Ethan Allen Homestead

Over the summer, I visited the Ethan Allen Homestead in Burlington Vermont. Ethan Allen fought in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, as well as leading the Green Mountain Boys to a victory at Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. He also petitioned to have Vermont become a state and eventually won. He had eight children. How did Ethan Allen’s wife take care of eight children while Ethan was away? Even though he was deeply hated by the rich and Congress, he still accomplished great tasks that gave birth to Vermont as a state and secured a key fort during the American Revolution.

The Homestead stands as a lasting memory of Allen’s triumph as well as a remembrance to the time period while Ethan Allen was living in Vermont as well as his accomplishments. The scenery was gorgeous with the Vermont mountains in the background with many gardens scattered around the historical site only adding to the already present beauty. Was the beautiful Vermont landscape a reason why Ethan Allen decided to live there? The house was made of very wide wooden planks that were pointed out to us by a guide inside of the house. Scattered around the homestead were also many stations containing various tools such as butter churns and a spinning wheel, along with them were also various historical objects of the time period such as shoes, hats, and farm equipment. The guides present demonstrated the use of the butter churn and spinning wheel for a better understanding of how people worked at that time period. The site specifically speaks to the time period from the summer of 1984 when Ethan Allen moved into Burlington VT, and to February 14^th of 1789, when Ethan Allen died in Burlington. The Museum attached more speaks to the political triumphs and troubles of Ethan Allen himself. Billboards depict Ethan Allen as the American standing up for his values and going to great lengths to push his agenda and make Vermont into its own state. His political life speaks to values of independence and grit. The site gave me a clear picture of the living conditions experienced at that time, as well as a great view. The site represents American values such as Individuality, Change, and Independence.

The Tecumseh Monument

Over my summer break, I visited the famous Tecumseh monument near Bothwell, Ontario. The monument commemorates the War of 1812 and the fallen First Nation Chief Tecumseh. The site is connected to the Battle of the Thames, which was fought between the British and American forces. The First Nations and their leader Tecumseh also played a pivotal role in the battle and were well known for siding with the British during the conflict. The monument now provides a look into the battle and one of the wars most historical legends.

 

The monument presents its self as a reminder of the fallen troops who perished during the battle as well as the nobility and bravery of Tecumseh. The site is often described as conveying the historical memory of independence and freedom for both Americans and Canadians. The intended narrative of the monument is to represent a Canadian battle victory during the war and praise the honorable acts of Tecumseh. However, the site doesn’t recognize the bravery of both sides, as it only tributes the British and First Nation soldier’s bravery on the monument. The Tecumseh monument represents American values unintentionally, as it doesn’t endorse American efforts during the war. However, the war represents a difference in politics as Canadians admired the British crown while Americans despised of it. One can improvise that the American values displayed on the monument could be the fight for freedom and independence from colonial rule. Before the War of 1812, America had become an independent country without British influence; however, Canada still had ties with Britain. I believe the war can be presented as America fighting for the independence of North America, separate from British rule. Finally, after visiting the site I am left with a few questions: Why aren’t both Americans and Canadians Commemorated Equally? Another question I raised was: Why is this Monument so Unknown?

 

Glastonbury-Rocky Hill Ferry

Chayne Bruneau

The site I visited over the summer was the Glastonbury to Rockyhill Ferry while has been running since 1655 and has been consistantly running from that point until today.  It is the longest running ferry in the USA and still carries 500 cars across the river every single day.  
This ferry represents the desire to travel and expand.  It shows Americans going to live a new life  Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness drove these people to change their lives and go across the river to either get new jobs or settle down.  All of these people are free to do whatever they want because of the American ideals of liberty.  The ferry named the Hollister gave these people easier travel to and pursue the dreams that the US had given them.  Another American ideal that the monument and ferry represent is innovation.  Through the years the Ferry has changed from just being a horse powered treadmill that carried people and horses to a motorboat that carries cars. Each time new things were made the people running had to incorporate and invent a new way to carry the vehicles, like carriages and cars.  They workers of the boat had to figure out how to carry these things over without sinking the boat.  This site was used by anyone of the time period.  It was an easy and safe passage of the river and its business relied on the ability to cross the river safely. Also in the monument of this ferry it also says the ferry was used to go on fishing trips also which shows innovation in the workers of the ferry. This brings up the question of what time period did the ferry really take off and why?  Also there was a plaque there that was commemorating the founder of the ferry service there?  This inspired me to ask why did he found it and how did the idea come up to do so?   The plaques at this site show the story of hardworking innovative people which is exactly what these people would want to be remembered as.

Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

Over the summer, my father and I had the opportunity to travel to Taipei, Taiwan. While I was on my trip, I visited the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, residing in the center of Taipei. The gargantuan size of the monument and courtyard were hard to comprehend. The giant, 249-foot memorial, reminded me vaguely of America’s Lincoln Memorial, with hundreds of long, short stairs, and a titanically sized sculpture of a leader sitting atop. Surrounding the memorial was a vast courtyard, intricately decorated with trees and bushes. It was obvious that Chiang Kai-Shek was very important to the people of Taiwan.

Chiang Kai-Shek was the president of Taiwan until his death in 1975. Before his presidency in Taiwan, he led the Chinese Nationalist Party, known as the KMT. During WWII, Chiang Kai-Shek piloted China, and with help from the United States, won the war. Abruptly after the war, a civil war began in China between communist and KMT sides, leading Chiang Kai-Shek to leave and go to Taiwan. In exile, Chiang led the KMT in Taiwan, which was seen as the true government of the now communist ruled people of China.

The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial was erected as and is seen as a symbol of democracy for the people of China and Taiwan. Chiang is seen as a fighter for democracy, and his ideals reverberate throughout democratic countries like the United States. While in control, most of his effort was dedicated to his own party’s stability, confronting anything and anyone that fought against  his democracy. Unintentionally,  Chiang Kai-Shek’s passionate determination to keep a democratic government is similar to America’s revolution against Britain. Both the Founding Fathers and Chiang Kai-Shek knew the all around benefits of having democracy, and did everything possible to achieve and maintain it. The monument is a place of remembrance for a man who represented the constant battle for democracy.

After my visit, I still have a few questions. Why was the monument erected at such a large and elaborate size? Why are there two other large buildings to the left and right of the monument as you walk onto the courtyard? Why was the Chiang-Kai Shek Memorial made so similarly to the Lincoln Memorial in idea, but so different in style and intricacy? Was the memorial made on purpose to look similar to the Lincoln Memorial? What different views of Chiang-Kai Shek are in Taiwan and China?

Henry Whitfield House

The Henry Whitfield house has stood in Guilford Connecticut for almost 4 centuries. The pristine stone walls have been preserved to exhibit the cause of the colonists scission from the tyranny in Britain. The walls have seen so much over the years; laughter, tears, new life,  and of course death. During the visit, I was quite surprised by the history of this house as it was built in 1639. This was 5 years before the end of the Ming Dynasty, the same year the Taj Mahal was being constructed, and three years before the birth of Isaac Newton. This building is the oldest house in Connecticut and the oldest stone structure in New England.

Henry Whitfield came to America in search of a new life. He became the first minister to live in Guilford Connecticut and earlier was the leader of the Founders of Guilford. Henry Whitfield embodied numerous American Identities. Early America consisted of brave colonists that fought for what they believed in, and spoke out for what was right. Henry Whitfield, having manifested this culture, shows that he was not afraid to speak freely (an American Identity). Being a minister and founder of a particular area, you are bound to have many followers. Henry shared his hospitality with many new comers and foreigners to the land. Hospitality is an American Identity that Henry personified, however, many Americans do not think that it is identified as often today considering peoples political background and our current political battle. The historical narrative associated with the Henry Whitfield house includes the defeat of the Red Coats, however, this narrative does not include the murdering of countless Native Americans, just to add onto their land.  The Native Americans should not have been left out of this narrative because they are a significant part of our history. The intended narrative has to do with how the public sees this sight. Our country did not want me to see the history of the murdering of the Native Americans, rather I saw this first hand by only being given this information by a small plaque dedicated to the Pequot War. This war was a big part of this buildings history and should not be skipped over due to not making the colonists look good.

