“It is sometimes called the
City of Magnificent Distances, but it might with greater propriety be termed
the City of Magnificent Intentions…”
That’s how Charles Dickens described Washington, D.C., when he visited in
1842. The only compliment he paid to Washington was the “very pleasant and commodious library in the Capitol.”
In Capital Days, Michael Shiner’s Journal and the Growth of Our Nation’s
Capital, Tonya Bolden recounts the history of Washington, D.C.,
often from the point of view of Michael Shiner, born enslaved but able to
secure freedom for himself and his family.
He spent most of his life working at the Washington Navy Yard, keeping a
journal that cataloged some of the city’s most important events, including
numerous fires, laying the cornerstone for the Washington Monument and the
inauguration of 11 presidents.
Bolden is the winner of the 2016 Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award. She is honored for all of her books, including
many stories of American history, often from the point of view of African
Americans. Bolden will be honored at an
Award Luncheon on April 9 in Washington, D.C., and everyone is invited. Find the details here.
Bolden’s books are rich with
opportunities for student research and writing.
In addition to Michael
Shiner’s journal itself, Capital Days is
filled with pictures and stories drawn from original documents. Here is a
poster published by the Anti-Slavery Society as part of its campaign to end
slavery and slave trading in Washington, D.C.
· Ask students to create their own anti-slavery
poster. What would they say or show that
might convince legislators to make slavery and slave trading illegal in the
nation’s capital?
In 1807, three free black men
who could neither read nor write established Bell School near the Washington
Navy Yard where they worked. It was the first school for black children in the nation’s
capital.
· Have one student pretend to be carpenter George Bell
while another interviews him. Why did Mr. Bell think it was important to start
a school? Who did he expect to attend the school (boys and girls)? What problems or challenges did he encounter in opening
the school? Both students can write newspaper articles based on Mr. Bell’s
answers.
Read the full quote about Washington
from Charles Dickens, where he writes very disparagingly of “spacious avenues
that begin in nothing and lead nowhere.”
· Ask students to write a review of their own city, as
if they were writing for Yelp or TripAdvisor.
Reading Michael Shiner’s journal
was like having a conversation with him across the dinner table about daily
events. In 1861, “they commenced hauling flour from the different warehouses in
Washington, D.C., and Georgetown to the Capitol of the United States.” The Capitol – still under construction –
would serve as a bakery, barracks and hospital for Union troops.
· Ask students to interview a long time resident of
their community – perhaps a relative or resident of a retirement
community. Ask about details of a
particularly important event in the community or even the nation and turn those
details into a narrative description or story.
Capital Days is
also an excellent tool to help students learn the importance of good
glossaries, thorough footnotes and an index. In her Author’s Note, Bolden calls
Shiner a “true American original.”
