Another Place to Learn about Boston's Role in the Revolution

Due to Evacuation Day, The Musical, just about all the kids at the Perkins--even the kindergarteners--know that the American colonists were unhappy about their treatment by the British Empire.  Ms. Bishop's third grade class knows a bit more.

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These kids are learning about the events leading up to the American Revolution.  Want to know something about the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party, two major incidents that happened in our hometown?  Just ask Ms. Bishop's students.

The Play is the Thing...

Did you every hear of a victory with no blood?
Did you think it could happen--
Did you ever think it really would?

Don't you know that it happened right here?
1776  was the year!
Let's all give a rousing cheer:

E - VAC - UA - TION  DAY!

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The kids had been practicing hard: Going over their lines and how they should say them.  Memorizing the lyrics to all the original songs and rehearsing the dance moves that accompany them.  All the while, they were learning the amazing historical events that happened right near the Perkins School, and one of the most unusual battles of the American Revolution.

As Principal Brawer explained while welcoming friends and parents to the production, "History is filled with many battles, in which many people were killed, and yet they accomplished nothing.  What happened here at Dorchester Heights was a battle where no one was killed and it forced the British to leave Boston.  That's something important to celebrate.  This play also proves Evaculation Day is a real holiday."

So the story began, explaining that the British had created many laws and taxes the colonists felt were unfair.  As they said in this song:

We are in charge!
We make the best decisions.
We just want your provisions.
So bite your tongue and drink some tea for...
We are in charge!

 
The colonialists were angry, but confused about what to do.  Fighting a giant empire with many ships, soldiers, and weapons is not the easiest thing to do.  Luckily Henry Knox (right) came up with a daring plan and George Washington (left) was smart and daring enough to agree to put it into place.

The Americans had just taken Fort Ticonderoga away from the British.  There were 50 cannons at the fort.  They were 300 miles away, but if the colonialists could bring those cannons to Boston, they would have a chance.

 

 

Walking 300 miles to Fort Ticonderoga was bad enough, dragging 119,000 pounds of cannons across snow and mountains, Lake George, and the Hudson River was a very, very, very hard job.

 
Finally, one night, they snuck all the cannons up to the top of Dorchester Heights.

The next morning, the British saw the colonists ready for battle.  British cannons couldn't shoot uphill, but the colonists' cannons were aimed, ready, and able to fight. The British understand their predicament and left Boston.  A victory with no blood.

 
Yes, the British left Boston and they weren't happy about it.  In our school play, they were happy to come back for the grand finale, a song called "One Clever Idea."

One clever idea--can change the course of history!
One clever idea--and a lot of hard work set us free.

First you have a dream.
Then you make it come true.
Join together with thousands of hands.
It can happen to YOU! 

Dreams come in all sizes.  Many teachers and adult volunteers came together to write this play, compose and practice its songs, gather costumes, lead rehearsals.  Many kids tried out to be part of the cast, came after school for rehearsals (even during vacation!), struggled to memorize lines, fought nervousness to perform on stage.  

It can happen to YOU!

"Throw the bums out..."

These kids look like they are scowling at the camera or giving the photographer the "hairy eyeball." No, they are actually American colonialists who are getting increasing angry at the British.  Very, very angry, especially about taxation without representation.

You know what these feelings lead to, don't you?  You're right, one answer is the American Revolution.  Another is the second annual production of...

 

Some of our readers may already know that the Perkins School kids (and parents and teachers) have published a book called Why Do We Celebrate Evacuation Day? It tells the story of George Washington's first victory against the British during the Revolutionary War. Even more exciting, this victory took place right behind our school. Our book was published in 2007 and is in its third edition.


Last year, we took this story and turned it into a musical play.  This year, we're doing it again.

 

The rehearsals have begun.  Ms. Lynch is using some music classes to teach or remind the kids of all the original songs written for the show.  Reverend Burns Stanfield, a local pastor and professional musician, is helping the kids learn their lines and dance moves. It doesn't quite look like an uprising yet, but it's amazing how things come together.  Just look at a scene from last year's production... 

Work hard, kids.  We don't have too long until showtime.