Started the morning with a short walk to the Presidential Library for a presentation with Erin Bishop. Really enjoyed her presentation and the activities that she had us involved in. The one that I particularly liked was when we took the photographs (or other images) and on postcards, we wrote one word on each postcard that described the image. Then we could work with another person, or by our self, and form the words into a free form poem. I will definitely use this activity in my class. It is an easy way to get kids to analyze artwork or other images and to be creative, with limited effort.  It also helps bring in a different aspect of history. I think this would be fun to do with political cartoons. I also have the added “instruction” to incorporate art in to my class next year, so this will be an easy, fun, yet very beneficial way to help achieve this goal.

In the afternoon we had a presentation by Bryon Andreason, where he explained the process for creating a museum exhibit.  It was interesting to see the immense amount of work and technical aspects that are involved in the creation of such an exhibit. I wish that we would have been given more information on the Lincoln / Douglas debates. While the aspect of putting together a museum exhibit was new and informational, it’s not really something I would ever apply. I would have benefited more from specifics about the debates; if he would have explained the information that was actually included on the exhibit that was created.

We then went across the street to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The log cabin exhibit was interesting.

It was hard to believe that the exhibit was actually larger than the real cabin would have been, especially with the number of people that were living in it. I was also struck by the way that the “stairway” to the loft was constructed. Basically there were large pegs nailed into the wall; no handrails, no ladder. I can’t imagine having to climb that.

We went in to the Ghosts of the Library presentation and were completely mystified. While it is a very entertaining show, there wasn’t a lot of information contained in the presentation. We did have to ask one of the docents if the man in the presentation was real, or if it was a recording. He was real, but the voice was pre-recorded. Still don’t know how they made him disappear like that in the end!

Following that we went to the Eyes of Lincoln presentation which was very interesting and informational. I think the thing that struck me the most was when they showed the image of Lincoln and split it in half. On one half of the portrait Lincoln appears to be smiling and on the other half, he appears sad. It really shows the two sides of the man. This is something that I will show my students, to demonstrate the conflict that he was experiencing. The “rumbly” seats were an experience. When the glass window broke Donna about came out of her seat and I won’t tell you what she shouted out! LOL Then the cannon shots were defeaning. It definitely added to the experience. This presentation is very much like the one that they just built at Mount Vernon. It is very engaging and informational at the same time. Another great way to keep kids enthralled.

We have arrived in Chicago at Midway airport. What a scary place to land a plane! The guy sitting behind me was giving Donna a play by play, so at least we knew what to expect. He warned us that it would look like we were landing on the tops of houses and that once we touched down they only had a mile of runway and would be slamming on the brakes right away. Boy he wasn’t kidding! After collecting our luggage we loaded up the bus (which is a glorious color of blue AND an Obama campaign bus)

 

and took to the highway, headed to Springfield. Checked into the Hilton and was able to relax.

“Sin in the Second City”

By – Karen Abbott

     This book depicts the differences in gender in stark reality. It is an amazing and sometimes sleazy conglomeration of stealth, graft, prostitution and the fight for survival. It was absolutely stunning the extent that prostitution prevailed in the city. It was interesting that they hardly ever referred to these houses of ill repute as whorehouses or brothels, but called then “resorts”. This is almost humorous, as they are far from a vacation spot for those that lived and worked there; especially for the many who were there against their will. Of course, these resorts would be seen as a getaway or vacation from reality, at least for a little while, for the men who took advantage of their services.

     Ada and Minna Everleigh would vehemently disagree with that. They really did feel  their “resort” was just that; an escape from reality. They believed that their butterflies truly felt privileged to work there. It seems that there was no mention throughout the book of any of their girls being sad or dissatisfied. It’s almost unbelievable that they could have a waiting list of girls who wanted to work for them. Of course, if they were already in the life, moving to the Everleigh Club would be a step up.

     One of the separations of gender that was most profound was that when these clubs were “raided” it was only the madams and the girls that were fined or punished even though it was generally just a small amount and a slap on the wrist. The men were generally sent on their way, as it was believed this was a natural urge that should not be encouraged but should be overlooked. If there was no desire for the service, the industry would fail. The women are seen as fallen from grace when the men just slipped and can be forgiven.

