The most rewarding part of my internship was interacting and working with the local community around the battlefield, including historians, reenactors, farmers, etc. As my time here has progressed, everyone involved has shown appreciation for the care, love, and support for the site! I’ve come to appreciate the details of the location’s history, as many events took place here and in the area during America’s Revolution.
Probably the most frequent part of my internship was partaking in research with local historians and archeologists who are involved in all sorts of topics surrounding the battlefield. This includes a lot of reading, assessing artifacts, making hypotheses, collaborating sources, and making conclusions based on these. Another major part that I was involved in was museum programming for visitors and social events, to explain and entertain the unique history found here. To get a grasp on all things related to my internship required a familiarity with the park area and its sites.
One of my favorite parts of the battlefield I’ve explored is called ‘Perrine Hill’, a low, rolling hill covered by crops and tall grass. This area is where General Washington took a defensive position on the high ground overlooking much of the battlefield; in fact, he was nearly hit by an enemy cannonball! It was also the location where the local legend of Molly Pitcher originated. Within the farm field itself, fighting occurred between both armies, coming to hand-to-hand combat at some point. Today, the area where this took place is a soybean farm; on a sunny day, a light breeze gently shakes the soybean leaves beneath a blue sky. I found it very calming, and a fitting place for the dead to rest in peace.
The Perrine family originated from France in the 1600s, descendants of French Huguenots who fled persecution to practice their Christian religion in the New World. Like the New England Pilgrims, people in colonial America understood the importance of freedom from tyranny. It’s these things that I was able to learn about through involvement and experience on the site. Many of the people involved understand the significance of the soil they tread, no matter their expertise.
– Robert O’Gorman, History 2028
This is a very interesting internship! It sounds like you learned a lot and really got to experience a piece of America’s history. Great job!
Hi Robert! I think it’s awesome that you were able to learn so much about the history of the battlefield while also getting hands-on experience with research, artifacts, and working alongside historians and archaeologists. It sounds like this experience gave you an even greater appreciation for the importance of preserving and sharing local history.
This sounds like such an amazing opportunity you had! It seems like you have learned a lot, but coming to appreciate your work and the site I believe is just as important. I’m happy that you were able to have this experience and enjoyed it so much!
Robert I really enjoyed reading about your internship. It sounds like you got to experience a lot by working with historians, archaeologists, farmers, and reenactors. I especially liked reading about Perrine Hill and how peaceful it is today despite how much happened there during the Revolution.
Robert, I am glad to hear that your time and effort was well spent this summer with your internship! It’s great to see that you have gained such experience and learned so much from this opportunity!
It sounds like you had a great internship! Being able to learn about the area while contributing to ongoing research is a great way to improve your critical thinking and analytical skills. At the same time, we’re reminded that history is more than names, dates, and events, but rather the story of our past preserved by those dedicated to ensuring no chapter is lost. This is only possible through the work done by you and others dedicated to preserving these historical sites.
I hope your future work bring as much joy and curiosity as this one did!