Monday, November 26, 2007

Summer Institute

This past summer, participating teachers in Encounters and Exchanges in U.S. History took part in a week-long Summer Institute organized by Primary Source titled Exploring Conflict and Consensus Among Peoples from the American Colonies to the New Republic. The internationalism of the colonial world was emphasized throughout the Institute.

Guided by our course reader, Alan Taylor's American Colonies: The Settling of North America, the course addressed the history of colonial America and the early Republic with a view toward including the experiences and interactions of various peoples: Indians, Spanish, British, French, Dutch, Swedish, a mix of Africans, and others. We worked with many primary sources from the time period and traveled to Plimouth Plantation, visited the Wampanoag home site and the reconstructed Mayflower, tasted colonial foods, and observed craft demonstrations.

Topics and scholar presentations for the Summer Institute included:
  • Internationalism in Colonial America, Cynthia Van Zandt, UNH


  • Native Cultures in Early America, Marge Bruchac


  • Spanish America, John Bezis-Selfa, Wheaton College


  • French America, Bill Fowler, Northeastern University


  • Visual History of Early America, Pat Johnston, Salem State College


  • Black Founders: Africans in Colonial and Revolutionary America, Richard Newman, RIT


  • Commerce, Trade, and Events Leading to the Revolution, Tad Baker, Salem State College


  • Teaching the Founding Documents, Tom Conroy Stonehill College

To view a slideshow of images from the Summer Institute click on the following link:


http://picasaweb.google.com/Kagie20/EncountersAndExchangesInUSHistoryPrimarySourceSummerInstitute/photo?authkey=oyiER1VddvA#s5137174801129760098