     Another separation of gender would be that men and women had other options for employment in the city. It was grueling, horrific, dangerous work for very little pay. However, the men made more than the women in these other jobs. Men had the option of working in the meat packing plants, the stockyards, the reaper works, the railroads, steel mills and the fertilizer plant. The women could work in factories, outlying businesses attached to the above mentioned industries, sewing shops, yet still for little pay. The prospect of making much more money in the “resorts” would be appealing. You were in a warm building, you were generally provided for as far as food and clothing. (Of course there were exceptions to this.) You could support yourself and/or your family in such a manner. You would survive the degradation and humble yourself, saying it was only for a short while, until the family could find another way.

     Also astonishing was the prevalence of the white slave trade. The fact that so many girls were tricked in to coming to the United States or from the country to the city, and were trapped into this folly was almost unbelievable. They had to beware of being offered false employment, being told they were city to perform one task, while being dropped off at a brothel instead. They also had to watch for the man who would lure a country girl with the promise of marriage, money and standing in society. However, it is believable that many girls used this as an “out” once they had experienced the life and wanted to return home. It was justification or a cover for their misbehavior and would allow their families the opportunity to forgive them. After all, it wasn’t their fault.

     Yet another example is that the women are expected to work as hard as the men in order to support their families. In addition they are expected to be wives, mothers, caretakers of their parents, and keep the house. There is no place or time for them to go for an escape or release from the pressures and calamities of life. They must rush to work, slave away for 10-14 hours a day in brutal, inhumane conditions, come home to what can barely be considered a home, care for the family and do it all again. Men have the same burdens of work and providing for the family. However, they have access to the saloons to have a drink or warm lunch, or to sit with coworkers, if just for a brief moment. They could visit the resorts in the Levee District, even though this was obviously frowned upon. They could go to casinos or other gaming events. This isn’t to say that women didn’t frequent these places also. It was, however, not acceptable and was frowned on.

     The book is best summed up by the author, saying “Chicago had never cared much for the fainthearted or prudish; it was a city that kept one  eye closed in a perpetual wink while the other looked away.” (p.166)

“The Jungle”

By Upton Sinclair

     The fact that “The Jungle” is a work of fiction does not make it less effective as a work of propaganda because the content of the book is based on historical fact; how the city grew exponentially, how the rail yards played such a role in that growth, how the stockyards and packing plants were cesspools and corrupt, how the number of poor, unskilled,  undereducated immigrants flowed into the city like the wind. However, you do have to pick through the words to find the underlying message. To be able to understand that the putridness is being portrayed in such a way as to make it vile and unacceptable to anyone, and that the only answer is to turn from the greed and angst of capitalism to the equalness and open arms of socialism.

     While reading the book, it is easy to believe that such downfalls did occur to individuals and their families. The winters in Chicago were and are brutal to endure. Made even more difficult when you cannot afford firewood or coal to heat your home; can’t afford warm clothing or a coat; are not able to purchase new shoes when yours have holes in them and a roof over your head is considered a luxury. This is something that they would endure, year after year, just as they would the coming of the seasons.  It is also conceivable that people were frequently injured on the job. How could injury not occur when the work pace was kept frenetic, without breaks, hours and hours upon end. Yet there was no recourse to cure these situations. If you complained, you would be fired. If you couldn’t keep up, you were fired. If you were ill and couldn’t come to work, you were fired.  It is also conceivable that thousands upon thousands died from these adverse work and living conditions, especially the elderly. Coming to a new country, dealing with the smoke and grime of the city, working in unventilated, unheated or uncooled conditions, ankle deep in mire, breathing in dust from bone and waste; survival seems a miracle. It is also understandable that women would die in childbirth. Unfortunately most of these immigrants could not afford medical care. It would not be difficult to imagine a woman having difficulty, such as a breach birth, and her and the infant dying from such a complication. In addition, how could children be expected to survive. Many were forced to work, or left to their own devices, while the adults were at work. Falling off a sidewalk, drowning in the street, suffering from mumps, measles, whooping cough, etc. and having no remedy or relief is believable and was common. Greed and graft ran amok in the city. Being an immigrant you generally had no friends, did not know who to trust. But you had come to the land of opportunity and surely everyone here wanted to give a helping hand. When you are taken in by shysters selling you an old house, lying about rent fees, taxes and insurance, upsetting the wrong man at work and being blacklisted for it, it seems impossible. Even though these immigrants came with an insatiable desire to succeed, to work hard and be profitable, they were slowing and painfully broken down by the very system they expected to save them.  While it is believable that all of these situations and difficulties did exist, it is hard to fathom them all happening to one person or family.

