Course Central Question:
What were the distinguishing characteristics of the people of the Deerfield and their relationship with the land as illustrated through changes in lifestyles, economy, and governance?

The Nile of New England:
A Study of the History of a Connecticut River Valley Town Over Three Centuries
Overview of Unit 1: The Colonial Period 1680 - 1720

Unit Length: 13 lessons in 14 class periods (85 minutes each)

Teacher Background:
After King Philip's War, Deerfield was resettled in 1682 and was never again abandoned, in spite of a series of attacks by French and Indians extending as late as 1746. The most momentous attack in this period was in 1704 when houses within the palisade were burned and 111 men, women and children were taken captive and marched to Canada.

Key Content Ideas Covered In This Unit:
Deerfield was a frontier community, settled by English people who desired land and an opportunity for prosperity. We will learn about the people who came to settle Deerfield, why they were determined to create a town "in the wilderness," how their religion served as comfort and inspiration, and how they functioned as an interdependent community in the formative years of the town. Conversely, we will attempt to understand reasons for constant warfare and the nature of the porous border that enclosed them.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Understandings
Students will understand:

1. the political, social, religious, and economic world and national context in which the events of Deerfield occurred.
2. that there were increasingly in this period competing political agendas, and competition for land, power, and wealth in Deerfield.
3. that wars between France and England and local cultural conflict contributed to the volatile environment.
4. the physical boundaries of Deerfield in the context of the geologic formations and land use and settlement.
5. that the Deerfield region was vulnerable to attacks, and that this created an unstable environment.
6. the motivations for the settlement in Deerfield by the English.
7. that in Massachusetts there was no division of church and state as we understand it, and this condition influenced every aspect of daily life.
8. that land ownership conferred power because it was a determinant of wealth, and a prerequisite for political participation.
9. that it has always been natural to live with unsolved problems.
10. that the past has a significant influence on present day lives and society.
11. that it is valuable to study the lives, actions, ideas, political experiences, and judgments of people in the past.
12. that it is important NOT to judge people in the past by today's notions and beliefs.
13. how historians approach their work, using both artifacts and documents.
14. that both primary source materials and interpretive materials of all types are rich sources of historical evidence.

Skills
Students will be able to:

1. identify and articulate differing points of view.
2. use graphic organization skills to represent conceptual understandings of land use and acquisition.
3. transcribe a primary document.
4. use a variety of primary source materials, to analyze these sources, and to make logical inferences and supported conclusions.
5. make reference to previously presented material.
6. utilize technology to research information and present projects.
7. compare and contrast events in Deerfield with world and national events.

Unit At-A-Glance (lesson titles link to lessons)

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