Local History Project The Grange Movement and Its Impact on American Communities

1. Local History ProjectThe Grange Movement and Its Impact on American Communities Jennifer Matyasovsky

2. Rally Round the Grange! We will rally round the Grange, We will rally once again, Shouting the Farmer’s cry of Freedom, We will rally to the Grange, Our rights to maintain, Shouting the Farmer’s cry of Freedom, The Patrons forever, hurrah, then hurrah! Down with the oppressor, up with our star, We will rally to the Grange, Our rights to maintain, Shouting the Farmer’s cry of Freedom. -1886

3. Introduction The Grange Movement originated from the changes to American life and society spurred by industrialization and urbanization in the late 19th century. Clinging to a rural and agrarian lifestyle, Grangers were individuals who banded together to protect the political and economic interests of farmers. The Grange Movement quickly expanded beyond just making political and economic changes. The Grangers also formed strong social ties in the communities and towns where members lived and work. They have held fairs, carnivals, festivals, pageants, parades, and farm shows throughout the United States since their establishment after the Civil War. In small-town, rural America, the ideas and values of the Grangers live on in community events that have connected neighbors, families, and generations.

4. Living History Museum: The Grange With your partner you will be preparing a proposal for the local Penns Valley Museum about the history, tradition, and current events at the Centre Country Grange Fair. Your project is to provide possible primary sources that can be featured in the museum’s exhibit. Your project will include three main components for you to present to the museum commission.

5. Living History Museum: The Grange Project Requirements: • Proposal of sources to be included in the exhibit • Typed label/description of each source to accompany museum exhibit • Works Cited Page

6. Primary Source: Documents Essential Question: What can primary source documents reveal about a historical time period or event?

7. Living History Museum: The GrangePrimary Source Documents Example: THE GRANGERS Declaration of Purpose “ First. United by the strong and faithful tie of agriculture, we mutually resolve to labor for the good of our Order, our country, and mankind. Second. We heartily endorse the motto: "In essentials, Unity; in non-essentials, Liberty; in all things, Charity. We strive to secure entire harmony, goodwill, and vital brotherhood among ourselves, and to make order perpetual. We shall earnestly endeavor to suppress personal, local, sectional, and national prejudices, all unhealthy rivalry and all selfish ambition. Faithful adherence to these principles will ensure our mental and moral, social and material advancement. […] Last, but not least, we proclaim it among our purposes to inculcate a proper appreciation of the abilities and sphere of woman, as is indicated by admitting her to membership and position in our Order. Imploring the continued assistance of our Divine Master to guide us in our work, we here pledge ourself to faithfully and harmoniously labor for all future time to return by our united efforts to the wisdom, justice, fraternity, and political purity of our forefathers.” Accessed from: http://tomscourses.tripod.com/populis1.htm

8. Living History Museum: The Grange-Primary Source Documents 1937 letter describing farm life in western Maine Benjamin Williams was a farmer in the Farmington area and was 18 or 19 years old when he wrote this letter to Ethel McIntire of York, who he met at a Grange event. Jan 7, 1937 Dear Ethel, I was very much surprised to hear from you but I will try to answer a few of your questions. ... I live on a medium size farm. 125 acres of land and thirty head of cattle a few sheep and hens. We make maple syrup and candy every spring. I belong to Crystal Lake Grange. I am Overseer of my grange, for the third time in 1937. ...I have to do chores about five hours each day and I cut wood the rest of the day. I have a large wood pile started but hope to cut a lot more. I graduated from high school in 1935 but I took a short course on dairying at the University of Maine and just finished that December 18 last. In my family there is just father, mother and myself. Dad and I run the farm together. I have wanted to work out but Dad depends on me as much as I did on him when I was small. I love farm life and shall probably always live here. ...We belong to the dairy heard improvement association and the man what tests milk is here tonight. Sincerely yours, Benjamin Williams Example: Accessed from: http://www.mpbn.net/homestom/p4letter.html

9. Living History Museum: The GrangePrimary Source Documents Assignment/Task: • Locate 2 additional examples of primary source documents related to the Grange Movement or current Grange events. Add these examples to your Living History Museum Proposal. • Compose descriptions to accompany both primary source documents in your Living History Museum exhibit. Be sure to include the topic of the document, the author, and the main message or purpose of the writing. Describe how the document relates to the Grange Movement. • Add the sources for your primary source documents to your project's Works Cited Page.

