why teach history?
TRANSCRIPT
Vol. 36, No. 1
I have always believed that history is important — not because memorizing dates and names improve our quality of life, but because of the lessons history teaches us. People who know history will look at the revolutionary spirit abroad in the Middle East and hearken back to another era when revolution swept the world in 1848. Or they might recall the American Revolution, which in its turn helped spark the French Revolution. Learning about the history of America instills understanding of what it means to be an American. Knowing about the hardships that the early settlers endured to gain a foothold in the New World, and the impossible odds faced by the colonists revolting against the overwhelming might of Britain, make us value the independence that they won, and we enjoy. The contentious decision in 1812 to again declare war on Britain, the greatest naval power in the world, emerging from the fray as the United States rather
than a group of states united, teaches us that our idea of this country was forged through struggle, not parliamentary debate. The long, bloody Civil War waged to keep the country united and to abolish the dehumanizing institution of slavery annealed the nation. These trials by fire are our history and our legacy. Knowing our story arms us against anyone who would rob us
of these hard won civil rights and freedoms. And yet, in today’s public school classrooms, precious little time is spent learning the critical lessons of history.
The No Child Left Behind legislation, designed to ensure that every child can read and compute on grade level by the year 2014, has had unintended consequences. Initially only math and reading were tested, with science a recent addition. Each year schools test students, and each year they are expected to show “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP). Failing
Why Teach History?By Sherrod Sturrock, CMM Deputy Director
Spring 2011
Continued on page 6
“ We are raising a generation of children that can’t identify the symbols on the American flag.”
— Social Studies Coordinator
The Inaugural Conference on January 29 for the Roots of a Nation — Teaching American History initiative, with seventy teachers in attendance. The conference was held at Historic London Town near Annapolis. Photo by Chris Cerino
Illustration by CMM’s Tim Scheirer of the Battle on St. Leonard Creek in 1814.
2
Quarterly Newsletter of the Calvert Marine Museum
(A Division of Calvert County Government)and the
Calvert Marine Museum Society, Inc.(ISSN 0887-651X)
C. Douglass Alves Jr., DirectorSherrod Sturrock, Deputy Director
Paul L. Berry, Editor
Other contributor to this issue:Lisa Howard and Sherrod Sturrock
The bugeye was the traditional sailing craft of the Bay, and was built in all its glory at Solomons, the “Bugeye Capital of the World.” Membership dues are used to fund special museum projects, programs, and printing of this newsletter. Address comments and membership applications to:
Calvert Marine Museum Society, Inc.P.O. Box 97
Solomons, MD 20688-0097410-320-2042
FAX 410-326-6691 TDD 410-535-6355Museum Store: 410-326-2750
www.calvertmarinemuseum.com
Layout by Stuller Designs
In case you didn’t know, CMM summer camps are open for business! And the registrations are already rolling in. For rising 1st and 2nd graders we have
two exciting options: Music by the Bay taught by Jennifer Anderson is returning after a tremendously successful camp last summer. Children sing, play instruments, animate stories about animals, learn rhythms, and learn to dance like fiddler crabs. We are also bringing back the perennially popular Pirates and Scalawags. In this adventure-filled week, campers will become pirates, complete with pirate garb, eating pirate grub, and working the deck. For fun, they will hunt for hidden treasure, sing sea shanties, and sail the high seas on the “Jolly Roger” Tennison where an enemy attack is certain to take place.
If your youngster is entering grades 2-3, we’ve got the Shine on Me Lighthouse Camp. Kids in this camp will discover what life was like for lighthouse keepers and their families through stories, role playing, and 19th century children’s games. Fieldtrips
include the Drum Point Lighthouse, Cove Point Lighthouse, and Piney Point Lighthouse.
For children entering grades 3 – 4, it’s Marsh Madness time. Campers become marsh detectives as they dissect owl pellets, examine footprints, and other clues in the marsh to discover the animals that live there. Campers will take a trip into the woods at a local nature center and learn to decipher the codes of different animals.
