Hey guys - send me a note to let me know what you think of this essay - thought you might find it interesting since we visited Gettysburg recently...Homework for week of Jan 26 below...
What Gettysburg Is
Gettysburg is not simply the story of three fateful days in July, 1863. It is not simply the story of a battle or a pivotal moment in the life of our nation. Gettysburg is not simply a place of monuments, gravestones, or remembrance. Gettysburg should, however, be a place that is never forgotten - a place imbedded in our minds and hearts because of what happened there.
Gettysburg is the place where Abraham Lincoln spoke 272 words that have become immortal - 272 words that are profound in their simplicity - in their clarity regarding the meaning of the war in which the nation was engaged and his hope that the nation would experience a cleansing new birth, a freedom from the bondage imposed by the sin of American slavery.
Gettysburg is also the place where President Lincoln was incorrect on one point. He stated that the world would little note nor long remember what was said there, but it could never forget what they, the brave soldiers, did there. He was wrong on both counts. The world does indeed remember the words that he spoke - they have proven to be an inspiration to all those who have read them - words of wisdom, truth, and guidance - a clarion call to defend and advance the undying principle of freedom. Unfortunately, however, most have forgotten the deeds done on these hallowed grounds - most have not learned of the heroism that is incorporate here - the bravery and courage that echoes from the hills and rises with the mist of each newborn day.
Gettysburg is a living memorial to all generations of Americans and all peoples - her legacy of inspiration should be etched upon the tablet of every liberty loving heart. The monuments of stone that cover the field are but symbols, visible reminders of the eternal debt we, the child recipients of such an inheritance of liberty, owe to those who purchased it for us through the sacrifice of life and limb - America truly is a redeemed nation.
Gettysburg is, in essence, a microcosm of the nation. This sacred place symbolizes every freedom, every struggle, every hope, every fear, every dream, every nightmare; the will to persevere, the determination to overcome , and the love so many feel for this country, both past and present. Gettysburg truly represents different things to different people. To those who've never been there it is a battlefield of the Civil War, old and dusty and unimportant. To those who died there or know who died and suffered there it is a field of lasting repose and place of solemn reflection. To many, particularly those who have visited, it is simply our history and our heritage - perhaps the vital thread in the fabric of a nation.
Gettysburg is what it is because in some way, in some form, what occurred there affects every American whose lives have been lived after those fateful days so long ago. It isn't simply the story of a turning point in a war, a tale of valor, or a look into the past, but rather a lasting impression of what determination in a cause is and what the true inner strength of the human spirit can strive to achieve . Walking down Cemetery Ridge and looking out across the great expanse of sky and space that once was a universe of battle, or looking down at Devils Den from Little Round Top, it takes on a transformative hue - from a battlefield to a haunting reminder that when the will is strong enough anything is possible.
Gettysburg is a place of the past, but also an ever present testament to every future generation. The storm of shot and shell has long since abated, the bullets have been fired, the cannon rolled away, the battle flags folded, the wounded removed, the dead buried and the bugle calls drifted off into the wind, but the spirit is still there. The power and energy that consumed the small patch of land still somehow remains, an unending, awe-inspiring power and feeling that consumes you from the moment you set foot on the ground. You immediately understand that you are standing upon ground where heroes trod, where they suffered and died for you and for freedom‘s cause. It overpowers you and reminds you that the men who struggled there have indeed not died in vain, but for the holy cause of liberty and to simply fulfill their mission to uphold and defend duty, honor, country.
Gettysburg is duty, honor, country. At his challenging farewell address to cadets at West Point, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, whose father fought in the American Civil War and was awarded the medal of honor , spoke of these three pillars of our citizenship and talked of our nation’s military legacy and success in fighting to support them. He said, The long gray line (of cadets) has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, (and even) in blue and (in) gray, would rise from their white crosses, thundering those magic words: Duty, Honor, Country.
Gettysburg is and always will be a reminder to everyone that while we are faced with many moral and mortal dilemmas in this world, we can and will overcome them because, as Lincoln stated, right makes might - it always has and always will. It is simply for us to do our duty before God as we understand it and leave all in His sovereign hands. We must remember what others have struggled for in the past and learn from their victorious example and so fulfill our destiny and uphold our responsibility in the cause of freedom. In so doing, we, like our ancestors, will become better people in the process and live in a more perfect Union.
It really is impossible to say what Gettysburg really is, but I have tried my best. I've been to many places in this wonderful, God-kissed land, but none has ever affected me and left such a lasting impression as Gettysburg has - because of what happened there and how it has been immortalized yes, but also because of the emotion and energy evoked when one stands on a peaceful quiet stretch of land in the fading sunlight and tries to envision all the emotions and lives that met there and how on such a small lovely spot such events could occur to change history.
