Hi class,
I hope everyone enjoyed the field trip as much as I did. I found it to be very engaging and found it so fascinating to learn about the area where we live that has so much history deeply rooted in it.
The Wickham house was very interesting to me, as was the number of children they had and the different stories that lie within the walls of the home. Something that stood out the most was the way the museum could discover what happened back in the day through primary sources. Although the people working through these documents did not live during this time they were able to become so educated on what their life was like. They staged the rooms to represent what they have read about, and they have been able to retell life stories based on first-hand accounts.
The part where our tour guide told us they found a piece of wallpaper under the floor and they were able to replicate it was so interesting. I also liked the part where we did the hands-on activity to figure out who our person was. I think it was cool to see how all the sources brought us this information, and they all tied into each other even when no one lived during that time.
I would be curious to see how they actually lived their lives versus how the museum portrayed them. Was it similar or different? Although we will never know the answer, it is something I was thinking about as we went to each room. Learning the history of each building stood out to me as well, I have driven by these places numerous times and had no idea of the history behind them. A statistic that was shared was that 1 in every 4 African American people has ancestry that connects to slavery, this was something I had never heard before. There were so many parts of the tour that provided us with many different feelings. As we reflect on those thoughts and feelings, what stood out to you the most? Positive or Negative. What was your favorite part of the tour, and what did you feel like you learned the most from?
Thank you again, Dr. Stohr-Hunt for taking us on this amazing tour and for a delicious dinner.
-Ryleigh Hawkins
Hi Ryleigh, thanks for the post!
I also found the activity we did at the Wickham house really interesting and eye opening. I especially was intrigued by the life of Amy, the enslaved wet nurse at the Wickham house, and all they know, or don’t know, about her and her life. I found this activity to really shed light on the lives of those who lived or were enslaved in the home, but Amy especially had a story that really stood out to me. It was quite sad to hear about her “escape through the window” and how that led to her being sent to an hospital, even though it is not clear what this escape entailed. I found it interesting how our guide mentioned it could have simply been her stepping outside onto the porch, and not a true run or escape. It was also quite thought invoking to hear how they are not exactly sure what the rest of Amy’s life looked like after she was discharged, other than her death a few years later. It left me wondering what the rest of her life looked like after being released in the years between then and her death. Her story was really impactful to think about and offered a darker and sadder feel to the house, despite it’s beauty on the surface. Looking deeper into the lives of many of those who lived in the house during this activity allowed me to have a deeper understanding of who they were and how people lived and in the house, and made the tour as a whole connect to me easier
Thanks again for the post, and I hope you have a great rest of your week!
– Cecilia
Hi Ryleigh,
Thank you for the post! I also found the experience of touring Richmond’s historic downtown to be an impactful and meaningful use of this course’s time. This field trip emphasized the benefits and even the necessity of incorporating a place-based educational framework into the social studies curriculum. While I would not necessarily refer to it as my favorite part of the tour, I was moved by the primary source documents in the upstairs portion of the museum. These documents provide visitors a chance to understand how historians know what they know about enslaved individuals. Further, the documents are typically written by the enslavers, so there are no clear perspectives on the thoughts and viewpoints of the enslaved people working in the Wickman house. There are lots of gaps in our knowledge of the events of any historical period, however, these primary sources demonstrate that there is a further lack regarding the thoughts and actions of marginalized communities whose voices were shut down. A piece of information that I found from these sources, is that enslaved people were often friends with free individuals. Since a lot of what I have learned about enslaved people has been about those working on plantations, I did not think about what it might have been to look for an enslaved person who regularly interacted and spent time with free individuals in town. Ultimately, I found the trip to be highly informative and I am so glad that we got the chance to go together.
Thank you again for the insightful response Ryleigh!
– Nina
Hi Ryleigh, thank you for this great reflection on the field trip and the Wickham House. I liked your perspective on both the positive aspects of the experience and the troubling realities of the history we explored. I definitely agree that the tour was engaging and that learning about the hidden layers of Richmond’s past was both fascinating and unsettling.
Your point about the number of enslaved individuals is something that really resonated with me as well. It is one thing to read about slavery in textbooks, but another to stand in a space where these people lived and worked. Something that negatively stood out to me was that the history of the enslaved individuals in the Wickham household was not nearly as well-documented as that of the Wickham family itself. The inability to trace where enslaved people slept highlights how much history has been lost or deliberately erased. I think it is important that institutions like the Valentine Museum continue efforts to uncover and share these narratives. This erasure speaks to a broader issue of historical documentation prioritizing the lives of the wealthy and powerful while neglecting the voices of the marginalized. It makes me wonder how much of history has been shaped by whose stories were generally deemed “worthy” of preservation.