Students entering grades 4 – 6 have two choices. Back by overwhelming demand is our infamous Shark Attack! camp. Students in this camp learn all about our ferocious friends — why they are so important to the ocean ecosystems, how they have evolved over time to be different from other fish, and why they are endangered. Campers will see living sharks at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Junior Girl Scout Badge Camp is a four-day badge camp where Girl Scouts will earn the Rocks Rock badge, along with four special badges from other councils: Lighthouse, Rollin’ Down the River, In the Mud, and the Native American Lore. Fieldtrips include trips to the Piscataway Indian Cultural Center, Cove Point, and a trip on the Wm. B. Tennison.
Students entering grades 6 – 9 also have two exciting options. Our cardboard boat camp is morphing into the Build-a-Boat Regatta! Every camper will build their very own wooden boat that they can race — and then take home. Campers learn the essentials of boat construction and navigation, and then test it all out in a furious race with nine fellow boaters. They will also learn how to handle a motorboat, operate a remote controlled
sailboat, tie knots, basic marine safety rules, navigation, and docking. The camp ends Saturday morning with the grand Boat Paddling Regatta on the banks of the Patuxent River. In our Junior Paleontologist camp participants are junior paleontologists. They hunt the best beaches for fossils. They work with our professional paleontologists to uncover the mysteries of these ancient animals and the environments in which they lived. They learn collecting techniques and how to properly preserve the specimens they find. A special fieldtrip to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History for a private behind-the-scenes tour of their amazing fossil collection promises to be a highlight of this camp.
Schedule, fees, and registration information are available on the Calvert Marine Museum web site: www.calvertmarinemuseum.com/education/education-youth-summer-camps.php. Click on Summer Exploration Camps to learn about all the camp offerings in Southern Calvert through our collaboration with Annmarie Garden, Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, and Calvert County Natural Resources. There is something for every child in your family.
CMM SUMMER CAMPS
WOODEN BOATBUILDING EXHIBIT ON MEZZANINE GALLERY
This spring, a new exhibit will be in place on the mezzanine gallery in the maritime history gallery, an exhibit developed largely from the information collected for the 2009 museum publication Boats for Work, Boats for Pleasure: the Last Era of Wooden Boatbuilding in Southern Maryland, written by curator Richard J. Dodds and registrar Robert J. Hurry. The exhibit will honor the tradition in all three Southern Maryland counties of building boats from wood, a tradition passed on from one generation to the next. It will highlight selected builders in these counties, with most of the photographs featuring those in St. Mary’s County. Boatbuilding was largely carried out in backyards and barns by carpenters, watermen, and farmers between other jobs, each boat being shaped by its intended function and the skill of the builder. The sight of boats under construction was as much a part of the landscape as tobacco hanging in barns and fishing nets drying in the sun. The exhibit will consist of photographs as well as items from the museum’s collections or on loan.
Herman W. “Bill” Dixon in his boatbuilding shop in Great Mills, St. Mary’s County, in 1983. Photo by Carl Fleischhauer , CMM, Patuxent River Folklife & Oral History project
3SPRING 2011
MEMBERSHIP AND DEvELOPMENTMEMBERSHIP AND DEvELOPMENT
GIT-R-DONE with Larry the Cable Guy on Saturday, May 28
Get ready to laugh out loud on Saturday, May 28, as comedian Larry the Cable Guy hits the CMM outdoor stage. Come when the gates open at 6:00 p.m. and listen to live music while enjoying dinner and drinks on our waterfront grounds. Tickets are $48 and $58 (additional fees apply) and go on sale to CMM members on Tuesday, April 5, at 10:00 a.m., and on April 12 at 10:00 a.m. to the public. To buy your tickets during the members’ pre-sale, please use the password: funny.
