"Are you calling me a tyrant again?" William Gangi, 10, yelled at guests as they moved toward him. "I am King George. Bow down to me!"

Dressed in a long red robe and crown, the Friends Academy fifth grader was one of several students representing an eighteenth century character at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on March 9.

The presentation stemmed from a two-month long study of the Revolutionary War. Students picked key personalities — including King George III, Paul Revere, and Ann Bates — and brought them to life with a 60- to 90-second speech, costumes, and a painted backdrop.

Teacher Putnam Murdock explained that his goal was to introduce students to various perspectives.. He said some of the characters were recognizable, but most were not. For example, the voices of Patience Wright (a female double agent), Salem Poor (a former slave), and Aaron Burr (a vindictive lawyer) — portrayed by fifth graders Audrey Wallace, Jordan Martin, and James Dorsey, respectively — added to the story of the American Revolution.

"It's all about pulling out the facts instead of the bias," said Murdock. Studying different accounts of the events builds a more complete picture than just looking at that of the narrator, he explained.

Students' research papers listed dates and facts about their characters, while their presentations aimed to be engaging, animated, and persuasive, Murdock said.

"To empower students, it was 'You're the expert. Why were you instrumental to the Revolution?'" explained Murdock. "It kind of brings the museum to life a little bit."

For the past 10 years, Friends Academy students have displayed their performances at the school as if they were wax figures. Guests would approach them and "push a button" to bring the figure to life. For the first time last year, students were able to perform at the museum, but this year was their first time performing during AHA! New Bedford, a monthly downtown tour dedicated to art, music, history, and architecture.

"We feel really blessed to take it on the road and give kids one more opportunity to shine in the greater community," said Murdock.

William Gangi represents King George III at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. He dug through the Friends Academy attic for most of his costume, but the boots belong to his mom, he said.