Members of the 2007 class with David McCulloughCenter for the Study of Early American History

Exploring Early American History: Everyday Life

July 13-17 and 20-24, 2009

The Center for the Study of Early American History at The General Henry Knox Museum announces its fourth annual Summer Teacher Institute, open to all teachers of history and social studies.

The program integrates classroom lectures, hands-on projects, public events and field trips, focusing on a “place-based” exploration of history. During the 2009 Institute participants will experience what everyday life was like in colonial and Federal period America. Teachers may apply for one or both weeks of the program.

Funding from the Sunshine Lady Foundation and the Institute for Museum and Library Services allows us to offer this program free of charge, and some free housing is available for students not able to commute. In this course, participants will:

  • Increase their subject knowledge of early American history through community resources and stories

  • Learn from noted experts and scholars, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author, David McCullough

  • Earn up to 4.5 CEU's or register with the University of Maine's Hutchinson Center for college credit (3 credit hours)

  • Complete a research project that informs their work in the classroom

  • Earn a $200 stipend to implement a history project in their classroom ($100 for each week)


Highlights July 13-17Highlights July 20-24

Eighteenth Century Clothing
Mary Doering, Corcoran College of Art & Design

Labor and Technology
Professor Robert Forrant, U Mass, Lowell

Island Life in Early American History
ME Parks and Lands Historian Tom Desjardin

Eighteenth Century Cooking
Food Historian Sandy Oliver

One Night Stands With American History
Author Richard Shenkman

The History of Drinking
Dr. James Kirby Martin, U of Houston

Native Americans and Foraging for Edible Plants
Wanda Garland

Courtship in Early America
Dr. Laura Prieto,Simmons College

Primary Resources Online

Everyday Life at Home
Jack Larkin, Chief Historian at Old Sturbridge Village

Penobscot Nation Museum

Davistown Museum of Tools

2009 Application Package
There are still a few openings left - contact us at (207) 354-0858 or center@knoxmuseum.org if you would like to apply.


For more information:
The General Henry Knox Museum
Center for the Study of Early American History
PO Box 326
Thomaston, ME 04861
(207) 354-0858, Fax (207) 354-0886
Email: center@knoxmuseum.org
Educational Resources for schools and teachers

Funding for this program provided by:

The Sunshine Lady Foundation Institute of Museum and Library Services