Myers' House & Cherry Hill June 25, 2014

For some reason my pictures are not loading properly. I will add them later.

This will be my last blog post of the summer. It is definitely a bitter sweet moment. Bitter because I don’t want the fun times to end and sweet because we have all been working for this moment. I can honestly say that I’ve learned so much throughout the journey we had in this program. One major skill I’ve gained is how to assess a tour guide. Every tour we’ve had, our guide has been very different. Whether they are crazy, passionate, monotone, making up answers, or very educated on the topic, they all serve as one purpose; to educate us on the history of their museum. On a scale from Alice to Raymond, where do you fall?

Myers House

Stephen Myers

I would rate our tour guide today at the Myers house 3 above Alice. It seemed as though he wasn’t prepared for our visit and didn’t have much to tell us. I was able to ask a few questions to get a better understanding of the Myers. The Albany/Troy area was a hotspot for abolitionists, and the Hudson River served as a major highway to transport food and fugitive slaves from one place to another. Stephen Myers and his wife was a couple who participated in helping fugitive slaves. They interviewed fugitive slaves then sent them off to a safe place where they can receive food and shelter. On one occasion, Myers wrote that 287 fugitives had visited his house in a 10 month span. With this knowledge, I could only imagine how hectic his house and workload must have been. I liked the point our guide brought up, that most people forget to acknowledge the abolitionists that were not famous who had a big impact on the Underground Railroad. In high school I only learned about Harriet Tubman and a few other abolitionists. I wish they would teach about other abolitionists so that the students get a better understanding that more people helped the cause. I was disappointed on the interior of the house. It was not in good shape and I hope that they are able to restore the building to continue to educate others. Other students felt as though this “tour” was pointless but I think it served as a great point in showing that other abolitionists who helped fugitive slaves are rarely spoken of. If this was the house of Harriet Tubman, it would have already been a museum, restored, and had a major plaque on the outside of the house.

Map of Cherry Hill

I thought Cherry Hill was going to literally be a hill with cherries. Cherry Hill was owned by the Van Rensselaers. The Cherry Hill Van Rensselaers were part of a group of wealthy and powerful families known as the Hudson River manor lords. The eighteenth century Hudson River manor lords grew in wealth and power. They controlled parts of the Hudson River Valley, 850,000 acres, and Kilaen Van Rensselaer's tract called Rensselaerswyck was the only patroonship to be successfully established during the Dutch period. This made me think of the Dutch styled boat we cleaned yesterday, and I can imagine Kilaen Van Rensselaer trading on his Dutch boat. Catherine Putnam, a cousin of the Van Rensselaers, was very proud of her ancestry and it seemed like she bragged about it a lot. I was also disappointed in the interior of this house because it looked as though someone was just moving in. I wish we were there before or after they restored the house so we can get a sense of what it looked like when Catherine lived there.  I was shocked that Catherine was a part of the Anti-Suffrage movement because she did not want the working immigrant women to have a say. Didn’t she know the working class made up most of the population? Why was she so against this movement if she voted when we gained the right to vote? I get so upset when I see women who belittle other women and believe that we don’t deserve equal rights. After hearing that, I didn’t enjoy the rest of the tour.

Interior of Cherry House 

I am so happy that I have made the decision to participate in this program. I have made new friends and learned more about the Hudson River that I probably wanted to. This was such a great experience and I hope that I will be able to share my experience with the young women who are going to be in the program next year. 

Community Service on Dutch Boat June 24, 2013

Original Dutch Boat 

I was amazed by the way they built the boat; without any blueprints and almost exactly how the Dutch would have built their own ships. When we usually tour an area it is a replica instead of an originally built piece. The man speaking to us said that the Dutch could build ships faster and cheaper than anyone else during those times. It made me come to the conclusion that that’s why they first controlled the Hudson River Valley area. Their ships were more efficient and with that they were able to defend off other Europeans who were trying to control the Hudson River Valley. I almost always forget that the Dutch controlled this area before anyone else. They were superb in the business industry and could possibly surpass us in that industry now. The boat that we were cleaning today was built in 1614, making this year its 400^th year anniversary. It was mainly used by the Dutch as a fur trading ship and you could tell because as they said the bottom deck would be just an open space to store. What I found so interesting was that this boat was made by 250 volunteers. They used Dutch tactics, handmade parts of the boat, and used white oak as the main material. You would think that it would take us less time now to build these types of ships but in reality it took them three years to finish. The Dutch would have never taken that long. That just shows how efficient their skills really were. It also shows how dependent we now are on technology to make everything quicker for us. I wonder which tactic is better or serves as a better purpose. 