With his signature catchphrase, “Git-R-Done,” Larry the Cable Guy is selling out theaters and arenas across the United States. Larry was part of the highly successful Blue Collar Comedy Tour. The ensemble cast of comedians included Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvall. The tour’s success led to Blue Collar Comedy Tour, The Movie, which premiered on Comedy Central, and at the time was the highest rated movie in the channel’s history. The sequels, Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again and Blue Collar Comedy Tour, One For The Road again received some of the channel’s highest ratings ever. Larry is wrapping up taping Tooth Fairy 2 in Orlando, and currently you can catch Larry in Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy every Tuesday night at 9 EDT on the History Channel. So what are you waiting for — hurry up and order those tickets, GIT-R-DONE!
This event would not be possible without the generous support of many local businesses. Waterside 2011 sponsors include Prince Frederick Ford/Dodge; Coors, Coors Light, Killians (Bozick Distributors); All American Harley-Davidson; Quality Built Homes; Isaac’s Restaurant; The McNelis Group; DirectMail.com; 98.3 Star FM; Southern Maryland Newspapers; Bay Weekly; Quick Connections; Comcast; United Rentals; Roy Rogers-Solomons; Papa John's Pizza; Jay Worch Electric; United Rentals; and the Holiday Inn Select-Solomons.
Calvert Marine Museum hosts Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown at the Blue Crabs’ Regency Furniture Stadium — June 18, 3–11 p.m.13 Acts on 3 stages
Tickets for Willie Nelson’s June 18 Country Throwdown Tour are on sale now. All tickets for the event will be general admission and will allow patrons access to all performances taking place throughout the event. Standing room will be available on the infield, and fans will have the ability to sit in the seating bowl as well. Tickets for the event are $40.00 each (additional service fees apply), and can be purchased on the CMM website or by calling 410-326-2042, ext. 16, 17, or 18.
Some of the performers you’ll see during this eight-hour music festival include: Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, Craig Campbell, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, and Drake White.
Exciting Members’ Trip Planned for Opening Day at Regency Furniture Stadium!
RING IN SPRING! Southern Maryland loves baseball and we love our Southern Maryland division champion Blue Crabs. Mark your calendars for Opening Day 2011 — Friday, April 29, 7:05 p.m. Calvert Marine Museum has reserved a limited number of field box seats for opening night at the reduced price of $10 per ticket. Bring your entire family for a night of fun, surprises, and, of course, baseball! In addition to reduced seating prices, you can also purchase Kids Zone armbands for $5 each, a 50 percent savings, when you purchase your opening day tickets and armbands
through CMM. Call the membership office at 410-326-2042, ext.16, to reserve your tickets today. Space is limited.
4
Bugeye Ball…
On February 26 the Calvert Marine Museum was transformed into an exotic Monte Carlo Casino. Guests indulged in Mediterranean-inspired foods, danced to the blues, and tried their luck on the gaming tables. Thanks to our sponsors and over 360 guests we raised over $50,000 in support of the Cove Point Lighthouse.
“Shaken not Stirred”“Shaken not Stirred”An Evening of Dining, Dancing, and Adventure!
