Concord is getting ready to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Minute Men’s victory at the North Bridge in April. In this course we’ll discover not just what happened here in 1775, but why it happened. We’ll get to know the men and women who made Concord the birthplace of American independence, as well as the 19th-Century authors who made Concord a hub of American culture, the town’s antislavery activists, the indigenous people who have lived here for thousands of years, and many others. We’ll examine the places where they made their mark, the objects they used, and the documents they wrote in the town that Thoreau called “most estimable place in all the world.” If you’d like to share Concord’s stories with visitors as a licensed tour guide, this course will prepare you with a wealth of information as well as techniques for interpreting cultural history to provide an engaging visitor experience.
Topics will include:
*How Musketaquid became Concord: The region’s first peoples and the coming of the English (1700 and before)
*The Colonists’ world, and the emerging conflict with England (1700-1774)
*Revolution in our backyard (1775)
*America finds its voice in Concord (1770s-1830s)
*Radical ideas, radical acts: Transcendentalism, antislavery, and Civil War (1840s-1860s)
*Preserving the land and its stories (1860s-present)
*Interpretation techniques
Students applying for the Town Tour Guide license must complete a written assignment on Concord History, and prepare and present a sample interpretation on Zoom. Lectures will include slides of original images and documents, and students will receive a list of recommended readings.
Class will meet for 7 Mondays, from February 24-April 7 from 7-9:30 pm at CCHS. Tuition is $215.
Register online at www.ConcordCarlisleace.org or call 978-318-1432.
