Landmarks of American History: Workshops for School Teachers

Abraham Lincoln & the Forging of Modern America

Dear Colleague,

Join us June 22-27 or July 20-25, 2008 for a one week Teacher’s Workshop:
Abraham Lincoln and the Forging of Modern America

Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities
Landmarks of American History and Culture: Workshops for Schoolteachers

We invite you to join us during the summer of 2008 for an extraordinary program on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and Springfield, Illinois.

We will host 50 teachers in each of two, one-week workshops in which we will explore Abraham Lincoln’s life in Springfield, Illinois and the political and historical challenges he faced as President. Join us as we hear from outstanding Lincoln scholars drawn from universities in the St. Louis area.

Following a day of welcome, lectures, and discussions, we will travel together for an overnight stay in Springfield, Illinois, described by Lincoln as his only real home. We will begin our visit in Springfield with a tour of the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library, renowned for its use of interactive technological exhibits as well as artifacts belonging to the Lincoln family. Next, we will visit the Lincoln home where staff will explain how social events in the Lincoln Home helped to facilitate his political ambitions. Additional perspective on his political base will be explored by visiting his law office. During some independent time for exploration, you might want to visit the Old State Capitol across from his law office or the reconstructed train station, where Lincoln bid farewell to his neighbors and friends as he left to assume the Presidency.   

Springfield offers numerous sites which portray the forging of this great president. Join us as we enjoy the shops and restaurants of downtown Springfield. We journey the following day to explore Lincoln’s early life in the town of New Salem Village where he grew to be a man. There, he clerked in a store, enlisted in the Blackhawk War, served as postmaster and deputy surveyor, studied law, and was elected to the legislature. We will see 24 reconstructed buildings (timber houses, shops, and stores) and numerous costumed interpreters who bring to life the village of Lincoln’s day. Following our visit to New Salem Village, we will return to the SIUE campus for the final sessions of our workshop.

Click these links to view

• Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library
• Explore St. Louis
• Springfield Tourism Bureau
• City of Edwardsville, IL

HISTORICAL THEMES:

Every nation, David Potter wrote, needs “cultural nourishment” that comes from both its folklore and its history.  Abraham Lincoln, more than any figure in American history, provides us with that nourishment.  He comes to us in folklore through fabulous tales and epic legends that depict his great physical strength, tender compassion, brooding wisdom, infinite patience, and great humility. The qualities of the legendary Lincoln combine fact and fiction into myth that transcends time, infusing America’s values with a vision of the “better angels of our nature.”  It is because of these qualities that Lincoln occupies a central place in American history and in American memory.

We will explore four themes central to this memory in our workshop.

• Lincoln and American Nationalism. To more fully understand this theme, we will examine how historians have portrayed Lincoln over time. A starting point for this examination will be our reading from primary sources including Lincoln’s Message to Congress in Special Session (July 4, 1861), followed by selected sections from James McPherson’s Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution, and Barry Schwartz’s Lincoln at the Millennium. Central to this examination is the question of how Lincoln used history, especially the American Revolution and the Founding Fathers, to develop his rhetorical defense of the Union and justification for action.

• Lincoln and Power.  The examination of this theme centers on the dilemma of how to fight a civil war and preserve civil liberties. Lincoln scholars will provide us with opportunities to discuss how Lincoln attempted to preserve the Union without sacrificing the Constitution. Our investigation begins with required reading of selections from David Donald’s Lincoln and David Potter’s Jefferson Davis and the Political Factors in Confederate Defeat. We will probe critical issues such as suspension of habeas corpus, censorship of the press and declaration of martial law through reading Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address.

• Lincoln and Freedom. It has been argued that Lincoln changed the meaning of the Constitution with his Gettysburg Address.   We will investigate this theme by first reading the Gettysburg Address and selected letters in which Lincoln describes his vision of equality. Then, we will analyze selections from Garry Wills’ 1992 The Words that Remade America which suggests that the change went beyond the relationship between the federal government and the states to the relationship between the federal government and the individual. How might have Lincoln’s words, “a new birth of freedom”2 suggest [intentional] change in the vision of equality?