Below Deck

I was happy to help clean the boat because I enjoy looking at the finished product. Mostly everyone did their part, and I thank them because it helped us get the job done faster. Precious and I cleaned the bottom deck and I was proud by the work we did. Mainly because we didn’t know where anything went, no one does it’s just a boat, but we still put everything away neatly and managed to make a clear space on the floor. We worked as a team, as everyone should, and it turned out looking pretty good if I do say so myself. Even though we weren’t allowed to take pictures below, I did anyways so I can show off our work (see above and below). It wasn’t until we began oiling the floor that I knew I needed food in my system or else I would faint. Usually I would faint but I didn’t this time because I have such strong willpower and I’m just so efficient with my work that I knew I would be done quick (I love to brag). It was weird how while you were on the boat you didn’t feel it rocking. I knew it was moving slightly but I didn’t notice it at all. I wish we were able to sail on the boat because I know that it would be a very smooth sail. It seems crazy to me how this boat was made by Dutch tactics and yet it probably sails smoother than any boat made by the technology we have now. I would prefer using technology, just because it’s quicker, but I think skill beats any man made machine. 

Below Deck 

Schodack Island June 23, 2014

Schodack Island: Ecological Communities

The Schodack Island is 1,052 acres of land that includes about seven miles of the Hudson River. Above is a map of the ecological communities that are in the Schodack Shoreline. Plants, animals and other factors that make up Schodack Island live in these ecological communities and interact with one another. I guess that is why Toby wanted us to interact with the environment. When we first got there, I was sure we were just going to walk along the shore like we did at Peebles Island. I was so wrong. After minutes of screaming and holding for dear life onto Kassiana, I was finally in the water. The mud at the bottom of the river was so thick that my rain boots sank right into the ground. If you stayed in one area for about 2 minutes, you were as good as stuck. Some of the life in the Hudson River includes wild celery, Atlantic Sturgeon, Zebra Mussels, Striped Bass, Hogchockers, American Eel, and Catfish. I’m sure that I have encountered all of these things on my swim in the river. I actually wish I would have seen a Sturgeon because they are so interesting to me. The Sturgeon, a protected species, is the Hudson’s largest fish that eats invertebrates such as mollusks, worms, and crustaceans. They are also older than dinosaurs, which makes them even cooler. I was upset that we didn’t catch anything, probably because Kassiana and I scared it away, because that’s why I got inside the water. But since we didn’t catch anything we had to make fun out of the situation. Rose, Kassiana, and I started throwing mud at each other and it was hilarious. Some got in my mouth and hair but I nonetheless I thought it was fun. We’re already surrounded by dirty water so we might as well contribute to our filth. That was our way of contributing to the environment today. Another way was giving the flies a delicious snack because they were surrounding us on our walk on the trail. I’m glad I actually got into the water because I hate feeling as though I didn’t participate in our activities during the day. Although I can’t say I would ever do that again, I did have fun. 

Schodack Island Area Map

Brooklyn Bridge, Harlem Tour, Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island June 20, 2014

Brooklyn Bridge

 Walking the Brooklyn Bridge was not as bad as I thought it would be. I have only walked it once, for the NEDA walk, and it seemed longer than. It was very hot but once I was hydrated I was more willing to walk across. I read in The Hudson that the man who constructed the Brooklyn Bridge was a graduate from RPI. What The Hudson didn’t discuss was that the man’s wife was the one who ran everything after his injury. She was such a crucial part in the development of the Brooklyn Bridge and yet was not mentioned in the book. I’m glad I was able to walk across the bridge without feeling faint or dizzy because of the heat. I pushed myself through the heat and felt as though I deserved to watch the Broadway show later that night. Phantom of the Opera was good but I still wish I was able to see Chicago. The Phantom was amazing and his voice almost put me to sleep (or maybe I was just really tired). Anyhow, that was my first Broadway show and I’m happy I was able to enjoy it with friends.

