Alamance Battlefield Colonial Living Days

Today we went on a homeschool fieldtrip to Alamance, NC to visit the battlefield there. The site is historically significant due to the "Regulators Uprising" which took place there in 1771 when some farmers rose up against the unfair taxation and practises of the royal Governor, Tryon. Their uprising did not succeed, but of course in a few years the royals lost all the colonies, so it's viewed as an important example of colonial discontent. This week the site is holding "Colonial Living Days" to showcase various aspects of colonial life. We went as part of the Lighthouse Christian Homeschool Association. The boys had a good time and I think learned a lot. The only drawback was the musket firings, which they liked but the noise made Aaron a little nervous. There was a cannon demonstration just after lunch and I had to promise Aaron that he and I would go inside the museum away from the field before it started, which we did. The cannon roar was still plenty loud, but he felt safer being far from it.

The boys play a game of "rounders," a precursor to baseball. Some of the rules include carrying the batting stick around the bases, if you dropped it you were out, and also running in the opposite direction, so what modern baseball calls 3rd base was 1st. It was confusing but fun to try.
Aaron speaking with some colonial young ladies. I tried to get him to take a picture standing with them, but he didn't want to. When I asked "Wouldn't you like a picture with the pretty girls?" Aaron replied, "I don't like pretty girls."
This was Andrew's favorite exhibit--the blacksmith. He was fascinated that iron could be molded when it's hot and then remain in that shape when cool and hard again. He is planning to try it in the firepit in our back yard. Not sure if that will happen but Andrew thinks so.
Aaron really enjoyed the demonstration of colonial music. Here, the reenactor played "Grandfather's Clock" on her hand-made dulcimer. Aaron looked at me like he was surprised someone else knows that song!
Andrew tried his hand at some colonial toys.
This is a picture of some of the Lighthouse Homeschool group.