Hartford Female Seminary

Would it be possible for you to help us with our research? What most people know about the Hartford Female Seminary is basic: who started it, when it started, and where it took place. However, few individual know who attended and how effective it was. Suffield Academy’s project based learning class will investigate her sister Harriet Beecher Stowe who started teaching at the school in November 1827 as her historical record might yield further information about the Hartford Female Seminary. What we want to know is whether anyone from the town of Suffield attended the Seminary and how effective it was contrasted against other existing educational institutes at the time. And realize, too, that women did no have many options.Although internet search information has not provided much content yet, we believe that we can find more information in local archives or newspapers. Suffield Academy’s archives and the Suffield Historical Society’s records will allow us to discover new leads and angles to pursue.During my preliminary research I have discovered a document about suggestions respecting improvements in education, which was published in April on 1830 at the request of Catharine E. Beecher. If you have any further questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to comment below.

Basic Information:

The Hartford Female Seminary was established by Catherine Beecher in the spring of 1823.

The first class composed of 7 students.

The Hartford Female Seminary closed towards the later half of the 19th century

The school was first hosted in a third-floor room in a building at Main and Kinsley Streets in Hartford, then in the basement of the North Church. Then 1827 it moved into a new neoclassical building at 100 Pratt Street. Harriet Beecher Stowe started teaching at the school in November 1827

Historical References:

“Suggestions Respecting Improvements in Education, Presented to the Trustees of the Hartford Female Seminary, and Published at Their Request by Catharine E. Beecher”

Important Quotes:

“It is to mothers and to teachers that the world is to look for the character which is to be enstamped on each succeeding generation, for it is to them that the great business of education is almost exclusively committed. And will it not appear by examination that neither mothers nor teachers have ever been properly educated for their profession?” — Suggestions Respecting Improvements in Education

“[Women] have acquired wisdom from the observation and experience of others on almost all other subjects, but the philosophy of the direction and control of the human mind has not been an object of thought to study. And thus it appears that, though it is woman’s express business to rear the body and form the mind, there is scarcely anything to which her attention has been less directed.” — Suggestions Respecting Improvements in Education

“That there is a best way of teaching as well as of doing everything else cannot be disputed, and this can be no more learned by intuition than can any of the mechanical arts.” — Suggestions Respecting Improvements in Education

“If all females were not only well educated themselves but were prepared to communicate in an easy manner their stores of knowledge to others; if they not only knew how to regulate their own minds, tempers, and habits but how to effect improvements in those around them, the face of society would be speedily changed.” — Suggestions Respecting Improvements in Education

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  Summary of Suggestions on Education

Further Reading:

https://www.civilwarwomenblog.com/catherine-beecher/

Update 12/12/2018

Hedrick, Joan D. “The Hartford Female Seminary: 1824–1827.” Harriet Beecher Stowe: A Life
. : Oxford University Press, October 03, 2011. Oxford Scholarship Online
. Date Accessed 6 Jan. 2019 <http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195096392.001.0001/acprof-9780195096392-chapter-4&gt;.

Update 1/5/19

Driving question:

After doing extensive research online about the Hartford Female Seminary, I am left with one immediate question:

Did anyone from Suffield attend it ?

To answer this question I believe I will need help from other people. In doing so I would need to further develop my networking skills and reach out to outside sources and experts who might know more about the students who attended the Hartford Female Seminary and the history of that era. Additionally I will need to refine and enhance my research skills to go beyond internet sources.

Our Connection to Seicheprey

Over the course of our school year, our class has had a deep connection with the town of Seicheprey in France. We first learned about Seicheprey through our research about Sergeant Stubby, the war dog of the 102^nd US Infantry. After learning about Stubby’s heroic tales and service, we developed a curiosity to learn more about this significant battle for Connecticut history. Due to this battle being significantly historic for the Connecticut veterans specifically, the importance of this battle gradually faded in memory and history when the Connecticut veterans passed away in the 20th century. Our class discovered several interesting facts and stories from the Battle of Seicheprey, such as one of our Suffield veterans at the battle serving as a cook. When we learned of the details when the German storm troopers overwhelmed the trenches, we were shocked to learn that the cooks responded by picking up their knives and fighting off the Germans with hand-to-hand combat. Along with these facts we found new events that were happening in the town of Seicheprey today. We took the liberty to spread our findings across the social networks of our class blog and twitter. Our posts were immediately recognized by many WWI historians and eventually by Stéphanie Trouillard, a French journalist studying the history of WWI.

