By Kate Melchior, MHS, and Ella Amouyal
Every year, MHS选择一个或多个高中学生为我们的约翰·温斯洛普学生奖学金. This award encourages high school students to make use of the nationally significant documents of the MHS in a research project of their choosing. Students perform historical research and create a project (usually an assignment for class) using materials at the MHS, both in our archives or digitized online. This project can be something assigned in a class, a National History Day project, or something of the student’s invention! 学生和老师每人都得到350美元来支持他们的研究. 2020年学生奖学金的申请截止日期为2020年2月11日. Learn more and apply!
In 2019, Ella Amouyal and her teacher Jenna Wolf from the Cambridge School of Weston were awarded one of our student fellowships to research Abigail Adams’ diplomatic mission to France and England in 1784-88. Ella spent several months working in the MHS library with the support of our research librarians and produced an online exhibit. Read Ella’s account of her experience at the MHS, where she describes exploring the collections, speaking with historians, and using a microfilm reader for the first time.
调查阿比盖尔·亚当斯:我作为约翰·温斯洛普学生的时光
By Ella Amouyal, Cambridge School of WestonMy experience as a John Winthrop Student Fellow in the Spring of 2019 was an incredible learning opportunity. 我的研究集中在阿比盖尔·亚当斯在欧洲的那段时间, 我的最后一个项目是创建一个在线展览, I aimed to produce an engaging, 能够影响和教育更多用户的互动体验.
我的展览通过三个镜头探索阿比盖尔·亚当斯在欧洲的时光:爱国主义, economics and education. 这些镜头使我能够清楚地说明欧洲影响阿比盖尔·亚当斯的方式. When I began my research, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of secondary and primary sources; I had so many questions–too many, perhaps. I found that honing in on more concise channels helped me tremendously with scope and organization.
我通过阅读二手资料开始了这个项目,以帮助我在更广泛的背景下构建我的研究. This was first step was key, 因为它让我更了解我的主题所基于的时间和地点, and exposed me to the questions, ideas and observations of professional researchers. 我对未来的学生的建议是从 探索马萨诸塞州历史学会已经出版的二手资料. 这些资源将帮助您在发现阶段发现新的主要资源, 它们会帮助你更广泛地理解这个主题. The MHS is an institution available to all learners; being a fellow affords you more access to the Society’s incredible collection of materials and helpful experts.
我的下一步是参加该协会定期举办的众多讲座之一. You should, too. 我有幸参加了亚当斯家报纸负责人主持的一场即兴演讲. If you are a fellow, 参加MHS的讲座或其他活动是接触专家的好方法, ask questions, and enhance your knowledge. Talking about your research–and hearing about experts’ research–is one of the most important aspects of conducting research. 历史学家的任务是教育,所以没有什么好害怕的. 更重要的是,他们可能会很高兴看到一个对这门学科感兴趣的年轻学者. Capitalize on the opportunity and seize it. The process of being a fellow is not just to learn about the past; it is also to learn how to communicate, ask questions, stay organized and do independent research.
As you conduct your own research, 记住,你的工作不必局限于MHS提供的主要来源. Your research will become stronger when you explore many routes for learning and balance your evidence–primary sources, secondary sources, their context and analysis. 然而,寻找和分析第一手资料是这项工作中最重要的部分. And it’s work.
当你使用在线目录进行研究时,阿比盖尔, remember one thing: it has a learning curve. It can be quirky. Some quick tips: I found that looking up specific words and phrases can be confusing and yield thousands of results, which are impossible to navigate. One way to mitigate this potential problem is to search by specific dates; for instance, 我的研究重点是阿比盖尔·亚当斯1784年至1788年赴欧洲的外交使团, which allowed me to limit the primary sources by the correspondences she wrote during this four-year period.
如今的学生在成长过程中相信互联网掌握着打开每扇门的钥匙, 请记住,并不是所有的协会馆藏都是数字化的. This is where the excitement of visiting the MHS came in; I had the opportunity to spend hours pouring over documents in the Reading Room and Library. 社会是一个温暖、吸引和开放的环境. I was initially scared to visit because I was unfamiliar with historical archives or larger research libraries. Don’t be nervous. 记得协会的使命是教育,所以我立刻感到被接受和邀请. 此外,这座建筑本身就是一件艺术品——有很多值得一看的东西. 唉,我的大部分时间都是在一种新机器上度过的——缩微胶卷.
This contraption is, quite simply, 一卷胶卷,包括历史资料的照相版本. 图书管理员非常好,帮助指导我完成使用缩微胶卷的步骤. I previously had no knowledge of microfilm but I think it is an amazing device because it helps preserve the original letters and makes it easier to access the material safely. 更重要的是,阅读历史笔迹也可能是极其困难的. 我问图书管理员我正在看的这些信是否被抄写过, which helped me see them in a more legible, modern font.
与MHS进行研究是一个了不起的机会,我学到了很多. I learned about the fascinating intellect and ideology of Abigail Adams and about new historical figures like Mercy Otis Warren–Adams’ friend and confidant–someone previously unknown to me. 我也学到了研究并不总是坐在图书馆里, spending hours analyzing an original letter. It’s also about organization, retooling a question or avenue to explore, and most importantly, time management. Research is not always about reading books either; sometimes it entails pouring over transcribed documents online in your pajamas while drinking tea, 或者甚至笨拙地学会滚动缩微胶卷. 但正是在这些时刻,你学习和成长最多. 这就是为什么做研究对每个学生来说都是一个有益的机会, 即使是那些不想成为历史学家或档案保管员的人. Research teaches you skills that are important for every subject and job – skills such as empathy and critical thinking. This is why I am going to propose a mini-unit this Spring to the history department at my high school on analyzing primary sources utilizing the free resource of the MHS Abigail catalogue.
I often wondered what Abigail Adams would have thought about a teenage girl 300 years later looking at the intimate letters she wrote to her friends, 家人,熟人,还有她收到的信. 我不知道她会感到震惊还是高兴. 阿比盖尔一直是女性教育的有力支持者, 这也是我觉得她迷人又鼓舞人心的原因之一. Her knowing that women would be able to research her words equally to any man would probably have brought her immense pride and joy.
If you have any interest in history and research, I would highly recommend applying to be a fellow. The John Winthrop Student Fellowship gives you access to thousands of letters and material and is truly a unique, 对所有对钻研美国历史感兴趣的学生来说都是一次启发性的经历.
If you are interested in learning more about the John Winthrop Student Fellowship or any of our other programs, please visit the Center for the Teaching of History website or e-mail us at education@flcoastline.com. We look forward to hearing from you!