Arriving guests were treated to a vintage auto show — board member Marianne Harms poses with the Bentley. CMM photo by Bob Hall
Guests trying their luck at the roulette table. CMM photo by Bob Hall
Board chair Donald McDougall and his wife Jean. CMM photo by Bob Hall
The museum also raffled off an unforgettable trip for two to Monaco at the Bugeye Ball with the winner receiving roundtrip airfare and a seven night stay in a 5-Star Luxury Hotel. Our winner was … Nancy Wieck! Congratulations! CMM director Doug Alves and raffle winner Nancy Wieck. CMM photo by Tim Reese
Couples dancing to live music among the exhibits. CMM photo by Tim Reese
Enjoying the fine dining. CMM photo by Tim Reese
Complimentary poker chips were provided to all, and special prizes went to a lucky few: Pair of Maerten’s Fine Jewelry & Gifts
Exclusive Private Label Watches – MaryAnne McKinney
A Night to Remember Gourmet Dinner Party for Six by Caterer Ken Upton – Jenny Vodzak
The Key to the Chesapeake Necklace by Maerten’s Fine Jewelry & Gifts – Orna Tubridy Apple ipad – Dawn Wood Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones –
Len Zuza Wines of the World Basket from Port
of Call Liquors – Doug Ahearn
5SPRING 2011
Winter 2011 — An Events SamplerThe First FREE Fridays continue to attract visitors to see the museum and enjoy the
entertainment. Friday, January 7, included a special event — a “Chesapeake Bound” concert by Teresa Whitaker, Frank Schwartz, and Mac Walter (not shown below) honoring the late “Bard of the Chesapeake,” Tom Wisner. During the month there was an exhibit in the museum lobby of “The Art of Healing the Chesapeake — A Tribute to Tom Wisner,” featuring portraits by Tom Wisner and the students whose work he inspired.
Exhibit photos by Bob Hall
On Friday, February 4, the Annapolis Bluegrass Coalition returned for its third annual appearance in the museum auditorium. CMM photo by Bob Hall
In celebration of Youth Art Month artwork by students in grades K – 12 from Calvert County schools was on display in the lobby during March. CMM photo by Sherrod Sturrock
CMM interpreter Lori Cole (at right) sings with a group of “Sea Squirts,” one of a number of activities for young visitors. This program is for toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years and their parents. CMM photo by Bob Hall
6
to make this mark has direct implications on funding, staffing, and ultimately job security. As a result, there is less emphasis placed on teaching non-tested subjects like history, the arts, and literature. Even the national voluntary standards do not include history. In 2009, on the most recent national history test, only 47 percent of the students tested reached the “basic” level (The Economist, February 19, 2011, p.36). In Governor O’Malley’s proposed 2012 budget, the requirement for high school seniors to pass an American government test in order to graduate has been eliminated to save money — because it is not federally mandated. Teachers receive little professional development in history. In a 2010 survey taken by Sultana Projects of sixty-eight teachers (representing forty-seven individual schools in seven Eastern and Western Shore counties), an overwhelming majority, 91 percent, believe there is a need for U.S. history professional development in their district, and a similar percentage indicated that they would participate in these enrichment programs if they were offered the opportunity.
Part of the mission of the Calvert Marine Museum is the collection, preservation, research, and interpretation of the cultural history of Southern Maryland. In our maritime hall we explore the events that have transpired along the shores of the Patuxent River from the time of the Native Americans to today. Instilling a respect for our history is ingrained in our work. So, when we were given the opportunity to take an active part in improving teachers’ access to professional development in history, we jumped at the chance. The Calvert Marine Museum joined with Sultana Projects, the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, and the Center for the Environment & Society — both at Washington College — in a federally funded Teaching American History initiative entitled The Roots of a Nation — A Chesapeake Journey. This ambitious three-year program involves a consortium of seven Maryland school districts, including those in Calvert, Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, and Talbot counties, working together to increase teacher content knowledge, improve pedagogical practices, and measurably improve student achievement in American history. Roots of a Nation will provide thirty-five master teachers with a three-year professional development program that emphasizes the use of primary documents, connects teachers to local resources, and examines innovative methods for delivering history content in the classroom. They, in turn, will share their knowledge with others in their school systems.
Using the Chesapeake Bay as a unifying theme, Roots of a Nation will explore four key periods in American history: (1) Native American history and European Settlement; (2) the Revolutionary War Period; (3) the War of 1812; and (4) Slavery and the Civil War. At the conclusion of the three-year period, each of the thirty-five teachers will have a far greater working knowledge of these periods in our history, will have visited local museums, battlefields, monuments, and historic sites related to
them, and will have had the opportunity to learn from professional historians of the periods they study. Products from this effort will include lesson plans developed by the teachers that will be disseminated throughout Maryland via a website, and printed Teacher Resource Workbooks on each historic period available to every school district in Maryland.
