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Paths to Freedom: African Americans and the American Revolution | BRIdge from the Past
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Images can help tell the story of major events throughout U.S. History, but sometimes, you must look closely to uncover the hidden stories from the past. In this episode of BRIdge From The Past, Mary explores famous paintings depicting the role of African Americans during the American Revolution. How are African Americans depicted in paintings from this period? What clues are we still missing from their role in the Revolutionary War?
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Emanuel Leutze's "Washington Crossing the Delaware" is an image we see frequently in the United States from a young age. It has been reproduced and repurposed by artists into the present day. Washington's decision to cross the river with his men in 1776 was made in desperation, yet Leutze portrayed it 75 years later as an epic and heroic moment in time. What can this reveal about interpretations of symbolic events in American history? Join BRI staff Mary Patterson and Liz Evans to find out.
In this lesson, students will review George Washington’s courageous actions in leading his troops to cross the Delaware River against overwhelming obstacles in order to attack and defeat the British army’s Hessian forces at Trenton, New Jersey. They will achieve the following objectives.
Use this primary source imagery to analyze major events in history.