Organization of American Historians conference, NYC
How exciting to head back to the Big Apple for an excellent conference! I must admit the accommodations were a tad more comfortable that those last summer! The location was perfect. The conference hotel was located at W. 53rd and Avenue of the Americas. There were several subway stops in close proximity, so it was easy to hit our sessions, then hit the streets of New York, then back for more sessions and the exhibit hall. The off-site sessions included such sites as the New York Public Library. WOW! It is an amazing place!!
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Our trip to New York for the OAH National Conference was amazing! I learned tons of valuable information that will inhance my teaching and captivate the attention of my students.
While at the conference, I was able to attend a session on the Mississipp Burning case and re-trial. The teacher and one of the students that was responsible for discovering new evidence in the case which led to the re-trial and conviction of the man behind the plan.
It was so inspiring to see a young person with so much talent and desire.
Away from the conference, we were able to see the history of the city by visiting St. Paul’s, Trinity Church, Ground Zero, as well as, what was the highlight of the trip for me, Ellis Island!!! It was so humbling to stand in the Great Hall where thousands of immigrants had stood just wanting a chance at a life that I sometimes take for granted. Since being back, I have used the pictures and information that I gained at Ellis Island to develop a lesson on immigration for my pre-AP students.
In addition, we had an opportunity to pay a very fast visit to the MET but it was worth every rushed second. New York was a once in a lifetime chance and thanks to the Teaching American History Grant, I was able to be a part of it.
It is always exciting to go to New York City. This was the second time for me in less than a year. Our hotel was really nice and very conveniently located to Broadway, Radio City Music Hall, the Today Show, etc. One of the lectures I attended was titled “History from the Bottom Up.” The point of view presented was how in many instances history is written from the top down, in the view point of the “winners” or the wealthy. Many times the story as experienced by the worker or those at the bottom of the spectrum is not told. Another lecture I went to was called “New Perspectives on a Forgotten War” which was about the Mexican War. The first lecturer talked about how veterans of the Mexican War were rarely recognized and had a very difficult time in getting their pensions. The second lecturer talked about how women influenced the war both those in favor and those opposed. The third speaker was the most interesting as he talked about how Indian raids into Northern Mexico had left that region virtually defenseless against any invader, much less that of the U.S. The Comanches, Navajo, and Apaches raided deep into Mexico, taking what they needed and destroying the rest. Towns of Northern Mexico would not help each other out to fight the Indians. Needless to say, Northern Mexico was in a very weakened state to fight anyone after years of Indian attack. One thing those lecturers continually talked about was how the Mexican War was one of conquest. I started to speak up and say that we in Texas were glad that it was fought because it solidified the border and weakened Santa Anna. However, I didn’t! I talked to a lot of interesting people from all over the country. I did get to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art which has as much historical stuff in it as art objects. Federal Hall was open so we got to see the Bible on which George Washington took his oath as president. Every time I get to participate in one of these events I learn a lot of things I never knew before, hopefully, things that will make me more knowledgable and classes more interesting.