More details on our academic network: https://twitter.com/Stbslam/status/957705999690936322

We reached out to Stephanie to find out if the town of Seicheprey was doing a commemoration for the 100^th anniversary of the Battle of Seicheprey. She took the initiative to reach out to the town hall of Seicheprey and received a response from Gérard Andre, the Mayor of Seicheprey. From this information we discovered that Seicheprey was honoring this historic battle on April 21^st, 2018 and intend to make a fountain with several representatives from Connecticut in order to honor the 102^nd division and Sergeant Stubby. After this interaction from Stéphanie, we were able to continue communications with the Mayor and other citizens from Seicheprey as well as students from the nearby school of architecture. While we were not able to attend the commemoration, these architecture students shared their local history project with us. Then we shared slides from our presentation with them. It was great to get positive feedback from students doing the same type of work that we were doing here.

An interactive exhibit from the commemoration

Pauline, a student from Seicheprey reached out to us and gave us a very detailed overview of what the town presented and the different activities that were going on in the town to commemorate this battle. These connections to Seicheprey have been the foundation of our class and we are extremely thankful to everyone who has helped spread the story of this forgotten battle#LeastWeForget.

An invitation to the commemoration of April 21st.

 

Joseph Pease and His Role in the Resolves

Josep Pease´s house

A page from Josep Pease´s diary

I am a senior at Suffield Academy and involved in a project-based learning class. Our goal is to find out more about what happened in Suffield in 1774, regarding freedom, slavery, and its complexities.

My previous research was about John Adams. Through my investigation I found out that both Adams and Washington visited Suffield multiple times.  This made me curious to find out who else played an important role in our town?

By using investigation skills, I found out that Joseph Pease, a signer of the resolves, was an important figure in Suffield in the mid 1700s. He was born in Enfield in 1728, and he moved to Suffield in 1750. He raised a large house on High Street, ten years after he moved there. This soon became one of the most notable houses in the town. It was one of the first houses built with a chimney in each end and a hall through the middle. Furthermore, the house was known for having a rare architectural grace. Unfortunately, the house was demolished in 1902.

Moreover, in addition to building a distinct house, my investigations revealed that he was known for advocating liberty. His diary shows that he served in any public capacity required by his town. Another interesting aspect is that he did not own any slaves. This is something that may be surprising, because many of the wealthy men in Suffield owned slaves. By using cross-researching skills, I also learned that he was a farmer. He made twelve to fifteen hundred barrels of cider a year. Most of these were being shipped to Holland. He also had a saw mill.

All of this information shows us he played a big role in Suffield. It also suggest that he was a good man and trusted by the town. As I mentioned, he served in any public capacity required by Suffield. This may be why he, along with King and Granger, were chosen and led up the committee that would later write the resolves. Which was very important work at the mentioned time period. The work he did also shows us that he was committed to the town, as writing the resolves must have taken a lot of time and patient. The three men must have met after being appointed, during a town meeting to discuss and then later to actually write the resolves. The fact that they were able to do all of this also suggest that they had good leadership ability and influence.

Moreover, one of his eleven children, Seth Pease (1764-1819), graduated from Yale just as his father. In addition, Seth Pease served as the first Assistant U.S. Postmaster General under another Suffield native, Gideon Grander Jr. He served under President Thomas Jefferson´s first term.

Sources:

https://books.google.com/books?id=4m0ZAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA211&lpg=PA211&dq=Joseph+Pease+(1766-1842)&source=bl&ots=-PtzamctnG&sig=Ase6EDkc5dIfMy3iMYqIhWtMils&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi68eWyz6HSAhVsyVQKHaZgD4QQ6AEIIjAB#v=onepage&q=Joseph%20Pease%20&f=false

http://www.suffield-library.org/history/pease/page1.htm

http://suffield-library.org/lookingback/home/home3.htm

http://www.suffield-library.org/localhistory/pease.htm

 

John Adams, a complex reporter

Map of a colonial road between Boston and New York

Page from John Adams diary (November 5th 1774)

I am a senior at Suffield Academy and I am involved in a project-based learning class. Our goal is to find out more about what happened in Suffield in 1774, regarding freedom, slavery, and its complexities.

