Nancy: A Story of the Revolution

Prologue: The Shot Heard Round The World (1775)

It was a quiet morning on the Morgans' quaint farm in the month of April. The young Elizabeth tended the chickens, Nancy fixed breakfast with her mother, and the aging General Daniel read the front page of the newspaper.

Nancy left her mother to finish preparing the breakfast, and approached her father in wonder, noticing the headline in bold, The Shot Heard Around The World.

"Father, what is this about?" inquired Nancy, rereading the headline over and over again, in an attempt to gain a better understanding of what it was meant to say.

"This morning," said the retired General, handing her the newspaper. "It was published only a few hours ago." He sighed, crossing his right leg over his left. "Simply put, this might be the ignition of our colony's powder keg. As if the Massacre was not enough; now, they are going to strike at Lexington and Concord. This is going to end badly for us, I can tell."

Nancy read the article over, which explained that the British and Colonists were engaged in battle at Lexington and Concord. "Do you mean to say... The Revolution is happening?"

Daniel sighed, and nodded his head in affirmation.

Nancy was filled with excitement, but could not let her father see. She had been waiting for the Colonists to finally stand up to British rule, as opposed to her father, who had not wanted the Colonists to strike against the British soldiers. "Is this not magnificent? This could be our chance to finally break free of the tyranny of that wretched Frederick—"

"Nancy!" exclaimed her mother, Abigail, her voice shrill.

"Well, it is not like we must respect him now, am I right?" inquired Nancy, handing the newspaper back to Daniel. "This is the Revolution; no one has to submit to him anymore, right?"

"Nancy, that is a terrible thing to say," said her father calmly.

Nancy sighed. She looked out the window at Elizabeth, who was approaching the door with a basket full of eggs. "Well, what about Betsey?" She gestured towards the window, looking back at her father.

"What about Betsey?" asked Daniel, looking up at her.

"Well, what does she have to say about that— King George the Third?" asked Nancy. As she spoke, the door opened behind her, and her younger sister entered the kitchen.

"Oh, did I hear his name again?" asked Elizabeth, whose nickname was Betsey, as she shot a side glance at Nancy. She looked down at her father, who shot a warning glare at her. "Uh... I mean, his name... the King's name... The King that we are supposed to... not revolt against..."

Nancy snatched the newspaper back, and thrust it towards Betsey. "Look; it has begun, Betsey. The Revolution is happening in Lexington and Concord. Can you believe it?"

Betsey scanned the article, her eyes widening as she read it. "Truly?" asked Betsey eagerly.

"Truly!" exclaimed Nancy. "We might not have to serve under that tyrant by next April!"

By this point, her father had risen from his wooden kitchen chair, and he snatched the newspaper from Nancy's grasp. "That is quite enough," said her father calmly. "You would do well to hold your tongue when it comes to the topic of the Revolution. Now, it will soon be time for you to be chosen as a young man's wife. If I were you, I would be practicing and reviewing the proper rules for being a bride of utmost perfection."

Nancy was taken aback by his words. "But, Father, I have not turned seventeen yet. I still have time, and a lot of it."

Her father sighed. "Yes, but you still need practice, and a lot of it."

"He's not wrong," said Betsey jokingly, to which Nancy glared at her.

"You should be grateful that I am not forcing you to start practicing earlier," said her father. "But, I am sure that you will become the perfect bride in time," said Daniel, walking over to Abigail. He placed a hand on Abigail's shoulder, whispering in her ear, "Thank our lucky stars that the time is not today."