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For additional information, call 434-525-1806 or e-mail
westward@poplarforest.org
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presented by: Thomas Jefferson's Poplar
Forest |
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Students
(grades 5-12) and teachers can join a conversation in which Meriwether Lewis
reports to President Thomas Jefferson on the success of the westward expedition.
Jefferson had initiated the proceedings which led to the purchase of the
Louisiana Territory in 1803, as well as the commissioning of Meriwether Lewis
and William Clark to find "the most direct and practicable water
communication across this continent, for the purpose of commerce."
When the Corps of Discovery departed St. Louis in May 1804, the party
consisted of Captains Lewis and Clark, 26 volunteers and Army regulars, Clark's
black slave York and Lewis's Newfoundland dog Seaman.
Expedition members had no idea how they would be received but realized
with each passing mile that their success would depend upon the good will of the
native people.
Even with their assistance, the search for a "Northwest
Passage" would prove for members of the Corps of Discovery to be the most
difficult part of their entire journey.
Jefferson had also instructed them to gather detailed information about
the plants, animals, soil, minerals, weather and Native American tribes they
encountered. In
this interchange with President Jefferson and Captain Lewis, students have the
opportunity to learn more about the extraordinary journey into what Jefferson
called the "Mysterious West."
Seventh graders from Central Academy Middle School query Jefferson and
Lewis on the reasons for the expedition, the secret message to Congress, the
instructions and preparation for the journey, the members of the Corps of
Discovery, the Native Americans encountered, the plants and animals of the west,
and the day to day life of being in uncharted territory. Virginia Standards of Learning "Shaping the World: Conversations on Democracy" can assist teachers with the following Virginia Standards Of Learning: Virginia
Studies:
VS.1, VS.2, VS.4 In
1773, Thomas Jefferson and his wife, Martha, inherited 4,819 acres from the
estate of John Wayles, Martha’s father. Jefferson designed an octagonal
villa and in 1806 traveled to Bedford County to oversee the laying of the
foundation. Poplar Forest served as a retreat for Jefferson and his
grandchildren as well as a working plantation, generating cash income.
During Jefferson’s residency, 1806 to 1823, the enslaved community ranged from
60 to 100 people. The house and land was inherited by Jefferson’s
grandson, Francis Eppes and later sold to William Cobbs. Over the years,
its acreage dwindled and the house underwent many structural changes. In
1984, the Corporation for Jefferson’s Poplar Forest was formed to rescue this
landmark for the educational and cultural benefit of the public. Today,
Poplar Forest is a National Historic Landmark and a Virginia Historic Landmark.
Archaeological research and restoration continue. Since
1966, Blue Ridge Public Television has provided instructional television for
western Virginia, and today broadcasts SOL-correlated programs to 39 school
divisions with 197,000 students.
BRPTV works on-site with all communities of learners, including teachers,
pre-schoolers, and adult learners. BRPTV sponsors Virginia’s JASON Project,
Homework Helpline, Reading Rainbow Young Authors and Illustrators, Young Heroes,
and the McGlothlin Awards for Teaching Excellence. Virginia Satellite Educational Network and Virginia Department of Education: The Virginia Satellite
Educational Network (VSEN) provides advanced placement and foreign language
courses to K-12 students. Programs that support the Virginia Standards of
Learning for students, teachers, and administrators are also delivered through
VSEN. The Department of Education and VSEN are pleased to make Thomas
Jefferson's Poplar Forest's program available via
satellite to students across the Commonwealth and nation. |
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