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My Brother Sam is Dead (SAM)

“The effect of the American Revolution on colonies and families

of the New World”

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My Brother Sam is Dead

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The Meeker Family Eliphalet Meeker: The dad (known as “Eli”)

who fought in the French & Indian War. “You may know principle, Sam, but I know war.”

Susannah Meeker: The mom who stays out of the heavy discussions. “Food tastes better in a clean house.”

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The Meeker Family

Sam Meeker: The older son, who is a strong Patriot. “Sir, it’s worth dying to be free.”

Tim Meeker: The younger son, who tells the story. “But to be honest, I wasn’t sure if Sam was right about the fighting.”

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Other Characters: Mr. Beach: the preacher who feels that people

should behave: “God meant for man to obey.”

Mr. Heron: a “mystery man” who seems to be involved in many things. “If this message is received, we’ll know the messenger is reliable.”

Betsy Read: Sam’s girlfriend, whose grandfather leads the militia. “Tim, are you on your father’s side or Sam’s?”

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My Brother Sam is Dead Other Characters:

Tom Warrups: a Native American; friend of Sam

Jerry Sanford: a younger friend of Tim

Benedict Arnold: Patriot general; Sam fights in regiment.

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My Brother Sam is Dead Vocabulary: Define the

words on the next slide; tell their significance to the story.

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Vocabulary Anglican Continental

“Cowboys” Bayonet

Cholera Lobsterbacks

Brown Bess Telling Points

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 1 (I) Sam’s Arrival

When Sam arrives, his uniform has everything the soldier has in the picture, except…

What “telling point” does Sam use to explain why he should get the Brown Bess from his father? Does Tim believe it?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 1 (I): Sam’s Arrival The beginning

sentence talks of “muffled drums”. The last sentence tells of Sam’s dad crying. How are these two sentences linked?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 2 (II) The Brown Bess

When Sam loses the argument for the Brown Bess, what does he decide to do?

How does Tim know where Sam is?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 2 (II) The Brown

Bess

Who does Tim look up to more- his dad or his brother?

Why didn’t Life Meeker let Sam have the Brown Bess?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 3 (III) The Tavern

When someone says, “the only good Lobsterback is a dead lobsterback”, and “King George is a great hairy fool”- how does Mr. Meeker react?

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Chapter 3 1. How does Mr. Meeker react when a stranger

says “the only good Lobsterback was a dead Lobsterback and that King George was a great hairy fool”?

2. Who is Jerry Sanford? 3. Why did Jerry Sanford think that Tim had it

easy? 4. Why does Betsy nod her head at Tim? 5. Why did Betsy hang around the Tavern so

much?

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Chapter 4 6. Why did the Patriots visit the Tavern? 7. What does Tim see while he is chopping wood? 8.Why didn’t the soldiers believe Life when he

shouted “My loyal son Samuel stole it to go play soldier boy”?

9. Why doesn’t Sam want to go help his father after Tim tells him about the soldiers being at the Tavern?

10. What did Sam and Tim see when they arrived at the Tavern?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 3 (III) The Tavern

Who is Jerry Sanford?

Why does Betsy Read secretly nod her head to Tim at the end of the chapter?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 4 (IV) Patriots Visit

the Tavern

What is ironic about the fact that the Patriot soldiers want the Brown Bess gun?

(Hint: think about Sam)

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 4 (IV) Patriots Visit the

Tavern

What is Sam’s reaction when Tim tells him to come help their dad?

What is the symbolism about the last scene of the chapter (when Sam runs away from the dad)?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Chapter 5 (V):

Mr. Heron

What does Mr. Heron want Tim to do?

Why is Mr. Meeker against the idea?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 5 (V) Mr. Heron

Why was Tim so happy that he got to go shad fishing?

What will Tim REALLY do the next time he goes “shad fishing”?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 6 (VI)

The Secret Mission

Does Mr. Heron believe that Mr. Meeker has decided to let Tim run the errand for him? Why not?

When Mr. Heron sealed the letter, he sealed it with wax. Why?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 6 (VI) The Secret Mission

What happens when Tim runs into Betsy on the road?

How does Betsy know that he is lying?

What is the secret message? What did it mean to the person getting it?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 7 (VII) The Trip to

Verplancks Point

Why did Mr. Meeker need to go to Verplancks every year?

Why did he need someone to go with him on the trip?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 7 (VII) The Trip to

Verplancks Point

Who were the Cowboys? Are they Patriots or Tories?

