8-9
Chapter 8
Here’s the Story: When Joe goes next door to borrow Sarah Knapp’s pony,he is dismayed by how unhappy and uncared-for she appears. The girl agrees to let Joe take the pony to the army camp, although he's assigned a rather nasty task — babysitting her little brother. As Joe returns, he hears his father and Sarah’s father agree to look after each other’s family, but Mr. Knapp puts all fears to rest: the British may be coming, but not to do evil. In fact, it might be good.
Historical Background: Sarah Knapp and her siblings were real people, as were their parents. Mrs. Knapp was indeed bedridden at the time of the story. That her friends had left town is fictionalized, but many Loyalists moved to Canada because of Patriot refusal to do business with them. Plus, life was hard for every woman: no vacuum, no cleaning products, no stove, no refrigerator, no electric light. Purchasing food and cloth for clothing was hit and miss. Family might help, but the Knapp's had no relations in Danbury. With a one-year-old, a six-year-old, and Mercy, Sarah Knapp would have been hard put to get through the day. Rest for her would have meant staring at the wall.
Vocabulary
stile: stairs leading over a fence and down the other side “We sat on the stile between our houses and talked about school.”
Never Enough Quotes: From Benson Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution
TBD
Questions:
Chapter 9
Here’s the Story: Joe retrieves the pony from the Knapp pasture, but is unable to bridle it. Forced to ask Sarah for help, he uncovers the source of her recent anger — his grandfather. Stinging words refer to a horse of Sarah’s, but Joe has seen no such horse and wonders if Sarah imagines it. Sarah's rage flied everywhere as Joe hurries to his appointment with Lockwood.
Historical Background: The British taxed officially, with tax men to collect and the famous stamps to be purchased and added to almost everything. (Look up "stamp acts." Without an infrastructure of government to do this, the Patriots had no income. Asking for donations and praying had little affect, although wealthy men would outfit their own militia with guns and horses.
Vocabulary
Askew: sideways or crooked “Her cap sat all askew.”
Questions
Here’s the Story: When Joe goes next door to borrow Sarah Knapp’s pony,he is dismayed by how unhappy and uncared-for she appears. The girl agrees to let Joe take the pony to the army camp, although he's assigned a rather nasty task — babysitting her little brother. As Joe returns, he hears his father and Sarah’s father agree to look after each other’s family, but Mr. Knapp puts all fears to rest: the British may be coming, but not to do evil. In fact, it might be good.
Historical Background: Sarah Knapp and her siblings were real people, as were their parents. Mrs. Knapp was indeed bedridden at the time of the story. That her friends had left town is fictionalized, but many Loyalists moved to Canada because of Patriot refusal to do business with them. Plus, life was hard for every woman: no vacuum, no cleaning products, no stove, no refrigerator, no electric light. Purchasing food and cloth for clothing was hit and miss. Family might help, but the Knapp's had no relations in Danbury. With a one-year-old, a six-year-old, and Mercy, Sarah Knapp would have been hard put to get through the day. Rest for her would have meant staring at the wall.
Vocabulary
stile: stairs leading over a fence and down the other side “We sat on the stile between our houses and talked about school.”
Never Enough Quotes: From Benson Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution
TBD
Questions:
- Should Joe have made an effort to be nicer to Sarah?
- Do unhappy persons sometimes appear to be angry? How can you tell the difference?
- Joe is afraid of falling off on the main street. How many ways could this be a problem?
Chapter 9
Here’s the Story: Joe retrieves the pony from the Knapp pasture, but is unable to bridle it. Forced to ask Sarah for help, he uncovers the source of her recent anger — his grandfather. Stinging words refer to a horse of Sarah’s, but Joe has seen no such horse and wonders if Sarah imagines it. Sarah's rage flied everywhere as Joe hurries to his appointment with Lockwood.
Historical Background: The British taxed officially, with tax men to collect and the famous stamps to be purchased and added to almost everything. (Look up "stamp acts." Without an infrastructure of government to do this, the Patriots had no income. Asking for donations and praying had little affect, although wealthy men would outfit their own militia with guns and horses.
Vocabulary
Askew: sideways or crooked “Her cap sat all askew.”
Questions
- Confiscation means the government taking whatever they think they need. Where do we still see that in our world today? Look up the exporession "eminent domain." In Joe's world the Patriot government took things: the British took money. How would we feel about losing our things today versus paying out our money in taxes?
