A few years ago the kids and I spent an entire year of history studying only the Colonial Period through the American Revolution. That’s all we covered. And I still felt like we barely scratched the surface on the subject!
But I came across some wonderful books in our study!
Whether we’re teaching our kids or learning history for ourselves, it’s easy to focus on the high points and the most notable names, and in the process miss out on some amazing stories.
This is one of those.
Ever heard of Henry Knox? Unless you’re a pretty big fan of American history, you probably haven’t, though it’s possible you’ve heard of Fort Knox, located right here in Kentucky and proudly named in that man’s honor. But whether you know his name or not, you should know this general pulled off one of the most incredible feats of the American Revolution.
Very early in the Revolutionary War, General George Washington and his ragtag Continental Army lay siege to Boston, Massachusetts, a city firmly controlled by the British. Though he could prevent land movement, Washington could do nothing to drive enemy troops from the city.
Not without cannons anyway.
The Continental Army was in possession of some cannons, but they were sitting in captured Fort Ticonderoga some 300 miles away. Washington needed those cannons, but without modern rail cars, road systems, or transport vehicles, how was it possible to move them?
Henry Knox, a young bookseller who was a self-taught soldier and strategist, had a plan, and he miraculously executed it to move 59 cannons over mountains, lakes, and rivers in the dead of winter. Because of his ingenuity and perseverance, not a single cannon was lost on the trip and the cannons were key in driving the British from the city of Boston, handing Washington his first victory of the Revolutionary War.
This book by Don Brown, Henry and the Cannons: An Extraordinary True Story of the American Revolution, tells this often-forgotten story for children, and it is one of my favorite historical books for kids. (Read about another favorite Revolutionary War kids’ book here.) The book is well-written and beautifully illustrated, and it was a fast favorite for my children as we studied the American Revolution.
It makes my heart happy to share with children some of the lesser-known stories of Revolutionary heroes. This isn’t a story you want to forget in your study of the American Revolution!
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