Can you see it too? Can you see them, resplendent in abiding youth? Can you see them, beckoning to you, asking you to ponder the meaning of such a sacrifice as theirs? Look harder, it’s not easy to see the invisible, but when it comes into focus, it’ll take your breath away and drop you upon bended knee in thanks unto God for a blessing so rich.
In returning to this place in 1888, Union hero Col. Joshua L. Chamberlain spoke words that echo through the halls of our history to us, compelling us to remember…"No chemistry of frost or rain, no overlaying mould of the season's recurrent life and death, can ever separate from the soil of these consecrated fields the life-blood so deeply commingled and incorporate here. Ever henceforth under the rolling suns, when these hills are touched to splendor with the morning light, or smile a farewell to the lingering day, the flush that broods upon them shall be rich with a strange and crimson tone,--not of the earth, nor yet of the sky, but mediator and hostage between the two.
"In great deeds, something abides. On great fields, something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear; but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls. And reverent men and women from afar, and generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall come to this deathless field, to ponder and dream; and lo! the shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls.
No other prose I have ever heard summarizes what Gettysburg is more eloquently than those few words - their power will forever echo in the hearts of those who have ears to hear. May God’s richest blessing always rest upon our nation and upon this place of heroes - this place where freedom rose again to newness of life.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
HW for week of Jan 26
As we wait for the snow (it's coming!), here is the HW for the week to help you pass the time :)
1. Read your books and do your 30 page summaries. If you need a new book, let me know!!
2. Study for your quiz (study guide below)
3. Visit the eyewitness to history site below and read the articles on Custer's Last Stand and the Massacre at Wounded Knee and write a brief summary of both... (do extra articles for extra credit)
4. I will collect and grade HW notebooks (get your work done and up to date!!) on Feb 9.
5. For extra credit, watch the Civil War series on PBS Thurs at 9 pm and write a summary of what you saw in your HW notebooks...Have Fun!!
6. For extra credit, visit the site listed here and read articles and write brief summaries of them in your notebooks. This is an excellent site on the CW and slavery!!
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1865/assasssination-abraham-lincoln.htm
7. Continue to prepare for your Veteran Interviews (info on interviews still posted below) On Feb 9, I will want to know who your veteran is and have a sample list of your questions and interview ideas - include them in your HW notebooks
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/owfrm.htm
Quiz 1 (Feb 2) Study Guide
Civil War - April 1861 to April 1865 - almost exactly 4 years
The main cause of the war was most certainly regarding the issue of the extension of slavery...
The meteor of the war -- John Brown and his raid of Harper's Ferry Va in an attempt to lead a slave uprising.
The raid failed - Brown was captured by US marines under the command of Col. Robert E. Lee
Brown was tried and convicted of treason against the state of Virginia and hanged. His last communication came in a note, in which he wrote, "I am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land shall not be purged away but by blood." He was correct!
Abolitionists believed slavery was a moral wrong, a sin not to be compromised with and needed to be ended immediately. Abolitionists were always in the minority - most did not believe in equal rights for blacks at that time.
Lincoln - born Feb 12, 1809 in Hodgensville Ky - He was not an abolitionist - he believed slavery to be wrong, but only insisted that it not be extended. He became concerned when the Kansas - Nebraska act of 1854 and the Dred Scott decision in 1857 paved the way for the extension of slavery to all states and territories.
Lincoln believed in compensating slaveholders with money to give up their slaves and in colonizing blacks to lands outside the US. He later shifted his thinking on this thanks to powerful arguments from many including freed slave Frederick Douglass
On April 11, 1865, just before he was assassinated, Lincoln spoke of giving the right to vote to intelligent blacks and those who had fought in Union armies - about 150,000 ultimately did fight for their own freedom
Some leading abolitionists included William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
In 1858, Lincoln wrote "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free...It will become all one thing or all the other." He was correct!
Lincoln was elected president in Nov 1860 - he received no southern electoral votes. upon hid election, 7 states in the deep south seceded from the Union before his inauguration on March 4, 1861. South Carolina was the first to do so on Dec 20, 1860.
The war began with the firing upon Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, SC on April 12, 1861. Southern forces fired on the fort beginning the war. The bombardment lasted 34 hours - no one was killed!
The first great land battle of the war was First Bull Run or First Manassas July 21, 1861. Union forces under Gen Irwin McDowell had initial success, but were stopped on Henry House Hill by Virginia forces under the command of Thomas J Jackson. they inspired SC general Barnard Bee to say to his troops "there stands Jackson like a stonewall...rally around the Virginians." The legend was born. The Confederates counterattacked with the rebel yell and drove Union forces from the field. People who had come out to picnic and watch the battle fled with the army back to DC in the "Great Skedaddle."
