Unit Central Question:
How did the cultural characteristics, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and economic conditions of the French, English, and Indians contribute to the growth of inter-group hostilities, fighting, and attacks in the late 17th and early 18th centuries?
Key Content Ideas Taught in this Lesson and Teacher Background
- Governor Cornbury of New York warned Deerfield that an attack was imminent.
- Deerfield residents prepared for a possible attack by training all men to be soldiers. John Williams also requested military assistance from Massachusetts Governor Dudley.
- Deerfield was attacked on February 29, 1704.
- The events of that day were influenced by the season and the time at which the attack occurred. Snow cover and the predawn hour made it possible for the attackers to breach the stockade quietly and surprise the villagers.
- Statistical accounts show that the number of casualties, captives taken, and loss of property were significant.
For more information read:
Teacher Background Essay: The Deerfield Raid and Student Background Essay: Relationship between the English, the French, and the Native Peoples
Intended Learning Outcomes
Understandings
Students will understand:
- Governor Cornbury of New York sent a warning to Deerfield residents that a Native American attack from the North was imminent.
- both Native American and French men were involved in the attack on Deerfield in 1704.
- John Williams requested military assistance from Massachusetts Governor Dudley, and that all men in Deerfield were trained to defend the settlement.
- the Native Americans and the French attacked the village at an unlikely time. The attack (February 29, 1704) took place on a cold, predawn winter morning. Significant snow cover made a quiet entry over the stockade and surprise attack on the sleeping sentry and residents easy.
- approximately forty-eight were killed in the attack. Thirty-nine were residents and nine were soldiers. Between 109-112 people were taken captive and force-marched to Canada. Approximately 140 remained alive in Deerfield. Seventeen houses with barns were burned, nine houses inside the stockade remained standing, and fifteen houses outside the stockade remained standing.
- historical references are not always accurate in their presentation of historical information.
Skills
- Students will be able to use a variety of excerpts from this web site to locate and extract statistical information on the attack.
Primary and Secondary Sources:
1. Readings for Activity 1: Warnings of an Impending Attack on Deerfield in 1704 which includes:
- Excerpt from The History of Deerfield, Vol. I by George Sheldon
- Warnings from the West and South, a synopsis written by Lynne Manring from Richard Melvoin’s New England Outpost.
2. Readings for Activity 2: Studying Reports of the Attack on Deerfield which includes:
- Excerpt from A Half-Century of Conflict by Francis Parkman
- Excerpt from The History of Deerfield by George Sheldon
- Excerpt from Good Fetched out of Evil by John Williams & Cotton Mather
3. Readings for Activity 3: Outcomes of the Attack which includes:
- Excerpt from The History of Philip’s War by Thomas Church & accompanying “What Does That Mean?”
- Excerpt from The History of Deerfield, Vol.I by George Sheldon, pgs. 293-294 & accompanying “What Does That Mean?”
- Excerpt from The History of Deerfield, Vol. I by George Sheldon, pgs. 295-296 & accompanying “What Does That Mean?”
- Excerpt from A Half-Century of Conflict by Francis Parkman & accompanying “What Does That Mean?”
- An Account of Those Killed and Wounded, by Lynne Manring, a synopsis from Revisiting the Redeemed Captive, by Evan Haefeli & Kevin Sweeney.
4. Teacher Background essay: The Deerfield Raid
5. Student Background essay: Relationship Between the English, the French, and the Native Peoples
Other:
1. Description worksheet for 1704 Attack on Deerfield
2. Statistics worksheet for 1704 Attack on Deerfield
In Preparation for Teaching
Activity 1
- Read the Teacher Background Essay: The Deerfield Raid and the Student Background Essay: Relationship Between the English, the French, and the Native Peoples to become familiar with the 1704 attack on Deerfield.
- Copy and distribute Readings for Activity 1: Warnings of an Impending Attack on Deerfield in 1704
Activity 2
- Copy and distribute Description worksheet for 1704 attack on Deerfield
- Copy and distribute Readings for Activity 2: Studying Reports of the Attack on Deerfield
Activity 3
- Copy and distribute Readings for Activity 3: Outcomes of the Attack
- Copy and distribute Statistics Worksheet for 1704 Attack on Deerfield.
Activities
Activity 1 – Warnings of an Impending Attack on Deerfield in 1704
- Instruct students to read the excerpts from Readings for Activity 1: Warnings of an Impending Attack on Deerfield in 1704. Ask students to imagine what might have been going through the minds of Deerfield residents upon hearing of a possible attack on their village. Have them imagine that they are Deerfield residents. Do they believe the warnings? Why or why not? What precautions would they take? Discuss.
- Instruct students to create a poem or short story based on their imaginings.
Activity 2 – Studying Reports of The Attack
- Inform students that they will be reading some excerpts that tell about the 1704 attack on Deerfield. Ask them to listen for two things. First they should try to figure out from the readings what happened during the attack. Second, they should listen for descriptive words that were used to describe the Native Americans and what they did.
- Distribute Description Worksheet for the 1704 attack on Deerfield.
- Read to (or with) students the excerpts from Readings for Activity 2: Studying Reports of the Attack on Deerfield. Ask students to complete their worksheets.
- Ask students to refer to their worksheets as you discuss the words used to describe the attack. Students will be analyzing the language used to describe the events in an effort to understand bias and point of view in the writing. Ask:
-
- Are these descriptions a fair way of reporting? Why or why not?
- How might the writers of these reports have felt?
- Why were these words used?
- Were you ever called a name that you didn’t like? Why do you think that person called you that name?
- Do you see words like these being used in reports about attacks today? Why or why not?
Activity 3 – Outcomes of the Attack
- Divide students into groups and distribute a different selection of excerpts from Readings for Activity 3: Outcomes of the Attack to each group. Also distribute copies of the Statistics Worksheet for 1704 Attack on Deerfield, one for each excerpt.
- Instruct groups to read their excerpts carefully and complete a worksheet for each excerpt.
- Ask students to review the worksheet and discuss the possible reasons for discrepancies among the sources. [Note: the primary sources were written from memory after the fact; none were written at the time of the attack; some numbers in the primary sources were purposely inflated for political reasons, and the secondary sources were written long after those who experienced the attack were dead.]
- Chart students’ findings on the board and then ask:
- What might explain why these numbers don’t agree?
- Which sources are you most likely to believe? Why?
- What are some of the most important points brought up in these writings? Should these statistics be included in those important points? Why or why not?
- What conclusions can you draw from this exercise?
- Have students write summaries of the events studied.
Assessment
Use students’ poems/stories and written summaries to assess the degree to which they achieved the intended learning outcomes for this lesson.
