Instituting
Signals & Signs
The Ancients and the Early Americans
Explore the beginnings of communications (“commo”), SIGINT (Signals Intelligence), disinformation (intentionally transmitting false data to confuse or thwart an enemy), and encoding techniques, from ancient times through the American Revolution. Also featured is the use of folk spirituals by slaves to convey secret communications in antebellum America.
Highlights
"Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: it is
merely a question of instituting signs and signals."
--Chinese Military Philospher Sun Tzu
in the Art of War, 500B.C.
 © History is a Hoot, Inc. 2003-2008
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Keen Lookouts and
Little Flags - The Civil War
The Great War - World War I
The Wizard War - World War II
Cold War I and Cold War II
Power Pigeons: Communications
When the Lines Were Cut
 Other Communication Programs
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Virginia SOLs in the following curriculum areas are supported by this program:
USI.6c; USI.6d
C/T 6-8.3; C/T 9-12.1; C/T 9-12.3
historyisahoot013003.jpg
the Message Through
historyisahoot013002.jpg Roman soldier signals with the Cornu


Ancient communications, including drums, bugles, fires, and smoke

Revolutionary War messaging techniques, starting with “One if by land, two if by sea.”

American encoding attempts, featuring the Culper Ring numeric code

Thomas Jefferson, the Father of American Cryptography

George Washington, America’s first master spy

Revolutionary War disinformation practices

Spirituals as covert message delivery systems
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