On Thursday, Nov. 18, all junior history classes, including both APUSH and regular history students, visited Sturbridge village from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm.
Sturbridge Village is a colonial town in Worcester, Massachusetts that is considered a living history museum; it recreates colonial life in New England in the 1830s. Historians working in roles such as blacksmiths, shopkeepers, farmers, and docents were there to further the experience by interacting with visitors and answering questions. As most classes were currently studying the 1800 – 1840 period, the trip served to immerse them in colonial life, especially given the economic and political change occurring at the time that greatly transformed the small-town experience.
Students went into the trip with the goal of answering one main question: What is to be done with the town’s poor residents? They were given two options and were given time on their own to explore the village and inquire about the benefits and drawbacks of two possible resolutions. The first option was to purchase a poor farm, a building that provides housing for the poor in exchange for labor, using town funds, or continuing with the“vendue” system, a system where wealthier families are paid to support the town’s poor using their own money. After collecting research and building arguments, everyone gathered in the town hall and had a heated debate, weighing the pros and cons of each solution while in the roles of different characters from the time period. Ultimately, students came to the collective conclusion that the “vendue” system was a better system than the poor houses.
This trip seemed a huge success as the students took away valuable information and perspective. “It was very interesting to be able to go to a town council meeting and see what the process of decision-making would have been like and experience that for myself,” said junior Alyssa Temkin. “Seeing all the inventions that were made was fascinating as well because I got to see how over time, new things developed and new technologies were used.”
History teacher Rob Kyff also viewed the day as a win. “Overall, I’d describe it as a perfect day,” he said. “The weather was delightful, the students were engaged, enthusiastic, and energized about their experience, and I believed they learned a lot about the lifestyle, concerns, struggles, and political beliefs of Americans during this critical decade.”
Due to COVID-19, field trips have been a thing of the past, so students felt it was not only informative but fun as well. “I got to see how certain people in the village viewed poor people and hear their ideas to help them,” said junior Lucia Martinez Castro. “The trip was also something fun, considering our form hasn’t had a school trip in a few years and it was a nice way to socialize with friends and spend a nice day together.”
Although this was the first time KO students have visited Sturbridge Village, it might not be the last, due to the clear success of the trip.
