Sometimes the best lessons are learned first-hand. And sometimes that means crossing a battlefield where the sacrifices of soldiers helped strengthen our country’s definition of freedom.
On Thursday, October 26, 2023, various U.S. History students and teachers took a field trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Students from both Yardley and Doylestown campuses were able to experience art, videos, and a tour walking through historical monuments in Gettysburg, as well as have lunch at the local food court.
The day started at 9:15 in the morning, when students embarked on a two and a half hour ride to Gettysburg, with most falling asleep in order to make time go by quicker. At around noon, students and teachers then checked in to The Gettysburg Museum of Civil War, where they then went to a showing of A New Birth of Freedom, a 20-minute film breaking down the Battle of Gettysburg narrated by Morgan Freeman. After the film, the group headed to the Cyclorama Painting Exhibit. Once there, students saw the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama Painting, which was painted by Paul Philippoteaux. The painting is 377 feet in circumference, 42 feet high, and took a year and a half to complete. The full exhibit has been considered a 19th century masterpiece that is similar to a modern day IMAX theater. At around 1:30, the group took a quick ride to the Savourhood, a food court with plenty of options to satisfy everyone in the group’s particular taste.
Feeling stuffed, the group went back to do the final and most laborious task of the day; the walking tour of Cemetery Ridge. The hike up the hill was not an easy feat for most students, and by the time the tour was nearly finished, most were exhausted due to the hours they had been out, the heat, and the general amount of walking done on the hike. Nonetheless, students were able to get thoroughly acquainted with multiple historical monuments in Gettysburg, such as the Bloody Angle.
Weary and worn, the students made it back to their vans and started heading back to their respective campuses at around four in the afternoon. Overall, no matter how tiring, the NHA Gettysburg trip was amusing, enlightening, and a great way to inverse students in history.