LINCOLN — Fifth-graders at Lincoln Elementary School in Vancouver recently got a first-hand look at what daily life was like on a farm in Colonial America. They came to appreciate that every day was a struggle just to survive, and that every member of the family played a vital role in ensuring safety, raising food and learning a trade that would serve them throughout their lifetimes.
The students and their teachers invited some special time travelers from 1776 — namely members of the Fort Vancouver Sons of The American Revolution chapter, who wore colorful Continental Army and militia uniforms. Members have traced their ancestry to great-great-grandfathers who fought in the American Revolution, and they shared several personal stories about the accomplishments of their ancestors with students.
They also talked about some of the flags that were flown during the American Revolution.
Most importantly, they gave the students several insights into what it took to make a living and survive on the edge of wilderness, and what work was required from dawn to dusk. The Sons shared several period items from the 1700s with the students — such as a brick of tea imported from England and a pig’s bone and bristle toothbrush that an entire family shared. The also talked about how candles were made and how fires were started.