My previous research was about, Loyalists in Suffield in 1774. Through my investigation I found some important document. One of the document I found contains names of Loyalist that were in Suffield in 1774. This made me wonder: Can I find more documents during the mentioned time period?

By using researching skills, I found a diary written by John Adams. By using investigation skills, I found a page that states that John Adams was in Suffield November 5^th 1774.  It was immediately interesting for our class to learn that John Adams had been to our town in 1774. John Adams was an important lawyer and patriot from Massachusetts. He was part of the First Continental Congress that took place in 1774-1775. He later became the second president of the United States. Moreover, John Adams was a complex intellectual. In the after math of the Boston Massacre, he showed his passion for the law and acted on his belief that everyone deserves a fair trial. He agreed to defend the soldiers from Great Britain. He argued that the troops had acted in self-defense. The Boston jury agreed, and six of the soldiers were found not guilty. By defending the British soldiers, he went against his patriot beliefs as well as his cousin´s, Samuel Adams.

Moreover, by looking through the diary of John Adams we realized he was a good reporter, who will help our class learn more about freedom and slavery in 1774. For instance, when he was near Suffield and stayed overnight at an Inn in Palmer, Massachusetts, he describes an interesting discussion. In the diary page from November 5^th 1774, he talked about Parliament´s recent Acts with a Scottish Presbyterian couple. They also discussed trade, economy, and politics. Interestingly, he agreed with these “zealous Americans” who were of another faith and belief than his Congregationalist´s ideas.

“The People in this Part of Connecticutt, make Potash, and raise a great Number of Colts, which they send to the West Indies, and barter away for Rum &c. They trade with Boston and New York but most to New York. They say there is a much greater Demand for Flaxseed of which they raise a great deal, at N. York, than there is at Boston, and they get a better Price for it. Kibby at Somers keeps a Shop, and sells W. India goods and English Trinketts, keeps a Tavern, and petty foggs it”.     – John Adams (thoughts on trade in Enfield, CT). 

Moreover, I was excited to find that this important leader of the revolution traveled through Suffield. I started wondering: Had John Adams ever been to Suffield before? Why did he visit our town? What impact did his visit have on the community?

By using cross-referencing skills I found a reference to John Adams in Robert Treat Paine´s diary. This diary states that Paine and John Adams were also in Suffield on August 10^th 1774. (While it is likely that John Adams traveled through our area because it was a common pathway between Boston and New York). Moreover, I still want to find more about John Adam´s reason for visiting Suffield, and what impact his visit had. I hope to find out more about this in the time to come. By using more cross-referencing skills, team work and investigation skills I will look thorough more of the pages from the John Adams Diary and mention of John Adams in other local diaries. I also want to research if there were any other important historical figures in Suffield in the 1770s it the diary pages.

Sources:

https://www.masshist.org/publications/apde2/view?id=ADMS-01-02-02-0004-0008-0005

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams#Opponent_of_Stamp_Act_1765

http://www.masshist.org/publications/apde2/view?id=DJA02d119

http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/popup?id=D22&page=D22_1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Post_Road

LOYALISTS IN SUFFIELD, CONNECTICUT IN THE LATE 1700s.

King House

Hathaway House (Burbank, former resident)

I am a senior at http://suffieldacademy.org and I am involved in a project-based learning class. Over the course of the winter term 2016 and the spring term 2017 the class main goal is to find out more about freedom, slavery, and the complexities in 1774. After the Boston Tea Party, the English Parliament drafted ”The Coercive Acts” in 1774. Many people throughout the thirteen colonies protested against these acts. For instance, in the town of Sheffield, Massachusetts, Colonel Ashley hosted citizens at his house. This group composed the Sheffield Resolves. Moreover, one of his slaves, Elizabeth Freeman, also known as Mum Bett, was inspired by this and later successfully sued for her freedom. Each student in the class is investigating different areas regarding this topic. For instance, some of my peers are looking into: slaves in Suffield during this time, the Boston Tea Party, an slave called, Old ”Ti”.