The Calvert Marine Museum is focusing on the War of 1812. We are inviting teachers to learn about the role of privateers in a course entitled “Pirates or Patriots.” The War of 1812 was the last conflict where privateers were legally employed as a sanctioned tactic in a war. Facing Britain’s naval might without a standing navy, President Madison “deputized” a number of private owners to harass British ships and take prizes. Our own local hero, Joshua Barney of the Chesapeake Flotilla, numbered among these adventurous patriots.
Partnering with Sotterley Plantation, teachers will explore the impact the war had on slavery. Sotterley’s owners lost many slaves during the summer of 1814 as they slipped away to join the British and thereby gain their freedom. Ongoing research has uncovered remarkable stories of these individuals — their names, backgrounds, and what happened to them after the war. Teachers will see where these individuals lived, what their lives were like, and use primary documents to research their fate. They will learn how to take those primary documents, and access to local treasures like Sotterley Plantation, into their classrooms so that their students can have a similar experience in discovery. History is much more than reading a chapter and passing a test; history is
Why Teach History? (Continued from page 1)
A War of 1812 re-enactment at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum during the Grand Tactical in 2008.
Photo by David Krankowski
7SPRING 2011
holding real people’s lives in your hands and acknowledging the connections that we share.
At the museum we will offer a two-day course led by published historian Donald Shomette designed to help teachers understand the contextual framework of the war, the many pressures that brought this country into a conflict that they were ill prepared to fight, and the roles played by regional factions as well as the Native Americans, French, British, and Canadians. The vote to go to war in 1812 was the closest in our history, so hotly contested was it among the members of Congress. Although most Americans today know very little about the War of 1812, it was the war that forged the national consciousness, finally uniting the collection of independent states into one unified country against a common enemy. The fault line of slavery would erupt some four decades later.
Over the summer, teachers will have an opportunity to participate in a five-day intensive seminar where, working with
Dr. Ralph Eshelman, they will retrace the path the invaders took through Southern Maryland. They will see where the largest naval engagement that ever took place in Maryland was fought on St. Leonard Creek. They will walk the battlefield at Bladensburg, and then journey on to Baltimore where the British attacked Fort McHenry and the term “star spangled banner” was born. They will work with historians on original documents, hear a first-hand account from a re-enactor, visit historic sites on both land and water, and generally immerse themselves in the history of how this war affected Maryland.
And that brings us back to the subject of students ignorant about their history. We, along with our partners and the participating teachers and school systems, are taking a stand against historical illiteracy. This project will help to make a difference, not only for these teachers, but for any teacher in Maryland, and by extension their history-deprived students.
