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!