The materials used to present to students the life style and history of 1871 to 1900 in New Britain were all found locally and with little research effort. This method for handling local and Connecticut history can be used anywhere. After choosing a particularly rich period of local history, or a truly representative one, the teacher needs to ground the local information in readable state histories. The two most useful to the late 19th century for my purposes were Roth and Van Dusen. Intellectual histories of the nation also add a perspective often missing from older local texts which tend to see their own area as the hub of the universe. Then the treasure hunt begins. Materials which may be checked include published local history, street directories and maps, military records, and of course, newspapers. These suggestions and other excellent ideas are contained in
Experiments in Teaching History
, ed., Stephen Batlin, et al., Harvard-Danforth Center for Teaching and Learning, Cambridge, 1977. The work also gives oral history suggestions, and local “digging” suggestions which might be useful in a class project. Of particular use in New Britain is the Local History Room organized in the Library. If your town or city doesn’t have one, ask for one and start collecting materials to be contained in it. That would be a good use for student projects; it would give them permanent meaning. Such primary source materials are useful also to illustrate general American History units, adding to an understanding of Industrial America or American Immigration. Since such materials may also be used cumulatively to give a picture of a whole period, some general questions might be asked at the conclusion of the unit.
1. What were the biggest changes occurring in the illustrative society?
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2. What economic facts were influencing the lives of the People then?
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3. What political forces were at work? What were the various groups’ aims?
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4. How did the everyday lives of the people differ from ours today?
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5. Which institutions, educational, church, social, of that period are still around today?
6. If you were alive then, where would you fit into that society?