Suffolk
Pocomoke City
Snow Hill
Sharptown
LaurelCambridge
Crisfield
Salisbury
Vienna
Millsboro
Denton
Harrington
Greenwood
Bridgeville
Hurlock
Dover
Greensboro
Queen Anne
EastNew Market
Milford
Georgetown
Easton
Chesapeake City
Chestertown
Havre de Grace
Frederick
Baltimore
Westminster
Rock Hall
Chesapeake Beach
Hughesville
Waldorf
Bowling Green
Clements
Tappahannock
Kilmarnock
Urbanna
Richmond
Newport NewsSmithfield
Winsor
Portsmouth
Williamsburg
Hampton
Petersburg
Manassas
Leesburg
Accomac
Onancock
Tangier Island
Smith Island
Exmore
Belle Haven
Chincoteague
Chesapeake
Virginia Beach
95
95
95
695
695
95
95
95
95
95
70
70
85
64
64
64
295
295
64
66
270
64
664
264
795
89595
97
64
15
13
13
13
13
58
1358
113
50
301
301
13
13
13
13
40
40
40
1
301
301
1
1
360
360
17
17
313
8
300213
213
20
213
213
301
12
26
26140
97
97
340
7
267
15
28
17
2
207
3011
60
60 17
60
30
30
30
33
5
5
10
10
17
258
258
460
460
460
44
17
31
105
33
3
14
14
14
198
3
3
200
360
177
100
156
644
354
13
295
272
70695 83
189
113
113
1139
14
18
1
9
9
13
1
1
1
49
2
32
32
32
Che
sape
ake
B
ay Bridg
e Tunn
el
Passeng
er Ferry
Bay Bridge
North
0
0 5
5 10 20
10
15
15
Km
Mi
24
CHARLES
CA
LVE
RT
4
262
260
2
2/4
264
265
5235
4
2355
5
242
AT
LA
NT
IC O
CE
AN
Potomac River
Poto
mac
Rive
r
Rappahannock River
Patuxent River
Plankatank Rive
r
York River
Planka tank Riv e r
Ma t tapon i Riv e r
Pumunk e y
Ri ve r
Ma t tapon i R
i v e r
Potomac River
James River
Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
Port Tobacco River
Nanjem
oy Creek
B
reton Bay
Co
rrotom
an
Rive
r
Yecomico River
Wrights Cove
Coa
n
Riv
er
Hul
l C
reek
Little W
icomico River
Great Wicomico River
Potomac Creek
Aquia Creek
Fleets Bay
James River
Chickahominy Riv e r
Chickaho m
iny River
Mob
jack Bay
North River
Ware River
Nan
sem
ond R
iver
Eliz
abeth
Riv
er
Cobham Bay
Herring Bay
Selby Bay
Severn River
WhitehallBay
Magothy River
Back River
Middle River
Gunpow
der River
Bus
h R
iver
SusquehannaFlats
Northe
ast
Rive
r
Elk R
iver
Sassafrass River
Chest
er River
Fishing Bay
Hooper Strait
Hollan
d Stra
it
Nan
ticok
e Rive
r
Nanticoke
R
iver
Tan
gier
Sou
nd
Pocomo
ke S
ound
Choptank River
Eastern
Bay
Honga R
iver
Cher
ryston
e Inle
t
H
unga
rs
Cr
Occohannock Cr
Nassawadox C
r
Nandua Creek
Beasly Bay
Pocomoke River
Poco
mok
e R
iver
Manokin River
Wicomico
River
Cho
ptan
k
River
Tuck
ahoe
Rive
r
Liberty Reservoir
Mon
ocac
y
R
iver
Susquehanna River
Elk
River
Littl
e C
hoptank River
Chester River
Chesapeake & Delaware Canal
Diascund Creek Reservoir
Mon
ocac
y
Riv
er
Pa tapsco R ive r
Saint Marys R
iver
Wicomico River
Sa
int C
lemen
t’s B
ay
234
5 231
6
5
6
301
225
6
301
210
5
1
95
66
193
4957
495
495
4
258
50
301
3
202
360
425
224
Nanjemoy
La Plata
2053
301
17
17
St. Leo
nard
Cre
ek
Solomons
Great Mills
249
16
335
16
50404
33331
33350
16
50 331
313
392
16
16
14
313
404
18
Federalsburg
50
349
13
363
413 13
Fredericksburg218
Port Royal
St. Mary’s City
Scotch Neck Site
Huntingtown
Lexington Park
Leonardtown
245238
Cobb Island
North Beach
Dunkirk
Prince Frederick
St. Leonard
Patuxent River
ST. MARY’S
381
Newburg
Hallowing Point
Lower Marlboro
Prince Frederick Courthouse
Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum
BenedictChapel Point
Indian Head Gun Battery Site
Lower Cedar Point
Maxwell Hall
Oldfields Chapel
PortTobacco
Chaptico
Great Mills Textile Factory Site
Patuxent River Naval Air Museum
Point LookoutState Park
St. Clement’s Island Museum
St. George Island
St. Inigoes Manor SiteSt. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church
Sotterley Plantation
Tudor Hall
Charlotte Hall
St. Jerome Creek
Cove Point
St. Clement’s IslandState Park
Calverton
GodsgracePlantation Site
Hall Creek
Huntingtown(original site)
Pt. Patience
The Reserve Site
Rousby Hall
Fort Hill Site
Sheridan Point
Taney Place
Patuxent City
Woodland Point
Carroll Plantation Site
Cedar Point
PortoBello
Coles Landing
Calvert Marine Museum
