Up and out to the bus early today. We were off to see Fort Ticonderoga and the Saratoga battlefield. We picked up our guide, James Hughto, and we headed north, at least I think we went north. Ticonderoga and Saratoga are significant battlefields in American history; Ticonderoga during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution and the battle of Saratoga is considered the turning point of the American Revolution. Not only does the Continental Army win the battle, but the victory leads to formal recognition by France of the new United States.
Mr. Hughto was very informative. On the ride to Ticonderoga he filled us in on the campaigns and the background of the region. Ticonderoga was everything I expected it to be. It is an impressive place. Jim, as I have said, is quite knowledgeable and added greatly to my understanding of the events. I took several pictures that should be very useful in my class.
Ticonderoga would be a great place to bring students; a totally impractical thing for Colorado teachers, but none the less…. There are people dressed in period attire that will give you information. They are not entirely role players, but they do add to the ambience of the fort. Talking with “Sergeant Shoeless” would help bring conditions in the Continental Army to life for students. The museum sections of the fort are designed to chronologically cover the history of the region and the fort, as well as fine displays of arms, and a great display of the battle of Carillon. The closest thing in our neighborhood would be Bent’s Fort. They, too, have people in character that can explain life in the fort in its heyday. Bent’s Fort may not share the national importance of Ticonderoga, but it is a field trip worth taking. We left Ticonderoga much too early, but it was off to Saratoga.
Jim filled the entire route with stories of the fall of Ticonderoga and the British pursuit of the Americans as they retreated south. He told of the hardships facing Burgoyne’s army and spoke of certain individuals, such as Saint Luc and the role he played. These stories added to my knowledge bas and will hopefully become evident in my class. As we followed Lake Champlain and later the Hudson River south we got a mini geography lesson on the region as well.
We passed through the little town of Whitehall, which claims to be the birthplace of the American navy. This is due to Benedict Arnold and the ships he builds for the Battle of Falcour Island. An interesting side note; In discussions with my students I mention that most people of my generation can tell you where they were when they heard JFK was assassinated. As we drove through Whitehall Jim said he lived there for a time and as we passed a certain point on the street he said that was where he was when he heard about JFK. I had to chuckle to myself. You can bet my students will hear about it.
Saratoga was a nice stop as well, but I wish we had more time to look around. As our guide said, “we got the cook’s tour.” I would have liked to have looked around more and taken more pictures, but it was not to be. We did hit the highlights and were given great descriptions of the battle. I wanted to see the monument to Benedict Arnold and was glad we took the time to stop. Saratoga, like most battlefields is not something you can do quickly, so I was a little disappointed, but at least I have been there and have a clearer picture of the events. It was a good thing we had a guide as I would have had a difficult time figuring out the red and blue posts.
Off to Salty’s Pub for dinner. It is not really Satly’soga, but it went with the theme of the day. Salty’s was an excellent stop. I do believe a good time and huge meal was had by all. Off to Albany for our final night. It has been a great trip. More on that later.