      However, it was necessary to the end result for Sinclair to portray the endless and pitiful plight of this young and unsuccessful family in order to show that turning to Socialism would uplift the masses, give them a reason to continue dragging themselves to work. It would give them an opportunity to buy into and be proud of what they did and produced. Socialism is being portrayed as the righter of all evils, of the savior for the common man. This is the purpose and the result of the book. You can see poor, broken down Jurgis sitting in that meeting. He has no comprehension of what is being said or why. All he knows is that he wants to be warm for a little while. As he sits there and becomes more cognizant of his surroundings and the speech that the man is giving, he begins to see a new way. His hope is reknewed and he again believes that there is a way to right the wrongs around him; for this to become the country of opportunity that he and his family envisioned. He is desperate for an answer, and it is handed to him by this eloquent speaker. He is taken in by a believer, given a job by another.

     The book leaves us to contemplate the results on our own. I suppose Sinclair was hoping that the conclusion would write itself. That upon reading his book the masses would come to understand the basis for socialism and flock to it like the savior it was. However the culmination of events such as the Haymarket Riot, the labor strikes, etc. brought this socialistic uprising to a standstill. Sinclair did not see the final coup that he hoped for.

“Did Lincoln Own Slaves”

By – Gerald Prokopowicz

     In his book, Prokopowicz presents a different interpretation of Lincoln the man. He portrays him as a highly energetic and charismatic individual who was sure of himself and his place in history. This is a direct contrast with the image that is generally portrayed of our 16^th President. In other books (such as “The Gettysburg Gospel” by Gabor Boritt) we are given the impression that Lincoln is a reserved, almost shy individual who is self-conscious regarding his looks and speaking ability; one that would gladly give the stage to others. Not so in Prokopowicz’s book .  He is written of as an outspoken, exuberant individual who spoke with his heart and soul in order to convince people of his perspective. While Lincoln did give many famous speeches and debates, he was not considered a truly successful speaker.  In the pages of this book we see a gallant, almost humorous, confident man that takes life by the horns and doesn’t let go until the very end. Again, a stark contrast to other interpretations of the congenial but almost withdrawn individual from our history.

     In answer to the question proposed in the title of the book; no Lincoln did not own slaves. In fact he once stated, “I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel.” (p.156) It was quite obvious that Lincoln despised the institution of slavery. It is pointed out in the book that Lincoln did not live in a slave state after he turned seven. He did, or course, have the chance to observe slaves. In addition, since Lincoln was a lawyer, and not a farmer like his father wanted him to be, he did not really have a use for slavery.  This aspect of slavery has become the central theme of Lincoln’s political career. So why didn’t he free the slaves as soon as he became President? Two reasons were given; one that he didn’t believe that he had the power to do that. Lincoln felt that the Constitution did not allow the federal government to meddle in the “domestic arrangements” that states made. The second reason would be that it probably wouldn’t have done any good. As of 1861 there were still four slave states that were still in the Union. They continued to be loyal to the Union throughout the war. The book also makes clear Lincoln’s views on citizenship and what it really meant to be a citizen of the United States of America. There were basically three things that he felt made a good citizen. These were that you had “general  intelligence”. Basically you had to be able to comprehend how the government worked. Secondly, he felt that you had to be of “sound morality”. How could you lead or serve as an example if you were anything but moral. Finally, he believed that you had to have “a reverence for the Constitution and laws”. (p.236)

     Lincoln was a family man. This is not to say that he was necessarily close to his parents or siblings. He and his father did not see eye to eye on many things. An example would be when Abe began to earn his own money. It was an exhilarating experience to be able to provide for himself. Then, according to custom, he realized that he had to turn over any income to his father. This upset him.  He worked for it and should be entitled to keep it. In addition, Lincoln’s father was a farmer, and not an altogether successful one. Lincoln did not want to follow in his footsteps. Instead he took every opportunity to educate himself often observed with his nose stuck in a book. (If only our children today loved reading as much as Lincoln did!) Father and son continued to disagree about this with Abe eventually going into law instead of the life a planter.

