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                                Saratoga
                        National Historical Park
                         Junior Ranger Program


    [Illustration: National Park Service • Saratoga National Historical
    Park]

                   Saratoga National Historical Park
               648 Route 32 • Stillwater, New York 12170
                    518-664-9821 • www.nps.gov/sara
                           sara_info@nps. gov


Directions:

Saratoga National Historical Park is located 40 miles north of Albany,
the state capital, and some 15 miles southeast of Saratoga Springs. The
principal exit (#12) off the Northway (I-87) is clearly signed for the
Park.


—_From Montreal and points north_—get off the Northway (I-87) at Exit 14
  and follow brown and white signs for Route 29 East to Schuylerville
  where the Schuyler House and Saratoga Monument are located. Eight
  miles south on Route 4 you will find the main entrance to the
  Battlefield (right side of road).

—_From Albany and points south_—get off the Northway (I-87) at Exit 12
  and follow the brown and white Park signs to the Battlefield.

—_From points east or west_—use Route 29 to Schuylerville and follow
  directions from Schuylerville as above.


    [Illustration: Area map]




                        How To Use This Booklet


_To the Parent/Adult:_ This Junior Ranger program is designed for
students grade 3-6, but may be used by other ages as well. It is hoped
that the activities here will help our younger visitors better enjoy,
understand and appreciate our park and its resources. Our Junior Ranger
program was designed with our Tour Road in mind, but it can be enjoyed
without driving through the Battlefield.

_To the Junior Ranger:_ When you receive this booklet, choose and
complete three (grades 3-4) or four (grades 5-6) activities in the
booklet. Yes, you can get help from someone in your group, or one of our
Rangers, and yes, you could do more activities. Once you have completed
your activities, have an adult with your group check your work. Once
you’ve done that, CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve qualified as a Saratoga
National Historical Park Junior Ranger. You will have received a Junior
Ranger badge with this booklet.

What? No checking in with a Park Ranger afterward? That’s right. You
see, our program works on the honor system. That means we’re trusting
that you, in receiving this booklet, will do your best to meet the
requirements for becoming a Junior Ranger. The public is trusting us to
take care of this park. We’re trusting you to help us by learning more
about what’s here.

                        Have fun, and good luck!




                             _Introduction_


The War for American Independence, or American Revolution (1775-1783),
was probably one of our country’s most difficult conflicts. Great
Britain was a very powerful nation. It had many advantages over its
rebelling colonies.

This new American independence suffered many problems during all eight
years of the war. In 1777, however, a British Army invading from Canada
heading south into New York was defeated by American troops in
Stillwater and forced to surrender at Saratoga—now Schuylerville, NY.
This surrender was important both in strengthening the American Spirit
and in getting other countries to recognize and help the new American
nation.

Saratoga National Historical Park commemorates the campaign and battles
in which this American army was victorious over British forces. We also
preserve and protect the areas where these events happened. This Junior
Ranger Book has puzzles and activities to help you understand all of
this: the historic grounds we protect and the people, events and time of
the Saratoga Campaign.

                          _Enjoy your Visit!_




                       ACTIVITY 1—Scavenger Hunt


    [Illustration: Hand-held magnifying glass]

Go on a scavenger hunt through the Park. Look for the items listed below
and draw a picture of each as you find it. See how many you can find.

Remember: leave everything where you find it!







A CANNON







AN OFFICER’S SWORD







SOMETHING TALLER THAN YOU







RIVER OR STREAM







UNIFORM BUTTONS







SOMETHING YOU’D USE AT HOME







A CARTRIDGE BOX







A TRAIL MARKER







A SOLDIER’S HAT







AN ANIMAL TRACK







AN INSECT







A WOODEN TOOL







A WILD ANIMAL







AN 18th CENTURY BUILDING







SOLDIER’S SHOES OR BOOTS







A MONUMENT




                       ACTIVITY 2—Food & Supplies


Armies in the 1700’s were not always welcomed by people in the areas
they marched through, as these armies often took food and other items
from civilians. Sometimes they paid for these supplies, sometimes they
did not. Sometimes, they might only promise to pay. Here in America,
even if the soldiers paid for supplies, it might be with Continental
money, which wasn’t often accepted by everyone.

When soldiers were officially ordered by their army to collect what was
needed, it was called requisitioning [“_reh-kwi-zi-shen-ing_”] When
soldiers took items without permission, it was called theft (stealing).
Civilians usually felt it was theft, whether the soldiers had the army’s
permission or not.

Soldiers’ wives and even families sometimes followed the armies. These
“camp followers” were often forced to forage—look around for whatever
supplies they could find—without permission, as the armies did not give
them everything they might need. For them, it was a matter of survival.

Polly Sloat is a soldier’s wife who has helped herself to goods at
Farmer Edgar’s home. Farmer Edgar has complained to an officer. Polly is
crafty, though, and has hidden the items she took. Can you find them in
the picture on the next page? As a hint, here is a list of the items she
took. You may want to cross off each item as you find it in the picture.