Broomes Island
Dares Beach
Holland Cliff
St. Leonard’s Town (original site)
Breton BaySt. Clement’s Bay
Warof1812DESTINATIONS
Raid or other harassment of citizens by British soldiers
Skirmish or battle where fire was exchanged
Battle between British and American troops
Mustering sites, camps, look-outs
The following symbols designate locations that are publically accessible, and where you can go to learn more about the events of 1814:
Interpretive signage on site, includes highway markers
1812 interpretation/ not an 1812 historic site
Visitor destination 1812 site with interpretation
Visitor Information Centers
Washington D.C.
North
ChesapeakeBay
This map shows the extent to which local property owners were impacted by the War of 1812.
Historic LocationsBenedict (Patuxent River) — The British landed at Benedict with a force of 4,370 and marched north, ultimately burning Washington. Interpretive signage on site.
Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum — The largest naval engagement in the history of Maryland took place where the Patuxent River meets the mouth of St. Leonard Creek and can be viewed from this site. Exhibits and interpretation on site: 10515 Mackall Road, St. Leonard, MD; www.jefpat.org
Sotterley Plantation — Sotterley was a mustering site for militia coming to the aid of the U.S. Chesapeake Flotilla in June 1814. Visitors will be able to experience and participate in a living history reenactment of these events and more at Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD; 301-373-2280; www.sotterley.org
Chaptico — British forces conducted a raid at Chaptico where many houses as well as the wharf and tobacco sheds were destroyed and the church damaged. Rt. 234, St. Mary’s County.
Leonardtown — British troops attacked Leonardtown. Interpretive signage on the Port of Leonardtown Public Park.
Lower Marlboro — A British force occupied the town June 15 to June 16, 1814. Historic marker on site, at the end of Rt. 262.
Maxwell Hall — Local tradition claims that Maxwell Hall served as a temporary headquarters for the British during their march on Washington. Historic marker on site, located near Patuxent, Charles County. www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=28317
St. Leonard — Interpretive signage about the St. Leonard Town Site and the First Battle of St. Leonard Creek from June 8 to 10, 1814, and the Second Battle of St. Leonard Creek on June 26, 1814.
St. Clement’s Island Museum/St. Clement’s Island — British forces landed on St. Clement Island and several times during 1813-14. 38370 Point Breeze Road, Colton’s Point, MD. www.co.saint-marys.md.us/recreate/stclementsisland.asp
Solomons — This island was called Somervell’s Island during War of 1812. Historic marker at the terminus of MD. Rt. 2, end of Solomons Island.
Tudor Hall (Leonardtown) — Interpretive panels on site. www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=17428
Calvert Marine Museum (Solomons) — The museum displays artifacts recovered from one of the vessels of the U.S. Chesapeake Flotilla scuttled on August 22, 1814, on the Patuxent River, as well as an electric map of the British invasion route up the river. The museum interprets the pre-history, natural environments, and maritime heritage of the Chesapeake Bay and Southern Maryland. For hours and fees, visit www.calvertmarinemuseum.com
Linden House, Prince Frederick — On July 19, 1814, the British burned the Calvert County Courthouse, the jail, and a tobacco warehouse. Interpretive signage at Linden. www.calverthistory.org
Patuxent River Naval Air Museum — [This museum plans to open an exhibit that will include information about activities that took place on land that now encompasses this military installation. These events will include the Battle of Cedar Point, and the British raids at Cedar Point, Carroll Plantation and Susquehanna. Interpretation is in planning stage.