      It has often been wondered if Abe really did love Mary. Theirs seemed to be an odd or at least unusual union. Abe did love his wife and his children. Family was an integral part of who he was. As President it is amazing that he was able to continue with the duties of his office while dealing with the sickness of his son. We can all identify with the difficulty of continuing on with our daily activities when one of our children is suffering.  Can you imagine being the leader of the country, which has been ripped in two because of sectional differences, when the only thing you really want to fix is the health of your child. It was also new information that Lincoln was so close to his stepmother. It is nice to know that he did have a loving, caring adult in his life that did guide him and support him in his chosen path. With the gap between he and his father, surely the relationship with his stepmother was that much more important to him.

    

“Death in the Haymarket” – by James Green

     The book, “Death in the Haymarket” describes a brief history of the City of Chicago, the intense involvement of its citizens in the labor movement, particularly the aspect of an eight hour workday, and covers one of the most tumultuous times in Chicago history.

     The City of Chicago is unique in the aspect of its quick growth of foreign groups. In the time period after the Civil War, the group of people employed in manufacturing increased five times and the majority of these were foreigners. While New York City has a constant, extreme influx of foreigners, this is due more to the fact that this was a port city where they arrived, usually through Ellis Island. Oppositely, Chicago has a huge influx of foreigners who traveled out via railway, looking for a better life in the land of opportunity. Chicago also became the “principal wholesale market for the entire mid-continent, serving as the entrepot, connecting eastern markets with vast western resource regions.” (p.29) This was due to the connection of numerous rail lines in the city and the vast amount of production that took place. Chicago also seems to have always been an industrialized city; not one based on agriculture or small factories, but one always focused on the bottom line, on productivity and on how to increase both. According to Green, the City of Chicago came to “embody what Mark Twain and others called the Guilded Age”… “an age of excess when businessmen accumulated huge fortunes, constructed lavish mansions, exploited the public domain and corrupted public officials.” (p.38)

     The numerous diverse groups of ethnic backgrounds and cultures causes areas of the city to be divided along ethnic lines and along lines of occupation. For example, the Russians tended to gravitate together, with the majority working as lumber shovers. The Norwegians tended to focus on the jobs of lake sailors and shipbuilders. The Danes and Swedes preferred house carpentry and cabinetmaking. These lines were not drawn in the sand, but as people of a particular ethnic background came into the city, they tended to gravitate to their own, working in shops and businesses owned and run by their fellow “countrymen”. Each of these various ethnic groups also created a culture for themselves in America. They developed their own “holidays” and rituals to bring them closer together.

     While the events that happened in Chicago are not unique when it comes to the labor movement, it appears that the outcome with the trial and execution of those involved is relatively unique. The organization of workers into unions seems synonymous with the City of Chicago, even though the idea of labor (trade) unions did not start there. William H. Sylvis was one of the nations’ most influential trade union leaders, however, he was not from Chicago. Neither was Albert Parson for that matter. They were also “immigrants” to an area who fought for their beliefs and ideals.

     On June 25, 1868 the United States Congress went as far as enacting a law that required an eight hour work day. This law only applied to mechanics and laborers who were employed by the federal government. Labor unions across the country saw this as the first step to employment freedom and felt that the concept of an eight hour work day was now within reach for all laborers. Unfortunately, the law was never enforced. Many argued that the government was stealing from the workers their right to have another one to three hours of pay per day.

     As tensions increased between unions and employers, each of these groups began forming militias for their protection. Another aspect that seems to be fairly unique to Chicago is that union members purchased weapons and the militias would openly drill in the streets. The employers did the same or hired the Pinkertons as security which often tended to backfire on them. (No pun intended!)

