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As part of the Freedom Project’s goal to provide teachers with content knowledge in local history, we would like to plan some short field trips to historical sites and museums within 100 miles of Rockford. Of course this is all contingent on having available funds, but should the money be available, we would like to know your top choices. Vans or cars would be the mode of transportation depending on the number of those interested for each site. Coach buses would be chartered should we have more than 15 teachers select a given site. The trips would all occur on Saturdays with the exception of Hull House which would be a Sunday afternoon as they are closed on Saturday.
Please read through the list of sites below along with the brief explanations of what is offered at each site and the curricular ties. For additional information on each proposed trip, you will find a website address that you can access to provide more details, as well as visuals! It would help greatly if you would rank your choices according to your top choice (1) on down the line and also include possible dates that work for you.
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CANTIGNY
1st Division Museum
You won’t find it on an Army base, or next to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., or even in downtown Chicago. You will find one of the finest military museums in the country located in Wheaton, Illinois, in the middle of a beautiful park about as far removed from fighting and war as a visitor can imagine. Located on a wooded site in the midst of Cantigny Park, the First Division Museum is visited by over 110,000 people each year and is known for its realistic exhibits and immersing galleries. The main exhibit hall of the First Division Museum presents the history of the 1st Infantry Division, from its prehistory in the Revolutionary War, Civil War, Spanish-American War and Mexican Punitive Expedition, to its activation in World War I. Displays are state of the art interactive and experiential exhibits which take visitors through WWII, the Cold War, and Vietnam to Desert Storm. The park also contains one of the world’s most extensive military vehicle collections.
Curricular ties: American Revolution, war, military history, political events in history, Illinois history, foreign affairs and foreign policy as it relates to other nations. Lesson plans are available on the website with an outstanding one on the American Revolution!
Download a teacher’s guide with complete information on the museum by going to the address below:
http://www.firstdivisionmuseum.org/education/Pdfs/TeachersGuide.pdf
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CHICAGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The Chicago History Museum cares for, showcases, and interprets millions of authentic pieces of Chicago and U.S. history. Their ability to illuminate the past is a reminder of what really happened once upon a time, sheds light on the present, and compellingly informs the future. Exhibits include: “Burnham 2.0: A Patchwork Plan for Chicago’s High-Speed Rail System” which marks the centennial of Daniel Burnham’s 1909 Plan of Chicago (now through April 26, 2009), “How State Became Great”—the story of State Street in Chicago, “Chic Chicago: Couture Treasures from the Chicago History Museum” (now through July 26, 2009) with extraordinary gowns dating back to 1861, each with a strong connection to Chicago, “Lincoln Treasures”—a family friendly exhibition commemorating the accomplished life and tragic death of Abraham Lincoln (opens February 12, 2009), “Chicago: Crossroads of America”—a must see of the city’s vast history depicting the changing economy, challenging crises, diverse neighborhoods, groundbreaking innovations, and lively cultures (available as an audio tour), as well as the popular dioramas and other treasures.
Curricular ties: Abraham Lincoln, local history, westward expansion, industry and labor, economic growth, material culture, transportation, architecture, the railroad.
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DUSABLE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY
The DuSable Museum of African American History is dedicated to serving the cultural and educational needs of the community and is the first museum of its type in the country established to preserve and interpret the historical experiences and achievements of African Americans. Present exhibits (through May 17, 2009) include the following: “Distant Echoes: Black Farmers in America,” “Red, White, Blue and Black: A History of Blacks in the Armed Forces,” “Wisdom of Words: Lerone Bennett, Jr., The People’s Historian,” “Postal Portraits: African Americans and Stamps,” and “Africa Speaks”—a permanent exhibition on the continent of Africa, region by region.
Curricular ties: African American history, famous African Americans, local history.
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ELLWOOD HOUSE/GLIDDEN BARB WIRE MUSEUM
Learn the history of barbed wire and tour the elegant mansion of Joseph Glidden’s partner, Isaac Ellwood. (Tours after March 1st). A grand Victorian mansion located in the heart of DeKalb, the home, with its vast stone fireplace and three-story spiral staircase, is a showplace with its original furnishings. The museum’s visitor center includes the Barbed Wire History Gallery, the Carriage Gallery and the Special Exhibits’ Gallery. (Possibly to include John Deere if after May 1st and before Nov. 1st) Also on this tour would be a short stop at Joseph Glidden’s Homestead and historical center.
Curricular ties: local history, patents, industry, westward expansion, architecture.