  [_] _a pig_
  [_] _breeches (pants)_
  [_] _spoon_
  [_] _candle sticks_
  [_] _chicken_
  [_] _stockings (socks)_
  [_] _scissors_
  [_] _watch_
  [_] _small bucket_

    [Illustration: Activity 2—Food & Supplies, continued]




                 ACTIVITY 3—Fortifications & Obstacles


Armies in the 18th Century built fortifications to make it more
difficult for their enemies to attack them. At the Saratoga Battlefield,
the Americans and British constructed fortifications to protect their
camps.

Obstacles would be placed outside the fortifications. Sometimes they
would be made by boring (drilling) holes through logs and putting
pointed poles through the holes. These were called _chevaux de fris_
(pronounced “shuh-vo-duh-free”). A quicker obstacle could be made by
cutting down trees and sharpening a tangle of branches. This was called
_abatis_ (pronounced “ah-bah-tee”); it was used a great deal at our
battlefield. When placed properly, these obstacles could force an enemy
to attack in directions where they could not sneak up on the
defender—and where the defenders were waiting for them.

Caleb, a member of a local militia regiment, has been outside the
American fortifications on Bemis Heights, cutting brush for firewood.
It’s getting dark and he needs help finding his way back without
encountering obstacles or guards who might shoot him by accident.

Draw a line through the maze from where Caleb is now (lower left corner
of the maze: he’s got the bundle of sticks on his shoulder) to the
safety of the redoubt (pronounced “re-dowt”), the zig-zag wooden wall.

    [Illustration: _abatis_]

    [Illustration: _redoubt_]

    [Illustration: _chevaux de fris_]

    [Illustration: Activity 3—Fortifications & Obstacles, continued]




                      Activity 4—“Report, Scout!”


    [Illustration: Scout]

Scouts were very important throughout the War for American Independence.
They provided valuable information about the enemy army and what it was
doing. Knowing the enemy’s position, its strengths and its weaknesses,
helped commanders decide what the actions of their own troops should be.

At the time of the Battles of Freeman’s Farm and Bemis Heights, General
Burgoyne’s army had lost most of the troops who could be effective
scouts. Most of the Canadian and American Indians with his army had
returned home to Canada and elsewhere, and many Americans loyal to
England had been killed or captured at Walloomscoic (pronounced
“_wall-oom-sick_”, also known as the Battle of Bennington). The American
Army, with a battalion of rifle troops drawn from Virginia and
Pennsylvania rifle regiments, enjoyed a slight advantage. Also, warriors
from the Oneida [“_Own-eye-da_”] and Tuscarora [“_Tusk-a-ror-a_”]
nations (two of the six making up the Iroquois [“_Ear-o-coy_”]
Confederacy) assisted the American Army.

Now, you have been selected as a scout for the American Army. You have
crept near a British patrol. Study the picture on the next page for one
minute, then answer as many of the following questions as you can.

  One man has a torn paper piece stuck in his hat. What two letters are
          written on it? ______________________________
  The man next to him has something in his right hand. What is it?
          ______________________________
  How many private (regular) soldiers are standing toward the left?
          ______________________________
  How many muskets are they holding? ______________________________

    [Illustration: Activity 4—“Report, Scout!” continued]




                       ACTIVITY 5—“Sign In” Here!


One of the ways visitors learn about important or interesting parts of a
National Park is by reading signs. What a sign says, where it is placed,
and what it looks like are important to consider. Based on what you’ve
seen during your visit to Saratoga National Historical Park, think up a
sign to describe something here you think is important, and create your
sign below. It will help you to remember your trip here! Don’t forget to
put the National Park Service “arrowhead” on the sign.

    [Illustration: Blank signpost]




                         ACTIVITY 6—Codebreaker


Every National Park is special and unique. Each has natural resources
(like plants, trees, birds, insects, fish, land) and cultural resources
(such as very old homes, factories, battlefields, forts, roads, or even
ancient dwellings). The National Park Service works to preserve these
resources, and to help visitors learn about and appreciate them.

To help us in our mission, the National Park Service uses a system of
abbreviations, sort of like codes, for park names. The “code name”
generally uses the first four letters of the park name. For Saratoga
National Historical Park, the abbreviation is SARA. Morristown National
Historical Park, in New Jersey, is MORR. Parks with more than one name
generally use the first two letters of the first two words in the park
name. Fort Stanwix National Monument, in Rome, NY, becomes FOST. There
are exceptions: Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico is CAVE.

How many can you figure out? For added fun, see if you can find each of
these on a map of the United States. You can learn more about each park
on the National Park Service web site, www.nps.gov, at home, at school,
or in your local library!

(_answers are at the bottom of the page_)

  1) Minute Man National Historical Park (Lexington and Concord, MA)
          ________
  2) Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor, ME) ________
  3) Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (St. Augustine, FL)
          ________
  4) Hot Springs National Park (Hot Springs, AR) ________
  5) Yellowstone National Park (Yellowstone National Park, WY) ________

  1) _MIMA_
  2) _ACAD_
  3) _CAST_
  4) _HOSP_
  5) _YELL_


      Special thanks to the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield, whose
    enthusiasm and support made our Junior Ranger program possible!

              design/layout: William Valosin, Park Ranger
  activities and artwork: Joe Craig, Eric Schnitzer, William Valosin,
                              Park Rangers


                           updated July 2007




                          Transcriber’s Notes


—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
  is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
  _underscores_.

—In the HTML version only, data entry is supported, but input is not
  preserved across browser refreshes.