Annual History Conference for Educators
This annual daylong conference immerses teachers in primary sources, material culture, and pedagogical techniques to help connect students to history. Presentations are by classroom teachers, museum staff, archivists, and academics.
With the approach of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, each session of this conference explores one of five themes:
- Power of Place
- Revolutionary Possibilities
- Shaping Nations, Forging Identities
- Subjects, Citizens, Service
- Manufacturing Independence
Schedule
Friday, May 17, 2024
8:30-9:00 Coffee and Registration
9:00-9:15 Welcome and Introduction—Over the next decade, Americans will be commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Rich Strum, Director of Academic Programs at Fort Ticonderoga, introduces five themes Fort Ticonderoga will be using to explore the implications of the Revolution.
9:15-10:00am Power of Place—Geography plays a powerful role throughout history. Margaret Staudter, Director of Archaeology at Fort Ticonderoga, discusses how our knowledge of 18th-century geography helps inform 21st-century archaeological and preservation practices as a historic site like Fort Ticonderoga.
10:15-10:50am Manufacturing Independence—The production of military materiel to support the Revolution proved a challenge for the fledgling United States. Great Britain, on the other hand, had efficient systems in place to produce the firearms necessary for the British army in North America. Dr. Matthew Keagle, Curator at Fort Ticonderoga, explores the systems in place that provided British soldiers with the weapons they needed.
11:00-11:25am Weapons of War—Learn about the weapons and drill of the 26th Regiment of Foot of the British Army in 1774 on the eve of the American Revolution.
11:30am-12:30pm Lunch Break (America’s Fort Café meal included).
12:30-1:15pm Revolutionary Possibilities: Loyalists, Patriots, and the Importance of Historical Perspective—Imagine you are living in the Colony of New York in the year 1775. Have you ever thought about which side you may have taken in the emerging conflict that would become know as the American Revolution? In 1775, you would not have known the outcome and your decision to take a side would have most likely been based on your own personal circumstances. In this session, we will explore the revolutionary possibilities that existed in the minds of Loyalists as seen in the historical records. All teaching resources presented are available on ConsidertheSourceNY.org. Jordan Jace, Assistant Director for Education and Development at the New York State Archives Partnership Trust, holds graduate degrees in Archaeology and Education and is the manager of the New York State Archives Student Research Awards program and ConsidertheSourceNY.org, a free, online resource connecting educators and students with thousands of primary sources.
1:30-2:15pm Subjects, Citizens, Service: Living Through the American Revolution—Understanding the impact of American Revolution requires an investigation into the unique experiences of different groups living through the conflict. African Americans, Native Americans, Women, and Soldiers were all affected differently. Join us as we analyze primary sources detailing the impact of the American Revolution on these groups. Documents presented include letters, depositions, broadsides, an indenture, and a poem. All teaching resources presented are available on ConsidertheSourceNY.org. With Jordan Jace, New York State Archives Partnership Trust.
2:30-3:15pm Shaping Nations, Forging Identities—The American Revolution changed the map of the world, literally and figuratively. Becoming Americans proved to have different meanings for different people. Using several revolutionary-era documents, explore the perspectives of various individuals and they choices they made during the War for American Independence. Tim Potts is a high school teacher from the Monticello Central School District with 34 years classroom experience. Rich Strum is the Director of Academic Programs at Fort Ticonderoga.
