INTRODUCTION TO THE 1790's
This year's Living History Day's theme is "What is was like to be a child in NE Pennsylvania in the 1790's". This time period was chosen because of some significant events that happened in this region during that time period. In 1786 the town of Athens was laid out. By the 1790's the settlement of Tioga Point was a rapidly growing community. From Bradsby's History of Bradford County :
So important was ' Hollenback's Store " that often letters sent to men in this section of the State were thus addressed-this was for some time the only name Athens had. Holtenback's was a truly historical house; he dug the first well, and planted the first apple trees at Tioga Point, some of which trees are still living; he built a warehouse on the bank of the Chemung river that accommodated, many years, the merchants; when a boat arrived bringing new goods the horn was blown to announce the fact. Hollenback's house and store was torn down in 1849. In 1793, when the revolution in France was raging Col. Hollenback was employed, by the Governor of Pennsylvania, to procure a place of retreat for the royal family of France, at some secluded spot on the Susquehanna, and he purchased Asylum township, Bradford county, to which place came the French colony, a few of whose descendants are yet with us. The royal family never came-for the good reason they had lost their heads.
This was the frontier. The settlers established mills, a stores, taverns, hotels, and a number of residences. Hollenback's Store was located just south of where the library/museum stand today. There were mills on Cash Creek. In 1799, James Saterlee was the first to drive a wagon from Athens to Springfield, a distance of 10 miles, taking 2 days to complete the trip. Additionally, French Azilum was established in 1793. A Peace Treaty was signed in the Valley between the Iroquois Nation, represented by Red Jacket and 300 Native Americans, and the local residents, represented by Col. Pickering 1790.
1.STATIONS
LHD Stations - Kindergarten - Second
LHD Stations - Third - Fifth Grades
2. CLOTHING -
Clothing of the times - click here.
Easy Costume ideas - click here.
3. UNDERSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD -
America in the 1790's - The new Republic
Overview of the Federal Period - 1780 - 1820
4. LESSON PLANS -
Here are some lesson plans that are available online that tie into our theme of the 1790's.
The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association's museum and library collections have developed a collection of short activities for the classroom based on objects and documents from the Digital Collection. Each activity is made by a teacher using their web site. Go to this web site and click on Classroom Activities.
Here is "Mathmatics
with a mob cap" to create a quick mob cap.
We the
People -
The Constitution of the United States, created during the hot summer of
1787, symbolizes freedom, justice, equality, and hope for all American
citizens. This lesson promotes student understanding of the importance
of the Constitution and how it relates to the changes that our country
has made since it was written.
Gather
the Stones -
There was a number of mills located along the Cayuta Creek (Shepard's
Creek) run by John Shepard, who owned all the land that is now Waverly,
NY. In this elementary level lesson, students will explore the purpose
and importance of a gristmill to early Pennsylvanians.
And from the
National Archives -
Teaching with Documents: United States vs. Thomas Cooper, a lawyer and
newspaper editor in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, was indicted, prosecuted, and
convicted of violating the Sedition Act after he published a broadside
that was sharply critical of President Adams. The Sedition Act was later
repealed after Thomas Jefferson won the presidency.
Also from the National Archives -
The Lewis
and Clark Expedition (okay, so it is 1803, but maybe close enough?)
President Thomas Jefferson chose his personal secretary, Meriwether Lewis,
an intelligent and literate man who also possessed skills as a frontiersman.
Lewis in turn solicited the help of William Clark, whose abilities as
draftsman and frontiersman were even stronger. Together they collected
a diverse military Corps of Discovery that would be able to undertake
a two-year journey to the great ocean. Also, here are the PBS
teacher resources on Lewis and Clark.
Additionally, PBS has lesson plans available for grades 3-5. From PBS.