My favorite part of the tour was probably the dining room in the Wickham house. I found that to be particularly memorable, especially when they explained that Aaron Burr had been in that very room. Having previously learned about Burr’s role in early American history, it was surreal to stand in the same space where he once ate. It made history feel much more interesting and recent. However, this experience was also bittersweet, knowing that while figures like Burr were well-documented, the enslaved individuals who worked in that home remained largely nameless and faceless. I definitely learned the most walking through the enslaved individual trail, as there were so many landmarks and checkpoints to observe and discuss, all of which I was honestly previously unaware of.
Overall, this field trip was a powerful experience that allowed me to engage with history in a meaningful way! Thanks again for your great reflection, and I agree that this experience was both eye-opening and thought-provoking.
Thank you for your post Ryleigh,
I do think it is important to acknowledge what happened and commemorate the enslaved people who built this country, but it is also difficult to hear about it constantly. I honestly had a hard time on the tour, it is not enjoyable continuously harping on the mistreatment of people who look like you and you descend from. Our last three classes have involved the discussion of the suffering of African Americans which is important but has been emotionally taxing and draining for me. I felt really zoned out on most of the tour because I just didn’t want to keep hearing about the mistreatment and utter disrespect my ancestors went through. Hearing about how they were treated, seeing the mats on the floor where they were supposed to sleep like dogs, and the mannequin that was depicted to be an enslaved person working in the house was hard to see.
Before choosing to study at Richmond I didn’t know much about its ties to the slave trade, but after the tour it honestly makes me feel uncomfortable. Before I was unaware of the pain and suffering here, and now it’s hard to unsee that. The plaques, and monuments are nice but that doesn’t change what happened or help the people who are still affected by the years of enslavement today. I don’t want to call the monuments and the plaques around the city performative, but there has to be a better and more impactful way to acknowledge what has taken place and help those it has negatively affected.
My favorite part of class that day was dinner. I got to forget about the tours, and the trail experience, and eat and talk with classmates.
Hi Ryleigh! Thank you for your post!
My favorite part of the trip was seeing the Barbara Johns statue. I went to college in Farmville, and I have always been interested in the Moton Museum and the history of Barbara Johns. It was very interesting to see a portrayal of the event outside of Farmville. The statue was also interesting because it showed how everything connected to Barbara Johns and the Brown v. Board of Education case. This statue did an excellent job of representing the history.
I also liked seeing the Valentine Museum. My favorite exhibit was looking at what has been produced in Virginia. Many products were made in the state of Virginia, and I was very shocked to learn that one of them was started in Virginia. I also liked seeing the original Reynolds wrap. Learning more about the state I have lived in my whole life was fascinating.
Overall, I enjoyed this field! This is an excellent experience for students. It is essential for the students going to schools surrounding Richmond to learn more about the history and experiencing it firsthand.
Thank you again for your post!
Mackenzie Woody
Hi Ryleigh! Thanks for this insightful blog post. I also found the field trip to be very engaging and fascinating, and I loved learning more about the history of Richmond. Though I have attended school here for almost 2 years, I was surprised by how little I actually knew about Richmond.
Similarly, I also found it surprising how useful primary sources were. I was shocked to learn how much we could learn about the Wickhams and the enslaved people who lived in the Wickham house from various documents and letters. One moment in which this was particularly evident was when we looked at boxes containing various items and had to make inferences about who these boxes may have represented. Looking at our box, which represented one of the Wickham boys, I was surprised to see how much historians had been able to learn about him, from the types of things he studied in school to the toys he may have played with to the horses he loved to watch. This was also evident in how the rooms in the Wickham house had been set up, using these primary sources to make the depiction of the house as accurate as possible and to most accurately immerse us in what life was like at this time.
One thing that stood out to me was the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial, specifically the side with Justice Thurgood Marshall’s quote, “The legal system can force open doors and sometimes even knock down walls. But it cannot build bridges. That job belongs to you and me.” This quote, accompanied by the statues of adults and students, books in hand, is a powerful image and reminder of the incredible strength and contributions of many to assist in desegregation efforts. Walking around the Wickham House was my favorite part of the tour, as it gave me the best perspective on what life may have been like in Richmond leading up to the Civil War.
