As in past years we are required to take some time and reflex on our trip and how it will make us better teachers of America history. I have spent the last few days in deep thought, almost in a trance like state (although my exhaustion from being on such a non stop and exciting trip had nothing to do with this daze) thinking about how I could best answer this question in a blog. Well it is now time to spill the beans and expose this New York trip for what it was! Are you ready, sitting on the edge of your seats with anticipation of what I have to say? If you are, then keep on reading. If not, then get a life and go explore New York for yourself. Since I am somewhat sure that almost everyone reading this blog already has a life I will continue with the expectation that you are continuing to read. So now, for all you “blog stocking history maniacs and what-to-be historians,” here it is straight from my heart, the official final reflexive blog of the 2010 Exploring New York History Trip. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed my time in New York!

What exactly can I say about this trip to New York? The Teaching American History Grant has been so phenomenal over these last four years allowing me, as well as 29 other teachers, to experience history in a way that I would never have been able to otherwise! As educators who teach about history, how can we not benefit from visiting and experiencing those things we instruct over? I spent an entire year looking forward to this trip to New York! What a great opportunity it turned out to be. This past year I had the pleasure of teaching 4 elective history classes covering immigration and 2 elective classes covering the Revolutionary War. What I received in New York was a chance to experience for myself so many of these places that I have taught about but had never visited for myself. This knowledge and understanding will make me a better teacher of American history as I am able to pass along this information as well as images to my students.

I talked with many of the teachers in our group and the overwhelming opinion was that the experience at Ellis Island was the best of the best! I have studied, read about, written about, and taught several classes focusing on Ellis Island. I was so excited the day we finally jumped on the ferry for Ellis Island. But I had no idea that stepping onto this island/ museum, dedicated to immigration and the millions of lives it touched, would impact me the way it did. It is a rare few indeed who have the opportunity that we got by walking the halls and buildings so long ago abandoned. It was a sometimes eerie feeling that overtook me as we looked at the hospital ward, especially the building where terminally ill people were sent to die peacefully as long as their money didn’t run out, or sent back to their native lands if they didn’t have the money.

Not only were we given a “behind the scenes tour” of the facility, but we were also exposed to several hands-on teacher activities as well as a stick drive full of primary and secondary sources and lesson plan ideas.  Then there was the Great Hall building which was amazing! I was really impressed by the baggage exhibit and the different methods (traditional, 3-deminional, interactive) that this museum presented the all the diverse timelines. The exhibits in the many rooms were filled with so many fantastic displays of immigration that it almost takes your breath away thinking about the many ways that immigrants have influenced our country! As I left the island it was easy to imagine all the diverse people from so many nations, of so many colors, speaking so many languages, bringing so many traditions to the “Land of Hope” dreaming of a new life in the “Land of the Free!”

What a great idea it was to go to both Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty on the same day! This jam packed day would see my heart beat excitedly as we neared “Lady Liberty.” We walked around the entire statue as I took pictures from every possible angle. We saw and yelled “I love you Matt” at Matt Damon who was filming a movie while we were there. My main disappointment was not getting to go inside and up the statue. The Tenement Museum tied right into this immigration experience. It was incredible walking into these rooms that are set up exactly as immigrant families used them. I know that I will be better able to tell the true story of immigration and with a greater passion now that I have experienced these sites in New York City!

There were so many more highlights of our trip that I could go on for days! At first I thought that all the daylong tours we took were overkill. After all, New York is such a big city and there was so much we could see. I thought to myself that I could spend 4-5 weeks studying and touring New York and still not be satisfied. But the bus tour and the three walking tours around the boroughs of New York were great and filled with information about the growth of New York City. In fact, it was during the third day of the walking tours that I finally and fully understood just how important New York City was to the development of our country!

Experiencing a live Broadway play was something I will always remember but if I ever do it again I will watch a more “manly” play other than Mary Poppins! Going to a game in the new Yankee Stadium was a must even though the wrong team won! Times Square was incredible with so many people out at night and the city all aglow in light! How about Chinatown and Little Italy for a cultural experience? Eating different types of food that I normally wouldn’t brought me out of mt comfort zone. Seeing and walking around Times Square was a great experience with all its lights, bustle, and glitter that forever stay in your mind. All the walks through the boroughs and neighborhoods such as Five Points, Chinatown, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and lunch in Little Italy–how can you compare that to anything else?

These four trips (Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and now New York) that I’ve been on have been incredible! They have helped bring me much needed knowledge and understanding of places that I would never have been able to do on my own. It is sad to have this grant come to an end since it has feed me with so much love for travel and hands on learning about our history. I am writing this blog from Oregon where I am still experiencing first hand about America’s history. Our four trips have been exciting, informative, and full of action and adventure. But I think the best thing to come out of these trips have been all the lesson ideas that our presenters have given to us. American history teachers experiencing American history first hand with each of our five senses, it doesn’t get any better than that. All I can ask of myself now is to make sure that I take all the information and knowledge I’ve received and use it wisely in the classroom. If I do that right then hopefully I can help many students learn to love history!

New York, New York, what a wonderful experience! The Southern Colorado History Teacher’s whirlwind tour is winding down. We have Saratoga and Fort Ticonderoga today, the post office and airport tomorrow and then home!

Well were do we begin today’s history lesson? After along-long drive we arrived at Fort Ticonderoga around 11:00 am. We first we met our tour guide who explained the history behind the fort. The name “Ticonderoga” means “Land between the Waters.” This fort has history in the French and Indian War as well as the Revolutionary War. It was built by the French to defend and repel any attack or invasion by British forces from the sea.

Monument to the Brave French Forces who Defeated to Stronger British Force

In 1756 British General Amherst led 16,000 men against the defending French force of around 3,500.  It was here that the myth was formed of the “impenetrable and undefeatable” fort. The French met and defeated the overwhelming yet poorly led British. The French would abandon the fort to the British in 1759 after blowing up the powder magazine leaving the British to rebuild and occupy it.  

The British would control the fort until the Revolutionary War when Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold raided the fort and took it without losing a single man. The forts reputation of being impenetrable led to its downfall. The British left a single sentry on duty and the Americans charged though the open date. It was a spectacular early victory for the Americans in their quest for independence.

The Americans thought that Mount Defiance which stood to the fort’s south was too steep to scale and put cannons on it. But General Burgoyne ordered cannons put in place saying “Where a man can go a mule can go and where a mule can go cannons can go.” When the Americans saw that the British had succeeded in placing cannons in that strategic location they decided to abandon the fort without a shot. Both the American Generals in charge of the fort and the theater of war were relieved of command because of this event, in spite of this choice being the best military decision possible.

Next it was off on a two hour ride to Saratoga Battlefield. British General Burgoyne believed that the Hudson River Valley was the major strategic artery of the northeastern area in America. This was the centerpiece of the British plan in 1777. This plan called for his army to move south from Canada through this area to Albany, New York. A smaller force led by Colonel St. Leger was to march east from Lake Ontario and meet in Albany. This force would then join up with General Howe Headquartered in New York City and put down the rebellion.

But Howe moved his force to the Patriot capital at Philadelphia. Therefore those troops which should have been available to support Burgoyne were unavailable. Burgoyne’s force consisted of 4,200 British regulars, 4,000 German soldiers fighting for the British, and about 1,000 loyalists, Indians, and Canadians. The 1^st major objective was Fort Ticonderoga which fell on July 6. Then moving south the British were slowed by rough terrain and American delaying tactics led by General Philip Schuyler.

Colonel St. Leger then stopped his advance in order to lay siege to the American position at Fort Stanwix. When he learned that General Benedict Arnold was leading a rescue force for the Americans he dropped his siege and retreated towards Canada. Another British force of 900 men was almost wiped out.

Ignoring these British setbacks, Burgoyne decided to push on towards Albany. On September 13th the British crossed the Hudson River and found an American force of roughly 9000 men entrenched at Bemis Heights 4 miles north of Stillwater village. The road to Albany squeezed through an opening between the hills and the river and the Americans artillery commanded any approach.The British had two choices; they could either run the gauntlet or attempt to drive the Americans out of their defensive positions. They chose to fight.

The Battle of Saratoga was actually two battles fought about three weeks (18 days) apart on September 19 and October 7, 1777. Together these battles are regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought on the same ground just nine miles south of Saratoga New York. The first battle called The Battle of Freeman’s Farm swayed back and forth for over 3 hours. The British lines began to falter before the arrival of German forces turned the tide and forced an American withdraw. This was a small tactical victory for the British but it came at a cost of very high causalities. Shaken by the tough victory Burgoyne ordered his men to entrench and wait for reinforcements which would not come.

After nearly 3 weeks the situation was dire for the British due to dwindling supplies and the arrival of new America troops to the area. Faced with the decision of advance or retreat Burgoyne chose to advance. On October 7^th the British sent out a reconnaissance in force to test the American left flank. The Americans attacked in 3 columns at around 3 pm. Both British flanks were driven back and before they could rally General Benedict Arnold rode onto the field and led one American Brigade commanded by General Learned against the Germans in the center of the British line forcing a general withdraw from the Freeman farm.

The Americans, seeing success attacked in force after several savage attacks against the Balcarres Redoubt on the Freeman farm, the Germans collapsed. Only darkness ended the fighting and saved the British from immediate disaster. The British left their campfires burning to mask their withdraw as they began their retreat northward. They had suffered 1000 causalities against the Americans 500. After a tough march in rain and mud the British camped at the fortified position on the heights near Saratoga. It was here that an American Army of over 17,000 men surrounded the exhausted British and forced them to surrender on October 17, 1777.  

Saratoga became one of the most decisive victories in American and world history! News of Burgoyne’s surrender was instrumental in formally bringing France into the war as an American ally. French formal participation changed the war to a global conflict. This battle also resulted in Spain contributing to the war on the American side.

Today was one of the golden days for me n this trip. It has been circled on my calendar along with the Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty and Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame days. And in this respect it did not disappoint! I am a Revolutionary War buff which seems strange for someone from Colorado. We do not cover this war or this era in the manner that we should in Colorado. I can understand the reasoning since we are a western state and Colorado was still occupied by Native Americans along with a few Spanish at this time in history. But it is an extremely important part of our history as a nation.

I grew up moving and living in different parts of the country (and world for that matter) since my dad was in the Air Force. I believe that this is the reason that I appreciate all areas and time periods of our history. I actually lived in upper state New York for 4 months when I was in the 4^th grade. We covered this period of American history and I loved it. We went to a Colonial town/fort (I don’t remember it’s name) where they dressed in character and ran it as if they were living in that time much like Sturbridge Village or the Farmer’s Museum.

