We're planning a fun time for the end of the school year. We've taken two field trips to New York City during this school year to learn some important history that happened there, especially its place as a major center of slavery and the many misconceptions that persist today in regard to it. These trips were intended to lead to our end of the school year MassHOPE field trip to Gettysburg. For three days in July of 1863 our nation's future hung in the balance. The climactic action of the third day turned back the tide of successes achieved by the Army of Northern Virginia. The South could never again entertain serious hopes of winning the Civil War unless they could desperately hang on while inflicting horrendous losses on the North that would perhaps demoralize the enemy and his will to continue. Lincoln, himself, despaired of his reelection bid in 1864 because of the opposition engendered by the continuing losses but it was really just a matter of time after Gettysburg until the South wore out.
We'll walk the ground of Pickett's Charge and learn of the heroic actions of the men who were there. Impossible as it is to fully comprehend the terror of that day, one can get somewhat of an understanding of the situation they faced when one stands in their places and moves across the open ground in the direction of Cemetery Ridge. Our country remained intact in large part because of the results of that day's action. We'll also visit Little Round Top, the site of the Union flank valiantly defended by Joshua Chamberlain and his troops.
The activities will be geared toward high school age homeschoolers but, as with the other trips, families are welcome. Homeschoolers joining us must have a responsible adult along with them. On Friday, we'll travel to Gettysburg and have some fun and games in the evening. The plan is to stay at a campground with RV sites, tent sites, and cabins. Saturday will be a fascinating time of learning on the battlefield and in the brand new state of the art museum that the National Park Service is opening in April. More fun time will be available Saturday evening. Sunday morning we'll have our own worship service before heading home to Massachusetts.
Come along for a great time of fun and learning, and an opportunity to connect with other homeschoolers from across our state. Email info@masshope.org for more details or call 508-829-0973.
Gettysburg Field Trip
Considering Homeschooling? Seminar
Walt and Glenda Grayum led a Considering Homeschooling? Seminar hosted by the Friends of Grace support group on March 28th at 7 pm at Immanuel Church in Chelmsford. There was a brief time of fellowship at 7:00 before the seminar started, and time to ask questions and visit afterwards. The Grayums' seminar was geared toward giving families a vision for home education. Come and see them at the MassHOPE convention on April 25 & 26 where they also do a Beginning Homeschooling workshop (both Friday and Saturday mornings this year.) Thank you to the Friends of Grace support group for a fine job hosting this for MassHOPE.
New York City, January 18, 2008
A group of forty two homeschoolers took part in a field trip to New York City on January 18, 2008. Arriving at Grand Central Terminal, the group went to beautiful Plymouth Church in Brooklyn Heights for a tour of the "Grand Central Depot" of the Underground Railroad. This was the church of Henry Ward Beecher, one of the most prominent abolitionists, and brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Crowds came from near and far to hear Beecher's sermons. Many other prominent figures in the abolitionist movement spoke there such as Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglas, and William Lloyd Garrison. This was the only church in New York City ever attended by Abraham Lincoln. His famous Cooper Union speech was originally scheduled to be given at Plymouth Church but was moved to Manhattan because of fears concerning the winter weather. The group was shown the basement of the church where escaped slaves that had come from the South on ships docked at the Brooklyn waterfront would hide, unknown even to many church members, before continuing their journey to points north, often Canada. Secrecy was necessary even after reaching the North because of proslavery sentiment and the Fugitive Slave Act that made it illegal to aid escaped slaves. 
The sunset and the views of the city were spectacular from the "Top of the Rock", the observation deck at the top of Rockefeller Center. The evening was spent skating at the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink. 
Stay tuned for future events.