The war began on the fields of Wilmer McLean - he moved his family to southern Virginia to Appomattox - his house was chosen to be the place where Gens Grant and Lee would meet to hammer out the surrender of Lee's army in April 1865. He said the war began in his front yard and ended in his front parlor. Amazing...
The Union got it's first major victories of the war withe capture of forts Henry and Donelson in the west. Gen US Grant was the Union commander. Grant became the most important Union commander in the war, winning continual victories in both the west and east. His nickname became Unconditional Surrender Grant.
Confed. officer Nathan Bedford Forrest was a great cavalry officer who killed 31 men in hand to hand combat. He survived the war. He was a racist and slaveowner who became the first grand wizard of the KKK after the war. He was involved in a massacre of Union soldiers, any of them black at fort Pillow late in the war.
The battle of Shiloh in Tennessee on April 6-7 was one of the war's first bloody battles. There were 24,000 casualties on both sides. Confed. Gen. Albert S. Johnston was killed. Union Gens. grant and Sherman were the heroes of Shiloh. Sherman's bravery was unmatched.
The battle of the ironclads Monitor and Merrimac (CSS Virginia) took place at Hampton Roads near Norfolk, Va on March 8, 1862. The new ironclads made wooden navies a thing of the past. The Virginia destroyed several Union warships before the Monitor engaged her and she was eventually destroyed by Confed. forces before she was captured.
The CSS Hunley was one of the first submarines - she sunk in Charleston harbor and was recently raised and is now under study by historians.
Gen. George McClellan commanded the Union Army of the Potomac on two occasions - he was a great organizer, but not a great fighter - he was slow and reluctant to put his men in combat. During the Penisula Campain and 7 days battles of June - July 1862, McClellan was outsmarted and outmanuevered, even though his forces outnumbered the rebels by 3 -1. Confed. gen Joseph Johnston was wounded and Robert E Lee was put in command of the Army of Northern Virginia. Lee attacked and forced McClellan's men down and off the Penisula and back to DC - McClellan was removed from command.
In 1862, Gen Stonewall Jackson and his 17,000 man army defeated 3 Union armies in the Shenandoah Valley through marches, fighting, and brilliant leadership - Jackson's legend grows!
Clara Barton was a young patent office clerk who felt it her duty to help the war cause. eventually she did so by going between the bullet and the battlefield. She risked her life with many other nurses to care for soldiers. She became known as the "Angel of the b
Battlefield."
JEB Stuart was the most well known cavalry officer of the war. A strong Christian who loved a good dance and party, Stuart was an excellent officer who was the "eyes and ears" of Lee's army. he failed to properly screen Lee and give him vital info on the way to Gettysburg, helping lead to a Confed. defeat there.
Aug 29, 1862. Second Bull run or Second Manassas, Va. Union Gen john Pope defeated by Lee. 25,000 casualties on both sides. Stonewall held the line against intense pressure and Gen James Longstreet launched a flank attack, destroying Pope. Pope was replaced and McClellan becomes commander - again!
Sept. 17, 1862 Antietam, Md. The bloodiest single day of the CW - 23,000 casualties in 1 day!! Union forces suffered 12,500 casualties, 2 times the number suffered on D-Day in Normandy during WW II!! the battle was three battles in one - morning, afternoon, and late afternoon. McClellan failed to attack in a coordinated way but in 3 seperate attacks. Lee, outnumbered 3-1 was pressured to the breaking point, but held. McClellan had Lee's plans in hand when he found a lost order, but still did not destroy Lee. Lee retreated back to Virginia and Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. a turning point in the war. McClellan was removed from command, never to return. After the battle, photographers visited the battlefield (along with many relatives looking for loved ones) and Matthew Brady's New york studio offered an exhibit entitled "The Dead of Antietam" which shocked the nation...
Dec 13, 1862 - Fredericksburg, Va. - In a rare winter battle, Union forces under the command of Gen Ambrose Burnside are destroyed as Burnside sends 10,000 men across the river, shells the town and it's citizens, and crosses open plains and up a sloping hill to take the Confed. position atop Marye's Heights. Confed. artillery on the hill and infantry behind a stone wall at the base of the hill open fire and leave thousands dead and wounded in the snow. Some Union units are trapped in the open and hide and sleep among the dead. It is here where Gen. Lee looked upon the scene of one of his great victories and says, "It is good that war is so terrible, or we would grow too fond of it." 12,000 Union troops are dead and wounded - the Confederates lose less than 5,000 - many just AWOL, having gone home to families for Christmas!! After the battle, the sky is lit up with an amazing natural display - the Northern Lights light up the sky - the rebels take it as a sign that God approves of their victory and is looking with favor upon them...Burnside is soon relieved of duty and replaced by Gen. Joseph Hooker...