• Lincoln and Race. We will examine the Emancipation Proclamation and the complex issue of race in America. Readings for this theme draw on selections from the 4th Lincoln-Douglas debate (Charleston, IL), the Emancipation Proclamation and selected Lincoln letters, and readings from Lerone Bennet’s, Was Abe Lincoln a White Supremacist? and Philip Shaw Paludan’s Emancipating the Republic: Lincoln and the Means and Ends of Antislavery.  Much of Lincoln’s position of honor in American history rests upon his action to free the slaves. Yet, some view the proclamation as an empty gesture or even a conservative attempt to forestall more radical action.

• Our discussions will provide us with an opportunity to explore the evolution of Lincoln’s attitude toward emancipation that culminated in his support for the 13th Amendment. As we begin our discussion, we again turn our attention to  selections from the 4th Lincoln-Douglas debate. Our investigation of race will be further illuminated by hearing the stories told by black women of their families and relatives during this period complemented by selections from the primary source material of Suzie King Taylor’s 1902 Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33rd United States Colored Troops Late 1st S.C. Volunteers and Elizabeth Keckley’s 1868 Behind the Scenes, Formerly a Slave, but More Recently a Modiste, and a Friend to Mrs. Lincoln.

Our Faculty

Leading our lecture discussion sessions will be Lincoln scholars John Y. Simon, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Stephen L. Hansen, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, each noted for works on Lincoln. Joining us from Washington University, St. Louis will be Leslie Brown, known for her scholarship on the histories of African-American women and the stories these women have handed down about the Lincoln era.

Laura Milsk-Fowler, who teaches museum and historical studies at SIUE, will provide guidance about the use of museums as a resource for historical knowledge. She will introduce us to a variety of museum presentation formats useful to students’ learning experiences. SIUE is one of several locations housing the digitized collection of documents and artifacts of the Library of Congress in a project entitled the Adventures of the American Mind (AAM). Project director Amy Wilkerson, and technologist Binod Pokhel will engage us in hands-on computer experience as we learn how to use this invaluable resource.

Helping us frame lessons for our K-12 students are Caroline R. Pryor and Susan E. Breck, both experienced teachers and professors of social studies education. The workshop week will culminate in the development of plans to use knowledge gained in the workshop to develop historically rich lessons for students. 

THE WEEK’S ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED ASSIGNMENTS

Our workshop will meet for five days. The workshop will comprise 15 sessions: seven historical lectures and discussions, four historic site/museum sessions, and four pedagogical sessions. As an aid to investigating Lincoln and the four historical themes discussed above, you will be involved in interactive lecture sessions with our presenters. To prepare for these experiences, we will provide you with a complete set of the required readings six weeks before the start of the workshop in a combination of on-line posting on our web-page and in postal mail. Hands-on experience with technology will be introduced in sessions on the SIUE campus with presenters from the Adventures of the American Mind project.

On our bus trip to Springfield, we will provide you with background information about the sites we will tour and discuss what aspects of each site might be a focus for the lessons you plan to develop for your students. On our return bus trip to Edwardsville, we will discuss what we might want to learn during the lectures, discussions and technology sessions planned for next two days.

At the end of the week-long experience, you will be required to create two lesson plans concerning at least one of the historical themes of the workshop. These plans will include knowledge, resources and artifacts learned from the workshop that align with national standards for teaching history, social studies, and civics. We will share our ideas in a process of peer evaluation. After the workshop ends, you may send us your penultimate lessons which we will review and return to you. We encourage you to contribute these lessons to our workshop home page so that we may disseminate them to other teachers across the nation.

Academic Resources

SIUE is home to Lovejoy Library, The Adventures of the American Mind Project and several computers labs located around campus. Our residence halls are also equipped with a technology lab and full Smart Classrooms. We will provide you with free access to computer facilities, including information about access to the Internet and email.