It is extremely important for our students make connections with the past. We watched several groups of students at Fort Ticonderoga as they reacted and interacted together. I was amazed at how excited they were, running around with there newly purchased muskets, long rifles, pistols. They held impromptu mock battles and showed a real enthusiasm for being there. Isn’t that what history should be about, excited to learn about our past, learning about all the people who have sacrificed so that we can be free, discovering that history can and should be fun?

I know Pueblo does have lots of places such as the El Pueblo Museum, the Aircraft Museum, the railroad Museum, and the Steel Mill museum just to name a few where kids can learn about the past and also have fun. But what a blast it would be to bring a group of kids out east so they can discover for themselves about this area and it’s historic past. We are planning on bringing a group of 20 – 30 students to New York and Washington D. C. next summer. After visiting these two historic battlefields today I will do everything I can to add them to our trip’s itinerary!

You are Bearly far from my heart!

One look at this title will explain a lot of the day. We were up and running before the break of dawn. It was so early that the rooster was still asleep. I mean, “Holy bus tour Batman,” who’s idea was this 7:00 am departure anyway? Don’t you realize that 7 am is 5:00 am Mountain Standard Time and after all, isn’t that what really matters! So to get up and ready for a 7 am (I mean 5 am) I had to wake by 5:30 am which after all is really 3:30 am. Now the way I see it that’s just way too early for anyone in their right mind! So coming to the conclusion that nobody on this “Magical History Bus Tour” is really in a proper state of mind,  I got up and got on my way!  

King Hutch supporting Women's rights

Our 1st stop was at Seneca Falls where Elizabeth Cady Stanton challenged Americans in 1848 to social revolution with a list of demands that touched just about every aspect of life. This convention was intended to bring clarity and purpose to the lack of rights that women held during this time. They wrote a document called “The Declaration of Sentiments” in which they took the Declaration of Independence, selectively changed the wording, and attempted to show that women were unjustly injured and held down by the males held the traditional role of dominance in the world.

I was somewhat disappointed by this site. Part of the problem was that the church where the convention actually happened is undergoing repairs and was not open for us. So close and yet so far. Just that one thing, not being able to walk into and see and touch for myself this important part of American Civil Right’s history was sad.  Next we were off to the Elizabeth Cody Stanton house. Again I was somewhat disappointed in the lack of historical impact this place made with me. It was just a house with very little in it.  Next we traveled to the M’Clintock House and another round of disappointment. Maybe I was just expecting too much. But the morning just seemed like not much was learned and there was such little impact for such an important part of American history!  

Inside the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House

After leaving the Seward House we traveled to the Harriet Tubman Home. She was a black woman born into slavery around the year 1822. In 1849 she escaped north to Philadelphia. From there she made her way to New York and into Canada. But she was very concerned with her brethren still enslaved. She decided that something had to be done to help. So she made many trips into the south to help rescue them. Mostly done under the cover of darkness at night, she had no protection other than her awareness and wits. She was so hated by many southern slave-owners who offered rewards for her. All her rescue trips were done through the “Underground Railroad” and method of helping free slaves by using continuously changing hiding places. She even served as a union spy, cook, scout, and nurse during the civil war. What a terrific American hero! Again we had issues with no pictures inside the home even though I think I noticed a few people sneeking pictures anyway!

Harriet Tubman Home

And so finally we made our way to the Erie Canal. This is a waterway that stretches 363 miles from Albany New York to Buffalo New York at Lake Erie. The canal completes a navigable water route that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. It took over 8 years to complete due largely to the fact that most of the work was backbreaking hard labor. The canal opened in 1825 and allowed transportation costs to drop by 95%. It also led to a population boom in western New York as well as migration into formerly wilderness parts of what is now the Midwest. It was incredible to see these locks of the canal at work. They open and the boat enters. Next the lock is flooded. It takes about 5-6 minutes to complete this process and then the gates open and the boat is on it’s way! Ow great it was to experience this and I wish my students could have been here with me. There is a great web site that Dr. Harris recommended we look at before the trip. I had my students work on the site for two days. It is very user friendly and the kids really liked the primary source documents and the inquiry questions that went with them. The only drawback was that there is no place to save your work so you better finish and print the papers in one setting or you lose it all!    

Here is the link to the Erie Canal web site that Dr. Harris recommended:

http://www.samandmary.org/hwaoc/

Baby Bear Loving Cooperstown & You!

This morning we were up at the crack of dawn for a trip to Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame. This has been almost a year of lobbying for this day. Too often I have hear that this has nothing to do with history. Many people think that baseball is not history. But I have always said that history is all around us. A basic definition of history could be that it is a record or narrative description of past events. These events can be major like war, politics, or migration. They can also be lesser but just as important events such as technology, art, and economics. In fact, history is everything that happens around us. By tracing the history of baseball we can reveal and hopefully better understand the culture of America and influences that helped create that culture!

Babe Ruth

The question of who invented baseball and where it began has been the subject of debate and controversy for more than a century. Almost certainly, baseball was developed from old folk games. The roots of baseball are thought to be English. Americans played a version of the English game called rounders in the early 1800s which they called “Town Ball.” In fact, early forms of baseball had a number of names, including “Goal Ball,” “Round Ball,” “Fletch-catch,” and “Base.” In one version of the game, the teams pitched to themselves and runners went the opposite direction around the bases. Some versions even had rules that allowed players to be called out by being hit with the ball. Few details of how the modern games developed from earlier folk games are known.

Abner Doubleday

The myth that Abner Doubleday invented baseball in 1839 was once widely promoted and believed. But there is no evidence for this claim, except for the testimony of one man Named Abner Graves decades later. This idea of Doubleday’s invention was actually spurred on by baseball itself which, in order to settle this question appointed the Mills Commission in 1905. The Mills Commission concluded that baseball had been invented by Doubleday at Cooperstown, New York in 1839 and that Doubleday invented the name baseball, designed the diamond, indicated fielder positions, written down the rules and decided the field regulations. However, no written records from 1839 or the 1840s have ever been found to corroborate these claims. The Baseball Hall of Fame is on record as saying that “Baseball wasn’t really born anywhere,” meaning that the evolution of the game was long and continuous and has no clear, identifiable single origin.

Just as our nation has faced many issues, understanding the factors, conditions, and the background of these issues is important. There are many ways to understand what was happening in our country from the late 1800’s up to the present. One way is to look at the evolution of baseball and look for patterns. One huge and noticeable pattern was racial segregation of minorities, especially blacks up through the Civil Rights Movement. Baseball was like most other businesses and much of the country in this aspect. Jackie Robinson was the first African American Major League baseball player of the modern era. He broke the baseball “Color Line” in 1947 when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers. This overcoming the “Color Line” barrier was mirrored throughout the nation as America went through the Civil Rights Movement and demand foe equality for all.     

But Blacks had been playing baseball for years. Since they could not play in the Major Leagues they had their own league. Many players who were excellent players never got the chance because of the culture and society of America that treated these men as second class citizens. Thank God there were those who cared enough to fight for their rights. Women were also treated in a manner as second class citizens. They were not allowed to play baseball just as most women were expected to stay at home and raise a family. But things all changed with World War II. Just as Rosie the Riveter when to work so that millions of men could join the Armed Forces and save freedom throughout the world, so did many women join the “All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1943 to 1954. Pioneering women decided that they deserved a chance to play in the “all boys” game and fought for equal rights. This movement would mirror an feminist idealism taking place throughout America and eventually leveling the playing field to a more manageable degree. 

Today the fight for equality and justice continues in baseball and America. Players from other countries strive to make something out of themselves. Just as immigrants throughout our nation’s history have come over to America for opportunities, these players from Latin America, Cuba, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Central America, and South America have come looking to America as the land where hopes and dreams can be found!

History can be found everywhere. For those who don’t think that baseball is really history, open your eyes. Study the trends and events surrounding baseball and you will find a cultural mirror of the history of our nation we all love!

Probably the best part of this time at the Baseball Hall of Fame was in the morning when we learned about all the lesson plans that the museum has dealing with everyday issues in American life! These lessons are easy to assess and they even have a distance learning program if the schols/districts pay for the equipemnt and fees. 

We did do more than just “Cooperstown.” After lunch we went to the Fenimore Art Museum where our guide for the day “No-Showed” us. So we were off to explore the vast holdings of the museum on our own. Never do that to teachers! Many of our group got ”yelled” at, well maybe explained to that certain areas were off limits to pictures. Oh well, the guide should have been there!

Farmers Museum

 Next we went to the Farmers Museum across the street. This was much nicer with lots of buildings set in an early 1800′s setting. It reminded me of a Sturbridge Village “Want – to – be!” I enjoyed learning about how medicine was made and the leaches he pulled out were nasty. But the coolest thing was the 30+ teachers who all (except Howard) climbed up on the antique Carousal and role the colorful animals around in circles!  

I will "Bear" it out a few more days!

Well today we left the “Big Apple” or “Big Oyster” or “Big Tune” or whatever New York City nickname you use and headed upstate. Many in our group are disappointed that we are leaving the big city but I am ready. This has just been an incredible experience and I learning so much that wil help be become a better teacher. But it is time to move on! vThere is history in more places than just New York Cityu and I want to experience those too!

I titled this shot: "Mirror Image" Even though one is younger, cuter, balder, and smarter!

The first stop of the day was at Sagamore Hill, the 23 room Victorian mansion that Theodore Roosevelt built on Cove Neck in Oyster Bay. Before construction of the house could begin TR’s wife died of Bright’s disease (kidney disease) just two days after giving birth to their first child. His mother died that same day which must have devastated him emotionally. TR’s sister moved into the newly completed home in 1885 with the baby while TR divided his time between the house and North Dakota.

TR remarried to a childhood friend Edith Kermit Carow in 1886 and they moved into the mansion where they spent their lives except for absences due to his public career. Sagamore was the center of much of the daily presidential affairs from 1902 – 1909. Three of his children were born at Sagamore. In 1919, TR died during his sleep from complications associated with a blood clot. He was only 60 years old. His wife Edith lived at Sagamore until her death in 1948 at age 87.

The Ice House

Sagamore Hill is a National Historic Site run by the National Park Service. There are over 6000 books in the house which reflect his love for reading. He wrote over 30 separate volumes of history, biographies, memoirs and the sort. He felt that reading was very important to leading a good life, so much so that his children were expected to read a book a day once they reached a certain age. If they failed to do so or were not ready to discuss their readings, they would not be allowed to eat with the family and would wait and eat with the servants.

