January 31, 2017

On this last day of January, we engaged in a discussion heavy set of activities.  We first talked about the Netherlands Monument in New York as an example of historical myth ensconced in the public sphere and discussed some of the roles both the monument and the historical myth which it portrays play in the context of American society and politics. 

We next debriefed your take on the reading selection from last night about Indian slavery in South Carolina as an example of the endeavor to create a more complete picture of the past in order to more fully understand the motivations and decisions of historical actors.

We brought these two skill sets together in the next part of class by analyzing and sharing our take on three different images on America during colonial times in lit circles.  The texts tackled myths about America's history and attempted to replace the myth with a more nuanced and detailed picture of the past.

We ended the day by bringing all of these strands together to inform our DocBlock (HAPP analysis) focusing on a letter written by Richard Frethorne, an indentured servant in Virginia, written in 1623.  Frethorne was 12 years old at the time and records show that he died sometime within a year of writing the letter.

Tonight, you need to complete your DocBlock over the Frethorne letter if you didn't finish in class.  You also need to read the Maroon Communities selection under Period 2, or linked below.  Also, don't forget that Chapter 4 is due Thursday!

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• Maroon Communities reading