Stop and Frisk art on wall in Harlem

Nigerian carved door in Harlem

I felt as though the Harlem tour was extremely long and degrading. I didn’t like how he gave us the tour assuming that we have never seen a black neighborhood in our lives. Maybe it is just because I grew up in those areas that it felt humiliating for me to hear him say “Now here is a barbershop selling art” or “Across the street is Conway, a local department store” like we’ve never seen a barbershop. Conway is a cheap clothing store for people in the neighborhood. I didn’t like how he was exposing it, because people shop there every day. What I found interesting was that Harlem was once a separate city. Sometimes I still treat it as though it is separate and I laughed to myself when the guide complained about people doing that. Harlem was also once the third largest Jewish community. When they “allowed” blacks to move in is when the African American culture in Harlem began. According to The Restless City, by 1914, for the first time in NYC history, blacks dominated an entire neighborhood and had access to good housing. The time of the Harlem Renaissance strengthened black pride and fostered hope. Now, the people of Harlem focus on issues such as stop and frisk, reducing crime rate, and etc. 

The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty

I have always passed the Statue of Liberty but never got a chance to go to the island. I was surprised by the way the island looked. I imagined it to look somewhat like Bannerman’s Island, with trails instead of actual walkways and vending carts. What I didn’t know what that the Statue of Liberty is on top of the remains of Fort Wood, originally one link in a chain of defenses protecting NYC and its harbor. The fort acted as a lookout position with harbor guns entrenched near the shore. This reminds me of the chains at West Point and the need to secure the Hudson River. I was sad yet glad that we weren’t going to climb the Statue; sad because I wanted to see the view and glad because my body wasn’t physically prepared for that trip. I was mostly excited to go to Ellis Island because I am always fascinated at how many immigrants came to America. There is always a story behind every immigrants travel to America and Ellis Island is a part of many of those stories. I was able to sit down at a computer and search my family name to see if one of my family members came through Ellis Island. I found three names of Giuseppe Giarratano, all of which came from Sicily. I figured one of them has to be my ancestor, I just didn’t know which one. Either way I thought it was really cool to see that name there and know that’s how one side of my family came to America. I was so anxious to leave that day because later in the evening I would attend the 7^th annual Project HEAL Gala. My roommate and I just started a chapter here on Russell Sage campus for Project HEAL. At the gala, I was able to meet the founders of Project HEAL, our chapter mentor, and many other amazing people apart of such a great foundation. How perfect was the timing that the gala would be around the same time we were in the city. I’m so happy I was finally able to introduce myself and get to know everyone apart of Project HEAL. 

My roommate, Talia Lusterman, and I at the
Project HEAL Gala

Chinatown Tour & Tenement House Museum June 17, 2014

Renown American Chinese peope 

As a child I’ve always passed through Chinatown to get food and I never really gave any thought about the area. It is not only a cultural town, but a place where the American Chinese people feel comfortable. I really enjoyed walking through the museum because I thought it was very modern and easy to follow. There are so many things the American Chinese have done for our country that I knew nothing about. From having the first woman dentist to co-founding YouTube, the American Chinese have helped America. I am not saying I thought they have contributed nothing to this country, but I was surprised as to how much they have contributed. American Chinese people such as Maya Lin, Grace Lee Boggs, and David Ho has made advances in architecture, women’s rights, and medicine. The first Chinese immigrant traces back to the end of the 1700s, something I have never learned. To try to restrict Chinese immigrants from coming into the U.S, a race that has been in this area for the same amount of time as other European immigrants, is crazy to me. But I was glad to see that race is not problem for the American Chinese culture. There was one piece in the museum that I really liked; the topic of mixed citizens. Being of many races myself, I understand how difficult it is to explain whether I am white or black. Even though I participate more in my Italian culture, I should not have to explain my background. A woman who’s photo was in the museum said, “I am a whole “other”.” It made me happy to read that because for so long I used to be very frustrated for selecting other for documents who only allowed you to choose one. I think we should all be proud of all of our cultural backgrounds, and who we are.

The tour of Chinatown was brutal. It was scorching hot and we walked around the streets for an hour. The heat made it so hard for me to focus on the tour and actually be interested in it. One thing that I do remember is our guide saying usually in Chinatown there are the same stores in the same area. I thought that was smart because for someone who cannot read the titles of the stores, they would know one specific area to go to. Our guide told us there were many tenement houses in this area and that’s exactly where we went next.

