The Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4, 1776, is the United States’ founding document, and this year marks the 250th Birthday of its signing—the perfect time to celebrate by taking your students on a trip that highlights America’s vast history.
Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Boston are three destinations to visit with many historical sites related to America’s 250th Birthday. Some suggested places to visit in Washington D.C. include the following: Lincoln Memorial, White House, National Museum of Natural History, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Capitol Hill, Arlington National Cemetery, Smithsonian Institution, and the War Memorials. Another interesting place to visit is the National Archives Museum where you can view the original Declaration of Independence document, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
In Philadelphia, the trip must include a visit to Independence Hall. It was in this historic building where the Declaration of Independence (1776), Articles of Confederation (1781), and the U.S. Constitution (1787) were debated and adopted by the Second Continental Congress, making it the “birthplace of the United States.” Independence Hall is also the home of the Liberty Bell. Other important places to visit include the Betsy Ross House (where she created the first American flag), Elfreth’s Alley (America’s oldest continually inhabited residential street), and the Museum of the American Revolution.
Boston, home of the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail, highlights sixteen significant historical sites. Along the trail, you will visit Old North Church, Granary Burying Ground, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere’s House, the USS Constitution & Museum, Bunker Hill Monument, and the site of the Boston Massacre. Boston is also home to the Boston Common, the oldest park in America which was established in 1634. Another key historic site in Boston is Fenway Park, the oldest Major League Baseball stadium in the United States.
In addition to Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Boston, there are other cities that I recommend educators take their students to visit. These include Charleston, South Carolina; home of Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired, the Old Slave Mart Museum and Magnolia Plantation. Another suggestion is Savannah, Georgia. Savannah is the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA and many historic sites. Finally, I suggest an educational tour to New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans is home to the French Quarter, Jackson Square, and the National WWII Museum. All of these locations provide educational and informative experiences for students.
Historical sites worth visiting that highlight prominent American individuals include George Washington’s Mount Vernon Home in Virginia; the Jimmy Carter Library and Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta, Georgia; the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Texas; Henry David Thoreau’s cabin in Massachusetts; and John F. Kennedy’s Presidential Library in Massachusetts or where JFK was shot & killed in Texas.
While traveling, teachers can provide students opportunities to participate in historic events or re-creations of events. Attend a performance of Hamilton, the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton’s rise from an orphan to a key figure in the American Revolution. Participate in a dumping of tea at the Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum. Take a tour through Gettysburg National Military Park. Walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama. Visit the National Civil Rights Museum in Tennessee. Ride a trolley through historic Charleston. Do a ghost tour in Savannah. Experience the Coca-Cola Museum in Georgia. These learning experiences engage students in the history.
My father was a lifelong educator. For 42 years, he taught history at the local middle school and also served as the president of the local historical society. As a child, our family vacations centered on attendance at historical events or sites. I recall visits to national parks, history museums, and educational sites. I appreciate my father for exposing and teaching me the history of America through hands-on experiences. My passion for history definitely grew out of these family vacation. When I started leading college students on study-abroad trips within the United States, I naturally chose historical locations. I recall taking students on the Freedom Trail in Boston.
Each stop on the trail was a reminder of the rich history of our country. It brought the lessons we learned in the textbooks to real life. When I entered the Old North Church, I thought about Paul Revere’s ride, “One if by land, two if by sea” as stated in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, to warn that the British was coming. When I took students to New York City, we visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I thought about the French who donated this statue and its symbolism and the immigrants who came by ship arriving at Ellis Island and eventually settled in the United States. A visit to Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia educated us about life in the 18th century.
I hope that my quest to share these historical sites with my students ignites a fire within them to appreciate America’s past and that they will also develop a passion for history.
Written by Julie Beck.