     Labor issues were happening around the country at the same time as these events occurred in Chicago. For example, Green talks of railroad workers blocking trains in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The engineers were angry over a pay cut, so they stopped the trains. When the state militia came in and tried to move the trains, shooting broke out. A soldier and a railroad employee were killed. These events then spread on to Baltimore where the railroad employees went on strike and were able to close Camden Yards. Militia units were sent in to reopen the yards and another battle took place. There were ten people who were killed by the troops. Another such incident occurred when the managers of the Pennsylvania Railroad required their engineers to “haul double-headers”. The workers refused to do this because it was dangerous. They went into the yards en masse and stopped rail traffic. The National Guard was sent in but many of them didn’t respond to the call. The government then ordered in militia units from Philadelphia. On July 22^nd, the militiamen were surrounded by a group of protestors and opened fire. There were 20 people who died, including a woman and child. These types of “riots” and protests then moved into the rail yards in Chicago. They even went as far as taking command of a train and moving it to another yard. Another incident similar to the massacre on “Black Road” at the McCormick Reaper factory, happened in the city of Lemont. A group of quarry workers had gone on strike and militiamen were brought in to protect the strikebreakers. On May 4^th the striking workers confronted the militiamen. The men on strike began to throw rocks at the militiamen who in turn opened fire on them.

     The incident in the Haymarket appears to be unique to the Chicago area because of the involvement of such outspoken anarchists who followed the beliefs of Karl Marx and the socialist ideal. They often talked of using weapons including dynamite, to get their point across since they felt that legal options such as legislation and elections were not working. On the evening of November 11, 1887, as the meeting was about to disperse, a bomb went off. It is rather odd that no one in the crowd saw who had thrown the bomb. It is also rather convenient that the Mayor had left the area prior to the incident. Green seems to leave the reader with the impression that the anarchists really were not involved in the bombing incident. It seems that Bonfield or one of the wealthy employers was more than likely behind the bombing. I would be of the opinion that having heard Parsons and Spies’ incendiary words about using bombs and dynamite and possibly finding out about Lingg’s activities, that they used this information to their benefit.  This would be substantiated by the fact that once in custody, they found bombs in Lingg’s cell. After the explosion and the outrage over the death of the officers, the city was plunged into chaos. Guilt by association seemed to be employed. It is appalling that so many houses and people were searched without warrants. It seems that the Constitution was trampled on, and no one but the accused seemed to care. It is also beyond understanding how the United States Supreme Court felt that the grounds mentioned for appeal (violation of the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th amendments) only applied in federal cases. Since the Constitution is the ultimate “Law of the Land” doesn’t its provisions apply to all aspects of the law?

     With the ultimate conviction and its being upheld by the Illinois Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court, these men knew their fate. They seemed to come to terms with the fact that they would become martyrs, some handling it more dignified than others. This is what makes the Haymarket incident different from others. Ordinary citizens were seen as revolutionaries who would stop at nothing to pursue their socialistic views. With the bombing, trial, and hanging of the men a new chapter in American labor history was written; one that was unique to Chicago and would remain that way.  

      

Received confirmation that I will be traveling to Chicago! Very excited about being included in the awesome experience. Can’t wait to hit the road! See you all on Jan. 28th

It would be impossible for me to pick one thing that I liked the most on this trip. We really did have a wide variety of activities, locations, lectures, etc. and I felt that the majority of them were beneficial and will impact my classroom teaching extensively.

Some of the highlights of the tour for me were the lecture with Carol Berkin at the National Constitution Center, touring Lancaster County and “Amish ” country, walking into Independence Hall and being in the sigining room, traveling to Washington’s Crossing, Valley Forge and Gettysburg, seeing the Liberty Bell, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, walking along the historical streets of Philadelphia itself, and spending time with like minded history “geeks”.   It is always a blessing to go to sites such as these with people who are as interested in them as you are.

