Commonwealth Speakers:American Founders and Pioneers
Aviator and Brookville native Lewis Earle Sandt (1888-1913) at the controls of his Curtiss biplane, c.1912.
Using photos and newspaper accounts, David Taylor presents the short life and daring exploits of his great-uncle, aviator, and Brookville native Lewis Earle Sandt (1888-1913). Between his first public flights in 1911 and his death in 1913 at an exhibition in Grove City, Sandt's Aero Exhibition Company entertained across Pennsylvania, southern Canada, and Ohio, where he made that state's first air mail flight in 1912. Sandt's feats included the first flight across downtown Pittsburgh and his crossing of Lake Erie, considered the first international flight by an American.
David L. Taylor, Historic Preservation and Community Development Consultant, Brookville
Early Travelers of the French Creek ValleyIn this slide-illustrated presentation, Jonathan Helmreich considers the human history of the French Creek Valley. He discusses the life of early Native Americans, the arrival of the first white settlers, the saga and implications of George Washington's trip to Ft. Le Boeuf in 1753, Pontiac's Rebellion, and the founding of Meadville in 1788.
Projection screen required.
Jonathan E. Helmreich, Professor of History Emeritus and College
Historian, Allegheny College, Meadville
The Rev. Dr. Anna Howard Shaw was instrumental in securing women the right to vote in the United States. As the "voice of the suffrage movement," Shaw spoke on voting rights as well as temperance. Before her death in 1919 (in Moylan, PA), she served as president of the National American Women Suffrage Association from 1904 to 1915 and was later the first woman to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross from Congress for her work with the Council of National Defense during World War I. Dacia Charlesworth presents Shaw's life as a "living history" by combining Shaw's own words and reflections with those of historians, critics, and supporters.
Dacia Charlesworth, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Communication, Robert Morris University, Coraopolis
Pennsylvania Dutch and Hessian Soldiers of the Revolutionary WarWhile the Pennsylvania Dutch supported the American cause during the Revolutionary War, their German brethren, the Hessians, were fighting for the British. David Valuska examines the roles each of these groups played in different battles and in the war in general and discusses many interesting details, such as the Pennsylvania Dutch militia system and their use of the long rifle, the reasons why the Hessians came to America to fight for the British, and the conditions of Hessian imprisonment in eastern Pennsylvania.
Overhead projector and screen required.
David Valuska, Ph.D., Director, Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage
Center at Kutztown University
Rachel Carson, honored by Time Magazine as "one of the most influential minds of the 20th century," played a pivotal role in launching the modern environmental movement. Her powerful and eloquent writing, including her final book, Silent Spring, which exposed the dangers of indiscriminate pesticide use, galvanized the country into action and inspired the creation of most of our environment protection agencies and legislation. Vivienne Shaffer describes how Carson's childhood experiences in western Pennsylvania influenced the deep and abiding love of nature that pervaded all her works.
Vivienne Shaffer, Executive Director, The Rachel Carson Homestead, Springdale
Betsy Ross and the Making of an American LegendThe story of Betsy Ross's meeting with George Washington and her design of the first flag has become an integral part of American history. But did it ever happen? Cynthia Little introduces participants to the real Betsy Ross, and she reintroduces the other Betsy—the national icon who rose to prominence on the basis of an undocumented family story during the late 19th century, a period during which many of our current patriotic symbols became part of civic life.
Slide projector and screen required.
Cynthia J. Little, Ph.D., Public Historian, Elkins Park
Unlike modern wars, which are documented with photographs, images of the American Revolution had to be created from scratch by painters like Emmanuel Leutz (Washington Crossing the Delaware) and John Trumbull (Declaration of Independence in Congress). Most paintings of the Revolution were produced years, sometimes decades, after the fact, with the goal of pleasing a particular audience and inspiring patriotic feelings toward the young republic. In this slide-illustrated presentation, Paul Newman explores the fact and fiction of the art of the Revolution.
Slide projector,screen,and lectern required.
Paul Douglas Newman, Associate Professor of History, University of
Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Beginning in the 17th century, when midwife and religious activist Anne Marbury Hutchinson and her follower Mary Dyer were banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, women reformers and volunteers have often been considered suspect for overstepping the bounds of propriety. Carla Rineer examines the long tradition of women reformers and volunteers in America, including the stereotyped images that arose of them in popular culture.
Slide projector and screen required. PowerPoint preferred.
Carla Rineer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English, Millersville University
In life, Benjamin Rush was almost as controversial as his fellow Philadelphian, Ben Franklin, but he is not nearly as widely known today. Richard Rosen introduces audiences to this scientist-patriot by examining his work on behalf of the U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions, his advocacy of public education, and his modern ideas on the treatment of mental illness.
Overhead projector and screen required.
Richard Rosen, Associate Professor of History, Drexel University, Philadelphia
Benjamin Franklin may be the best-known Pennsylvanian in history. In his own time, he was known throughout the colonies for his books and newspaper, his lending library, his fire-fighting company, and his work as postmaster general. He was also known and admired throughout Europe—but primarily as a scientist. Richard Rosen discusses Franklin's scientific ideas and how his reputation as a scientist aided his diplomatic work by gaining him access to some of the most powerful people of France and Britain.
Overhead projector and screen required.
Richard Rosen, Associate Professor of History, Drexel University, Philadelphia
Benjamin Franklin understood the importance of public perception for personal success, and he was one of the first Americans to market himself. Using slides, George Boudreau explores how Franklin literally recreated his persona in the numerous portraits for which he sat and examines the characters Franklin created in his published work, including Poor Richard and Silence Dogood.
Slide projector and screen required.
George W. Boudreau, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History and American
Studies, PSU - Harrisburg (resides in Philadelphia)
Robert Leight chronicles the lives and accomplishments of five extraordinary female educators: Emma Willard, founder of an early female seminary; Mary Lyon, founder of the first women's college in the United States; Catherine Beecher, a teacher who became famous for her advice to middle-class women about household management; Maria Montessori,originator of the educational philosophy and practice still known by her name; and Jane Addams, whose work on behalf of immigrants helped found the social work profession.
Overhead projector and screen required.
Robert L. Leight, Ed.D., Professor of Education Emeritus, Lehigh University,
Bethlehem
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