Thanks again, Ryleigh, for a great post! I hope you have a great weekend!
Hi Ryleigh,
Thank you so much for your post.
I enjoyed the tour very much. I enjoyed learning about urban slavery a little more because you do not hear much about it. Slavery is normally told on plantation settings and does not highlight how widespread it was.
I did not realize just how much history was intertwined in downtown Richmond. I really likes the marker that was where maps lead people to when they put Richmond as a destination. I guess I thought it was just a random spot the GPS picked but now I know differently.
I wish we could have walked through the Capital. I remember going with my daughter. I think some our classmates who may not have seen it may have enjoyed going.
Dinner was probably the highlight for me because I was starving after all of the walking.
Hi Ryleigh!
Thank you so much for your blog post! I particularly loved how you expressed your appreciation for the museum’s incorporation of primary sources when uncovering historical events. This approach allows them to gather the most accurate information to represent past stories. I find it fascinating that there is still authentic documentation from earlier times.
During the tour, I learned the most while in the Wickham house. The tour guide shared engaging ways to involve children in the learning process. For instance, she mentioned using historical temperature readings to show how time has progressed, which would be intriguing for younger kids who usually check the current weather on their parents’ phones.
Additionally, the tour guide shared many stories they had uncovered, emphasizing the importance of even the smaller narratives of resistance. I believe it is crucial for students to know about these lesser-known stories, as textbooks often focus on only the most famous events. By highlighting these overlooked narratives, students learn that every voice matters in understanding the full scope of historical events.
Again, thank you so much for your blog post !!
Ryleigh,
Thanks for your post and the interesting questions that you raised. I appreciated getting to view a snapshot of 1812 inside the Wickham House based on what we know from historical record. Seeing the home and acknowledging the architectural history, political relevance to its location, and how the house was likely run is a really helpful way to help the readings we have done come to life. Often in media including books and movies we see the perspective of white landowners without understanding the rest of the stories that made the life of white privilege possible in the city near the seats of power.
Seeing pallets on the ground, the table set for dinner, and doing the “who am I” activity (our example was an enslaved manservant of Mr. Wickham) really impacted me. It was almost as if I could see the ghosts of the past in every room. The stories along with the visuals really highlighted how important uncovering history is to helping us not repeat the mistakes of the past. Thank you again for your post!
Cheers,
Kristen
Hey Ryleigh!
Thank you for the insightful blog post! I also enjoyed the field trip a lot! Although every landmark was very interesting, the Valentine Museum was my favorite because it reminded me a lot of home and the old-money New Orleans style. Although this type of environment was shocking for some of my classmates, I honestly just felt a strong connection to home. During dinner, I was able to explain to some of my classmates the continuous impact of old-money New Orleans traditions and how it manifests through Mardi Gras royalty. It was very intriguing to me to see how something so omnipresent in Louisiana, also has roots up in Virginia. From the architecture to the interior decorating, this Virginian experience honestly gave me a lot of important state-wide cultural and social connections that I can incorporate in my future teaching down in Louisiana. Overall, it was a great experience!
Once again, thank you for the post!
Hi Ryleigh,
Thanks for your thoughtful post! I really liked how you reflected on the way museums use primary sources to reconstruct the past. It reminded me how much intentional research goes into even the smallest historical details. The story about the wallpaper under the floorboards stood out to me too; it was such a small thing, but it showed how something so ordinary can carry a lot historical weight when carefully preserved and interpreted. Experiences like this always make me think about the ordinary things in our lives that could one day become some of significant historical value.
One moment that stayed with me was learning about Amy, the enslaved wet nurse. The limited details we know about her life and the ambiguity surrounding her “escape” bothered me, and emphasized how many stories have been lost or obscured. I found it to be a powerful and honestly unsettling example of how much of our historical narrative has to be pieced together from fragments, and how much still remains unknown.
This ties into my favorite part of the field trip, which was the interactive role activity in the Wickham House. Being assigned a specific person and working through the clues helped me better understand how primary sources connect across time, and how much context and critical thinking goes into reconstructing history. It was fun getting to actually put my hands on artifacts, and helped to connect how powerful access to these types of materials (even replicas) can be as a teaching aid. It also made me reflect more deeply on whose stories are told—and whose aren’t.
I think I learned the most from that activity because it pushed me to think beyond the surface-level facts and consider how history is constructed. It also reminded me how important it is to approach historical narratives with both curiosity and caution, especially when teaching young students.
Thanks again for your reflections. This was such a fun field trip!
– Emily