This program provides students with a window into the Revolutionary War era through the journal of Colonel Samuel Pierce. A resident of Pierce House, Colonel Samuel recorded everything from the details of daily life on his farm to major events like the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and the fortification of Dorchester Heights. 

Students learn to analyze primary source documents to learn more about the past, examine reproduction artifacts and clothing, and work together to construct a Revolutionary War time line. At the end of the program they have an opportunity to write with a quill pen.

Everyone has a history worth recording. Family Ties provides students with the tools to tell their stories. During the program, students learn how the Pierce family preserved their ancestral home in Dorchester and other family treasures through ten generations.Students learn how to conduct oral history interviews; examine historical documents, objects, and photographs; and design a family crest. Afterward, students apply these techniques to make family albums that chronicle their own families’ pasts and record daily lives.

Students learn what life was like on Pierce Farm during the years leading up to the Revolution. A pre-visit activity based on Colonel Samuel Pierce’s account book allows students to take on the roles of real Dorchester residents, including farmers, weavers and blacksmiths. Students learn about the goods and services each of their characters provided to the community and play a bartering game that mimics the economic system of the colonial Dorchester. Hands-on spinning and weaving activities allow students to further explore the production of goods using colonial resources and technology.