This Estate representing the life of Theodore Roosevelt’s life was great. I just wish we were allowed to act like responsible adults and take pictures without the flash. There was so much to see inside the house that can never be described accurately without pictures. My favorites were the Gun Room, the library which also served as TR’s office, the drawing room which was Mrs. Roosevelt’s area, and the spacious dinning room. Many in the group, myself included felt like this site was much better and informative to history teachers than the Franklin Roosevelt site at Hyde Park.

TR's Grave

After leaving Sagamore Hill went visited the gravesite of Theodore Roosevelt (turns out he did not like being called Teddy) then ate a nice lunch and on the road again, headed upstate! As we drove I had visions, more like flashbacks of the 4 months I lived in upper state New York (Newburg) in the 4eth grade. The ride was so lush, so green, so full of life. There were many small ponds and I saw several birds swoop in, fishing I suppose? There were green fields and farms intermingled among the patches of trees. There are many meandering creeks and brooks cutting through the fields alongside the road. The green reminded me of the lower mountains and foothills of Colorado with the thick, green forests. But something is different and his is where the Geography in me kicked it.

The difference seems to be location and variety. Here in upper state New York it is very green and full of thick forests. I remember playing in a semi forest just off our back yard. We walked through a path in this forest to school and crossed over a creek along the way. But as we traveled by bus I noticed that we were basically traveling a flat path. In Colorado you would be up and down throughout the mountains to get a view as spectacular as this. There were rolling hills around us on each side, just no climbing as we drove through the land. The trees were different too. In the Colorado Mountains we basically have evergreens (pine trees) and aspens. Out here in upper state New York they have a wide variety of multitude trees. I remember the fall time in New York. There were so many different colors of leaves, reds and purples, and oranges, and yellows, and greens! Yes, this emotion did flood back through me as I thought about the beautiful land of you youth.

Then my Geographic background kicked in. I have taught geography for many years and I also taught Earth Science before too. I did notice several rock formations at where sedimentary in nature. I began to wonder how the land was formed. Had this once been an ocean? Did the sea recede or did geographic forces lift the land. I began to study the landscape and noticed evidence of glaciers with round U shaped valleys and rounded off hills indicating an older area of land with much erosion. How fun it would be to bring kids from Colorado here to explore, learn about, and discover a new world of history, geography, and culture of the diverse and exciting area.   

Dinner before Blogging! 8)

Hello Baby from Bear & Me!

Today was a day to focus on teaching. More specifically, today was a day of lesson ideas. We started our day by catching the subway to the New-York Historical Society and a morning section on New York Divided: Slavery and the Civil War. We were taken into several floors of the museum and asked to look at different pieces with an open, yet inquisitive eye. The whole theme at these different museums seems to be teaching us the process of looking at art (as well as furniture, guns, bottles, cloths, documents, etc.) and learning to answer basic questions in a purposeful manner. A question like ”What do you see?” often get answers that include our background knowledge. It is good to include this background knowledge, but done at the proper time and in the proper order. So when we do step one, we should really answer the question “What do we see?” and only use our eyes to tell exactly what they see.    

This picture is a good example. We tend to add to the picture with our background which can lead to misinterpretations. So the first step is to look with your eyes and tell what they see. Next you would add any background knowledge that you might have of the object or even the time frame around the item (object) and determine if more can be added to what we see. These types of questions ask for the viewer to use inquiry skills. Types of these questions could include “How do you know?” or “Why was it created?” or “What do you think is happening?” This step lets you begin to peel the layers back nand better understand the item.     

The next step would be to try to understand the object. You know what you see; next you used inquiry skills to understand what the object is or why it was created. So finally historians as well as others need to think about whom would use the item or want it created. What reasons could there be behind the item?  This basic 3 step process is the basics behind inquiry based learning. That understanding should be based around a person’s questions. Our job as teachers of history should be to help students along the process of discovering knowledge themselves. In this form of instruction teachers should be facilitators of learning rather than vessels of knowledge.   

Commodore Hutch helping the learning process along!

This form of teaching history is active learning which engages student attention and helps give them substance to remember. Students love hands on instruction and helps them begin to develop experimental and analytical skills rather than memorize meaningless and boring facts. It is the basis behind DBQ’s and the direction that history instruction is headed. I plan to find more hands on activities that I can use in my instruction throughout the year.

We went to lunch at the Shake Shack which I found to be over priced for average fast food! Next we were turned loose at the American Museum of Natural History. Before we even went into the building I had an idea about a lesson. I saw all the mosaics for this museum on the subway walls and thought we could have the students make colorful, varnished clay titled works of art that represent what they have learned about a subject. Just an idea that I’m running through my brain right now!

The American Muesum of Natural History was incredible! I didn’t think it was possible to pack that much stuff in any one building! This is the building and exhibits where  Night at the Museum was based on.

I don’t have time to go over everything we saw here so I will just hit the highlights! As we walked in the doors you are amazed by two large dinosaurs. The Ocean Life exhibit and American Mammal exhibit were tops on floor one. On floor two I was very impressed by the ancient people’s exhibits, especially those of South American and Mexico since I taught that area for so many years. I loved the Indian exhibits on the third floor but was driven off early by huge groups of loud and obnoxious teens. And we finally made the 4^th floor and the Dinosaur collection! Wow, so much that it might still be impossible to take it all thoroughly in, even with multiple days of devotion here.    

And finally, the big game, $77 tickets to go see those hated Yankees! There is no other baseball team I hate as much as the Yankees! But this is Yankee Stadium! We rode the subway and for the first time it was freaky. There were so many people packed on the train and my car that I was hurting. It felt as if my chest were tightening up. I’m from Colorado and I do need my space! When we finally arrived I headed for the game with the intent of getting my buddy “Coach” a sweatshirt. Best I could do was find a 2x tee shirt. But never fear, it was Mario Rivera night & I got a Rivera figure that I will give him too. The game was fun even if the hated Yankees won! I ate another Nathans hotdog. I wanted a Hebrew Nation Dog but they didn’t have the kraut to go with it yet and I never made it back. And after the 5th inning they were announcing birthdays and such on the big screen when someone popped the big question of marriage. Turns out that they were 2 seats straight in front of me. They kissed and she took the ring so I guess the answer was yes!

But did he go to Jarred?

Bear & Me at Yankee Stadium!

All in all, a pretty good day of lesson ideas, museums, and baseball!

So this is THE DAY that I have been anticipating all year. We have known about this New York trip for at least two years and I have dreamed of this day constantly since our Chicago trip ended last June. But what is it about New York and this day in particular that excited me so much? I have lived in other parts of the world. I have been on vacations before. I went on the Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago Teaching American History trips the last three summers. But this is New York, “The Big Apple”, the “City that Never Sleeps”, the “Wonder City”, “Gotham” and so many more names! Yet today was more! It was about New York, the “Gateway to the American Dream!” Today was about immigration and the little island that symbolized that dream of coming to America. Today was about recounting the stories of immigrants past! Today was about reliving the Anticipation, Apprehension, Excitement, & Fear that had to be running through their heads as they disembarked the ship on the gangplank onto this tiny island, the only thing standing between each immigrant and freedom and a Dream and new home.  Today was devoted to learning about and experiencing Ellis Island!

Ellis Island

But first, let me give you a little about me and my background knowledge of Ellis Island. I went back to college in 2000 to get my teacher’s license. I also decided to get a degree in history and teach this area that I really love. But when I went back to college I really didn’t have a great knowledge base of history. This would have to come with hard work, late nights, lots of reading, and study. And as for Ellis Island, I really didn’t know a thing other than it was old. But then I took my second class with Dr. Rees and we had to write a 15 page research paper and for some unknown reason I chose Ellis Island. And let me tell you, that decision opened up a passion and love for the topic of immigration and of Ellis Island in particular! So I have studied and researched this area quite a bit. I also designed and taught an Elective History Class on Immigration with a huge focus devoted to Ellis Island. But now was my chance to live it, feel it, breathe it, touch it, and in to best way I know of, experience what those millions of men, women, and children must have felt as they made there way off the gangplank to Ellis Island, and for the majority beyond.

Ellis Island is located in New York Harbor, east of Liberty State Park and North of Liberty Island. It was originally used as a fort to help with coastal defense in 1808. From 1855 – 1890 the state ran immigration through Castle Garden. With over 5.7 million immigrants arriving in the United States during the 1880’s, the Federal Government decided to take control of immigration. In 1892 Ellis Island opened as an immigration station. Although not the only immigration station, between 1892 and 1954 Ellis Island was the nation’s busiest immigration station. The original wooden building was destroyed by firm in 1897 and the present Main Building was opened on December 17, 1900. Between 1901 and 1910 over 8.8 million immigrants were processed through Ellis Island.

During World War I immigration comes to a virtual standstill and Ellis Island was used as a center to detain enemy aliens. During the 1920’s, the Federal government passes immigration quotas limiting the number of foreigners allowed to come to America. From 1939 to 1945 immigration again comes to a halt with World War II and Ellis Island was used to intern Japanese, German, and Italian aliens. In 1954 Ellis Island closed as an immigration center. In 1965 Ellis Island became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. In 1990 the Main Building with the Great Hall was opened as a museum and tourist attraction. 30 building of the Ellis Island complex are not open to the public.

The "Hard Hat Tour" - Exploring buildings not open to the public!

Ellis Island has undergone major changes over the years. Its original size and shape are nothing like today. It was much smaller and was expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. It was expanded with a separate wing of the island formed and over 250 yards of water between them. This wing held the contagious diseases. The medical reasoning of the day thought that disease could not survive going across this much water. Obviously they were mistaken. When they figured that out they expanded with more landfill and added a courtyard between the two wards and the main complex. 

Green : Original Island (Belongs to New York)

Ellis Island is located on the New Jersey side of the New York Bay. According to the United States Census, 83% of the island is located in the city of New Jersey. But the natural portion of the island, which was not created with landfill, is designated to be located in New York City. This has led to a major dispute between these two cities and was eventually brought before the Supreme Court of the United States.

The Court ruled in 1998 that New Jersey had jurisdiction over all portions of the island created after the original compact was approved (more than 80% of the island’s present land). This caused confusion and some buildings became parts of both states. New Jersey and New York agreed to share jurisdiction to the island. But Ellis Island is a Federal property and the National government is responsible financially and legally for any maintenance, preservation, or improvement of the historic properties. But sales tax on the income of the Bookshop continues to have New York and New Jersey at odds. Since the Bookshop is in New York they continue to get that tax money and the buildings on the New Jersey side wait until clarification is decided upon.

