Monday, November 28, 2011

The Treasure Trove Next Door

And we're off!  Blog post number 1!

Imagine discovering an untapped archeological treasure trove containing hundreds of thousands of precious national heirlooms chronicling the story of America from Ferdinand and Isabella all the way to George Washington and Susan B. Anthony. As it happens, there is just a place in Morristown, New Jersey.
At Morristown National Historical Park, home to the Jacob Ford Mansion where George Washington had his headquarters during the winter of 1779—1780, more than 300,000 manuscripts and 15,000 printed documents are housed in what is known as the Lloyd W. Smith Archives Collection. Smith, a Wall Street executive from the first half of the 20th century, was a passionate collector of historic papers and records, and wanted to create a kind of primary source history of the United States. In 1957, two years after Smith's death, his documents became the backbone of a new repository in his name.
Ms. Sarah Minegar, the chief archivist of the Collection, has been a classroom teacher as well as a longtime student of history. “I feel the close study of primary documents makes me a more perceptive and conscientious historian,” she says. Because Minegar considers it a privilege that she lives her daily life in such close proximity to history, she actively seeks to share her experience and knowledge. “I feel compelled to be the best steward of history I can,” she says.
One way she accomplishes this goal is through a high school program she created and introduced this year, Archival Ambassadors. This week-long summer course is designed to allow students entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grade to “explore history from the source,” and to learn proper methods for dealing with historic materials. When examining primary sources, the students are asked to “interrogate the documents” to find out important information, such as the speaker, audience, subject, and purpose. “This gives the students a chance to... really dig into the uninterpreted, raw history.”
Even the occasional forgery makes for a great story, too. One letter, supposedly written by George Gordon (aka Lord Byron), the famous poet, was acquired with the rest of the collection and was put on display periodically. Earlier this year, when another institution was planning on doing an exhibit on Lord Byron, the letter was pulled out to be examined. Surprisingly, the letter was proved to be a “faux.” Dr. Jude Pfister, curator of the museum at the Morristown National Historical Park, realized that this discovery opened the door to a new and worthwhile conversation about the motivations and circumstances behind forgeries like this one. He explained in an interview with radio station WCBS, “We don’t have the real thing, but in and of itself, there’s just as much of a story.”
Young historians and researchers don't necessarily have to be in the summer program to gain access to the extraordinary materials in the collection. After being issued a Research Card, one can call ahead to schedule time at the Archives at (973)539-2016. The Archives are usually open from 1:00 to 4:00pm Tuesdays through Thursdays. In general, researchers look at microfilm rather than the manuscripts themselves, which are rarely pulled from the vault. No food or beverages are allowed in the research room itself to protect the documents and equipment. There are lockers to keep coats, bags, and lunch, along with a break room nearby.
Many historians pick the usual places, like the New York Historical Society and the National Archives, to do their primary source research. They overlook the rich, comparatively untapped resource residing at Morristown National Historical Park. Ms. Minegar and Dr. Pfister are hoping to change that.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Welcome

Hi there.

Welcome to the blog of A Kid's Eye View of American History.  My name is Hunter Stires.  I'm 14 years old and a huge history buff.  I'll be posting a lot of fun stories, interesting tidbits, and accounts of my experiences exploring the realm of U.S. and World History.

I hope that I can bring a new perspective and show you how awesome history really is.