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GALENA/GRANT'S HOME
Home to 9 Civil War generals, including our 18th President, Galena lie just 90 miles west of Rockford and offers many history-related diversions. Nearby is Apple River Fort State Historic Site where in 1832 settlers battled nearly 200 Sauk and Fox warriors led by Black Hawk. The fort has been reconstructed (1996) and is open for self-guided tours and living history interpretive programs. In downtown Galena, the home of Ulysses S. Grant has been operated by the Galena Historical Society since 1904 providing tours and interpretation of the President and his family. Also in downtown Galena, where three-fourths of the buildings are on the National Register of Historic Sites, is the Galena History Museum where visitors can view exhibits from the Civil War, a rare oil painting of Julia Dent Grant, the flag of Admiral Perry from his famous naval battle in 1812, and a number of other interesting and rare tidbits of history—including one of Grant’s cigar butts said to have been tossed when he learned he had lost the 1880 nomination for President! Also nearby are the famous lead mines which put Galena on the map!
Curricular ties: local history, Black Hawk, westward expansion, transportation (railroad), US Grant, mining, architecture, military history.
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HULL HOUSE
Since its founding in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, Hull House has served as a vital community center for its immigrant neighbors, providing space for social gatherings and cultural celebrations and offering English and citizenship classes. “Chicago: an Immigrant City” is the latest project of the Jane Addams Hull House which is an anthology of contemporary reflections on the immigrant experience written by immigrants, artists, activists, scholars, and youth on the topics of labor, education, equal rights and other concerns of the immigrant population. Other exhibits include “Ida B. Wells and Jane Addams” who were both charter members of the NAACP.
Curricular ties: famous women, immigration/immigrants, social reform, suffrage, civil rights, human rights, social services, local history.
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ILLINOIS LABOR TRAIL
“The Labor Trail: Chicago's History of Working-Class Life and Struggle,” is a map of 140 significant locations in the history of labor, migration, and working-class culture in Chicago and Illinois for interested individuals to visit. The Labor Trail is the product of a joint effort to showcase the many generations of dramatic struggles and working-class life in the Chicago area's rich and turbulent past. The Trail's neighborhood tours invite you to get acquainted with the events, places, and people -- often unsung -- who have made the city what it is today. In addition, the statewide map is just a starting point for further exploration of Illinois' labor heritage. Also online is the Interactive Labor Trail which expands the number of locations and provides a greater depth of information of Chicago area’s working-class history. Included, of course, on the labor trail are such locations as Haymarket Square, the scene of the famous Haymarket Riots in the late 1800’s, as well as the Pullman Village, Bronzeville (the African American community), and much more.
Curricular ties: labor, Chicago, Illinois history, military history, architecture, industry, race relations, immigration, transportation.
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McCORMICK FREEDOM MUSEUM
The Freedom Museum certainly pertains to us with our grant titled the “Freedom Project!” Here you will view a short film “So It’s a Free Country,” explore the meaning of freedom, scan a two-story sculpture containing 800 quotes on freedom, discover the ancient roots of democracy and trace its path to the Founding Fathers, learn about 1st amendment rights and the importance of safeguarding them, immerse yourself in debates involving your rights, and test your knowledge of those rights.
Curricular ties: Constitution, government, Bill of Rights, 1st amendment.
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MILTON HOUSE
Documented as being a stop on the Underground Railroad, the Milton House was built by Joseph Goodrich, founder of the town of Milton. A Seventh-Day Baptist, Goodrich had left the “Burned-over District” (called such because of the “flames of religious revivalism” that had scorched the area) in western New York to settle in Wisconsin, taking the reform movement and its ideals westward. Several oral accounts state that Joseph Goodrich and his family were conductors on the UGRR and used the Milton House and Goodrich Cabin to hide fugitives. The earliest direct reference to Joseph Goodrich’s involvement in the UGRR appears in The United States Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Eminent and Self-Made Men, Wisconsin Volume (1877) which states: “His home was a refuge for the fugitive slave.”
This field trip would probably be a four hour commitment: 1-1/2 hours driving time, 2-2-1/2 hours of tour and interpretation of the home with a docent. A great deal of historical background on this site can be found online at the website given above. Curricular ties: slavery, African-Americans, abolitionism, religious reform, local history, architecture.
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NEWBERRY LIBRARY
The Newberry Library in Chicago is one of the premier independent research libraries in the world. Current exhibits include “Artifacts of Childhood: 700 Years of Children’s Literature” (until January 17, 2009). Teachers interested in doing research or genealogy, locating documents or perusing old manuscripts would enjoy this trip. The library actively collects and preserves books, manuscripts, maps, and other printed materials.
Curricular ties: cartography, literary works, architecture, (individualized research).
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Are there museums or other historic sites that you think should be included on this list? If so, please add the site with a brief explanation of its importance/relevance for our group by writing the information on the back of your survey!!
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