Ok, so why was I so excited about Ellis Island. Because it has so much histroy and has impacted America to degrees that are hard to fully explain. There were over 12,000,000 immigrants who came through Ellis Island. Of this number only about 2% were not accepted into America. That number is split roughly even with 1% rejected for legal reasons and 1% rejected for health reasons.

Families who came to America came for a reason. Most came for better opportunities. It’s what used to be called the “American Dream.” Make something out of yourself. This was the “Land of Opportunity” and it seemed like anyone willing to work hard could become successful. Many came for LAND, others for POLITICAL or RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, still other for HEALTHY or BETTER JOBS or a hundred other reasons! But the fact was that these people were coming of their own choice. They wanted to become Americans and were wiling to lose much of their old culture in order to fit in and assimilate and become “Americanized.” 

But there were some who didn’t make it. Yes only 2% were rejected. But even with these small numbers of rejected immigrants, the fear of possible rejection must have been extreme! Can you imagine coming to America as a family and 1 member of the family not able to continue on. What would you do? Would the whole family go back to the old land or just the one person? And once they got to America, what unknowns would they face? A strange language and different money. Odd customs and new laws to learn. Would they find a job and where would they live? So many fears and unknowns! They had to be nervous and scared.

But it was America and they were excited to see the Statue of Liberty!  Yes and this brings me to my final portion of the day. We stopped on Liberty Island and visited “Lady Liberty.”  I have always wanted to go see this icon of American freedom. And here we were only to find out that someone didn’t get us passes to go inside! What? How could this be? Come on, we went up the Bunker Hill Memorial. I was very sad about this but I am planning on bringing 10 – 20 students next year to New York and Washington D.C. so I will make sure we go inside this icon of freedom and my dream will finally come 100% true!

Baby I Love You!

Me and Bear are Dreaming about You!

Day 8 (Yes the 1st night we were here counted as a day) and we are on our way to the Lower Eastside. Today was a day of real experiences on this Exploring American History Grant. I like to call it the first ”Meat & Potatos” day on this trip, not because thats what we ate, but because today we got to actually feel and touch experiences that impacted America. It was another, and hopefully final (may feet are sore) walking tour around historical parts of New  York City. But today was special because of how the tour ended. But I’m getting a little aheard of myself so lets go back and start at the beginning of the day.

Five Points Neighborhood Today

Many people have seen the movie “Gangs of New York.”  It is about the different ethnic gangs from the 5 Point district who fight for political and physical control of the area. The film starts in the mid 1840s and then jumps into the early 1860s. The two main issues of this time period were Irish immigration into the city and the American Civil War. There are political leaders such as “Boss Tweed” , mob leaders, and other political “kingpins” fighting over control of the city as well as Draft riots brought on by the American Civil War.

Our next historically important stop was at the Church /School that Alfred Smith attended. Al Smith was elected Governer of New York 4 times and was the Democratic candidate for president in the 1928 election. He lost to Republican Herbert Hoover but he was he is remembered because he was the first Roman Catholic to run for President as a major party nominee. He later became president of the Empire State Corporation and was the driving force in getting the Empire State Building built in spite of the Great Depression. He is a political legend and here we were standing in front of the place that educated him.

We walked around Chinatown and learned how the neighborhoods have changed from ethnic group to ethic group. One group moves in to the poorer sections and then works hard to better themselves and eventually move up to better conditions. Then a new ethnic group moves in and repeats the same scenario. One thing that really stood out was the trash in the streets. This area seemed the worst kept and dirtiest of all the neighborhoods we have visited so far! I wonder if it is a cultural thing coming from China. Another possibly I’ve thought of could be a lack of funds due to the fact that this is an immigrant and poorer area. 

Next we walked across the Bowery, past the Manhattan Bridge, stopped for a bathroom break, saw Hester St., and worked our way over into a Jewish neighborhood for lunch. We ate at Katz’s Deli where I had Pastrami on Rye with an extra kosher pickle. The food was really good and I stuffed myself even trying some of Kelli’s and Wendy’s sandwiches. I really think I better find that gym and quit spending all my down time writing these blogs! 

After lunch we headed to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. OK, this is where it really gets good. I just taught 4 classes this last school year on immigration. Due to the importance of New York as a hub of immigration I focused on Ellis Island and the assimilation within this community. One major section we covered was Tenement Houses. So here I was, walking into a real tenement!

After lunch we headed to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. OK, this is where it really gets good. I just taught 4 classes this last school year on immigration. Due to the importance of New York as a hub of immigration I focused on Ellis Island and the assimilation within this community. One major section we covered was Tenement Houses. So here I was, walking into a real tenement!

So here is the basic information about the average tenements and this house/museum. The average immigrant family had at least 6 people and after 1910 that rose to somewhere between 8-10 people. Each tenement building had 5 stories with 4 apartments per floor. The average total square footage was 325 feet. Each apartment consisted of a kitchen, bedroom, and living room. Cold water was added around 1905, before that the only water was outside or in the basement. The basements of each building were used for businesses such as laundry or beer halls. The particular tenement that we visited was opened in 1863 and closed as residential apartments in 1935 during the great depression. But the ground level continued to be rented out and thereby helping the owners to at times break even. In 1988 Ruth Abram discovered this building that had been shuttered in 1935 and was exactly the same as it was left all those years ago! What a thrill it was to go inside this building and see how the Levine family lived from 1890 to 1906. How small and cramped it was. The house was used as a sweatshop, making garments in all three rooms. Then we compared what life was like for another family around 1920. These people changed with the times and didn’t have a sweatshop in their home because factories were the in thing and very much more efficient. The rooms were about the same size, yet much roomier without all the garment equipment. This was just a great experience and I will never forget it! I’m just sad that we were not allowed to take pictures inside! How I would love to share this experience with my students through pictures! Sorry Mr. Sims, guess you will have to write about your day instead of posting another slideshow!

Click this link for a Virtual Tour of 97 Orchard Street (The Tenement House):

http://www.tenement.org/Virtual-Tour/index_virtual.html 

Land of Hope is a historical novel for middle school aged kids dealing with immigration. The year is 1902. The Levinski’s are a Jewish family fleeing the Pograms in Russia. They come over on a ship where Rebecka meets and befriends Kristin from Sweden and Rose from Ireland. They get to New York City and they move into a tenement house that their uncle got for them so that they can open a sewing factory (sweatshop) in the apartment. The novel goes through many experiences that immigrants would face such as steamship conditions, fears on Ellis Island, language barriers, cultural differences, old world expectations vs. new world opportunities, ethnic neighborhoods, and typical tenement living. My students all loved the book and what’s more, they remembered the facts about immigration by thinking about this story. I highly recommend as a supplement to teaching immigration!  

Oh, and for dinner we did go out where Mr. Sims was out of control again! What are we going to do with him??? Will someone take him and help straighten him out, PLEASE?????

I can “Bearly” stand being away from you!

Definition of a RUBE:  An awkward unsophisticated person -or- a naive or inexperienced person. 

Etymology: Rube, nickname for Reuben

You might be a RUBE if: You spy a very large Bull, then run over to scratch or rub or do both to it’s underside.  

Hutch,
Your rube posts one funny–and spot on.
Matt

     by Matt Harris June 8, 2010 at 7:57 pm edit comment

You might be a RUBE if: Every time you see a pole you have to try it out for size!

You might be a RUBE if: Your only color was plaid, your only drink was milk, and you bow before your king!.

You might be a RUBE if: You wear a bright blue “Fanny Pack” (early 80′s edition!), fastened together with a safety pin, around your front to help hold the belly up.

You might be a RUBE if: You buy a bright pink umbrella with New York printed all over it and love it so much that you use it everywhere yougo, even on bright sunny days!

You might be a RUBE if: You meet Matt Damon at the Statue of Liberty and argue with him for 10 minutes that he is just an impersonator and not a very good one at that!

You might be a RUBE if: You gather around a pole on the subway when most of the car is empty and plenty of seats are open.

Talking Sex Education???

You might be a RUBE if: You are the only people dancing to the the YMCA in a stadium of over 50,000 people!

Baby, we (Me & Bear) are thinking about you!

OK, so my point this morning as I jumped out of bed, freaking that I would be late for the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th walking tour (I can’t remember what day it is or how many walking tours we have had), was: What’s the point? All we do is walk and stop and talk and walk and stop and talk and… well, you can see where I was going with this. My feet are tired, my stomach hurts, I can’t sleep, and what is the point of all this walking? I thought about the 3 other Exploring History trips we have taken to Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago. We didn’t walk on the tours very much at all. Why the change this year? Then during today’s walk Ed O’Donnell, our worthy tour guide made just a simple little point that struck home with me. He mentioned that so much has gone on in New York, continues to go on here, and will always go on here that the people living here seem to take everything they have for granted. I thought about Colorado and everything we have there. Don’t Coloradoans often take our beauty and resources for granted too? Wow, now that was quite the eye opener for me. Sorry, I will try to never take what we have for granted and I now appreciate how these walking tours have opened my eyes to the history and importance of this great city of New York. 

Farmer's Market in front of the Brooklyn Government Building

Along the way to the Brooklyn Bridge we came across a farmers market in full swing. For some reason this amazed me! I guess that I really didn’t expect to see something that I’ve always associated with Colorado and our open space right here in downtown Brooklyn. But these people do have to eat and the man I talked to at Giovanni’s Pizza in the Bronx did mention that they buy fresh, local vegetables whenever possible so now this fresh produce open market makes perfect sense.

I have always been a Revolutionary War buff! When we got to Brooklyn Heights I imagined what it would have been like for General Washington before, during, and after his miraculous escape with his Continental Army from Brooklyn. Here is the story. George Washington almost lost his entire Continental Army (and the war) at Brooklyn Heights. This battle, also know as the Battle of Long Island was fought on August 27, 1776. It was the first major battle of the Revolutionary War following America’s Declaration of Independence.  It was the largest battle of the entire conflict and could have ended the war very easily with a British victory.  