While I thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Winterthur and am excited about using portions of the “Maker to Marketplace” activity in my classes this coming year, I have to say I honestly did not understand what the place was or why we were there until well in to our tour. I loved seeing the enormous collection of Americana that was on display in the house. I wish we would have had a bit more time to explore the grounds, as I don’t think I will ever go back. The gardens were endless and beautiful.

Another place that we visited that would be toward the end of the list of favorites would be the American Philosophical Society. There were fantastic documents in the lobby such as Lewis and Clark journals, and one of the only documents to have the signatures of the first 4 Presidents on it, and we were shown 4 other items of interest. However, I really felt like an intruder in their sacred halls. When I asked the gentleman for copies of the items he passed around his response was far from helpful. He stated he usually does make copies and they get left behind so he didn’t make any. I told him I was really interested in them. He said he would see what he could do. Needless to say, I never received them.

I enjoyed having more “free time” in the evenings than we had last year on the Boston trip. This gave us time to decompress, blog, upload photos, eat at a leasurely pace, and even do laundry. However, I would have liked to have one or two more organized dinners, such as the one we had at Conte’s and the Iron Hill Brewery (even though that was put together last minute! Thanks Matt and Donna!). It is nice to have the whole group in one spot to eat. Gives you time to see and speak with everyone, discuss the events of the day, and spend time together as collegues and friends.

While the dorms were not luxury accomodations, they did suit their purpose and the air conditioning did work! While a bit dirty and smelly, they did allow us easy access to the subway, restaurants, and the highway to our destinations outside the city.  Thankfully I was not in the dorms when the fire alarm went off. I think that trek down 11 flights of stairs would have been the end of me!

Overall, I feel we had a very productive trip. As with any large group, I think we had enough of each other by the end and were ready to go home. The hot temperatures and humidity took their toll on all of us. I like the idea of the Chicago trip being shortened by a few days next summer. I think that would probably help with the overall morale and energy of the group.

Matt, Johnathan and Scott – I can’t thank you enough for the time and energy you put in to organizing an endevour such as this. Speaking from experience, I know how time consuming it is to arrange speakers, tours, transportation, etc. for a large group. Your efforts do not go unnoticed!

Started the morning off with an addition to our schedule, getting to meet author Gabor Borritt. He invited the whole bus load to come out to his house for a bit. After some confusing directions and a scenic tour of Gettysburg, we made it to his home. What a beautiful place. He took us all out by the pond and spoke with us for about 30 minutes.

His tale was an intriguing one, coming to the US as a teenager who spoke no English, being told he could not attend school because of the language barrier, and then going on to write “The Gettsburg Gospel” and teach at the college. His home was such a tranquil setting, I could have sat there, sipping iced tea, and talked with him all day. But, we had other plans…

We then ate a wonderful lunch at the Dobbin Tavern. Everything was prepared and waiting when we arrived. Everyone was very nice and the food was good. Plenty to eat with lots of variety.

We then embarked on the main part of the day; a tour of the battlefield at Gettyburg. I was awe struck at the size of the battefield. You always read in books about how this enemy line was a mile away, or this group had the advantage of higher ground, but you truly cannot understand all that until you are standing on top of “Little Round Top” looking down over the fields.

In your minds eye you can see the soldiers there, fighting for what they believed in. I could not completely take in the vastness of the battlefield. I was taken aback by the number of monuments that are in place. While I understand each state wanting their “boys” to be recognized, it was more than I expected; over 1300 of them. While I don’t share the sentiments of others, that monuments to those from the South who fought should not be erected there, I do wonder as to the accuracy of the placement of them all? Is that truly where they were at during, before or after the fighting? How do they know? Did they use written eye witness accounts? Was there a battlefield map drawn? Or is this all just their “best guess”? 

I found our guide for the day to be a sweet man, however, a little stuck on his script. I was having flashbacks to a 4th grade tour of Bents Fort at times. It was hard to follow some of what he said and there were so many monuments that he pointed out, they all started to run together after awhile. I was disappointed that he did not take us to the cemetery. Thank you Matt, Johnathan and Scott for making that extra stop for us. It was much appreciated. What would a trip to Gettysburg be without seeing the spot where Lincoln delivered his famous, albeit short, Gettysburg Address? It would have been incomplete. This was a perfect way to end the day, and our whirlwind tour of historical places in the Philadelphia area!   

