Colonial Dames treat local students to history lesson
John and Abigail Adams, portrayed by Peyton Dixon and
Kim Hanley
If re-enactors could teach American history across the country, there would certainly be passing grades and fond memories of our heritage across the land. Thanks to Duval County School Board grant programs, underwriting from the Roger L. and Rochelle S. Main Charitable Trust and work by local women of the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Florida, valuable lessons were taught during a recent series of performances by talented actors mid-January.
John Adams (Peyton Dixon) and his charming wife Abigail (Kim Hanley) took to the stage in a lively performance, recounting the historic Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party and other Colonial-era struggles that faced the earliest Americans in their pursuit of independence. Engagement of the crowd encouraged students to shout at their British soldiers and occupiers, “NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!” and many other famous patriotic phrases. The entire auditorium was filled with children’s voices, heightened with a passion for their ancestry.
Over 1,570 fifth grade students from schools throughout Duval County, including The Bolles School, Riverside Presbyterian Day School, John N.C. Stockton, and St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School were able to attend the eighth annual program at the Main Library Downtown. The series has included other historic figures such as Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Lewis and Clark to name a few. An American History Grant awarded to the Duval County School Board will sponsor two middle school presentations at James Weldon Johnson and Lakeshore Middle Schools.
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