As I was walking around this magnificently old building I wondered why the rooms were so big. Why do they not make smaller rooms for the fire place to warm up the room more easily? This specific flaw seems that it would make a big difference in the harsh and cold New England winters. I also do not understand why they built the house to withstand Indian attacks if there were no documented attacks against this house?

Boston Tea Party Museum

British Tea Party Museum

By: David Paluch
Thursday, 14,2017

This past summer I was fortunate enough to visit one of many America’s great historical sites, the “Boston Tea Party Ships & Museums.” The historical event happened in Boston, Massachusetts along the Boston Harbor. This historical site exists to commemorate the brave colonists who dumped 342 chests of British tea into the water as a rebellious act towards Britain. For over 200 years, the” Boston Tea Party” museum has educated millions of about the event on December 16,1773, which ignited a fire on the fight for American independence.

After visiting the “ Boston Tea Party Ships& Museums,” I felt the main purpose was to educate and re live a key moment in Americas fight for independence. In my opinion, the intended narrative of the museum is honoring those American colonists who not only participated in the dumping of the tea, but who fought for separation from Britain. However, I do feel the intended narrative does slightly miss portray the fight for a free country as the site leaves out the struggles Americans went through in order to achieve independence. The museum has many displays from the historical event. The displays of different journal’s and artifacts allow you to foresee the culture, politics, and architecture in the 1700’s. The “Boston Tea Party” is a great representation of America’s true identity. The historical site shows how American’s are not willing to back down from anything despite them being the underdogs in the movement. American’s were angry and aware that Britain was using their tax money to re pay their war debts. Politics at the time revolved around British representatives therefore American colonists had to take stand and revolt against the mother country. The American value I felt that was present is unity. A main theme throughout the museum was the coming together of Americans to fight against the mother country and achieve complete independence. Another value within the historical memory was freedom. The colonists felt like lower class citizens trapped in scope of British authority and laws. The rebellious act of the colonists on that day displays one of many efforts for American freedom. I had two questions after I visited the site. First, who orchestrated the revolt against Britain? Second, what was the after math of the dumping of British tea?

To summarize, I felt my site represented American unity as the events following the tea party were ignited because of this act of courageousness. Moreover, this historic event sends a message of American pride and strength in numbers. The “Boston Tea Party” museum commemorates the movements from the Americans’ to push for total independence.

Cite Used: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-boston-tea-party

Picutre of the Boston Tea Party Ship:

Nathan Hale House

Lauren Smida:

The Nathan Hale Homestead is a historical site intended to educate travelers about the American Revolution, and the influence and effect it had on the Hale family. The site is located in Coventry CT, and was built in 1776 by Nathan’s father, Richard Hale. The 37 acres of land contains a school, a barn, gardens for flowers and food, as well as several open fields.  The family started off with just enough money to start building, and eventually converted the useless dirt into a home for the history books.  The Hale’s influence during the American Revolution and determination to become independent sets this family apart from the rest during this time in our history.

The Nathan Hale Homestead’s intended narrative has to do with Nathan Hale’s death.  He died on his first spy mission, and was tricked into thinking John Andre was a friend, when in fact, he was an enemy.  John had been a British spy and killed Nathan after learning about his mission.  This manipulation and devastation paints a picture for travelers’ years later who come and visit the homestead to learn about how Nathan’s death further fueled the American Revolution.  The emotions had built up by the family and others supporting the war alongside the Hale’s. Years and years later, because of the of Nathan bravery and devastation, the tours and artifacts in the homestead portrays his home, family, and story in a positive light and as heroes for America.

The Nathan Hale Homestead represents many American identities, independence and freedom being the most distinctive.  The Hale family wanted independence from Great Britain.  As a result, their house was full of different forms of rebellion to ensure they have more freedom then intended by the British.  For example, the they grew their own tea in their gardens as a way to rebel taxed goods.  In order to gain independence and freedom, the Hale family put themselves in vulnerable positions.  Nathan’s bravery is another important American identity.  Without bravery, there would be no freedom or independence.  Lastly, they believed in educating all their children, including women.  Although unusual in this time, gender would not stop knowledge.  Along with several American identities, The Hale family also had many values.  Trading goods was extremely important.  In order to obtain these goods, Richard Hale made sure to build his house on the main trading road, thus having constant access to the travelers.  In addition to trading, status and showing off money was important.  The Hale family used their money and structure of their house as a way to rebel. However, the ways they showed off their money were all in practical ways. For example, rugs on the carpets to keep their feet warm, and several chairs in each room are some ways they showed off their wealth.  Secret passage ways and meeting rooms for clandestine information all link back to their ultimate goal of freedom and independence.

After visiting the Nathan Hale Homestead, I developed some questions. My first question was what role Nathan’s siblings played in the fight for independence. The homestead mostly talked about Richard and Nathan Hale, but did not discuss the other siblings’ roles.  My second question was what kind of discussions took place in the secret meetings. There was no record on site, but clearly those meeting held great importance.

 

 

Lincoln Memorial

 

I visited the Lincoln Memorial this summer. It is a giant statue memorializing Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States during the civil war and an advocate of abolishing slavery. The monument is memorializing one of the few that had the courage to stand up to something that was blatantly immoral and wrong. The memorial sheds a positive light on the courage of Lincoln and encourages people to stand up to what they know is wrong. It memorializes strength in the face of adversity and the common American ideal of freedom. It promotes equality and reminds us that all people are created equal regardless of socioeconomic class, gender, or race. Patriotism is strongly represented as Lincoln fought for the values that America was founded on. Some questions that could be raised is what similar divides in the country are we experiencing today, and to what extent do they exist? A follow up to that, how are these divides affecting the people and what are the consequences of it? The memorial also promotes the ideal of free speech exemplified in the way Lincoln spoke for what was right and made positive change. It encourages people even today and is a symbol for speaking up for what is right and not necessarily the popular view. This memorial also promotes peace, the primary example of that in the memorial being that in his lifetime Lincoln pushed for peace between all races and all people and encouraged nonviolence, reinvigorating the idea of the American melting pot back in the people. Another ideal shown in this memorial is unity. Lincoln was for uniting the American people, arguing that separation causes unnecessary conflict. Going hand in hand with unity is acceptance, an ideal being completely violated by slavery. He was one of the few that believed in being accepting of everyone no matter what race they are.

The Salem Chapel

Over the summer, I visited the Salem Chapel in St. Catharines, ON. The Salem Chapel is a British Methodist Episcopal church that acted as the final destination in many underground railroad rescue missions in the 1800s and was a home to many abolitionists such as Harriet Tubman. The chapel was erected in the 1853 to support the influx of African Americans into southern Ontario who sought shelter from the “Act Against Slavery” which was an anti-slavery law passed in 1793 in the legislative session of upper Canada (Ontario). In the same year, the United States Congress passed the “Fugitive Slave Act of 1793” which guaranteed the right of slave holders to recover escaped slaves. Salem Chapel is thought to be the first African American church in all of Ontario. The chapel has a memorial and garden behind it commemorating Harriet Tubman and all of the abolitionists that risks their lives for the safety of others.

The Salem Chapel portrayed the historical memory of the abolitionists in the mid 1800s. The chapel was surrounded by plaques that told stories about the lives and hardships of the abolitionists who lived in St. Catharines and the people who built the church. I think the historical site takes a neutral stance upon observing the past as to educate the public on the events that took place regarding slavery; however, it is supportive towards those who it commemorates such as Harriet Tubman and therefore influences the memory of the abolitionists. The part of time which those who are remembered by the chapel lived in, was a time where american identity was something that was unclear or subjective. There was a definite divide between different racial, economic, cultural, and gender groups, but I think that lack of identity is something that the Salem Chapel tries to emphasize in celebrating the achievements of the abolitionists. By remembering those who questioned and opposed the identity of most americans in the 1800s, The Salem Chapel recognizes and abhors the ideologies (racism, sexism etc.) which caused the divide in american identity at that time. I think values such as equality, unity, and freedom were very present at The Salem Chapel. Because there is so much emphasis on the courage and bravery of the abolitionists who travelled there, one who visits the site will definitely have very much respect for those who are remembered.

Two questions I had are:

Why isn’t the Salem Chapel very popular?

Who put up the monument and in what way were they trying to tie the past of Harriet Tubman to Canadian history?

Source:

http://www.salemchapelbmechurch.ca/index.html

Nathan Hale Homestead