1. Read your books and do your 30 page summaries. If you need a new book, let me know!!
2. Study for your quiz (study guide below)
3. Visit the eyewitness to history site below and read the articles on Custer's Last Stand and the Massacre at Wounded Knee and write a brief summary of both... (do extra articles for extra credit)
4. I will collect and grade HW notebooks (get your work done and up to date!!) on Feb 9.
5. For extra credit, watch the Civil War series on PBS Thurs at 9 pm and write a summary of what you saw in your HW notebooks...Have Fun!!
6. For extra credit, visit the site listed here and read articles and write brief summaries of them in your notebooks. This is an excellent site on the CW and slavery!!
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1865/assasssination-abraham-lincoln.htm
7. Continue to prepare for your Veteran Interviews (info on interviews still posted below) On Feb 9, I will want to know who your veteran is and have a sample list of your questions and interview ideas - include them in your HW notebooks
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/owfrm.htm
Quiz 1 (Feb 2) Study Guide
Civil War - April 1861 to April 1865 - almost exactly 4 years
The main cause of the war was most certainly regarding the issue of the extension of slavery...
The meteor of the war -- John Brown and his raid of Harper's Ferry Va in an attempt to lead a slave uprising.
The raid failed - Brown was captured by US marines under the command of Col. Robert E. Lee
Brown was tried and convicted of treason against the state of Virginia and hanged. His last communication came in a note, in which he wrote, "I am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land shall not be purged away but by blood." He was correct!
Abolitionists believed slavery was a moral wrong, a sin not to be compromised with and needed to be ended immediately. Abolitionists were always in the minority - most did not believe in equal rights for blacks at that time.
Lincoln - born Feb 12, 1809 in Hodgensville Ky - He was not an abolitionist - he believed slavery to be wrong, but only insisted that it not be extended. He became concerned when the Kansas - Nebraska act of 1854 and the Dred Scott decision in 1857 paved the way for the extension of slavery to all states and territories.
Lincoln believed in compensating slaveholders with money to give up their slaves and in colonizing blacks to lands outside the US. He later shifted his thinking on this thanks to powerful arguments from many including freed slave Frederick Douglass
On April 11, 1865, just before he was assassinated, Lincoln spoke of giving the right to vote to intelligent blacks and those who had fought in Union armies - about 150,000 ultimately did fight for their own freedom
Some leading abolitionists included William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
In 1858, Lincoln wrote "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free...It will become all one thing or all the other." He was correct!
Lincoln was elected president in Nov 1860 - he received no southern electoral votes. upon hid election, 7 states in the deep south seceded from the Union before his inauguration on March 4, 1861. South Carolina was the first to do so on Dec 20, 1860.
The war began with the firing upon Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, SC on April 12, 1861. Southern forces fired on the fort beginning the war. The bombardment lasted 34 hours - no one was killed!
The first great land battle of the war was First Bull Run or First Manassas July 21, 1861. Union forces under Gen Irwin McDowell had initial success, but were stopped on Henry House Hill by Virginia forces under the command of Thomas J Jackson. they inspired SC general Barnard Bee to say to his troops "there stands Jackson like a stonewall...rally around the Virginians." The legend was born. The Confederates counterattacked with the rebel yell and drove Union forces from the field. People who had come out to picnic and watch the battle fled with the army back to DC in the "Great Skedaddle."
The war began on the fields of Wilmer McLean - he moved his family to southern Virginia to Appomattox - his house was chosen to be the place where Gens Grant and Lee would meet to hammer out the surrender of Lee's army in April 1865. He said the war began in his front yard and ended in his front parlor. Amazing...
The Union got it's first major victories of the war withe capture of forts Henry and Donelson in the west. Gen US Grant was the Union commander. Grant became the most important Union commander in the war, winning continual victories in both the west and east. His nickname became Unconditional Surrender Grant.
Confed. officer Nathan Bedford Forrest was a great cavalry officer who killed 31 men in hand to hand combat. He survived the war. He was a racist and slaveowner who became the first grand wizard of the KKK after the war. He was involved in a massacre of Union soldiers, any of them black at fort Pillow late in the war.
The battle of Shiloh in Tennessee on April 6-7 was one of the war's first bloody battles. There were 24,000 casualties on both sides. Confed. Gen. Albert S. Johnston was killed. Union Gens. grant and Sherman were the heroes of Shiloh. Sherman's bravery was unmatched.
The battle of the ironclads Monitor and Merrimac (CSS Virginia) took place at Hampton Roads near Norfolk, Va on March 8, 1862. The new ironclads made wooden navies a thing of the past. The Virginia destroyed several Union warships before the Monitor engaged her and she was eventually destroyed by Confed. forces before she was captured.
The CSS Hunley was one of the first submarines - she sunk in Charleston harbor and was recently raised and is now under study by historians.
