Posted on 08/22/2017 10:34:43 AM PDT by C19fan
Because the younger people no longer know any history things like Williamsburg are no more significant to them than cartoons. They have no concept that it represents anything that was ever real. Going through a museum at Williamsburg means no more to people now than looking at the shelves in a Wal Mart, except you can't buy stuff.
Places like Williamsburg need to become relevant to our modern era. They must change with the times and open new lines of interest—Not just PC nonsence—Things like more Ghosts Story tours—battle re-enactments. Something on Colonial Brothels, Maybe something on Gambling as well as Civil War battles. A museum must be constantly changing and offering more different things to the public! Plays of the era—melodramas, Shakespeare, comedy. History needs to show its fun side. Someone should build Barnum’s Museum again!
Under common core, the only grade level in which American History is taught, from its colonial days through the Revolutionary War including the founding documents, is FIFTH GRADE! How can 10 year olds fully grasp the significance of America’s founding: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and Bill of Rights, the founding fathers, the Age of Enlightenment, our first five presidents, etc.? They can’t, I can attest to that. I taught it. And while they understand it as it’s developed for 5 grade, it in no way covers the material as it should be covered, obviously. It makes my blood boil every time I think of it.
It sounds like the folks running Williamsburg need to spend more time crunching numbers—they need to cut their expenses to match their revenues.
That is a history lesson worth learning!
I taught US history to 7th & 8th graders. As state testing requirements increased, due to No Child Left Behind, I was told that as a history teacher, my first priority was to ensure that the kids did well on their state reading and math tests. No, I didn’t change how or what I taught. I went into the job knowing my kids were poor readers so I picked the most challenging history books available. It took time, but by the time they graduated, most were reading the books. They thanked me when they found that high school history was easier than my classes.
And the math? Sometimes I’d ask a question like, “The Wright Brothers first flew in 1903. How long ago was that?” And when they all pulled out their calculators, I told them they had to figure it the old way—it was history class after all. (About half could get the right answer—pretty sad for 8th graders.)
I don’t know how you could not want to go to Williamsburg.
I will never forget the experience.
Went for my birthday, was dressed in my usual shorts and was somehow conscripted into The Continental Army, where I was forced to march in formation.
I then went on to see The Governors Mansion and thought “Even without air conditioning, I could live here...”
Then walking through the town and talking to the actors, what a great time. Very informative and just plain fun.
Went to the armory and almost passed out. What gorgeous arms they had there and building is just stupendous.
Had dinner at some restaurant that cooked strictly foods you would have had around the time of the revolution.
No ‘lectricity what so ever. Everything was by candle light and the food was freaking spectacular and I wondered “How come no one cooks like this?”
Just a great experience....
There are plenty of other awe inspiring historic venues from Jamestown to Yorktown, Washington's birthplace and the old Lee homestead Stratford Hall.
Amazing, Howard Zinns Books on History have done more than anything else to destroy peoples interest in history.Almost like it was planned.
It’s a Potemkin Village.
“Went to the armory and almost passed out. What gorgeous arms they had there and building is just stupendous.”
Remember the arms lining the walls of the foyer in the governor’s mansion?
We also went to Yorktown and learned the significance of the Revolutionary War battle there and the details of the battle.
I may have had some of the history of Yorktown way back at some K-12 point, but little of the importance and details did I remember.
We went to all the designated stops, by car, all around the battle area. What an education. We did not have time to also do any Yorktown Civil War monuments as well.
The fact that Yorktown was a key point in both wars is one part of the testament to the key role Virginia played in both wars.
My favorite was the swords in the foyer.
They don’t teach “white history” and our founding values anymore. It’s all shame and hate now.
Recently I saw a video of Colonial Williamsburg at Christmastime. They had employees dressed like the 1700s and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was singing patriotic songs. Tourists were singing along. It was really nice.
The camera panned the crowd and I noticed each and every person in the crowd was white. The only nonwhite person in the video was a black man who was an employee of Colonial Williamsburg. It occurred to me that as we are flooded with more and more third world immigrants, will places like Colonial Williamsburg will not survive. Immigrants have no interest in American history or the Founding Fathers. Such places will die.
A friend and I went to Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park on a very busy weekend. They have a replica of Independence Hall there. My friend and I were the only people visiting that attraction. As we left, a group of about three or four came in, but that was it. How longer before they tear it down due to lack of interest?
Disneyland has “Frontierland” and “Main Street USA.” Knott’s has an old-west town. I predict that if things don’t change fast, these attractions will be torn down and replaced with “world marketplace” or some such. Nobody will care about American history. It’s sad.
This is extremely sad to me. My parents went out of their way to make sure we spent parts of nearly every summer vacation visiting historical sites all over the northeast and mid-Atlantic, so we could learn about American history.
Since we live in New England (Connecticut), a typical school field trip for us was a visit to a Revolutionary War battlefield, prison, home or settlement like Plimoth Plantation or Old Sturbridge Village (both in MA) was a typical school field trip for us.
What a sad post. Let’s hope and pray that’s not the trend for our American historical sites...
What a great idea! Or possibly Liberty University. Every time my husband and I have driven through through their campus in VA over the past 4 or so years, there are more and more cranes and new buildings going up. I suspect they are rolling in dough.... at least I hope they are. :-)
I think you're onto something. I live about 55 miles from Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. OSV is sort of like a small, simpler Colonial Williamsburg.
I haven't attended this event, but looks like Old Sturbridge Village has had some success with The Sleepy Hollow Experience
A few years ago, my husband and I had a great time at Washington's Mount Vernon on one of their Christmas candlelight tours. It was VERY well attended - lots of kids and young people, too.
I still say that in hard economic times which we are still in, the prices of these places are too expensive for a family of four.
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