 

Today we drove to Winterthur (pronounced Winter tur) which was the du Pont family estate. The mansion on the estate has 175 rooms and the estate was originally 2,000+ acres but is currently now 1,000 acres. Henry Francis du Pont was the forth generation to live in the house, however, he was the only one to actually be born in the house. He lived in the house with his wife, Ruth, and two daughters, Pauline and Ruth Ellen. Du Pont began to aquire artifacts that dealt with early American culture; furniture, doorways and flooring from houses, sets of china (which he had over 60 of) tapestries, art work, etc. They currently hold over 100,000 items. Du Pont and his wife eventually “downsized” to a 45 room cottage also on the grounds, and turned the larger house in to a museum. They turned all the restrooms, hallways and kitchens into display rooms once they moved out. The mansion has 9 floors and we were able to walk through period rooms and displays on two of the floors.

Our speaker this morning, Cathy Matson, presented us with a lot of information. I truly believe she tried to put an entire semester of lecture into the 2 hours she spent with us this morning. She was an effective speaker, however, there was simply too much information to absorb. At the beginning of her presentation she presented us with three questions; 1.) What is a consumer revolution? 2.) What were the signs that a consumer revolution in North America was underway by the 1740’s? 3.) Who made the consumer revolution and what social relations were necessary for it to happen?

According to Matson, the consumer revolution happened in North America during the 18th century (1740’s and 1750’s). There was a noticeable spike or increase in production and consumption of goods. In addition, England’s exports doubled between 1700 and 1750 and then quadrupled between 1750 and 1790. Those goods mostly came to America. Incomes were also rising and the Atlantic World was expanding. This trade across the Atlantic included manfactured goods, slaves and raw materials such as sugar and cotton. She went on to explain that the consumer revolution is about the mingling of people and was also about the slave trade. She stated that 3/4 of all people who came to North America came as bound labor. That includes those who were indentured servants for a period of time as well as enslaved peoples. She then gave numerous descriptions of coffee houses and the role they played in this consumer revolution. Groups of people would come to discuss politics, literature and other controversial topics.

We were then given a tour of the library and were able to see samples from the rare books collection. The women who gave us these talks were very informed and eager to answer our questions. The books and items that they had on display were wonderful. The best part, we could touch them!!! This is an open research library and anybody can come and use it (much different than the American Philosophical Society).

After lunch we took a tour of the “house”. (It is a mansion in every sense of the word!)  We were taken to two of the nine floors in the house. It was magnificent. Everything in that house was historical and reflected America; from the doors and woodwork to windows, flooring, materials on the chairs, window treatments, etc. I absolutely loved the way that du Pont had a vision to display all of these priceless items in his home. What a place to have grown up in. He would purchase all the contents out of specific houses, or having seen a doorway he liked, would purchase and display it in the home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were then broken up into groups and taken through their Maker to Marketplace activity. One of the things they have the kids do is look at their shoes (usually on the tongue of the shoe) to determine what country they were made in. That gives them some perspective about the global economy. I loved the artifact activity where they had items that you had to identify by analyzing the color, the composition, etc. and then place it on the map to show what country it came from. That would be so fun to do even with middle school kids. All of that hands on learning and then to add in reading and geography skills. It’s wonderful! I would really like to get copies of the artifact description cards that they had.

I also liked the activity they had us do where we created our own sign to hang outside our business. Since most people couldn’t read, they used symbols on their store fronts to show what the business was. I think my group was quite creative.

 I also could not believe that du Pont had actually purchased the entire cabinet making shop, clock shop, etc. of the Dominy family. He couldn’t put the actual buildings inside the museum so he sent architects to view them and had them make a replica of the shops. He then bought everything that was in them; tools, furniture, etc. and had it placed in the replicas at the museum.  

Despite the slow and somewhat difficult start to the morning, I absolutely fell in love with the estate, mansion and gardens. I would love to see the gardens in bloom. It is an absolutely spectacular facility.

I REALLY want copies of the artifact activity so I can reproduce it and use it in my class.