Who rescues the Meekers? Are they Patriots or Tories?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 8 (VIII) The Committees

of Safety

“They’re all that we have to keep order- you were lucky-somebody along the way saw you pass by and knew there’d be trouble. There’ll be trouble all the way to the Hudson.”

Question: Are the Commiitees of Safety for the Whigs or the Tories (loyalists)?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 8 (VIII) The Committees of

Safety

“Well, I don’t know. The way Sam explains it, it sounds right to be a Rebel. And when Father explains it, it sounds right to be a Loyalist. Although if you want to know the truth, I don’t think Father really cares. He’s just against wars.” (pg. 103).

What does this quote say about Tim?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 9 (IX) The Attack And The

Telling Point

“Then it came to me that even though rescuing Father was the daring thing to do, it wasn’t the smartest thing. So, I asked myself another question: what would Father do? And the answer came back pretty quickly…” (pg. 121).

What does Tim decide to do?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 9 (IX) The Attack

and the Telling Point

What “telling point” does Tim use to trick the Cowboys?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 10 (X) Tim’s Return and

the Attack on Captain Starr’s House

“They had no reason to kill him, Timothy. I believe they’re holding him somewhere.”

“He’s in a prison ship somewhere. As soon as this terrible war is over, he’ll come home again.”

Who says these quotes? Has this character changed their focus on the war?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 10 (X) Tim’s Return and

the Attack on Captain Starr’s House

Who dies in this battle? Who is captured? How does this affect Tim?

“War turns men into beasts. It’s cheaper to shoot a boy than to feed him”. Who says this? What’s her point?

How has Tim’s attitude towards war been changed by the events of this chapter?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 11 (XII)

Pain & Promises

“Bah, patriotism. Your patriotism has got my husband in prison and one of my children out there in the rain and the muck shooting people and likely to be dead any minute, and my business is half ruined. Go sell your patriotism elsewhere, I’ve had enough of it.”

What’s your reaction to this quote as the reader? How has her outlook on life changed?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 11 (XI)

Pain & Promises

“Twice they (Gen. Arnold & others) mentioned William Heron in a friendly way; I thought that was strange, but I didn’t worry about it much…”

“We’ve made a promise, a group of us, not to quit until the Redcoats are beaten. We’ve made a pledge to each other.”

“Oh, Sam, that’s a foolish promise.”

What do we learn about the Meeker family from these quotes?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 12 (XII) Father’s Fate

and Sam the “Stealer”

“In June, 1777, we learned that Father was dead. He had been dead a month.”

“I don’t care who wins anymore. I just want it over. When I see him (Sam), I’m going to tell him. For three years, they’ve been fighting and all we’ve had is death and hunger.”

“In war, the dead pay the debt for the living.”

What is the theme of these quotes?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 12 (XII) Father’s Fate

and Sam the “Stealer”

I stood in the open white snow field, surrounded by shadowy trees. “Sam,” I shouted.

“Timmy, get Col. Parsons,” he cried. They’re taking me in as a cattle thief.”

What is ironic about Sam’s arrest?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 13 (XIII) General Putnam

& Discipline

What is the main goal of General Putnam in the trial of Sam? Why is that?

“Sam wouldn’t steal our own cattle. He just wouldn’t. He’s been fighting for three years, he’s been a good soldier. And he didn’t do it sir, I swear it. I know because---”

“Enough,” he said. My time’s valuable. I’ll consider it. That’ll be all.”

Do you think he’ll re-consider?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 13 (XIII) General

Putnam & Discipline

“And I’ll try to think up some more telling points for General Putnam, too!”

“You’re the best brother I got, Tim.”

“I better be.”

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 14 (XIV) The Rescue

Attempt

“Going to get yourself killed, son?”

“I’m going to save my brother.”

No, you’re not. No, you’re going to get yourself killed. Well, you might as well. Let’s have it all done with at once. How does the old line go? Men must fight and women must weep, but you’ll get no more tears from me. I’ve done my weeping for this war.”

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My Brother Sam is Dead Ch. 14 (XIV) The Rescue

Attempt

What do you think of Tim’s actions at the end of the book?

How will the final scene in the book affect the rest of Tim’s life?

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My Brother Sam is Dead Epilogue:

When was the epilogue written?

But somehow, even fifty years later, I keep thinking that there might have been another way, beside war, to achieve the same end.”

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My Brother Sam is Dead How much of this book is

true?

Redding? General Putnam? Ned? William Heron? Jerry Sanford? Battle at Captain Starr’s

House? Sam’s Death? The Meeker Family?

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THE END