#39 - Dear Mr. Washington

🕰️ Backstory: Step Into 1783

It is the year 1783.
The American Revolution is over. The colonies have won their independence from Britain. Crowds celebrate freedom—but freedom does not mean the same thing for everyone.

You are an African American living during the war. You had to make an impossible choice:

• Join the British because they promised freedom to enslaved people
  OR

• Join the Patriots because they talked about liberty, rights, and a new nation

Now the war is over, and George Washington is the most powerful leader in the new country. You decide to write him a letter explaining your choice, your hopes, and your fears.

This letter is your chance to speak up—because history did not always listen.

🧠 Who Are You? (Choose or Create a Character)

Before writing, decide who you are. You may invent details, but they must make historical sense.

Think about:

• Were you enslaved or free before the war?

• Where did you live (plantation, city, farm, port)?

• What job did you have during the war?

• What did freedom mean to you in 1776?

Starter idea:

“I was born enslaved in Virginia and worked on a tobacco plantation until the war began…”

⚔️ Why Did You Choose a Side?

If You Are a Black Loyalist:

Use ideas like:

• The British promised freedom to enslaved people who joined them

• Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation gave you hope

• You did not trust Patriots who owned enslaved people

• Freedom now felt better than promises later

Sentence starters:

• “I joined the British because they offered me freedom right away…”

• “The Patriots spoke of liberty, but many still held people in chains…”

If You Are a Black Patriot:

Use ideas like:

• You believed the new nation could change

• You fought for the ideas in the Declaration of Independence

• You hoped your service would earn respect and rights

• You wanted African Americans to belong in America’s future

Sentence starters:

• “I joined the Continental Army because I believed the words ‘all men are created equal’…”

• “I fought for this country hoping it would one day fight for me…”

📜 Use the Historical Sources (In Simple Ways)

You do not need to quote—just explain ideas.

• Declaration of Independence → talks about equality and natural rights

• Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation → promised freedom to enslaved people who joined Britain

• Biography → shows real experiences of African Americans during the war

Example:

“When I heard the words ‘life and liberty,’ I believed they should include people like me.”

🔮 Looking to the Future (Very Important!)

End your letter by looking ahead.

Ask yourself:

• Do you feel hopeful or worried?

• Do you trust the new government?

• What should Washington do next?

Sentence starters:

• “I hope the new nation will…”

• “I fear that African Americans will…”

• “I ask you, General Washington, to remember…”

💬 Class Discussion Prompts (Before or After Writing)

• Was choosing the British or Patriots really a free choice?

• Which side offered real freedom, and which offered promises?

• Can a country fight for freedom while denying it to others?

• If you lived in 1776, what choice would you have made—and why?

✏️ Optional Creative Extension

• Draw a symbol that represents your choice (chains breaking, a road, a flag, a door opening)

• Write one sentence explaining your drawing

• Create a motto like a coat of arms (ex: “Hope Is Worth the Risk”)

To help you write your letter to George Washington, simply answer these four questions. Choose the option that best fits your story:

1. Who were you before the war?

• A) I was enslaved on a large plantation in the South.

• B) I was enslaved in a busy port city, working on the docks.

• C) I was a free person of color, but I still lived without many rights.

2. Which side did you join and why?

• A) The British: I chose them because Lord Dunmore promised immediate freedom to any enslaved person who fought for the King.

• B) The Patriots: I chose them because the Declaration of Independence says "all men are created equal," and I believed the new nation could change.

3. What was your experience during the fighting?

• A) I felt hopeful because I was finally carrying a weapon and fighting for my own liberty.

• B) I felt nervous because I wasn't sure if the side I chose would actually keep its promises once the war ended.

4. What is your message to George Washington for the future?

• A) A Hope: I hope you will ensure that the "liberty" you won applies to African Americans, not just white citizens.

• B) A Warning: I fear that the sacrifices we made will be forgotten and that many of my people will remain in chains.

• C) A Request: I ask you to use your power to make sure this new government protects the rights of everyone.