Brooklyn Heights

Washington wanted to keep New York out of British hands. He brought his army to the southern end of Manhattan and waited for the expected British attack. In July, General Howe landed his British troops on Staten Island a few miles away and over the next moth was reinforced to a force of around 32,000 men. On August 22, 1776, Howe crossed the East River and after 5 days attacked the Americans at Guana Heights. But unknown to Washington, Howe moved his main army to the rear of Washington and attacked there. The Americans panicked and fled to Brooklyn Heights. For reason unknown the British stopped and dug in for a siege. If not for this one fatal mistake, the British probably would have destroyed or captured Washington’s entire force and brought the war to a quick end. So the night of August 29–30 1776, Washington evacuated the entire army to Manhattan without the loss of his army or a single life. Although Washington and the 

 The African Burial Ground was amazing. We were outside the museum yesterday but I had no idea how wonderful the inside would be. There is tons of information set up on every wall and the movie was terrific. I wish I knew about this place last fall in my Master’s research class that focused on Slavery! For more on this site see my blog from

Now the bridge and the theme for today: Competition! This time period in New York history as well as that of America and even the whole world is defined as trying to out built, out size, and out perform other people, companies, cities, and countries. For America, the 1860s marked a period of reconstruction following the Civil War. There was a technological and industrial undertaking that had a profound impact on the cities, especially New York. Industry had been was established since before the Civil War. America was already a manufacturing economy and the 1860s led to a greater industrial explosion of growth. And what would lead the way in this new competition? Steel! It changed everything. Steel allowed for the building on a grand scale without the use of “mass” (of weight and materials) needed in the past. Steel would allow for the growth and rebirth of New York and America as well. It was the improvements in steel making that transformed the metal industry and made it possible to mass production steel that was needed for railroads and skyscrapers. The Transcontinental Railroad was completed in1869 and in New York City, the first elevated train started operations in 1868. And in New York City, the era of skyscraper had begun with the construction on the Equitable Building in 1870.

 The need for a bridge became apparent in 1860 with 2 major freezes that shut down commerce of the East River because the ferries could not run. But they said the bridge could not be built and it was on a scale so massive that it stood for years as the largest suspension bridge in the world. There is so much cable in each of the 4 main lines that if you took it apart and laid it out, each would be as long as America is wide. The bridge has regular inspections and ranks as the top bridge in New York. All of this, in spite of its age as the oldest bridge in America. It is a work of art and its towers were, at the time of their construction the tallest structure in the city. The theme of this bridge was competition.

The Woolworth Building was commissioned to be the tallest building in the world. Opposite city hall, it eventually rose 792 feet in the air and was the tallest building in the world! It opened in 1913 and is still today one of the 50 tallest building in America. Again the theme of competition is apparent in NYC.

Woolworth Building: The one with the green top.

 The Chrysler Building was completed in 1930 and stood as the tallest building in the world for a mere 11 months before being passed by the Empire States Building. It is today the 3^rd tallest building in NYC and the 7^th tallest in America. Competition!

Chrysler Building

 The Empire States Building is a 102 story skyscraper completed in 1931. It was the world’s tallest building for over 40 years and is an icon in American and NYC culture. It is the 3^rd tallest building in America and the 15^th tallest in the world. Competition!

  Empire State Building

 After a light lunch we joined up again and headed to Central Park. Competition again became the theme here! It was felt that if New York City was ever going to compete with world class cities like Paris and London that a higher culture aspect must be brought into the city. Designed by architect Frederick Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, it covers over 840 acres of prime Manhattan real estate.

 While much of the foliage (up to 90%) in the park appears natural, it is almost entirely landscaped. The park contains several natural-looking lakes and ponds as well as walking and bike paths. There are 2 ice skating rings, the Central Park Zoo, an outdoor amphitheater, and the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre. The re are many grassy areas, areas for teams sports, enclosed playgrounds, and also serves as an oasis for migrating birds. Again, the word competition comes up when thinking about this park.

Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre

 For our enjoyment in the evening we took in a Broadway play. We thought it would start at around 8 pm so we showed up to buy tickets just after 7. To our surprise most shows began at 7 and this limited our options. Dave and I took in Mary Poppins. I saw the movie when I was four. I loved it then but it didn’t do a whole lot for me this time. But at least I can say that I did a Broadway play. Wow, another “Bucket List” item to remove and only several 1000 more to go!

Baby, The Bear & I ReallyMiss You! <3

Rubes of the world unite! Announcing the creation of the Original Commodore Hutch Association! Associate membership packages will be sold. The cost of the membership varies on how much you want to give but a suggested donation of $40 will do just fine for now. Office positions and honorary titles will be awarded to those who pay the largest voluntary membership fees. New titles and positions will be invented to keep up with the anticipated explosion in demand, understanding at the same time that members who fail to renew their dues will be dropped like a rock in the East River.

Fees for the Commadore Hutch Association

All members should wear Orange, the Official color of the national Rube association. Members who wear orange will be charged a handling fee of $10. Non members and those who don’t choose to wear orange will face a $15 fine. A $5 late fee will be assessed daily to encourage proper compliance with the Original Commodore Hutch Association rules, procedures, and by-laws. Questions can be given to whom ever you please, preferable a New York City cabbie having a bad day, cash can be given to Commodore Hutch himself. Sorry, no checks, credit cards, Russian Rubles, scratched lottery tickets, or wooden nickels accepted!

Sincerely, Commodore Hutch     

Commodore Hutch

I <3 you!

Just where did the name “Big Apple” come from? According to out tour guide, nobody really knows for sure! Guess I will do a little research and see if I can figure it out, later. But the “Big Onion”, thats the name of his tour business because of the great onions that grow in the area. And as for the “Big Oyster”, thats my play off of the fact that Shell Street was so named because of the many oyster shells littering the area by Indian tribes native to the area.  

So here we are today reading ourselves for another walking tour. Oh yea, that’s right Dave and I were the “Geniuses” who already did our own sweltering heat, time crunching, 40 plus blocks walking tour before the Metropolitan tour, before the Coney Island and Brighton Beach tour. So you seriously expect another walking tour out of me the next day? The answer from Matt was paraphrasing: Yes we expect you to be there, be one time, and behave! Wow, that is a 3 part answer! So I guess I should just stop right there, question answered, problem solved, and move on. But lets do the math! That is a three part answer to a one part question. And three minus one equals two and two out of three ain’t bad. So I only have to do 2/3 of Matt’s answer. This means I choose (Yes Sims I CHOOSE!!!) to “Be there” and “Be on Time.” But “Behave” now that is just plain funny!

Our Tour Guide:

I guess the theme of today would be change. Change due to technology, change due to attitudes, and change due to circumstances such as war and terrorism. Technology has forced change on New York City in many ways. Cars have led to more roads, roads have led to more people, and more people have led to the need for better efficiently getting around the city. Technology led to the ability to build bigger and taller. The led to more people, higher land values, and taller buildings. This led to changed zoning laws since tall skyscraper buildings too close led to increase pollution, less beauty, and poorer health. The need for land caused more change. An area called Battery Park is a modern example of backfill designed to expand the livable and useable area, expand the harbor, and add millions if not billions of dollars of real-estate to New York.    

The real possibility of running out of land in this area surrounded by water led to back-filling land to expand and “manufacture” additional new land as far back as the early 19^th century. In an area called the Collect Pond, ground was reclaimed from marshes and waste water. The area around here was also home to a large African American community. From the late 1600’s on through the 1700’s, they gathered to bury loved ones here. From the Colonial era onward this area was the only cemetery for and estimated 15,000 people of African decedents. In 1991, while digging a foundation for a new Federal building, the government discovered the remnants of an African burial ground experts estimate once covered over 4 acres and containing these burial ground. Located around city hall, the site was declared a national monument and a memorial was built and dedicated on October 2007.

Attitudes have changed in New York for a variety of reasons. There is an inclusion among the people of New York. They generally see New York as the best place on earth to live. That is a major reason that real estate prices are up so dramatically and crime is down so significantly. As we walked throughout the town (and on the subway), people seem to be much friendlier than we were led to believe. People just seem to have a civic pride and want to help keep the city clean. There appears to be a real drive to make their town(s) a place where everyone would want to visit and be comfortable in.

And the change in attitudes is extremely apparent in the possibility of any kind of terrorism. Huge concrete planters have put in place to insure that truck bombs can never again terrorize the city. Decorative iron posts and fences adore the downtown looking nice, yet providing a measure of security for these high risk targets and people. Ground Zero is rising from the ashes. Construction activity seems at a fever pitch as rebuilding and re-growth take center stage in the World Trade Center Site. A Memorial and Museum are being built at this site to remind New Yorkers, Americans, and the world just what can happen if we ever forget!

I can bearly stand being away from you!

 So you think you know a lot, or a bunch, or even some about art? Come on along and take a virtual journal with me as we explore NYC and the world as seen through the eyes and lens of King Hutch. Lets call this virtual tour the  ”A Day in the Life” tour.

I read the news today, oh boy  (OK, so I didn’t even read the newspaper but lets just go with it)
About a lucky man who made the grade   (This would be our Hero, the one and only: King Hutch)
And though the news was rather sad  (Well truely, not really sad, just missing someone) 
Well I just had to laugh  (So if you know me at all, you know I find life funny and love to laugh)
I saw the photograph  (Ah, yes, the photograph(s), now we are getting somewhere!)

He blew his mind out in a car  (Well if I don’t watch the lights better I might run into a car)
He didn’t notice that the lights had changed  (Those lights change all the time)
A crowd of people stood and stared (Could it be my good looks or something else?)
They’d seen his face before  (Of course, I’m the King!)
Nobody was really sure  (Surely you Jest)
If he was from the House of Lords  (Nope, just the House of Hutchins) 

I saw a film today, oh boy  (Now we are talking, watch the film, we won’t have to read)
The English Army had just won the war  (When was the last war they won, The Revolutionary War? Oh yea, we won that one!!)
A crowd of people turned away  (Well nobody will even look you in the eye in NYC)
But I just had to look  (Of course, I’m a Rube from Colorado!)
Having read the book  (OK, just for you Jonathan and Matt!)

I’d love to turn you on  (Baby, its all about you!)

Woke up, fell out of bed  (Thats from Dave’s snoring like a Fred Flinstone)
Dragged a comb across my head  (Why I did that I’ll never tell, but I used my “Bald Man’s Brush”)
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup  (Just follow gravity. Oh yea, Green Tea Frapaccino-Soy/No Whip Cream)
And looking up I noticed I was late  (Well ordering something that complicated would make anyone late, better run!)