10. Primary Source: Cartoons Essential Question: What can cartoons reveal about a historical time period or event?

11. Living History Museum: The GrangeCartoons Example: Accessed from: http://www.nhhistory.org/edu/support/nhwork/progressivismguide.pdf

12. Living History Museum: The GrangeCartoons Assignment/Task: • Locate 2 additional cartoons that relate to the Grange Movement. Add these examples to your Living History Museum Proposal. • Compose descriptions to accompany both cartoons in your Living History Museum exhibit. Be sure to describe the images, symbolism, and captions in the cartoon. Describe how the cartoon represents or comments on the Grange Movement. • Add the sources for your cartoons to your project's Works Cited Page.

13. Primary Source: Posters Essential Question: What can posters reveal about a historical time period or event?

14. Living History Museum: The GrangePosters Example: Accessed from: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/pga.04170/

15. Living History Museum: The GrangePosters Example: Accessed from: http://faculty.weber.edu/kmackay/history_2710_2006farmers.htm#

16. Living History Museum: The GrangePosters Example: Accessed from: http://faculty.weber.edu/kmackay/history_2710_2006farmers.htm#

17. Living History Museum: The GrangePosters Assignment/Task: • Locate 2 additional posters that relate to the Grange Movement. Add these examples to your Living History Museum Proposal. • Compose descriptions to accompany both posters in your Living History Museum exhibit. Be sure to describe the images, symbolism, and text in the posters. Describe how the poster represents or comments on the Grange Movement. • Add the sources for your posters to your project's Works Cited Page.

18. Primary Source: Photographs Essential Question: What can primary source photographs reveal about a historical time period or event?

19. Living History Museum: The GrangePhotographs Examples: Accessed from: http://www.nhnorth.us/fairhistory1.html

20. Living History Museum: The GrangePhotographs Example: Accessed from: http://www.winonagrange271.org/gpage6.html

21. Living History Museum: The GrangePhotographs Accessed from: http://www.grangefair.net/gallery/

22. Living History Museum: The GrangePhotographs Assignment/Task: • Locate 2 additional photographs that relate to the Grange Movement. Add these examples to your Living History Museum Proposal. • Compose descriptions to accompany both photographs in your Living History Museum exhibit. Be sure to describe the people, objects and events in the photograph. • Add the sources for your photographs to your project's Works Cited Page.

23. Primary Source: Music & Audio Recordings Essential Question: What can audio recording and music reveal about a historical time period or event?

24. Living History Museum: The GrangeMusic & Audio Recordings Examples: Please click on the links below for videos, audio recordings and music related to the Grange Movement: Tom Summerhill on Agrarianism in the 19th Century New York Grange Communities: RevCom Hood River State College High School Marching Band Performance-Centre County Grange Fair 2009

25. Living History Museum: The GrangeMusic & Audio Recordings Assignment/Task: • Locate 2 additional example of music or audio recordings that relate to the Grange Movement. Add these examples to your Living History Museum Proposal. • Compose descriptions to accompany both songs or audio recordings in your Living History Museum exhibit. Be sure to describe the subject of the song or recording, the date, and the sources connection to the Grange Movement or current Grange events. • Add the sources for your music/audio recordings to your project's Works Cited Page.

26. Primary Source: Videos Essential Question: What can videos reveal about a historical time period or event?

27. Living History Museum: The GrangeVideos Examples: Click on the link below to watch three videos about the Centre County Grange Fair: Grange Fair Videos

28. Living History Museum: The GrangeVideos Example: Click on this link to watch the video: Voices of the Grange

29. Living History Museum: The GrangeVideos Assignment/Task: • Locate 2 additional videos that relate to the Grange Movement or current Grange Events. Add these examples to your Living History Museum Proposal. • Compose descriptions to accompany both videos in your Living History Museum exhibit. Be sure to describe the content of the video and its relation to the Grange Movement or a current Grange Event. • Add the sources for your videos to your project's Works Cited Page.

30. Primary Source: Maps Essential Question: What can maps reveal about a historical time period or event?

31. Living History Museum: The GrangeMaps Example: Click on the link below to see a Map of the Centre County Grange Fair: Centre County Grange Fair Click on the link below to see another Map of the Centre County Grange Fair Grange Park

32. Living History Museum: The GrangeMaps Assignment/Task: • Locate 2 additional maps that relate to the Grange Movement or current Grange Events. Add these examples to your Living History Museum Proposal. • Compose descriptions to accompany both maps in your Living History Museum exhibit. Be sure to describe the content (what can someone find in the map?) of the map and its relation to the Grange Movement or a current Grange Event. • Add the sources for your maps to your project's Works Cited Page.

33. Summary What should our completed project include? Please include group members’ names and class period in the page header. Stapled together, in this order: 1) Completed and typed Proposal (Introduction, Sources & Conclusion ) 2) Completed and typed Source Exhibit Descriptions/Labels 3) Typed and properly formatted Works Cited page