As part of the Carmine Guica Young Historians (CGYH) program, the Cavendish Historical Society (CHS) provides teachers, students, families and the community with information on town, state and national history for the month ahead. This post is also available at the CHS blog.
GENERAL INFORMATION
• If you have questions, want to arrange for a program or need more information, call 802-226-7807 or e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com
• To learn more about the various programs that CHS offers for students and community, as well as opportunities close to Cavendish, go to the Resource Page.
• The CHS Cares Closet, located next to the steps of the Museum is free, open 24/7, and offers a wide array of things to do, read etc. for both children and adults.
VALENTINES FOR THE BIRDS: Since we were unable to hold our annual holiday due to a snow day, we’re rescheduling it for Valentine’s Day. As cold as it’s been, the birds could use some extra treats.
These are the projects being planned by grade level:
K-1: Stringing Cheerios (Gluten free) on wire.
2-3: Peanut butter/bird seed pinecones
4: Bird seed cookies
5-6: Garland (wire) of strung popcorn and cranberries
Teachers: Please let me know dates and times that work best for you.
Parents: If you would like your home schooler to participate in this project, please be in touch with the teachers at CTES. We can also arrange to do a special workshop for home learners if there is interest.
THE SHORTEST MONTH OF THE YEAR: February is the shortest month of the year, but for some it may seem the longest as we hold our breath for spring. It’s an interesting month as it honors African American History, Valentine’s Day as well as Presidents Washington and Lincoln.
AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH RESOURCES: The history of African American/Black History Month traces back to 1915, when the “Father of Black History Month,” Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which is now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). The first Negro History Week in February 1926. Additionally, February was chosen in recognition of the birthdays of two celebrated supporters of African American citizens, Abraham Lincoln – the 16th President of the United States, and Frederick Douglass – an orator, writer, and abolitionist.
Throw Down Your Heart: Depending on the age of your student(s), highly recommend Bela Fleck’s movie (free on UTube), Throw Down Your Heart.
He is one of the world’s leading banjo players. The film is his journey of bringing the banjo back to Africa. Running time is an hour and 37 minutes. However, it can be watched in segments.
The banjo likely evolved from the akonting, a hide-covered gourd with three strings attached to a pole, brought by enslaved Africans to America. “Throw down your heart” is a translation of the Kiswahili word “Bagamoyo,” the name of the port in Tanzania where natives, captured inland, were loaded onto ships as chattel. Legend has it, that this was the last glimpse of the African soil slaves would get before being abducted and shipped across the Indian ocean to the Americas, Egypt or some other shores by Swahili slave traders in the 19th century. The name is reflecting the desperation and despair of the ‘broken hearted’ captives. This is described around 37 minutes into the film.
Around 54 minutes, the akonting is played and the technique used by these musicians-dropped thumb- is still used today by “old time” banjo players. They discuss how the akonting was used on the slave ships to help those endure the "middle passage."
• African American History Month: Includes resources from The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Teacher Resources
• National Museum of African American History & Culture Lots of excellent resources at this site.
• National Museum of African American Music
• Explore Vermont’s African American history
• VT African American Heritage Trail
Dates of significance in February that pertain to African American history: Frederick Douglas was born in Feb. 1818. The exact date of his birth is unknown.
• Feb. 1, 1960:
Lunch counter sit in by four African American students at a lunch counter
inside a Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, NC. The scene was repeated over the
next few days, with protests spreading to other southern states, resulting in
the eventual arrest of over 1,600 persons for participating in sit-ins. The Moment When Four Students Sat Down to Take a Stand
• Feb 3, 1870: The 15th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified guaranteeing the right of citizens to vote, regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Unfortunately, these rights did not extend to women, who gained the right to vote in 1920 when the 20th Amendment was ratified.
• Feb. 21, 1965: Former Black Muslim leader Malcolm X (1925-1965) was shot and killed while delivering a speech in a ballroom in New York City.
• Feb. 22,
1956: In Montgomery, Alabama, 80 participants in the three-month-old bus
boycott voluntarily gave themselves up for arrest after an ultimatum from white
city leaders. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks were among those arrested.
Later in 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court mandated desegregation of the buses. The Montgomery bus boycott and the women who made it possible.
• Feb. 23, 1868: African American educator and leader W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
HISTORICAL DATES FOR FEBRUARY
Feb. 2: Groundhog Day: Since a groundhog (or woodchuck or "whistle pig") hibernates for the winter, its coming out of the ground is a natural sign of spring. In Europe centuries ago, people watched for other hibernating animals, including badgers, bears, and hedgehogs, as signs of winter's end. Germans who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the mid-1800s began keeping an eye on the groundhog, hence Punxsutawney Phil and the annual prediction from Gobbler’s Knob.
How often is Punxsutawney Phil accurate? According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which analyzed Phil's predictions from 2008 to 2018, he was right only 40% of the time.
There’s a grain of truth to this as winter days when you can see your shadow clearly are often especially cold because there are no clouds overhead to insulate the earth.
Early February is midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. In England this date is often referred to as Candlemas Day. Traditionally this was the day candles were brought to church for a blessing. This was thought to ward off plague, illness and famine.
If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
Winter will have another fight
If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,
Winter won’t come again.
Feb. 7, 1812: Charles Dickens was born. He examined social inequalities through his works including; David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and Nicholas Nickleby. In 1843, he wrote A Christmas Carol in just a few weeks, an enormously popular work even today.
Feb 12,
1809: Lincoln’s
Birthday The Miller Center
Feb 14: Valentine’s Day The History Behind St. Valentine
Feb 15, 1820: Susan B. Anthony was born. A pioneer in women's rights, she worked tirelessly for woman's suffrage (right to vote) and in 1872 was arrested after voting (illegally) in the presidential election. She was commemorated in 1979 with the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin, thus became the first American woman to have her image on a U.S. coin. The National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House
Feb. 22,
1732: Birth of George Washington Mount Vernon Museum and Education Center
February 24, 1582 - Pope Gregory XIII corrected mistakes on the Julian calendar by dropping 10 days and directing that the day after October 4, 1582 would be October 15th. The Gregorian, or New Style calendar, was then adopted by Catholic countries, followed gradually by Protestant and other nations.
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