Background Essays for
An Exploration of Daily Life In Deerfield, 1680 - 1920

Lesson 1 - The Topography and Geology of Deerfield

• Geology and the Formation of New England

Lesson 2 - Early Indian Inhabitants of Deerfield

• Native American History

Lesson 3 - The Original Layout of the Town of Deerfield

• The Landscape in the Colonial Period

Lesson 4 - The Homes, Possessions, and Way of Life of the Puritans at the First Turn (1680-1720)

• The Common and the Meeting House
• The Wells-Thorn House
• Student Background Essay - Relationship between the English, the French, and the Native Peoples at the First Turn of the Century, 1680-1720
• Student Background Essay - The English Settlers in Deerfield

Lesson 5 - African American Presence in Deerfield

• Native American Presence in Deerfield, Massachusetts

Lesson 6 - Native American Presence in Deerfield, Massachusetts (1680-1720)

• African-American Presence in Deerfield, Massachusetts
• Student Background Essay: Slave Life in 18th Century Deerfield, Massachusetts

Lesson 7 - The Will of Ebenezer Wells

• The Will of Ebenezer Wells

Lesson 8 - Changes in Deerfield, Massachusetts Shown in Maps

• Changes in Deerfield, Massachusetts Shown on Maps

Lesson 9 - The Inventory of Ebenezer Wells

• The Inventory of Ebenezer Wells

Lesson 10 - Dwellings - The Message of Houses and Their Contents, 1780-1820

• Dwellings - The Messages of Houses and Their Contents
• Student Essay: Gardens in Deerfield, Massachusetts - 18th and 19th Centuries

Lesson 11 - Lesson 11: Printed Materials (Ads and Broadsides) 1780-1820

• Printed Materials

Lesson 12 - Schools and Schoolbooks, 1780-1820

• Schools and Schoolbooks - 1780-1820

Lesson 13 - Dress, Dance, and Games (1780-1820)

• Children's Amusements in the Early Nineteenth Century
• Early Nineteenth Century Fashion

Lesson 14 - Indians and African Americans 1780-1820

• Native Americans and African Americans, 1780-1820

Lesson 15 - Becoming a Historian - Exploring 1880-1920

• Deerfield at the Third Turn, 1880-1920
• Student Essay: "Reading" Primary Sources

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