Housing and Travel

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located on 2,660 acres of beautiful hills, and lakes. Just 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis with an excellent faculty and outstanding facilities, SIUE provides many exciting opportunities for its students and is a major academic institution in the region. Springfield, our landmark site, is located about 90 minutes northeast of campus.

Living units in the residence halls are four-person, two-bedroom suites sharing a common bath.  If you are driving, we will provide you with a parking pass for the hall. All rooms are air-conditioned, with temperature control in each unit.  Rooms are fully furnished and equipped with one telephone jack, data jacks providing free hook-up to the campus network, including the Internet, and expanded basic cable hook-up.  All utilities are included in the cost of $30.00 per person, per day, double occupancy ($10 per day extra for single occupancy). Nearby motels include the Country Hearth Inn ($85 per day) and Day’s Inn ($65 per day) plus tax. Dining facilities in the Memorial Union Center include the Center Court Food Court, The Den sports themed dining area, and table service dining at the University Restaurant.

Air-conditioned bus transportation will be provided for your round trip travel from SIUE to Springfield. In Springfield, you have the option to stay at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Hotel ($70 single occupancy, $85.00 double occupancy, plus applicable tax), a full service hotel within 2 blocks of the Lincoln Museum and Library in the heart of the downtown historic district. A block of rooms is reserved for participants of this workshop. You may instead choose to stay at another hotel/motel or alternate housing in Springfield.

If you plan to bring family members with you, please understand that they may not participate in formal workshop activities. Those who bring family members with them will be responsible for their own living arrangements during the Landmarks Workshop.  

Cultural and Recreational Resources of the Greater St Louis-Illinois Region

For those participants wanting to come early or stay after our workshop, there are many exciting activities in the region. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, IL, the third oldest city in the state. To the north of Edwardsville, along the Great River Road is Pere Marquette State Park (http://www.greatriverroad.com/Pere/PereIndex.htm) with accommodations for housing in either its historic lodge and hotel or in nearby campgrounds. Many historical and recreational attractions are available to participants in the Edwardsville area. For specific information, please visit the city’s website at www.cityofedwardsville.com. 

Edwardsville is located about 25 miles north east of downtown St. Louis. Besides the renowned Arch, the Missouri Botanical Garden and Forest Park, built to house the 1904 World’s Fair, St. Louis offers a variety of cultural, historical, and recreational sites to visit. See the St. Louis tourism website at www.explorestlouis.com. For those wishing to explore the region more fully, there is the beautiful Missouri Wine country west of St. Louis (www.missouriwinecountry.com).

STIPEND, TENURE, AND CONDITIONS OF AWARD

Teachers selected to participate will receive a stipend of $500 at the end of the residential workshop. Stipends are intended to help cover ordinary living expenses, books, and travel expenses to and from the workshop location.  Travel supplements will be available, but will be allocated on a case-by-case basis after the workshop session is over. Stipends and travel supplements are taxable. 

- GRADUATE CREDIT 

NEW!! For those who would wish to earn graduate credit, SIUE will provide you with a Tuition Waiver to cover the cost of up to three units of graduate course credit for this workshop. University fees, however, still apply. You may enroll for course credits in History or Education. An additional project or lesson plans will be required for graduate course credit.

- CONTINUING EDUCATION

SIUE can provide you with documentation of your attendance and participation in this workshop. 

THE APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND DEADLINE

Application information is included on this web site. Please access this application information on this website. Send three hard copies of your application by postal mail. No electronic submissions will be accepted.

Your completed application should be postmarked no later than March 17, 2008, addressed as follows:

Dr. Susan E. Breck
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Department of Curriculum and Instruction Box 1122
Edwardsville, Illinois 62026

The Application Essay

Perhaps the most important part of the completed application is an essay of up to one   double-spaced page.  This essay should include information about your professional background and interest in the subject of the workshop; your special perspectives, skills, or experiences that would contribute to the workshop; and how the experience would enhance your teaching or school service.

Contact Information: sbreck@siue.edu and (618) 650-3444