Gen. George McClellan commanded the Union Army of the Potomac on two occasions - he was a great organizer, but not a great fighter - he was slow and reluctant to put his men in combat. During the Penisula Campain and 7 days battles of June - July 1862, McClellan was outsmarted and outmanuevered, even though his forces outnumbered the rebels by 3 -1. Confed. gen Joseph Johnston was wounded and Robert E Lee was put in command of the Army of Northern Virginia. Lee attacked and forced McClellan's men down and off the Penisula and back to DC - McClellan was removed from command.
In 1862, Gen Stonewall Jackson and his 17,000 man army defeated 3 Union armies in the Shenandoah Valley through marches, fighting, and brilliant leadership - Jackson's legend grows!
Clara Barton was a young patent office clerk who felt it her duty to help the war cause. eventually she did so by going between the bullet and the battlefield. She risked her life with many other nurses to care for soldiers. She became known as the "Angel of the b
Battlefield."
JEB Stuart was the most well known cavalry officer of the war. A strong Christian who loved a good dance and party, Stuart was an excellent officer who was the "eyes and ears" of Lee's army. he failed to properly screen Lee and give him vital info on the way to Gettysburg, helping lead to a Confed. defeat there.
Aug 29, 1862. Second Bull run or Second Manassas, Va. Union Gen john Pope defeated by Lee. 25,000 casualties on both sides. Stonewall held the line against intense pressure and Gen James Longstreet launched a flank attack, destroying Pope. Pope was replaced and McClellan becomes commander - again!
Sept. 17, 1862 Antietam, Md. The bloodiest single day of the CW - 23,000 casualties in 1 day!! Union forces suffered 12,500 casualties, 2 times the number suffered on D-Day in Normandy during WW II!! the battle was three battles in one - morning, afternoon, and late afternoon. McClellan failed to attack in a coordinated way but in 3 seperate attacks. Lee, outnumbered 3-1 was pressured to the breaking point, but held. McClellan had Lee's plans in hand when he found a lost order, but still did not destroy Lee. Lee retreated back to Virginia and Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. a turning point in the war. McClellan was removed from command, never to return. After the battle, photographers visited the battlefield (along with many relatives looking for loved ones) and Matthew Brady's New york studio offered an exhibit entitled "The Dead of Antietam" which shocked the nation...
Dec 13, 1862 - Fredericksburg, Va. - In a rare winter battle, Union forces under the command of Gen Ambrose Burnside are destroyed as Burnside sends 10,000 men across the river, shells the town and it's citizens, and crosses open plains and up a sloping hill to take the Confed. position atop Marye's Heights. Confed. artillery on the hill and infantry behind a stone wall at the base of the hill open fire and leave thousands dead and wounded in the snow. Some Union units are trapped in the open and hide and sleep among the dead. It is here where Gen. Lee looked upon the scene of one of his great victories and says, "It is good that war is so terrible, or we would grow too fond of it." 12,000 Union troops are dead and wounded - the Confederates lose less than 5,000 - many just AWOL, having gone home to families for Christmas!! After the battle, the sky is lit up with an amazing natural display - the Northern Lights light up the sky - the rebels take it as a sign that God approves of their victory and is looking with favor upon them...Burnside is soon relieved of duty and replaced by Gen. Joseph Hooker...
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Homework for week of Jan 19
Visit the site below and read two articles and write a brief summary of both (about 1/2 page each). For extra credit, read as many more than 2 that you want and write a summary for them also. I will apply extra points to your HW grades for each one you do...have Fun!
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/cwfrm.htm
ps... PBS TV is now running the excellent Civil War series on Thursday nights at 9pm. For extra credit, watch the episode and write a brief summary of what you saw and learned
ps... Congrats to the Baltimore Ravens on a terrific season...Wait'll next year! :)
Continuing homework assignment: Read the following materials from the Veteran's History project to prepare yourself for your projects...Look at the sample interview and project field kit to get ideas on how to conduct your interview...
ps Our first quiz of the second half will be on Feb 2...Lincoln Day Feb 9 - Details to come...
TOP OF PAGE
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/cwfrm.htm
ps... PBS TV is now running the excellent Civil War series on Thursday nights at 9pm. For extra credit, watch the episode and write a brief summary of what you saw and learned
ps... Congrats to the Baltimore Ravens on a terrific season...Wait'll next year! :)
Continuing homework assignment: Read the following materials from the Veteran's History project to prepare yourself for your projects...Look at the sample interview and project field kit to get ideas on how to conduct your interview...
ps Our first quiz of the second half will be on Feb 2...Lincoln Day Feb 9 - Details to come...
Interview Tips & Resources
Also: Suggested Questions | Research Sources
Prepare for the Interview
- Complete the Biographical Data Form with the veteran to identify possible interview questions.
