clair055

  Do you know what these are? If you guessed dental tools you would be correct? Now, who owned them? None other than America’s silversmith and favorite son of Liberty who rode the countryside warning the folks that the British were coming.   No…not William Dawes, but that other one.   Yes, old what’s his name? Yes!   Paul Revere! Following the French and Indian War the economy in the colonies had been what is described by some today as an economic downturn. Actually, folks were really hurting financially. Not only did the colonies take a hit with the French and Indian War there was something called the Stamp Act that severely impacted Paul Revere’s business. With creditors after his property and no orders coming in for his metal working Revere turned towards dentistry. Seems logical. Right? A surgeon staying with a mutual friend taught Revere some of the tricks of the trade. Yes, five years before his midnight ride the following ad appeared in the Boston G...

It seems these days everyone has a forum or two to make their opinions known on every subject possible.  We can post to Facebook or Twitter.   We can have our own blog or self-publish our own books.   We can text, we can make regular comments online at various sites, and we can call in to various television and radio shows. Over the last few years we’ve seen how social media can help to accelerate revolutions and impact protests in foreign countries, we can see how fast ideas travel and take on momentum via videos and Internet links that go viral. I often wonder if we aren’t literally drowning in TOO much information…. I often wonder if the present quagmire of partisan politics isn’t caused by TOO much information…. Just imagine for a few minutes how events could have been shaped during the 1700s leading up to the American Revolution if people in England and the Colonies had access to some of the technology we do today along with the resulting partisanship, fing...

I was taught early on in grammar school the Liberty Bell was one of our most important symbols.  I'm certain that you were taught that as well since it is considered to be one of our most important symbols and represents what the United States is all about. I really don't dispute the idea that the bell represents freedom, however, I do dispute how it became our symbol of liberty. I would imagine if I sent out a quick little survey to folks nine out of ten would tell me the bell we refer to as the Liberty Bell became famous and became etched into our collective memory when it was rung to announce the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Nice story. It does evoke certain patriotic stirrings, doesn't it? The story is false. It didn't happen. While bells were used to mark the reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 there is no definitive proof the Liberty Bell rang.  In fact, most historians today refute the claim mainly due to the fact that the Second Co...

Claudius Smith's exploits are the perfect subject matter for me to share here at History Is Elementary.  He's a true figure in American history yet he is wrapped in many myths.  For every story you find out about him there are naysayers.  What most agree upon is he lived, he died and somewhere in the middle he robbed a few folks.  Another reason why he's a perfect candidate for me to write about is he represents a segment of history that is mentioned but rarely examined closely. Smith lived in Smith's Clove...an area of New York more than likely named for his family.  The area is known  for its ponds, streams and mountain gorges making up what is also referred to as the Ramapo Valley.  Today the area falls under the jurisdiction of Orange County, New York and the county seat is Monroe - named for President Monroe.  The area also has the distinction of being the birthplace of Velveeta cheese. No joke. During the American Revolution the Smith's Clov...

I walk over to my laptop and make a quick “click”. The sounds of Aretha Franklin fill the classroom…. Chain, chain, chain, chain, chain, chian Chain, chain, chain, chain of fools Five long years I thought you were my man But I found out I'm just a link in your chain....  found out I’m just a link in your chain…. Go ahead – click on the video and listen. I’ll wait. I’m certain you are thinking I’ve lost it. Why is ElementaryHistoryTeacher playing this particular song for nine and ten year olds as the opening salvo to a lesson regarding an aspect of the American Revolution? Don’t click off just yet. I have a connection. Teaching history isn’t all about reading a lesson in a book or having a teacher tell a fascinating story for kids to take notes from. Teaching history is all about making connections and visualizing the links – links in a chain of events that ebb and flow through history to the present day. In this particular exercise where I play the Queen of Soul’s famous song for m...

I wrote the following blog post in March, 2006. Enjoy! Introducing American History to children isn’t always easy. I employ the “take two steps forward, one step back” method. I constantly review. I constantly connect old content to new content. Over the last several days we have become knee deep into the American Revolution. During our review of taxes, taxes, and more taxes we were making a list of the different ways colonists protested the taxes. As they volunteered I wrote-----boycotts, smuggled goods, letters to Parliament, petitions, and violence. A young man volunteers, “The Sons of Liberty.” Immediately a girl speaks up and says, “Daughters,too----the Daughters of Liberty!” I make separate entries on the board to please the masses. I say, “I think we have them all. What about important people who spoke out about the taxes?” Students rattle off the following names---James Otis, Mercy Otis Warren, and Patrick Henry. “There’s one more that we’ve talked about, so far,” I prompt. A ...