Supplies
- Hat template to use as a stencil
- Scissors
- Paper
- Stapler
- Supplies to decorate your hat- crayons, ribbon, etc.
Tricorn hats were the style of hat that men wore during the 18th century. Its name comes from the hat having three corners. Interestingly, in the 18th century, they were not called tricorn hats. That name didn’t come about until the 19th century. People in the 18th century simply called them hats.
A cockade is a type of decoration made from ribbon. People in the 18th century wore them to show support for a cause, or as part of a military uniform.
During the Revolutionary War uniforms helped show rank. Unfortunately, not all of the soldiers had uniforms. In order to display the identity of the officers, General Washington ordered that they wear cockades on their hats. Different colors represented different ranks. This did not last long though, and most soldiers went back to wearing plain black cockades.
In 1778, the French agreed to help the Americans fight the war. To celebrate the alliance, the countries combined the white French cockade with the black American cockade.
You can use your cockade to represent something about yourself! It could be your favorite colors or represent your favorite animal or sport.