Found my coat and grabbed my hat  (Dave had my coat in his backpack. Were is my hat??? Oh, on my head already.)
Made the bus in seconds flat  (OK, it was the subway and my darn “Metrocard” pass didn’t work again so I jumped the gate.)
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke  (Just followed the rest of the pack upstairs so I wouldn’t get lost again: remember Boston. By the way it was my shoes that were smoking from ali the walking we have been doing) 
And somebody spoke and I went into a dream  (Must have been a “Monotone” historian so I dream about my Baby!) 

I heard the news today, oh boy  (Russian Mafia have taken over Brighton Breah!)
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire  (I have no idea why that is in my tour? We are in NYC, not England!) 
And though the holes were rather small  (I’ve always heard that size doesn’t matter!)
They had to count them all  (well we are in the financial Capital of the world! It does them good to practice their math skills.)
Now they know how many holes it takes
To fill the Albert Hall  (But how many does it take to fill Madison Square Garden or Yankee Statium? Now thats a real question!)

I’d love to turn you on  (Baby, You are my one and only, together-forever!)

By the way, we got up early on Sunday morning to work on our blogs and around 9:45 we caught the subway (well it came around 10:20, apparently fewer cars are running on Sunday morning) and headed to Grand Central Station. From there we walked and shopped over to 5th Avenue and then up it passing million/billion dollar property, Central Park, until we made it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. During this walk of a couple hours and slightly over 40 blocks we had quite the workout, yet made great time. We even had time to hit a street vendor and check out the Carnegie Mansion. The museum was great as witnessed by the slide show. I loved the guided tour and every exhibit was terrific. We left there at 5 pm and headed to Coney Island. We had a Nathans Famous Hotdog and I called my mother who went to Nathans while dating my father to let her know where I was. We walked down to Brighton Beach and found a Russian restaurant that served us 1 person at a time in intervals of about 10-15 minutes. We were afraid to say anything for fear of never being heard of again. Then we walked back up the boardwalk and caught the subway coming home. Quite an eventful night!  

Definition of Rube:  an awkward unsophisticated person ;  or a naive or inexperienced person.

You are a RUBE if: You sneek up on someone from behind and precede in throwing them into a water fountain right in front of thousands of normal people! In choosing to act in such a grievous manner, you bring shame and dishonor on himself in front of 1000′s of normal people who certainly would never approve of such distasteful and watering actions.  

Rube #1: John Hutchins who listened to a street vendor who told me that the line for the Statue of Liberty was a hour and a half so without even checking his story bought almost double the price tickets that included a virtual reality ride with Kevin Bacon at the controls. We were promised a quicker ride to the top and we even received a discount because one of us was kind of close to a senior citizen. When we arrived at the top we were greeted by a long line and our teacher buddies who went the regular route were ahead of us in the line! So we paid more for tickets from a person on the streets and arrived at the top behind our friends. But we took a personal ride with a movie star (well Kevin Bacon anyway) all over New York so my question is this: Just who was the real Rube of this story anyway???   

You are a RUBE if: You choose to wear matching “I Heart NY” t-shirts.  Of course, these ”close” early morning hugs along with the shirts are certain to push you into the top 10 category of Rubes. But on the positive side, anyone who acts in this manner are certainly comformable with themselves and have no problem with showing the world just what they mean to me!!! 

You are a Rube if this happened to you:

You are out getting lunch and you need a reciept for billing purposes.

Q: Do you have a menu?   A: No we don’t use menus!

Q: How much is your food?   A: I can’t tell you how much the food is!

Q: Do you take Visa?   A: No, we only accept cash!

Q: can we get a reciept?   A: No you can’t have a reciept!!!!

OK, sounds good to me. I’ll have ….

You are a RUBE if: You stop at every meaningless statue you see and pose (or hug) with it drawing unneeded attention to yourself and all the other Rubes around you! 

Jonathan and the "Meat Market"

You are a RUBE if: you stop to pose next to the very thing that disgusts you more than anything else in this life. And the pose is not just for a loved one, but for a group of people who will have it posted all over the internet in a matter of hours. 

You are a RUBE if: While touring the museums of New York, you find yourself so totally bored with everything and everyone around you that you take a nap every time you sit down and even a few times standing! 

MORE TO COME TOMORROW!!!

You know, I just love my life! Where else can you go on a vacation, pack it full of historical facts, touch, see, and hear places where history was made, and do it all for free? Well this is the dilemma that I’m in right now! I’m in New York City where so much history has been made and I’m learning how to teach my Colorado middle school students about the East coast and New York’s prominent role in America. Is this a great life or what? 

We arrived in New York the night of the 2^nd and we have not looked back yet. Today we took a bus tour of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Harlem. We were adeptly led by Dr. Kenneth Jackson of Columbia University throughout the formerly menacing streets of this great big city. Starting this tour we were given several facts that helped put this amazing city into a proper perspective. Among these facts are that NYC is more than twice as dense in population as the next largest city and climbing. In fact NYC and San Francisco are the only large cities more dense today than 50 years ago.

The common factor between NYC and SF seems to be diversity. The history of New York begins with the Dutch settling of the area known as New Amsterdam (New York) and the ideas about diversity they brought with them. They welcomed people from all nationalities as long as these people helped make the area stronger and richer.

Today there are over 8 million residents living in New York City which includes the 5 boroughs of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. The greater New York metropolitan area has over 22 million residents. New York has always been a city of immigration with 2.9 million immigrants. And most importantly, no single immigrant group dominates the others. This is the reason that toleration is so important and one factor in the great drop in crime rate over the last 25 years.

We started our tour in the Bowery, a small neighborhood in the southern portion Manhattan. This was a major harbor and manufacturing area 50 years ago. But today, with technology allowing 2-3 men to do the work that 100 men used to do, the area has had to reinvent itself.

Tracks of the Elevated

Next we went through Manhattan and learned about the High Line, a sort of elevated train that was built to cut right through anything in its way including buildings. Next we visited Harlem which since the 1920s has been a major African American neighborhood. Harlem has had many boom or bust cycles which have each led to major ethnic shifts in its population. Black residents began to arrive in very large numbers in the early 1900’s due to the Great Migration that saw Blacks pouring out of southern states into the industrialized north. In the 1920’s and 1930’s an artistic rebirth known as the Harlem Renaissance saw Harlem rise in prominence. But the Great Depression reversed this with job losses, increased crime, and poverty. But what we witnessed was a revival and rebirth in Harlem that mirrors the inner city revival of all of New York. Although Harlem remains mostly African American, there are pockets showing diversity and greater acceptance that the area is a nice place for people of all races to live.

Next we visited The Bronx with a special emphasis on Little Italy. Of the 5 boroughs, the Bronx is the only one not primarily located on an island. Originally settled by Dutch people and then the English, the Bronx later took many immigrants from Ireland, Germany, Italy, and even Jews. In the mid 1900’s African Americans, Hispanics, and people from the Caribbean flooded into the city. The major landmark of the Bronx continues to by “The House that Ruth Built” where we are going in less than a week, Yankee Stadium!

While in the Bronx we had the opportunity to eat in Little Italy. This area is exactly like I pictured it would be. There was a lot of Italian spoken on the streets, yet English was and is still the main, preferred language! This is so I’m guessing because most Italian came around the turn of the century when the process of Americanization (fitting in, speaking and acting like typical Americans as quickly as possible) was in full swing.

We ate at a little Italian Pizza Restaurant called Giovanni’s. I love pizza and I was interested in how this pizza was similar and different from pizza I’ve had before. Romano, the nephew of the owner told us that they use fresh tomatoes whenever possible because it gives a fresher flavor top the sauce. They have their own secret recipe for the sauce and they make their own pizza dough. It is all hand rolled and tossed with corn meal lightly spread on the counter to keep it from sticking. They have several additional flavors of cheese to choose from with mozzarella as the main option. The one area I was disappointed in was my choice of meatballs for my ingredient. I expected them to put chunks of hamburger meat on the pizza and let it cook on the pizza. But they took meatball out of the spaghetti sauce, sliced them, and placed them on the pizza like pepperoni. But overall this was a good pizza that would be in the top 5 I have ever had in my life and I have tasted some very good pizzas!!!

We finished our bus tour by coming back into Manhattan and driving straight down 5^th Avenue where all the ritzy stores and expensive property is. Along the way we saw the Carnegie Estate, Central Park, the Rockefeller Plaza, and the Trump Hotel as well as countless apartment buildings where the lowest price for an apartment would be 10 million and the average somewhere over 20 million dollars! Wow what a day, but wait we were not quite through yet!

Nine of us met at the lobby of our hotel at 6:30 pm to go to McSorley’s Bar. We had the opportunity this winter to read about this bar in Joseph Mitchell’s book Up in the Old Hotel. I new from the moment I read about this place that I was going to find a way to visit this bar and take in the atmosphere. And I could not have been any more pleased with what we found! I was greeted at the door by a cranky old man with a wad of cash in his hands wanting to know how many in my party. I told him 9, he said he only had room for 7. I told him we would scrunch up and fit so he said “alright” and took us in to the only open table in the very back corner and pushed a few extra chairs over to us. It was very loud and he asked me something like “Do you want..bla…la..bla…”. I didn’t hear so I said “pardon me sir” or something to that affect and he repeated “Do you want..bla…la..bla…”. So I said “sure.” Next thing we know we get about ten glasses 2/3 full of either dark or light beer. We guzzled, well I guzzled while everyone else sipped the beer and then he came back and asked if we were done or wanted more. We of course took another round in order to fulfill one of the missions of our trip and become culturally aware of the diversity and differences and similarities between us Coloradoans and New Yorkers. After this round and the chugging contest in which I demolished Wendy Shipley, we left for our dorm, fully satisfied that we achieved our goal of cultural awareness, exploring new places, and totally bringing a little Colorado sunshine to the crazy lives of so many New Yorkers!

And oh yea, I got my first 2 glimpses of the Statue of Liberty today. The 1st was on the bus coming over the Manhattan Bridge back to the hotel. The 2nd was after leaving McSorley’s and going to the beach. Now I’m fired up because the Statue of Liberty is on the top of my list of all time places I’ve always wanted to visit!!!

Today was a day that really underscores what these history trips are truly all about! Today I received several great lesson ideas thanks to the staff at the MCNY. This museum’s mission is to get people who visit thinking about the past, present, and future of New York! We started off today modeling how this mission can be accomplished. Our museum guide, EY Zipris asked us the guided question: “What do you think this building was before it became a museum?” There was a bit of give and take discussion before we learned the true answer. The museum opened in 1923 but quickly outgrew its building.