Woman of mixed race

Building in Columbus Park

Street in Chinatown 

I wish I had enjoyed the tenement tour because I find the topic very interesting. I wish we learned more about actual tenements than the families who lived in there. I was surprised by how big the apartment was. Although it is not big for a family of 4+, it is larger than the tenement apartments I have seen in the photos by Jacob Riis. Tenement houses were primarily of immigrants but I’m sort of confused because I see every settler rather than the Native Americans an immigrant. I enjoy learning about this era because this was around the time my grandfather came from Sicily and my grandmother from Ireland. Well at least that’s what my mom has said. Our guide said different races would be in a town relatively of their culture and I can agree with her on that because there is a census of my grandfather living in Little Italy. She then said that Italians began to move to Brooklyn, and I can agree with that also because my grandfather moved to Brooklyn. I enjoy being able to relate things to my family because it allows me to remember it more. The tenement house was extremely hot and I could not imagine having to live there. After almost every tour I am so thankful to have been born during this time period. 

Architecture Rally, Metropolitan Museum, & Museum of American Indian June 16, 2013

Krysti and I 

The past couple of days in the City have been non-stop and hectic. I didn’t realize we would be walking as much as we have because I figured we would be inside of museums. I was surprised our professors were encouraging us to go out, explore, and have fun. I love staying in the city for small periods of time and I’m sure after this week I won’t come back for a little while. The first day of heat torture began when we did our architecture rally. Krysti and I were partners, I assume because I know the subway more than she does. But I have never spent a whole day with just Krysti and it was nice to get to know her more. While we tried to answer questions, I tried to see how these would relate to the Hudson River. New York City was a big part of the industrialization of the Hudson River Valley and the Hudson River allowed it to become a prosperous city.  Our architectural rally allowed us to travel through Manhattan and gain a sense of how large it really is. Manhattan is huge and I know this because after the end of the day my feet were hurting. Krysti and I didn’t get to see the last building in our packet but we worked hard to find the rest of the answers.

At the Metropolitan Museum yesterday we focused mainly on the American Wing. I wouldn’t expect us to focus more on any other exhibits because we are learning about the history of our area. One thing I was surprised to see was how many objects Mrs. Sage donated to the museum. I believe Mrs. Sage knew how wealthy she was and understood the concept of educating others on history through items and objects. She donated things from jugs and a fire-screen to dressers and couches. There is no better way to see how people of the past lived than through their personal items. Another familiar name to see was Van Rensselaer. Their manor house, some of the interior displayed at the Met, was located on the banks of the Hudson River in Albany. The plaque at the museum said that this manor was one of the finest New York architectural carvings during that time. The original owner was Stephen Van Rensselaer, the eighth patroon and sixth lord of the Van Rensselaer Manor. I noticed by the window there was a window seat, like many other houses along the Hudson, and that went to show once again how beautiful the Hudson was. Kassiana and I got lost and ended up on the rooftop garden, but I’m glad we did. The view was beautiful and the garden was laid out very well. It wasn’t really an actual garden but had leaves and glass that allowed you to see a contorted version of yourself. I enjoyed going to the Met Museum, and not just because those are the steps the cast of Gossip Girl sat on.

Chrysler building

Phoenix piece

Couch given to Met Museum by Mrs. Sage

Kassiana and I on rooftop

Rooftop Garden

We always learn about Native Americans, so I wasn’t very excited to go to the Museum of American Indian. The inside was very interesting and covered many Native American groups in such a small exhibit. I was telling the group how my school are called the Liberty Indians but we are not allowed to dress up as Indians because it is disrespecting the Indian culture. What I was glad to see was that the back of the brochure of the Museum of the American Indian answered this question.  They said when a person’s identity is reduced to caricatures, their real concerns can be more easily dismissed. I find that interesting because earlier in time Native Americans were belittled by European settlers. I wonder if their “barbaric” ways as the Europeans described contributes to the stereotype they have today. It took me about a half hour to see the whole Museum and I wished they had more exhibits instead of cramming a lot of information in one place.