- Prepare questions before the interview; write them down.
- Conduct a pre-interview with the veteran or civilian, if possible.
- Use the highest quality video or audio recorder and microphone(s) you can.
- Digital and Hi-8 video recordings are preferred
- Use external microphones
- Do not use extended time speeds on recorders
- Do not use microcassettes
- Become familiar with your recording equipment and test it before you begin the interview.
- Interview in a quiet, well-lit room and avoid noise from:
- Fluorescent lights
- chiming clocks
- heating and cooling systems
- ringing telephones and televisions
- other conversations
- Be sure the questions and answers are recorded.
- On video interviews:
- Mount the camera on a tripod
- Position the camera a few feet from your interviewee
- Focus on the interviewee's face, upper body, and hands
- Avoid using the zoom feature
- On audio interviews:
- Use an external microphone
- Position the microphone 9 inches from the interviewee.
- Use a microphone stand
- Be sure the tape has started recording before you start speaking!
TOP OF PAGE Conducting the Interview
- State at the beginning of the interview:
- Date and place of the interview
- Name of the person being interviewed
- Interviewee's birth date
- Names of the people attending the interview (including the interviewer and camera operators)
- The organization you're working with, if any<
- If interviewing a veteran:
- War and branch of service
- What his or her rank was
- Where he or she served
- If interviewing a civilian:
- What type of work he or she performed
- Where he or she served
- What war he or she served during
For example: Today is Friday, June 7, 2003 and we are interviewing John Smith at his home. Mr. Smith is 78 years old, having been born on November 23, 1923. My name is Jane Doe and I'll be the interviewer. John Smith is my uncle. He is my mother's brother. Uncle John, could you state for the recording what war and branch of service you served in? [pause for answer] What was your rank? [pause for answer] Where did you serve? [pause for answer]
- Other tips for making a great interview:
- Keep the tape recorder or video camera running throughout the interview, unless you are asked to turn it off by the interviewee. Never record secretly.
- Keep your questions short. Avoid complicated, multipart questions.
- Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." Ask "how, when, and why" questions instead.
- Keep your opinions out of the interview, and don't ask leading questions that suggest answers.
- Encourage the interviewee with nods of the head rather than audible responses such as "yes" or "uh huh" that will be recorded.
- Don't begin the interview with questions about painful or controversial topics.
- Be patient and give the veteran time to reflect before going on to a new question. Many people take short reflective breaks in the course of ansering one question.
- Use follow-up questions to elicit more details from the interviewee. Examples include: When did that happen? Did that happen to you? What did you think about that? What are the steps in doing that?
- Consider asking the interviewee to show you photographs, commendations, and personal letters as a way of enhancing the interview. Such documents often encourage memories and provoke interesting stories.
- Be yourself. Don't pretend to know more about a subject than you do.
Suggested Questions for Veterans
Questions for Civilians are also available.
Segment 1: For the Record:
State at the beginning of the interview:
- Date and place of the interview
- Name of the person being interviewed
- Interviewee's birth date
- Names of the people attending the interview (including the interviewer and camera operators)
- The organization you're working with, if any
- If interviewing a veteran:
- War and branch of service
- What his or her rank was
- Where he or she served
- If interviewing a civilian:
- What type of work he or she performed
- Where he or she served
- What war he or she served during
Segment 2: Jogging Memory:
Were you drafted or did you enlist?
Where were you living at the time?
Why did you join?
Why did you pick the service branch you joined?
Do you recall your first days in service?
What did it feel like?
Tell me about your boot camp/training experience(s).
Do you remember your instructors?
How did you get through it?
Segment 3: Experiences:
Which war(s) did you serve in (WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf)?
Where exactly did you go?
Do you remember arriving and what it was like?
What was your job/assignment?
Did you see combat?
Were there many casualties in your unit?
Tell me about a couple of your most memorable experiences.
Were you a prisoner of war?
Tell me about your experiences in captivity and when freed.
Were you awarded any medals or citations?
How did you get them?
Higher ranks may be asked about battle planning. Those who sustained injuries may be asked about the circumstances.
Segment 4: Life:
Ask questions about life in the service and/or at the front or under fire.
How did you stay in touch with your family?
What was the food like?
Did you have plenty of supplies?
Did you feel pressure or stress?
Was there something special you did for "good luck"?
How did people entertain themselves?
Were there entertainers?
What did you do when on leave?
Where did you travel while in the service?
Do you recall any particularly humorous or unusual event?
What were some of the pranks that you or others would pull?
Do you have photographs?
Who are the people in the photographs?
What did you think of officers or fellow soldiers?
Did you keep a personal diary?
Segment 5: After Service:
Appropriateness of questions will vary if the veteran had a military career.
Do you recall the day your service ended?
Where were you?