Map Legend
Map showing sites in Southern Maryland from the War of 1812 that are publicly accessible and the events that occurred at the sites. The map is being developed by the museum and will be available later in the year.
CMM’s current exhibit on the Battle of the Patuxent during the War of 1812.
CMM photo by Rob Hurry
8
vOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Congratulations are in order for the four volunteers nominated this year by staff for the Volunteer of the Year. Christa Conant works tirelessly in education, paleontology, and with the Patuxent Small Craft Guild — you never know where you’ll find her. Not only does she volunteer her time, but she is always ready with new ideas and suggestions for how to improve programs. Sylvia Dry is said to be MARVelous! She volunteers her time in the development office and is a crucial part of their team. She is organized, dependable, and efficient, and does everything from filing, sorting, planning, selling concert tickets, and so much more. Althea Green is very dedicated and strives to learn everything she can about the Discovery Room and the skates and rays. She spends all day every Friday volunteering in both areas. Ilse Metz can be found in the museum library three mornings each week working on the computer. She has worked
on many special projects, such as list of slides, census lists, brief indexes for several newspapers, and is now searching computer databases for newspaper articles appropriate for the museum to collect. Ilse also works behind the scenes in the paleontology department cataloging the collections at “lightning speed.”
Nominated this year for the Group Achievement Award are volunteers from the Fossil Prep Lab — Darlene Brindley, Christa Conant, Mark Edmondson, Bregan Heffentrager, Dick Hu, Kyle Jenks, Pam Platt, and Sandy Roberts. The award is for their collective skills and patience in faithfully preparing the fossils that are collected along Calvert Cliffs.
The winner of the Volunteer of the Year Award will be announced at the volunteer recognition reception event on April 14. Congratulations, and thank you to all of the nominees — you are all winners in my book!
By Sherry Reid, Volunteer/Event Coordinator
The 2010-2011 PEM Talk Series – The Calvert Cliffs Conundrum concluded in March with Dr. Doug Samson’s thorough and fascinating presentation on the Cove Point marsh. This has been a very exciting and rewarding series, bringing together concerned residents who are interested in holding open dialogue on this perplexing and complex topic. The series, sponsored by Bob and Betty Currie, ran from September through March, with each month offering a talk on a different perspective of
the Calvert Cliffs. Dr. Susan Kidwell opened the series with a talk about the geology of the cliffs. Dr. Stephen Godfrey, the museum’s talented paleontologist, followed with a talk on the paleontology of the cliffs, followed by Dr. Jeff Halka’s presentation on the current rates of erosion. Having firmly established the “ground rules,” so to speak, Dr. Ralph Eshelman spoke about the human perspective, followed by Drs. Michael Fenster and Barry Knisley
sharing their extensive knowledge of the infamous Puritan tiger beetle. The series concluded with Dr. Doug Samson’s case study of the Cove Point marsh.
One of the interesting offshoots of this series was the museum’s participation in the Facing Fences exhibit at St. Mary’s College Boyden Gallery. Using as a catalyst the traveling Smithsonian exhibit called Between Fences, which explores the ways fences unite and divide people, the Boyden Gallery invited local community organizations to consider the role of metaphorical fences in people’s lives. The resulting community contributions to the exhibit expanded the meaning of the word “fences” to include racial, sexual, generational barriers, physical boundaries, and historical relationships. Michael Godfrey created the museum’s contribution, shown here, which is a graphic
representation of the Calvert Cliffs Conundrum series. (A larger version can be seen on the museum’s website.)
PEM TALK SERIES
Nominees for the 2010 volunteer of the Year Award