 During the Great Depression, the WPA (Works Progress Administration) was a relief program that employed millions of workers to carry out public work projects. Hundreds of thousands of men were employed in New York City by the WPA. In 1932, the WPA built this building for the sole purpose of housing the museum and it was staffed by about 75% WPA workers. Wow, we were just watching a PBS video on New York yesterday that covered that same material! It is exciting to realize we are learning just by listening!

Ms. Zipris then stated that any time we gather together things, stuff, and put them on display we are creating a museum. It doesn’t matter if it’s your house, your lawn, your room, we are creating our own museums every time we gather stuff and put bit on display. Why? Because when we display thinks we want to tell a story and that is the mission of museums! This museum’s goal is to use primary and secondary sources to understand how New York has changed over time, primarily through the use of innovations such as the car.

As we went through the program I realized that the automobile was a very major factor in the growth of New York City, much more so that I had ever thought. The rise of the automobile brought a need for more and better roads. This in turn brought more people to the city. The huge increase of people snarled traffic and led to more public transportation and a decreased use of the automobile in the city. This was innovation and change relating directly to and with each other.

I always have taught a lesson to my 6^th grade students in which they design their own country. The problem with many students is that they have a hard time relating to the size of a country. They often want to put houses on their country maps. But while we were participating in “The Grid in New York City” activity I understood that I could modify my country project and do a city instead. I 1^st want to set up a Pueblo Grid Map of a tarp with duct tape. Then do the same activity we did to see how planning is important for city growth and safety. Then I will have the students design their own city using what they have learned about planning.

The other activity that I loved and will use often this year will be modeled on the “Around the Bend” activity we did today. That is such and easy method to activate prior knowledge as well as stir interest in a subject. Each group will get the same packet of pictures and text. They will have to pick out 5-8 pictures and put them in an order that tells a story, just like museums do! This can be done for any topic! Wow, that really excited me because I am a museum curator at Freed Middle School where I teach. All year long my students have been creating projects to display what they have learned in our new Freed History Museum. Each exhibit attempts to tell a story with its displays! Now I have a lesson that will help them see and understand what a museum really does. And the more we practice this the better they will understand history!       

OK, so day 2 is really like day 1 since we got in so late to New York! Yes many of us on this trip didn’t do any thing except wind down that 1st night. But I am so excited about this trip to New York that I don’t want to miss a minute of opportunity to explore New York (see yesterday’s blog) so we visited Manhattan viva the Brooklyn Bridge.

So today, 6-03-10 we hit it hard with a full day! I set the alarm for 5 a.m. in order to be on the bus “wheels up” by 6:20. OK, so I only slept for a few hours. Who needs sleep when living on the adrenaline? I attempted to nap on the 2+ hour ride to Hyde Park but was much more interested in watching the PBS New York Series video showing on the bus.

Mosaic Map of the Roosevelt family's land holdings

Our 1^st stop was at the Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site. The National Park Service runs the site and they really keep it beautiful! As we walked into the visitor center my eyes were fixed on a huge mural map (almost a mosaic) of the Roosevelt legacy. After meeting up with out Park Ranger tour guide we headed off to Springwood, the home of FDR. This is an incredibly good looking mansion that still houses much original as well as some reproduction items and furniture. We learned how FDR was raised as an only son, was sheltered and dare I say “spoiled” by his mother, and basically lived a charmed life of comparative quality.

But everything changed in 1921 at age 39 when he caught polio and never again was able to walk without the aid of braces and crutches. I was amazed at the story about how he was able to hide is condition from the pubic. Even more amazing was the way he concealed his condition from people who visited his home by setting up in his office and then having the ramps all removed. He would stay behind his desk and work and greet his visitors. He was terrified of the idea of fire so when he had an elevator installed in his home, it was non electric and powered only by two ropes and his own strength. Since the space was so limited in this elevator, he had a kitchen chair converted into a small and easily to maneuver wheelchair. The house is full of paintings, etchings, and collectables that each tell a story of what made up this complicated man. Since I have collected stamps off and on almost all my life, I loved learning about his stamp collection. He had vintage anti-British political cartoons hung all over the front room wall and when the King of England visited he commented that FDR’s collection was almost as good as his own.

The Rose Garden: Resting Place for both Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt

Next we visited the rose garden and gravesites of both Franklin and Eleanor. Then we made our way to the FDR Library and museum which was incredible. This truly would be a place that I would love to bring my students so that they could learn first hand from park rangers and see actual primary source materials. As I was looking around the museum I realized that FDR was involved in so many life changing and important events. An ambitious and creative teacher could design and teach a class by picking his 10-12 most important decisions such as His First 100 Days, the Malta Conference, and Social Security and use them as the major topics of study. Teach about the 1930’s using FDR as your guide!

FDR's Car

Next we went to Val-Kill which was once a furniture factory run by Eleanor Roosevelt and her lady friends. It couldn’t make enough money during the depression. Eleanor once said that its not good when she was her own best customer and so it was shut down in 1936 and revamped into her own get-away cottage. After FDR died, she moved their permanently until she died. Her son sold most of her belongings so much of the furniture and wall hangings are reproductions which leads me to my biggest disappointment about the day. We didn’t get to take pictures inside of either house even though much if not most of the furnishings were replicas.    

Sleepy???

We also hiked to Top Cottage which was FDR’s get-away house that he never slept overnight in due to a veiled threat from his mother that if he did he would not be welcomed in her house again. But at least we could flash away with as many camera shots up here as we wanted!!!

The evening was dedicated to the CIA! That’s the Culinary Institution of America. We took a backbreaking and exhausting and hunger pain inducing tour of this food heaven. I was so hungry since we only had a small sandwich for lunch. Then the questions began. I am hungry and dying to sit down and eat but no… my group started asking questions. So our guide decided to answer the questions and I waited and waited and waited for food. It seemed like hours went by as Gonzalo answered each question in exquisite detail. Finally I convinced my group that there were no more “good questions” and we sat down to dinner. Asparagus soup, yuk!!! Great rolls and bread and warmed/breaded goat cheese and hen. Then Jed was mean again and threw me like a little rag doll into a water fountain!!! What was he thinking about, I could have been hurt or something, lol!!!

And to top off my evening, I got sick on the bus (wonder if it was a conspiracy from the CIA?) and then the bus driver decided to take a different route back to Brooklyn through New Jersey. We didn’t arrive until after 11:15 with an early morning wakeup call set for 5:30 and wheels up 7:30! It doesn’t get any better than this!!!!!          

PS, Baby I’m thinking about you this very minute!!! 

Love Love Love

Well folks, here I am, at it again! I am a part of a group of thirty plus history teachers from Colorado, out exploring the world. Specifically, we are here this every night in “The Big Apple”, New York City!!! What a treat, what an opportunity to better myself as a teacher! What a cultural occasion this is! We have traveled to Boston and to Philadelphia and to Chicago over the past 3 years. But this is “The City that Never Sleeps”! What a trip of a lifetime, part 4! 

Flight Delay in Baltimore, eating and killing time!

Things went pretty smooth overall for the beginning of the trip. We got in to LaGuardia Airport with no problems, jumped on our charter bus and took off, destination: Brooklyn. We are staying at a Marriott Hotel in pretty decent rooms. Dave and I are rooming together and the first thing we did was unpack a few clothes, freshen up, and then off to find the Brooklyn Bridge! How cool is this? The Brooklyn Bridge is an icon of America history! We read a book called The Great Bridge while preparing for this trip. It was all about the planning, construction, key players, and tragedy/events of this famous bridge.

On the way to the Brooklyn Bridge!

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the world! It was completed in 1883 in order to connect Brooklyn and Manhattan with each other and therefore allow for more growth in this city. It is 5989 feet long as it crosses the East River which made it the longest suspension bridge in the world until 1903. It also holds the distinction as being the first steel-wire suspension bridge. It was originally called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge but was better known as the Brooklyn Bridge. In 1915 the city government officially renamed it the Brooklyn Bridge. It has been an iconic part of New York City since its opening and was made a National Historical Landmark in 1964.

Up and almost over the bridge!

So here we are in awe walking over, crossing the East River, and into Manhattan! What a way to start this “new” historically stimulating, mind bogging, emotionally exciting Teaching American History Grant covering 14 days! A 14 day chance of a lifetime “Fieldtrip”!!!!!

Skyline of Manhatten as seen from the Brooklyn Bridge!

Look out New York! Boston has never been the same since our trip there 3 years ago! Philadelphia will never forget the 30 Colorado history teachers from 2 years ago! And Chicago is still trying to figure out what hit them last year when we were there. But New York with King Hutch on the loose!!! It’s a thought that makes strong men tremble and weaker ones cry as they run for their lives! 

The Brooklyn Bridge

What will happen on this exciting trip is anyone’s guess. Want to know more? Interested in finding out what happens next? Stay tuned for more blogging to come as we experience New York hands on, touching, seeing, smelling, hearing, and tasting what “The Big Apple” really has to offer! Oh yea, we will be all over New York State, not just the city.

Thinking about my VIP

P.S. Baby I miss you so…. much!

Guided Question: Explain what made the Brooklyn Bridge more historically significant than other bridges or as important as other technological breakthroughs of the late-19th century.

They said it couldn’t be done! What makes the successful building of the Brooklyn Bridge so incredible? Aside from the fact that for almost “fifty years after it was completed the Brooklyn Bridge reigned supreme as the most magnificent, if not technically the largest, suspension bridge on earth;” (pg. 543)  

The Bridge was a “wonder of Science,” an “astounding exhibition of the power of man to change the face of nature.” It was a monument to “enterprise, skill, faith, endurance.” It was also a monument to “public spirit,” “the moral qualities of the human soul,” and a great, everlasting symbol of “Peace.” (pg. 533-534)

At the time the bridge was completed, it was much longer than any other suspension bridge in the world. The towers which anchor the bridge to the ground were also the tallest structures in the entire Western Hemisphere. The finished bridge would prove to be not only an engineering marvel, but also a work of art of unparalleled style. The Brooklyn Bridge is without question a treasured historical landmark of New York and of man’s ingenuity to succeed.  

Americans had been talking about a possible bridge over the East River that separated New York City from Brooklyn “for nearly as long as anyone could recall…the idea for a bridge was exactly as old as the century, the first serious proposal having been recorded in Brooklyn in 1800.” (pg. 24) This proposed bridge, like countless other wished-for bridges of just about every make and size was never even started. The reason was as plain as the geography the bridge would encompass. The East River was “one of the most turbulent and…one of the busiest stretches of navigable salt water anywhere on earth.” (pg. 24) So any bridge would have to arch all the way across the river and be high enough to allow the tall massed sailing ships of the day to pass unobstructed. For the technology of the day, a bridge of this magnitude was just unimaginable!

