After a 7 AM start, we arrived at the site of the 1st Women’s Rights Convention only to find out that the Wesleyan Chapel where the convention was actually held was under “rehabilitation” and we were not able to go inside.
Wesleyan Chapel - Seneca Falls, NY
The Chapel is the actual spot where about 300 were gathered in July 1848 in order to hear the list of demands being made for Women’s Rights. Oddly enough those in charge had first thought to leave out the right to vote but were encouraged (by Frederick Douglas?) to put it in. It was in this Chapel that the Declaration of Sentiments was adopted.
We were able to tour the National Park Service site, seeing some very interesting displays. There were a set of bronze statues in the main area of the NPS building, and our ranger, Meghan, explained who they were and their relationship to each other.
Bronze sculptures - Women's Rights National Historical Park Visitor Center
We then clambered back on to the bus and traveled to the Elizabeth Cady Stanton house. This house was the actual family home for 15 years. We were able to tour the house but it was almost completely empty of furnishings, etc. and had been used as a rental property for some time. I was also disappointed that several wings that she had added to the house were no longer there, changing the layout of the true house she lived in. Why were those additions removed? I can’t imagine having raised 7 children in that house. Although without seeing it with the additions Elizabeth had made, it makes it appear so much smaller. Her comment about feeling like a “….caged lioness” is very appropriate when put into the context of the small space they lived in, in the small town she didn’t want to be in.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton House
After a quick walk through and a half hearted attempt at a group photo we piled back on the bus to travel to the M’Clintock house which we were allowed to walk through and take pictures of and did have a few artifacts. I would like to know more about this Quaker family and their involvement in the abolitionist movement. The house was actually owned by the Hunts but they rented it to the M’Clintock’s who were relatives. It was in this house that the Declaration of Sentiments was drafted.
M'Clintock House
William Seward’s house which was a phenomenal place, was our next stop of the day. Everything in the house was original to the house, with William Seward’s grandson actually stating in his will that the house was to become a museum upon his death. I hate the fact that we cannot take pictures of places like this. I understand that there are copyright issues, that flashes make items deteriorate, etc. but how do you convey to a student the particulars of a place like this without that visual display? I was also greatly saddened that we were not able to see the room where runaway slaves stayed while making an escape on the Underground Railroad. They started building an exhibit about an hour before we arrived! Darn the luck. That would have been amazing! I liked the fact that the family was packrats and saved everything. I didn’t realize how close Seward was to becoming President, or that he actually ran against Lincoln for the nomination. I was fascinated by the display regarding the assassination attempt on Seward, the night that Lincoln was assassinated. The fact that the family had kept a portion of the bed sheet with his blood and the knife cuts was a bit gruesome, but just added to the exhibit that they had. This house was beautiful. I was struck with how large the rooms were and the vaulted ceilings.
Seward House
Back of William Seward House
I also find it a slight of history that our textbooks and probably a lot of teachers do not include the full story of the purchase of Alaska in their classes. William Seward purchased this land from Russia in March 1867 which totaled 586,412 square miles. AND he purchased it for 2 cents per acre! Even though this purchase became known as “Seward’s Folly” it added more land to the United States than the state of Texas!
Then we were back on the bus traveling to the Harriet Tubman house. I was fascinated by the story that the education director told and would have loved to have had time to watch the orientation video and tour the entire grounds. We were only able to visit the small original house from the property which Tubman used as a home for the aged. I never knew that she had set up a hospital and home for the elderly on her estate until today.
"Old Folks Home" at the Harriet Tubman Estate
Once again, artifacts in place, but no ability to take pictures. This is a sad situation that needs to be rectified! I was SO disappointed that we weren’t able to tour her house or see the actual acreage of her estate. When we present the “person” Harriet Tubman to our classes, it is always as this champion to runaway slaves, but she was so much more than that. A lot of the slaves she actually rescued were family members too! I was also enthralled by the idea of a black woman owning property and attending an auction to purchase more land. We needed the ability to explore her life more. This is definitely something I will be doing on my own.
Back on the bus and travel to Pittsford / Rochester, NY for our cruise down the Erie Canal. This was totally fascinating and awe inspiring. I was surprised at the width of the canal. Is this how wide it was when originally built? Or has it been expanded over the years? When the boat went into the first lock and they began filling it with water it was almost scary. You knew that it would fill, and the boat would rise, but I half expected water to just come gushing through the gate and topple us into the canal.
A lock on the Erie Canal
I was able to take a video of the 2nd lock we went into and cannot wait to show this to our students as an actual demonstration on how the locks in a canal work. It’s all well and good to describe it, but for them to see it actually happen in real time will be awesome! The video is a bit wobbly (I was standing on a boat after all!) I have saved the video in a powerpoint presentation. If you get a pop-up box that says “sight previews” close that box out and click on the link again. When the PPT opens, you will have to start the slideshow in order to access the video.
It is just over 5 minutes long. If you use the video be sure to point out that we start out even with the roadway in front of us and you can see the noticeable decrease in the waterline. Thank you Matt for including this in the tour and foregoing the museum!
Upon arrival in Syracuse I decided sleep was more important than dinner and just toppled into bed. Out like a light by 9 PM!
Filed under: Uncategorized