Hyde Park, Vanderbilt Mansion & Valkill June 12, 2014

Map of sites we visited

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's home

Inside FDR's home

FDR's room (Top)
Eleanor's room (Bottom)

I’ve been to the home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt before, but I didn’t remember anything I saw. The first thing I did when we got there was look at the map of all the places we were going to visit today. Every home we would go to was built right along the Hudson River. I thought of two reasons why they would be built on this river; the first is because of the beauty and the second was because of business. By looking at the outside of the house I was sure the inside was going to be extravagant, but it wasn’t. I felt very comfortable in the house and saw it as a regular home where normal citizens would stay. Franklin D. Roosevelt was born in this house and educated by private tutors of the Hudson Valley estate. The pamphlet I read said that the Roosevelt’s had ties to the Hudson River Valley dating back to the 17^th century, which made me think of the time of the Dutch we read about in The Hudson. Franklin’s father James Roosevelt bought this house in Springwood in 1867. While they were wealthy, James disliked an ostentatious home and made his house more modest compared too many other estates that lined the Hudson, such as the Vanderbilt mansion. Although they were a wealthy family, the Roosevelt’s were not as wealthy as the Vanderbilt’s, the family we would learn about later in the day. You could really tell the distance between Franklin and Eleanor by viewing both of their rooms. Franklin’s room was large and decorated while Eleanor’s room was small and simple. That showed me that Eleanor was not comfortable in the home or around Franklin and his mother. After watching the movie about Eleanor and taking the tour of FDR’s home, I was sympathetic for Eleanor and wished she was happier during FDR’s presidency. 

Vanderbilt Mansion

Ladies Parlor in Vanderbilt Mansion

Room in Vanderbilt Mansion

The Vanderbilt mansion was far more extravagant than it needed to be. The Vanderbilt’s made their money through railroads, which showed they had relatively new money compared to the dating of the Roosevelt’s in the 17^th century. The mansion was built along the Hudson River not only because of its beauty but because their railroad company, New York Central, that ran right along the Hudson River. The Vanderbilt’s contributed to the industrialization of the Hudson River Valley and their wealth showed it. The mansion was of European style and they called themselves American Royalty. I felt cold and uncomfortable in the house but it looked amazing. Not only did they have extremely high ceilings but they also had a central heating system. This mansion was the first house in Hyde Park to have electricity. I think this was a way of showing off because they didn’t need fireplaces or a heating system because they only lived in the house during the spring and summer season. But they didn’t just use their money for very extravagant things, they also paid their servants very well. An employee of the Vanderbilt’s made one to two dollars a day and had medical expenses paid for. I guess if the Vanderbilt’s were going to live well, so were their servants. I was so surprised to hear that 33 people in Mr. Vanderbilt’s will were employees. I viewed the Vanderbilt’s as greedy, stubborn people but they were not as bad as I thought. They gave Christmas presents to all the Children in Hyde Park and let them play on their grounds. I wonder if Franklin was one of the children who received a gift out of friendship between the two families. It was Franklin who would later suggest that the Vanderbilt mansion be donated to the Federal government. I couldn’t wait to get out the mansion because that meant there was one more house to go and then we would be on our way to Troy.

Living-room in Valkill

Dining-room in Valkill

I was annoyed we had to watch the 15 minute video because we knew almost everything they said from watching the movie about Eleanor. Valkill was seen as Eleanor’s home, and you can definitely tell she felt so comfortable in her cottage. I imagine it was so easy to tell Eleanor everything because she was so appreciative of different lives and her home was a comfortable setting. While Ranger Bob was speaking I started to read the titles of the books on the book shelf, in assumption that these were the books Eleanor had on her bookshelf. Three of the books I saw were titled A Laughter in the lonely night, To Sir, with love and Girls Scout Handbook.  I think just by reading those titles I already got a great sense of who Eleanor was. I imagined her reading A Laughter in the lonely night and To Sir, with love during her stays at FDR’s home. I imagined her reading the girls scout handbook the night before a visit to a girls scout camp. Eleanor was such an amazing person. She treated everyone as the same whether it was a King, Queen or mine worker. I think if we all had the mindset of Eleanor the world would be a better place.

Quote of Eleanor Roosevelt

I love this quote because I think it firmly speaks to the women of influence at Russell Sage. We are taught to speak our minds and educate our world. Eleanor is a great example of a woman of influence. She never gave up on what she believed in and always did what she thought was the right thing. As I grow up to be a woman of influence I hope to have the same determination as Eleanor did.