If a bridge was ever completed between Brooklyn and New York the two cities would essentially become one. This was considered a good thing because the Union Pacific Railroad was going to make New York “the commercial emporium of the world” (pg. 26) linking east to West. A bridge here at this important spot would special. “It was to be one of history’s great connecting works, symbolic of a new age, like the Atlantic cable, the Suez Canal, and the transcontinental railroad.” (pg. 27) John Roebling, the man who would design the eventual bridge actually saw his work as being “the greatest engineering work of the continent, and of the age.” (pg. 27) But many were against the bridge proposal. Ideas such as dams and tunnels were proposed as better alternatives. Many engineers claimed that Roebling’s bridge was too costly and just “a wild experiment” (pg. 28) as well as questioning why only one engineer had been considered. Regardless, any bridge crossing the East River would have to be one of the greatest engineering feats of all time.

At the time that the Brooklyn Bridge was in the planning stage, many suspension bridges had been constructed throughout the United States and in Europe. But none was as ambitious in both the scope and size as the one Roebling intended to build. This bridge was going to be the longest and widest suspension bridge in the world. However, it was still very much up in the air as to whether Roebling’s “experimental” design and new type of bridge construction would be sufficient. The Bridge construction began in phases of construction that the public could not really see. The caissons that were used to prepare and build the supports for towers for the bridge were completed under water.

Many bridges had been built over many different rivers before the Brooklyn Bridge. But the architectural design and engineering of the bridge is the facet that makes it simply that much greater than all others in throughout the world. In its time, the Brooklyn Bridge was without question the most magnificent designed and built bridge anywhere.  This bridge was not the first suspension bridge or the first to use caissons to dig out the earth under a river. What made this bridge so impressive was the age in which it was constructed and the technologies available to build it. The immense size of the project was incredible. Roebling not only used, but often developed different innovative techniques in order to insure that the bridge would be strong, safe, and last for many years. But this bridge connecting Brooklyn and New York was to be more complicated and complex than any ever built. As the towers began to take shape, a common feeling was that they “would be the greatest structure in the world except for the Pyramids.” (pg. 232)  And The Brooklyn Eagle, a newspaper who strongly supported building the bridge stated:

“The most famous cathedrals and castles of the historic Old World are but pygmies by the side of this great Brooklyn tower. And it is our own city which is to be forever famous for possessing this greatest architectural and engineering work of the continent, and of the age.” (pg. 246)

Any technological breakthrough is a feat that should be celebrated. The Brooklyn Bridge was opened on May 24, 1883 to extreme excitement and fanfare. However, there were other technological advances during the time period in which the Brooklyn Bridge was constructed. Three major breakthroughs deserve mention as comparable in impact. The transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, Alexander Graham Bell made the world’s first telephone call in 1876, and the electric light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879. Each of these will have a major impact on America and the world just as the Brooklyn Bridge had on bridge building, transportation, and America.

The transcontinental railroad connected the American East to the West. This led directly to a quicker movement of people and goods. Now farmers, ranchers, miners, and other businesses in the nation’s interior could easily move product to market and this led to westward migration and an industrial boom. As people migrated west cities grew and the frontier was soon to be closed. The electric light changed American lifestyles and industry. Americans no longer needed candles, kerosene lamp, or the sun for light at night. Businesses could now be opened longer hours, people could change their hours and stay up longer, and American culture would never be the same. Telephones made communication easier, more efficient, and in a way, almost instantaneous. People could now keep up with friends and family and better business communications would led to even more growth.

But the Brooklyn Bridge was a tower of majestic wonder overlooking the greatest city in America. The words used most often in its dedication ceremonies were “Science,” “Commerce,” and Courage.” (pg. 534) These are words that still ring true today. The bridge was a marvel of technology and innovation. It changed the way bridges were thought of and constructed. The ability to carry over 150,300 people and 1,800 vehicles across it on its opening day made it “The Eighth Wonder of the World.” (pg. 543) Although it may not have had the same impact on America and the world as other technological breakthroughs such as the light bulb and telephone, it still stands tall and impressive as a working model of American ingenuity 127 years later.  The Brooklyn Bridge is a treasured national symbol of American art, architecture, innovation, dominance, power, determination, and the fact “that we had come to stay.” (pg. 550)

Guided Question: Judith Van Buskirk argues in Generous Enemies that when the British invaded New York City in 1776 personal concerns often triumphed over political ideology.  What kinds of evidence does she provide to make her case?  How does her account of New York City challenge long-held assumptions about wartime experience during the American Revolution? 

New York City is today possibly the most important city in America just as it was in 1776 when both the Colonial and British armies took turns occupying this pivotal area. New York City was a mirror of the colonies with seemingly equal numbers supporting the Revolution or supporting the King while others just waited to see which side would prevail before aliening themselves to either side. In Generous Enemies, Judith Van Buskirk uses primary source documentation to reveal a story usually not found in American history textbooks. Both Loyalists (those supporting Britain) and Rebels or Whigs (those supporting the revolution) are “typically depicted as hostile opponents” but were in fact “in constant contact throughout the war.” (pg. 2) However, Van Buskirk portrays the City of New York as well as the countryside surrounding it, as a porous combative area in which people from both sides continuously transgressed across military lines. The reasons for such infiltration are as varied as the people living there. People crossed military/ occupation lines to help friends and family, pay social calls and make business profits. While military and political considerations were important, Van Buskirk’s book stakes the point that personal concerns greatly outweighed any others as the driving force behind New York’s Revolutionary experiences.

Except for just the very early portions of the war, New York City was in the hands of the British, while the Americans controlled much of the surrounding area. In those early days of Colonial occupation of New York City, Americans rooted out “adherents to the King’s cause.” And because so many residents of the city were Loyalists or “had no great stake in the Whig cause at all,” many patriot organizations arose with their “own style of refashioning the community, whether by persuasion, intimidation, or brute force.” (pg. 16) But by August of 1776 when over 130 warships of the Royal Navy finally sailed into the waters adjacent to New York, Patriots were streaming out in huge numbers. As the British took the city from the Americans “the tables had turned. Those who formerly had to lie low and swallow the directives of the American Revolutionary government could now let loose.” (pg. 21) The British would hold New York for the next seven years, a time that spanned almost the entire American Revolution. Citizens of New York, the city that British political and military leaders believed to be firmly in opposition to the American Revolution, actually turned out to be very opportunistic.

Van Buskirk observes that the military standoff surrounding New York City helped form civilian communities that were forced to function in close, continued proximity with each other. Each community, both Loyalist and Patriot, would test the limits of political and military authority. For the majority of the war, New York City was in the hands of the British, while the surrounding territory was controlled by the Americans. There are countless examples throughout the book of communication through enemy lines including notes, business trips, and even personal visits between Loyalists and Whig family members. Amazingly, in this area of military conflict there were ferry boats called “flag boats” that were allowed to legally carry people across rivers into New York City as long as they obtained proper permission from the political or military authorities in charge.

Van Buskirk points out that usually women had an easier time moving in and out of New York City than did men. “Considered weak and childlike, females could go where few males dared because they were considered no threat.” (pg. 51) Women would often cross military lines to attend to needs in the prisons, join officer-husbands in prison, and aid other family members. This led to “an impressive information network that operated continuously throughout the war.” (pg. 52) Information from female networks was not limited to high society women. Both slaves and market women were able to feed information to and about those they worked for “so successful were women in moving about the war zone that male spies sometimes dressed in women’s clothing to improve their chances.” (pg. 57)     

Conflicting loyalties distorted family relationships between both Loyalists and Whigs. Sarah and Catherine Alexander, wife and daughter of a Major General in the Continental Army and both stanch Whigs, received permission from both the British and American authorities to cross military lines in order “to pay a social call on family and friends.” They stayed with Sarah’s second daughter Mary, who married a “prominent Loyalist merchant.” (pg. 44) John Jay who was a delegate at both Continental Congresses had a brother who was politically loyal to the British. Indeed, many other influential Patriots had certain conflicting loyalties within their families. “General Gate’s sister-in-law; Gouverneur Morris’s half-brothers; General Lord Sterling’s daughter; and the hopeless jumble of the politically-variegated Livingston family” (pg. 70-71) found themselves in complicated family situations. Yet, they justified their own actions in dealing with Tories behind enemy lines by distinguishing a difference between their own relatives and friends and the rest of the population behind British lines. Families continued to act like families “despite obstacles thrown up by war.” (Van Buskirk, 44)

Van Buskirk also brings up the importance of business and profits in understanding why people moved so freely between the British and Americans lines. British and American authorities attempted to control markets with legislative action and military regulations. Merchants and other businessmen usually understood the difference between politics and profits and yet profits often were their main concern. “The opportunity of making hefty profits in high-risk ventures emboldened” (pg. 110) merchants to test the regulations of wartime market controls. “Americans had what the British wanted; the British had what the American’s wanted. Such a scenario of supply and demand…loomed over the New York area, effectively quashing the little measures busy legislatures passed to inhibit trade with the enemy.” (pg. 107) The business community desired to maintain “regular operations” (p.111) in order to maximize profits. Therefore, trading across enemy lines was commonplace. The British added restrictions and regulated prices in the marketplace which drove many towards smuggling goods. Many people in the American occupied areas also sought to avoid government regulations on trade “to warrant the close attention of state governors and congresses throughout the war.” (pg. 118) “States continued to revise their laws throughout the war, plugging holes and attempting to control improprieties in enforcement.” (pg. 123) Businessmen were just like the “soldiers or family members who determined which proclamations and laws would apply to them” (pg. 127-128) and generally acted in their own monetarily self interest.      

Generous Enemies confronts many deep rooted assumptions about New York during the American Revolution. Using primary source documents such as letters, diaries, newspapers, and official military and church records; Van Buskirk proves how interwoven communities that typically are portrayed as distant were in frequent contact. Although they lived in two unmistakably defined zones of military occupation, the citizens of New York City and the surrounding region often reached across military lines to help friends and family members, pay social calls, and conduct business. By studying the movement of Loyalist and Whig families, soldiers, women, and businessmen, Van Buskirk shows how personal needs usually won out over politics. In addition, she proves that the essence of everyday life during the Revolution was much more complex than historians have recognized.