs
& stories about
the people who
United the
States along
the Hudson
River!
Student Guide - Rye
Jonathan
Rich
Bala
Kruk
The American War for Independence ..
from Great
Britain began
in Boston
April 1775 and
ended
in
Yo r k t o w n
Vi r g i n i a i n
1781. Big battles
were
fought
in
Ne w Je r s e y,
Pennsylvania and in the South. The most important place to hold however was the Hudson River.
In 1776, the Redcoats drove George Washington’s
rag a tag army off Long Island, out of New York
City, and away at White Plains. Washington then
warned Congress. “Passage of the enemy up the
Hudson...” would divide the new nation. That’s
just what the Redcoats planned to do in 1777 with
their “three pronged attack.” Three British armies tried to cut the United States in two along
the Hudson They broke through in the Hudson
Highlands, but got stopped Saratoga. This became the “Turning Point of the American Revolution.” The French came to help. Washington then
set a chain never -broken across the great river.
The Hudson River Ramblers will sing and tell stories right from the people who fought for American freedom along the Hudson. Rich & Jonathan
use primary sources, audience participation to
move you to listen and have fun learning about the
Revolution on the River!
Try these activities before the show..
Look at a good map of the thirteen colonies.
http://www.colonialwarsct.org/images/am_col_13col
onies.jpg Where is the Hudson River? What looks
important about the river and the other colonies?
Talk about what you would do if a $1 tax was put on
every bottle of soda to pay for the war in Afghanistan? Who should set the taxes people pay? Talk
about problems Americans independent country or
stay with Great Britain.
Find any signs of the Revolution in your town .
What would you do if someone called you; Johnny
cheese head idiot!
What would it take for you to be a hero?
What would you do about a general who lost more
battles than he won?
Check out these books:
In The Path of War Children of the American
Revolution- Edited by Jeanne Winston Adler
USKids History Book of the American Revolution
- 1995 LittleBrown
Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Books American
Revolution, Murray,
!
!
!
Get our CD Revolution on the River !! $15.- http://cdbaby.com/cd/bala
!

Performance
Yankee Doodle 1775-83 The chorus to
this famed song was written during the French Indian War on the banks of
the Hudson. The Hudson River Ramblers tell
this story, What do theses
words mean?
Yankees _______________
Doodle _______________
Macaroni ______________
Why did the Americans become proud to be “Yankee
Doodles? ______________________________________
 The War Comes to Westchester - Redcoats! Bluecoats! Hessians! Cow-Boys! The Battle
of White Plains! What happened in Westchester
during the Revolution. _______________________
Why was Westchester a “No man’s land” during
the war? ____________________________________
 Soldier,Soldier Will You Marry Me (1776?)Most of Washington’s Minute Men lacked uniforms until the late in the War. Here, a rag-tag
soldier clothes himself with promises to a naive
young woman.
 Washington’s Watch Chain How do you hold a new nation together? Try a chain! This tale shows
the how both the Americans and British saw the Hudson as the most important river in the Revolution.
 A Toast to Washington 1779-83 The American
soldiers loved George Washington, even though
he lost many battles. What feeling does the song
give? ______________________________ Why did
the men love Washington?
__________________________
______________________________
 The Gathering Storm -
1781-1783 - Washington’s
army near Newburgh on the Hudson guarded against
British attack after the Redcoat’s final defeat in Yorktown Virginia. The new country had little money to
pay it’s soldiers. Some officers plotted to march to
Philadelphia to take over from Congress. A simple
gesture by Washington stops them!. How did Washington making a spectacle of himself ?
____________________________ How did this stop the
officers from storming Congress?
__________________________________________
________________________________________________
Why didn’t the Americans have uniforms at first?
___________________________________________
Who helped the Americans get uniforms? ______
___________________________________________
What was the joke in this song? ______________
___________________________________________

 The Riflemen of Bennington Aug 1777 - John
Follow up ideas. ' '
'
'
'
Write a letter to one of the people in the stories.
Ask them three questions. Pretend you are that
person and write a reply.
Starks leads the Green Mountain Boys against the
British headed for Bennington VT. They stop the
Redcoats at Hoosick Falls, NY with their rifles.
Why are the rifles no trifle? What do the Americans do with them? _________________________
 Sybil’s Ride - April 1777 - a teen age girl goes
to call out her father’s militia, and outrides Paul
Revere. What would it take for you to
match Syb? _________________________
Doodle Dandy - When Washington announced the
Revolutionary War was officially over on the banks of
the Hudson in April of 1783, there was still on more
task. He had to lead his soldiers down to New York to
see off the Redcoats. Here’s the song the Bluecoats
sang.
Yankee Doodle shows how Americans dealt with
British Bullies. Make up a new song verse showing
how you can deal with bullies.
What was so great about George?
___________________________________
Get our CD Revolution on the River !! $15.- http://cdbaby.com/cd/bala
Performance
Get our CD Revolution on the River !! $15.- http://cdbaby.com/cd/bala