What did you do in the days and weeks afterward?
Did you work or go back to school?
Was your education supported by the G.I. Bill?
Did you make any close friendships while in the service?
Did you continue any of those relationships?
For how long?
Did you join a veterans organization?
Segment 6: Later Years and Closing:
What did you go on to do as a career after the war?
Did your military experience influence your thinking about war or about the military in general?
If in a veterans organization, what kinds of activities does your post or association have?
Do you attend reunions?
How did your service and experiences affect your life?
Is there anything you would like to add that we have not covered in this interview?
Field Kit:
http://www.loc.gov/vets/pdf/fieldkit-2008.pdf
Experiencing War section:
http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/
Monday, January 12, 2009
Ravens Week
In honor of the Baltimore Raven's terrific season reaching the AFC Championship game this week, I give you the poem which inspired the team's name and colors...Enjoy!!
oh, by the way - Homework is just below - thanks!!
The Raven by E.A.Poe
Super Bowl XXXV Parade in Baltimore - 2001
oh, by the way - Homework is just below - thanks!!
The Raven by E.A.Poe
| Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. `'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door - Only this, and nothing more.' Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore - Nameless here for evermore. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each PURPLE curtain Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating `'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door - Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; - This it is, and nothing more,' Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, `Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; - Darkness there, and nothing more. Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!' This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!' Merely this and nothing more. Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before. `Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice; Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore - Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; - 'Tis the wind and nothing more!' Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, In there stepped a stately RAVEN of the saintly days of yore. Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he; But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door - Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door - Perched, and sat, and nothing more. Then this EBONY (BLACK) bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, `Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven. Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore - Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore; For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door - Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door, With such name as `Nevermore.' But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only, That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered - Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before - On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.' Then the bird said, `Nevermore.' Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, `Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store, Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore - Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore Of "Never-nevermore."' But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door; Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore - What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking `Nevermore.' This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core; This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er, But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er, She shall press, ah, nevermore! Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. `Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore! Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' `Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! - Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted - On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore - Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' `Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore - Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore - Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' `Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting - `Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door! Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted - nevermore!
| |
Super Bowl XXXV Parade in Baltimore - 2001
Superbowl XXXV Parade in Baltimore - Let's do it again in '09...
Ed Reed #20 of the Baltimore Ravens runs the ball after an interception against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 23, 2008 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
HW for week of Jan 12
HW for this week: Read the following materials from the Veteran's History project to prepare yourself for your projects...Look at the sample interview and project field kit to get ideas on how to conduct your interview...Finally, visit the experiencing war section, read 1 veteran's story and write a brief summary of what you learned...Have Fun!!
ps Our first quiz of the second half will be on Feb 2...Lincoln Day Feb 9 - Details to come...
TOP OF PAGE
ps Our first quiz of the second half will be on Feb 2...Lincoln Day Feb 9 - Details to come...
Interview Tips & Resources
Also: Suggested Questions | Research Sources
Prepare for the Interview
- Complete the Biographical Data Form with the veteran to identify possible interview questions.
- Prepare questions before the interview; write them down.
- Conduct a pre-interview with the veteran or civilian, if possible.
- Use the highest quality video or audio recorder and microphone(s) you can.
- Digital and Hi-8 video recordings are preferred
- Use external microphones
- Do not use extended time speeds on recorders
- Do not use microcassettes
- Become familiar with your recording equipment and test it before you begin the interview.
- Interview in a quiet, well-lit room and avoid noise from:
- Fluorescent lights
- chiming clocks
- heating and cooling systems
- ringing telephones and televisions
- other conversations
- Be sure the questions and answers are recorded.
- On video interviews:
- Mount the camera on a tripod
- Position the camera a few feet from your interviewee
- Focus on the interviewee's face, upper body, and hands
- Avoid using the zoom feature
- On audio interviews:
- Use an external microphone
- Position the microphone 9 inches from the interviewee.
- Use a microphone stand
- Be sure the tape has started recording before you start speaking!
TOP OF PAGE Conducting the Interview
- State at the beginning of the interview:
- Date and place of the interview
- Name of the person being interviewed
- Interviewee's birth date
- Names of the people attending the interview (including the interviewer and camera operators)
- The organization you're working with, if any<
- If interviewing a veteran:
- War and branch of service
- What his or her rank was
- Where he or she served
- If interviewing a civilian:
- What type of work he or she performed
- Where he or she served
- What war he or she served during
For example: Today is Friday, June 7, 2003 and we are interviewing John Smith at his home. Mr. Smith is 78 years old, having been born on November 23, 1923. My name is Jane Doe and I'll be the interviewer. John Smith is my uncle. He is my mother's brother. Uncle John, could you state for the recording what war and branch of service you served in? [pause for answer] What was your rank? [pause for answer] Where did you serve? [pause for answer]
- Other tips for making a great interview:
- Keep the tape recorder or video camera running throughout the interview, unless you are asked to turn it off by the interviewee. Never record secretly.
