Milwaukee

I spent two great days with history teachers and history students from the Milwaukee Public School District. Thanks to the indomitable Anthony Napoli for once again inviting me to do a session on women and children in colonial America for the Gilder-Lehrman Institute. I also want to thank Tina and Jennie, the coordinators for the district’s Teaching American History grant, for being great hosts.

Yesterday we had a morning session with about 30 or so teachers and this morning I spoke to about 500 kids, grades 5-12, on the what it was like to be a kid in colonial America. The session was held in the Weasler Auditorium at Marquette University.

During the talk I offered five possible options for what life would have been like for my audience if they lived in British North America prior to the American Revolution. Here were their options: Child of the Covenant, Tobacco Kid, Tender Plant, Native Son or Daughter, and Children of Slaves. I even managed to get some Philip Vickers Fithian into the lecture!

I was very impressed with the attention span of the students. Kudos to the 5th grade classes sitting in the front 6 or 7 rows who really asked some thoughtful questions.

RECOMMENDED READING

THIS WEEK: The Conference of Faith and History AHA session on Eugene McCarraher’s The Enchantments of Mammon What Child Is This? The Author’s Corner with Edward Pompeian Good Teachers Don’t Preach Critical Race Theory