Hello, in the first week of class I started to look into local history of my immediate area, I thought it would be neat if I could find something very local. Adams/North Adams has a long history here, Adams is the birthplace of Susan B. Anthony. So it should be ripe for conflict history.
What I looked at this week was some of the history of the local mills, the Berkshire Cotton Manufacturing Company had child laborers and the such. So I figured it would be a good place to possibly dig up some conflict in it’s past. But the only thing I really came across other then general history is apparently during King George’s War, North Adams was a fort that came under siege (we lost). Not very helpful, but neat. Will continue to purse local history for awhile, but if it doesn’t pan out might have to pull back into a wider scope.
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Hi Shane,
I think it is really cool that you started your project with an empty or shall I say open slate. You literally went digging for conflicts in your area to see what you would come up with! I think having an open mind is very important when it comes to doing research because sometimes we get stuck looking for something specific and miss something big. I look forward to reading about what you find and what you ultimately decide to go with.
If you run into problems finding something, I agree with your idea to start larger. Sometimes if you start larger and find something you like, you might then be able to find something similar or related in your community.
Peace & Love,
Abriana Robinson
Hi Shane, definitely, if it doesn’t seem like you’re getting anything from North Adams itself, take a look at the larger county and regional resources. You may not find much on the North Adams mills having examples of conflict resolution, but going a few towns over might uncover a trove of records about mill life and its class struggles. Happy hunting!
–Dr. Wallace