Physical suffering and death were not abstract concepts for 19th century Americans.  The first century of the young republic was haunted by fear of disease outbreaks, political tensions and then war between the North and South, and the sorrow of a whole community of human beings deemed “property” by their white masters.  However, within this bleak landscape, seeds of hope and renewal were germinating as a specifically American literature emerged, labor-saving technology increased, people became increasingly involved in politics, and equal rights were redefined.

On Wednesday, November 10, the American History & Literature classes explored Petersburg & Richmond, VA to better understand these complex dynamics from our American past.  First, the juniors explored the Museum of the Civil War Soldier.  Each of them chose the name of a common soldier and listened to excerpts from his diary as they toured the interactive displays about camp life, training, battle, and medical care.  Discussing their characters afterwards, the students began to appreciate the variety of motives that lured men from every state and trade to fight their own countrymen.

Then, the junior class toured the battlefields of Petersburg where Grant’s successful siege against Lee severed the Confederate capital from its supply lines and precipitated the end of the war.  Our animated tour guide, fife in hand, enthralled us with stories of a slave, Henry “Box” Brown, who mailed himself to the free north, two brothers who fought on opposite sides of the war and met again as they were dying in Petersburg, and a Confederate family who had to sacrifice their home and farm to the war efforts.  Visiting locations like this allows students to understand more tangibly that historical facts change lives and that those changed lives become fragments out of which a new culture may be pieced together.

Our afternoon in Richmond found us perusing old manuscripts and first editions of Edgar Allen Poe’s in the Stone House, the oldest building a city steeped in historical import.  Exploring the streets and stories that framed Poe’s life helped the students to see his melancholic and grotesque fiction as his escape from the real tragic events he struggled with in his life.  In Poe’s mind, the methodically composed death of the beautiful in a story allowed him to reach a personal catharsis by transforming his emotions about reality into a mode of artistic expression.  Questions about the motives for writing and the purpose of art are valuable sources for discussion as our students seek excellence in their own composition of written, spoken, and fine art.

Thank you so much to Mr. Henson, the parent chaperones, and especially to Mr. Ruiz, who arranged the logistics for such a large group of students, for your contribution towards this enriching experience.