Field Trips

Part of what has allowed American Studies over the years to develop such a strong sense of community is the regular field trips taken by the program. Students and faculty travel through the D.C. area and beyond to explore physical instantiations of the history of the area and America as a whole. These excursions not only provide valuable time to spend together as a group, but allow students to synthesize their classroom experiences. American Studies approaches the field trips as a supplement to the work in AMST 203 and 204 (two of our core classes) and encourages students to explore the rich history of the area.

In the 2014/15 school year, we’ve been on two fantastic field trips. In the Fall semester, American Studies students and faculty visited historic Jamestowne!

American Studies Field Trip in 2010

Most recently American Studies students and faculty toured the archeological recreations of colonial life and immersed ourselves in the experiences of early American settlers at Historic Londontown Md. Located on the banks of the South River in Anne Arundel Country, Londontown is a key location for research into the lives of people living in this once thriving merchant town. Students were able to explore the recreation of horticulture of the period, the interior of the William Brown House (built in c.1760) as it functioned as an inn on the riverside, as well as archeologically accurate recreations of homes and businesses of ordinary Americans alive during the period. Students were able to ask questions and engage with material history in our exploration of spaces as well as spend time learning about the history of the area, both in the 1800s and also recently as the learning center at Historic Londontown enables visitors to explore the process of archeological excavation hat has gone into this preservation of a valuable historic American space.

As is also traditional of American Studies field trips, the group also had a collective lunch at the Killarney House Pub, a staple of the Londontown area!

American Studies Field Trip in 2011