The Recruiting Serjeant: The American Revolution

Description

A class visit to The Recruiting Serjeant will give your students a first-person perspective on the life of a soldier in General George Washington’s Army. Alternately, you may wish to have our Museum Educator present the field trip from the perspective of an English soldier sent to the Colonies to fight King George’s war. From either vantage point, your visit begins with a lively discussion of the Colonial recruiting practices including having your students enlist in General Washington (or King George’s) Army. They’ll be paid an enlistment bonus in the form of a New York colony $3.00 note and then it’s off to prepare for battle. Outside on the lawn of the Museum (weather permitting) students will practice marching, learn the steps to loading and firing a musket, and perform a fearsome charge at an imaginary enemy. Back inside Van Cortlandt House, the class will be led on a tour where they’ll learn about General Washington’s occupation of the house in the fall of 1776 and his return at the end of the war as he stopped over night on his journey to formally accept Manhattan Island back from the King of England.

This trip is designed to reinforce the objectives of the latest version of New York City's Social Studies Scope and Sequence. Our museum educator, Mike Grillo, is happy to tailor the experience to meet your needs and we encourage you to contact him at 718-543-3344 or Michael.Grillo@vchm.org.

Offered At

The Van Cortlandt House Museum

The Van Cortlandt House Museum in The Bronx was built in 1748 for one of New York Colony’s elite families, the Van Cortlandts. But it was also home to generations of enslaved people, who operated the plantation that surrounded the house. The museum's educational programs use the objects in our collection and the lives of its historic inhabitants to make the world of 18th century New York come alive.

FAQ:

Where do buses drop off?
School buses park on Broadway by the entrance to Van Cortlandt Park. The entrance to Van Cortlandt Park is opposite 6035 Broadway. Typing “6035 Broadway, Bronx” into your GPS device will take you there directly. The museum is the stone building that is visible from the park entrance and is only a 1-2 minute walk from where buses drop off.

Is the museum accessible by public transportation?
Yes, there are several ways to get to the house by public transportation:
By subway: #1 train to 242nd Street Station
By bus: Bx9 to West 244th Street
BxM3 Express Bus to 244th Street - from mid-town Manhattan with a stop at the Museum's entrance to Van Cortlandt Park
Metro-North Hudson River Line to Marble Hill Station, transfer to the Bx9 bus or #1 subway as above.

Is there a gift shop?
Yes, Van Cortlandt House has a Museum shop stocked with colonial toys, games, pencils, rulers, gifts and postcards. We also sell cold beverages.

Details

Subjects

History, Colonial Times, Revolutionary War, 18th Century, Geography

Capacity

90 students, 1 chap. per 10 stu.

Duration

120 min.

Activity

Field Trip

Grades

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, K

Price Options

$5.00 per Person for School Group