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  Portraits as Keys to History
English Language Arts
Social Studies
Life as a colonial silversmith
Objectives:

Students will

  • write a journal entry as Nathaniel Hurd.
  • consider the life experiences of people who lived in colonial Boston prior to the American Revolution.
  • specifically address political issues regarding the conflicts between the Patriots and the Loyalists.

Lesson Times:

If you attend the About Face exhibit in the Memorial Art Gallery, this lesson depends upon visit to the Gill Center and includes post-visit activities.

Vocabulary:

identity — the characteristics and qualities of a person, considered collectively and regarded as essential to that person's self-awareness.
Loyalist — a colonist who believed America should be ruled by England.
Patriot — a colonist who believed America should not be ruled by England.
silversmith — one whose occupation is making and repairing articles of silver.

Prior Knowledge:

Students should be familiar with the political, social, and economic conditions of life in Boston prior to the American Revolution. Students should have experienced the About Face exhibit at the Memorial Art Gallery.
Materials:
1. A lesson in point of view worksheet #1 (html or Word document)
2. A lesson in point of view worksheet #2 (html or Word document)
3. A lesson in point of view worksheet #3 (html or Word document)

Lesson:

  1. Give each student a copy of worksheet #1. The students can complete the worksheet while they are in the About Face exhibit. Let them know that this worksheet will be an important part of completing their assignment back in the classroom. Worksheet #1 asks:
  • Where did Nathaniel Hurd live?
  • When did he live?
  • What was going on in American history during this time?
  • What did he do for a living?
  • What kinds of things did he make?
  • What was his social status?
  • Who were his customers?
  • What do you know about his family?
  • What else do we know about him by reading his will?
  • When did he die and why is this significant?
  • List all the documents you have used to answer these ten questions.
  1. After their visit to the Gallery, the students will write a journal entry as Nathaniel Hurd based on the information they compiled about him while at the exhibit. This will necessitate that the students be creative in expressing Nathaniel Hurd's point of view based on the factual, historical information they have from the exhibit.
  2. The students need to address issues relating to politics, social issues, and economics in colonial Boston. Give each student a copy of worksheet #2. Let them know that the questions on worksheet #2 are meant to serve as a guide for suggested avenues of exploration in writing their journal entries. Worksheet #2 contains such questions as:
  • Would Hurd have preferred the unfinished portrait by Copley, or the finished portrait? Why?
  • What was it like to live in a colonial city with an international harbor?
  • What was his relationship with his customers?
  • What did he think about the turbulent time he was living in? Was he excited, threatened, indifferent?
  • If you think he was a Patriot, how did he feel about those who remained loyal to England?
  • Would he have felt that America was being mistreated by England?
  • If you think he was a Loyalist, what were his thoughts on the uprisings against England by his fellow colonists?
  1. This lesson can be completed as a homework assignment. Allow the students 25-30 minutes to write their entry.

Follow-up:
After students hand in their journal entries, willing students can read their entries to give the class an idea of the many possibilities available when it comes to point of view.

Evaluation:
Students should be evaluated on their success in creatively and accurately incorporating information from their visit to the About Face exhibit in exploring the experiences of a silversmith in pre-Revolutionary Boston.

Summary:
Writing a journal entry for a historical figure will allow students to bring history to life and gain a personal connection to the life experiences of a historical figure. Students will include consideration of cultural components such as politics, social issues, and economy in creating their journal. A focus upon the political issues regarding the conflicts between the American Patriots and Loyalists will address historical issues, like subjectivity and point-of-view.

Suggested Reading:
Forbes, Esther. Johnny Tremain. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1943.

Suggested Video:

Silversmith of Williamsburg: The Extraordinary Work of a Skilled Craftsman.  Colonial Williamsburg Videocassette.  1971 (44 minutes and available in the Teacher Resource Center, MAG).

Suggested Websites: