Here is a list of links to the slides I used in my classes, as well as various blog posts, articles, and other resources that have been referenced during my lectures, or mentioned in my emails to the OLLI students, or that came to mind as I was preparing this list.
Background
Here is a brief introduction to the course.
Please note that nearly all of the material here is copyrighted, either by me or by my sources, and is intended to be used solely for educational purposes. I have tried to acknowledge all the help I received, from my students and others. Apologies to anyone I may have inadvertently failed to thank. The course turned into a larger undertaking than I had originally envisioned, and I probably learned more than my students did, since I sorted through an enormous amount of material before deciding how to condense it into class presentations.
Slides
- Session One [Mahican-Mohawk Trail]
- Session Two [Ice Glen and Laura’s Tower] (some overlap with Session One, since the discussion of the Mahican-Mohawk Trail continued in Session Two, before taking on the Laurel Hill Association properties in Stockbridge)
- Session Three [segue from Stockbridge to Monterey] (again, some overlap and review, since the discussions of properties didn’t fall neatly one into each session, and there was more interest in the Mohicans than I had anticipated)
- Session Four [Bidwell House]
- Session Five [Alford Springs and Parsons Marsh]
- Session Six [Keystone Arch Bridges] plus some review, additional information, and answers to questions raised in prior sessions
Articles mentioned and Other Resources that might be of interest
- A set of notes relating to some of the slides used in the first few sessions, and other material
- BNRC (Berkshire Natural Resources Council) website
- Bidwell House Museum website
- The Supreme Court Case That Enshrined White Supremacy in Law: How Plessy v. Ferguson shaped the history of racial discrimination in America. The majority opinion was written by Justice Brown, who lived and was educated in Stockbridge. He was one of three Supreme Court Justices to come from Stockbridge, and at one time, all three were on the Court at the same time.
- Mohican History as told on the website of the “Stockbridge-Munsee Community: Band of Mohican Indians” — with a menu to other parts of their website.
- This post addresses something we discussed in class; an early source of misunderstanding between the English and the Natives: Usufruct rights
- Keystone Arch Bridges website
- Laurel Hill Association (Stockbridge) website
- More information about Laura’s Tower
- Heydays Along the Mohawk Trail, by Lauren Stevens
- The Trouble with Wilderness, by William Cronon
Other related (and somewhat more personal) information:
- Land Acknowledgement: the idea for this came from Simon Winchester, who did a similar thing in Sandisfield, where he is the Town Moderator. My specific application to Alford was informed by the research I had done for the OLLI course.
- A little humor to avow My Disqualifications: I wanted to be sure my students knew I didn’t take myself too seriously. I’m not an historian, and I relied on the work of others to provide the information I conveyed.
- And just in case you think I’m being too modest and don’t know how to brag, this (partial) list of my accomplishments should disabuse you of that notion!
- My rather verbose introduction to myself and the course.
- Edwin Curtis Bidwell, my grandmother’s grandfather.
I’m sure there are more items, so I’ll add to this list from time to time, as I notice them. If you have any questions about anything here (or that I omitted) feel free to contact me. Those in my course know my email address, others can leave a note here.
