Three Stories of Strength - NYS History

Friends of mine homeschool their children and they reached out for ideas for NYS history activities. Here in New York it is part of the state curriculum and not something included in the broader, national curriculum resources. I decided for this blog post to share some of my suggestions for cool NYS local history in the upstate area!

-Story of Solomon Northup. His story chronicles how, as a free person of color by birth (Minerva, NY) he settled with his wife and three children in Saratoga, NY. It was here that he was recruited to be a fiddler performer in the circus by two men who essentially kidnapped him and sold him into slavery in the South. Through enormous personal strength and intelligence, helpful abolitionists, and the legal system, Solomon eventually wins back his freedom. He writes his own memoir, which is the book (and later movie) Twelve Years a Slave. This heartbreaking story could be taught and tailored across various grade levels depending on maturity.

-The 3 Sisters Gardening Practices. Inspired by Native American legend, the practice details the growing of corn, beans, and squash together in the garden. The story explains the meaning behind the practice (the sisters reliance on each other) but could be a great exploration of the science behind why it works, or an opportunity to plant the crops as an experiment!

-Theodore Roosevelt’s Night Ride from the Adirondacks. In 1901, Roosevelt was in the remote Adirondacks, on a trip summiting Mt. Marcy, the highest mountain in the state. He received word that President McKinley’s health was deteriorating and embarked on a long trip of wagons and trains to make it out to Buffalo. It was learned that the President had passed in the early hours of the morning and so it is believed that Roosevelt became President Roosevelt during his trip down through the Adirondacks.

BONUS!

-Historical Markers Hunt. I suggested going on a search for all of the blue historical markers in the area. It would be cool to photograph and/or map them, and then research more about them and Google Maps “My Maps” would be a tech-y way to accomplish this!