Investigating History, One Biography At A Time

Investigating History, One Biography At A Time

This winter the third graders at Cambridgeport decided to investigate whose stories get told in history and how they are recorded. On a cold January day, they traveled downtown to visit the sites on the Freedom Trail. When they noticed that most of the stories that were being told were those of white men, they decided to investigate some of the lesser known stories of the American Revolution. Together they read biographies of Deborah Samson, Agrippa Hull, Salem Poor, Peter Salem and Elizabeth Freeman and decided whose story they thought needed to be recorded in a more permanent way. They selected recipients for their letters, choosing from people that they thought might have the power to make a difference.

Finally, they walked to the nearest mailbox, stuck the letters in the mail and began to wait. We were surprised at how quickly we heard back - so far we've had letters from Governor Patrick and even a phone call from the board of selectmen in Plympton, Massachusetts. We're hopeful that we'll have more responses soon!

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