- Keep your questions short. Avoid complicated, multipart questions.
- Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." Ask "how, when, and why" questions instead.
- Keep your opinions out of the interview, and don't ask leading questions that suggest answers.
- Encourage the interviewee with nods of the head rather than audible responses such as "yes" or "uh huh" that will be recorded.
- Don't begin the interview with questions about painful or controversial topics.
- Be patient and give the veteran time to reflect before going on to a new question. Many people take short reflective breaks in the course of ansering one question.
- Use follow-up questions to elicit more details from the interviewee. Examples include: When did that happen? Did that happen to you? What did you think about that? What are the steps in doing that?
- Consider asking the interviewee to show you photographs, commendations, and personal letters as a way of enhancing the interview. Such documents often encourage memories and provoke interesting stories.
- Be yourself. Don't pretend to know more about a subject than you do.
Suggested Questions for Veterans
Questions for Civilians are also available.
Segment 1: For the Record:
State at the beginning of the interview:
- Date and place of the interview
- Name of the person being interviewed
- Interviewee's birth date
- Names of the people attending the interview (including the interviewer and camera operators)
- The organization you're working with, if any
- If interviewing a veteran:
- War and branch of service
- What his or her rank was
- Where he or she served
- If interviewing a civilian:
- What type of work he or she performed
- Where he or she served
- What war he or she served during
Segment 2: Jogging Memory:
Were you drafted or did you enlist?
Where were you living at the time?
Why did you join?
Why did you pick the service branch you joined?
Do you recall your first days in service?
What did it feel like?
Tell me about your boot camp/training experience(s).
Do you remember your instructors?
How did you get through it?
Segment 3: Experiences:
Which war(s) did you serve in (WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf)?
Where exactly did you go?
Do you remember arriving and what it was like?
What was your job/assignment?
Did you see combat?
Were there many casualties in your unit?
Tell me about a couple of your most memorable experiences.
Were you a prisoner of war?
Tell me about your experiences in captivity and when freed.
Were you awarded any medals or citations?
How did you get them?
Higher ranks may be asked about battle planning. Those who sustained injuries may be asked about the circumstances.
Segment 4: Life:
Ask questions about life in the service and/or at the front or under fire.
How did you stay in touch with your family?
What was the food like?
Did you have plenty of supplies?
Did you feel pressure or stress?
Was there something special you did for "good luck"?
How did people entertain themselves?
Were there entertainers?
What did you do when on leave?
Where did you travel while in the service?
Do you recall any particularly humorous or unusual event?
What were some of the pranks that you or others would pull?
Do you have photographs?
Who are the people in the photographs?
What did you think of officers or fellow soldiers?
Did you keep a personal diary?
Segment 5: After Service:
Appropriateness of questions will vary if the veteran had a military career.
Do you recall the day your service ended?
Where were you?
What did you do in the days and weeks afterward?
Did you work or go back to school?
Was your education supported by the G.I. Bill?
Did you make any close friendships while in the service?
Did you continue any of those relationships?
For how long?
Did you join a veterans organization?
Segment 6: Later Years and Closing:
What did you go on to do as a career after the war?
Did your military experience influence your thinking about war or about the military in general?
If in a veterans organization, what kinds of activities does your post or association have?
Do you attend reunions?
How did your service and experiences affect your life?
Is there anything you would like to add that we have not covered in this interview?
Field Kit:
http://www.loc.gov/vets/pdf/fieldkit-2008.pdf
Experiencing War section:
http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
HW for week of Jan 5
Read your usual 30 pages and write your summaries
Visit the Veteran's History Project website (see below) and check out the site, look at sample interviews and questions as well as interviews that are available to look at posted. Just get a feel for the site and the project and what is involved - we will discuss your projects in detail on Monday Have a great week - Mr Norm
http://www.loc.gov/vets/
For extra credit, read articles related to the current Israeli - Palestinian conflict in Gaza and write a brief summary of them with your opinion of the conflict - is it a just conflict from each side or not - tell me why you think the way you do...Washington Times.com is a good source for current and back articles...
www.washingtontimes.com
Visit the Veteran's History Project website (see below) and check out the site, look at sample interviews and questions as well as interviews that are available to look at posted. Just get a feel for the site and the project and what is involved - we will discuss your projects in detail on Monday Have a great week - Mr Norm
http://www.loc.gov/vets/
For extra credit, read articles related to the current Israeli - Palestinian conflict in Gaza and write a brief summary of them with your opinion of the conflict - is it a just conflict from each side or not - tell me why you think the way you do...Washington Times.com is a good source for current and back articles...
www.washingtontimes.com
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