Hist.+Fic.+Preface

To help your readers understand your historical fiction story, write a one-page report that summarizes your research for your historical fiction story. At the bottom of the page, list all your sources (where you found information) according to MLA style.

FORMAT (just copy and paste onto your document):

Par. 1 -- LEAD

Par. 2 **-- __What is the historical setting for this story?__** I've set this story in. ..

Par. 3 -- **__What is true in this story?__**

Par. 4 -- **__What is fictional in this story?__**

Par. 5 -- **__In this story, you will read about__. . .**

__**If you want to read MORE about these topics, I used these sources for my story:**__

MS. B.'S EXAMPLE:

by Sarah Brooks**
 * Preface (What You Need To Know Before You Read)

Have you heard of George Washington, the first president of the United States? You might know the story of how he cut down his father’s apple tree, but did you know he owned slaves? The historical fiction story you are about to read will give you a glimpse of what it might have been like to be one of George Washington’s slaves. __**What is fictional in this story?**__ Rebecca is a fictional character, and so is her mother and all the other slaves mentioned in this story. However, they are all based on real accounts of slavery and on real slaves who lived on Virginia plantations in that time. Martha’s dinner guests at the beginning of the story are fictional, too, though Mrs. Washington certainly hosted dinner parties. It is not known how Martha treated her slaves; she may not have been as strict as she is in the story. However, we do know that, while George Washington freed his slaves in his will, Martha did not free hers.
 * __What is the historical setting for this story?__** I’ve set this story in 1775, at the beginning of the American Revolution, which was a war fought between the American colonists and the British army. The Americans asked George Washington, who was the owner of a plantation in Virginia, to lead the Continental Army against the British. At the same time, the British decided to offer freedom to any slave willing to fight for the British army. This directly affected George Washington, as many of his slaves ran away from Washington’s Mount Vernon plantation to fight for the British and gain their freedom.
 * __What is true in this story?__** George Washington was real, as was his wife, Martha Washington, who appears in the story. The plantation was called Mount Vernon, and the events mentioned in the story – the Battle for Bunker Hill, the siege of Boston, and the approval and sharing of the Declaration of Independence in summer of 1776 are all real events. The quotes from the Declaration of Independence are real. It’s true that the British army offered slaves freedom if they were willing to fight for them – and that did include female slaves, who were needed in military kitchens and other areas. It’s also true that George Washington pursued his escaped slaves. Other details that are true include the fact that slave women in the “big house” wore mobcaps, that Virginia law said slaves could not be taught to read, that slaves were sold “south” as punishment or just for money, that slave families were often separated from each other, and that house slaves and field slaves had very different experiences.
 * __In this story, you will read about__** a brave girl who tried to escape from slavery. The story is not directly about George Washington, but I hope it will make you think more about who George Washington was. More importantly, I hope it will make you think about how lucky we are to be free and to live in a country that no longer supports slavery.

__**If you want to read MORE about these topics, I used these sources for my story:**__ “George Washington and Slavery.” Accessed 24 February 2010. []. Lester, Julius. To Be A Slave. New York: Puffin, 2000. “Martha Washington”. Accessed 24 February 2010. []. Rinaldi, Ann. Taking Liberty. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2002. “Africans in America: The Revolutionary War.” Accessed 24 February 2010. []. “The Will of George Washington.” Accessed 24 February 2010. [].