I want to find out more about Loyalists in Connecticut, but mainly in Suffield. I started to look into Connecticut first in order to get a better understanding and perspective of the bigger picture, before I went deeper into Suffield`s history. By using critical thinking skills I have been able to gatherer some background information about Loyalists in the period after “the Declaration of independence” was written. The document formally announced the colonies break from Great Britain. However, a number of colonists were against this and sided with Britain. These were known as Loyalists. I have researched many interesting things regarding the Loyalist in Connecticut. I learned that during the American Revolution they made up approximately 20% of the population in the colonies, and that 6% of the adult population in Connecticut were Loyalists. This is approximately 2000 – 2500 of the people in the state, which I regard as a quite high number. But did Suffield have any Loyalists? And if so, who were they?

After research on the internet and by using cross-referencing skills, I found out that there is a document named; “Revered Samuel Peter´s list” in the Kent Memorial Library in Suffield.  Allegedly there were at least four Loyalist in Suffield in 1774. Their names were: Alexander King, Captain Shem Burbank, Seth Austin and Isaac Pomeroy. Now my plan is to get access to documents and this way  to learn more about the document. First, I will go to the Kent Memorial Library to look at the “Revered Samuel Peter´s list” first hand, to check if this information is right. If so, I will use research skills to figure out some major question, like: who were these men? Why did they come to Suffield? How long had they lived in Suffield before 1774? What was their standing and position in the town? Why did they support Great Britain? And did they have families, wives, children, etc? Another thing I would like to do next is to get access to the book/document: “Connecticut’s Loyalists”. I believe this document will tell us more about why the Loyalists in Connecticut sided with Great Britain during the Revolutionary War. Furthermore, I have one more person I would like to research: “Hannah Barton”. I learned about her by doing extensive research on the internet. She is an interesting person, because she was born in Suffield in 1774 and was supposedly the daughter of Roger Barton, a Loyalist from New York. The fact that she was born in Suffield might suggest that Barton also was in Suffield in the late 1700s.  I have yet not find anything to support this statement, but I hope to find more about this in the time to come.

Sources:

https://books.google.com/books?id=cNHNOfL3ra4C&pg=PA127&lpg=PA127&dq=loyalist+suffield+1774&source=bl&ots=pT_s_uIhFp&sig=xvOQTi1zqo8_ydbPT1msQmYCOE8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiqnIXNwN7QAhUKWhQKHRjYCkEQ6AEIMTAD#v=onepage&q=loyalist%20suffield%201774&f=false

https://www.geni.com/people/Hannah/6000000040924008214

https://books.google.com/books?id=PIksAAAAMAAJ&q=loyalist+connecticut+1774&dq=loyalist+connecticut+1774&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiEgbK3xt7QAhVIx1QKHW9KDJYQ6AEIHDAA. 

http://www.ushistory.org/us/11b.asp

Researching and Understanding Hanchett’s War Experience

Image Source: 

http://www.emersonkent.com/map_archive/american_revolution_campaigns_1775_1776.htm

As we delve deeper into Hanchett’s Revolutionary War record, we should keep in mind that he left Suffield as a Lieutenant on his way to the Lexington Alarm. When he left with Arnold for the wilderness campaign to invade Canada and siege Quebec, he was a captain. Several accounts that I have read explain that higher ranking officers met with captains to discuss how best to move forward given the problems that the soldiers had with maps, weather, and faulty boats. So that puts our figure right in the heart of discussions! Also note during this long march to Quebec how other Connecticut troops abandoned the march. Can we find out how that affected other troops who continued on with the fight? Read this article to get an overview. Remember, Wikipedia is a good gateway to the topic. Let’s also reflect on how this article can be improved; we will do that revision work with my Wikipedia account (I have some digital “cred” with this organization). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Canada_(1775)

Also review this article as we want to learn the battle from Arnold’s point of view, which was also Hanchett’s point of view. In both situations, utilize critical cross referencing skills and explore a few sources.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_Arnold%27s_expedition_to_Quebec

Roger Enos is an interesting figure for us to understand how he chose the opposite of Hanchett and retreated. How does his path juxtapose with Arnold and Hanchett’s? What happened to his life after that decision? Note, too, how he was older and a veteran of the French and Indian War; we’ll also show you in class how he was connected to another famous Suffield veteran of that war. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Enos Check out this link to reflect on a larger text that might help us understand Hanchett’s role: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/481435.Through_a_Howling_Wilderness