By Danielle Harris-Burnett
In 1863 the U.S. Army established the first official all-Black military regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry and subsequently formed the 9th and 10th Cavalries in 1868. Due to their role in westward expansion, these cavalries were known as the Buffalo Soldiers. Throughout…
By Juls SundbergIn today's world of fast fashion, it might seem strange to imagine dyeing a piece of clothing a different color instead of purchasing something new. But home dyeing used to be a well-practiced and thrifty way to keep your wardrobe fresh. The fabric dye of choice for Vermonters was Diamond…
By Eileen Corcoran
People buy clothes not just for their utility, but because they signify something about the wearer to society at large. The history of clothing is the history of the public’s changing norms and values, as well as the relationship between manufacturing, markets, and consumers. In the…
By Danielle Harris-Burnett
In college, my campus shared land with a living history museum, and as an anthropology major, that meant a quick and easy commute to work. But it also introduced an interesting question: where was the barrier between the historical landscape of the museum and the modern world…
By Teresa Teixeira Greene
Every generation likes to imagine they are discovering new ideas, setting trends more innovative than any previous generation. Those left behind imagine the same: they established good taste in fashion for the first time in recorded history. Today is no different. Individuals…
By Sarah-Lee Terrat
In February, the Vermont History Museum welcomed a new exhibit into its Local History Gallery: Vermonters at Work. The exhibit is a collaboration between Jan Blomstrann, the retired co-founder and former owner of NRG Systems, and Sarah-Lee Terrat, a fine artist and designer from…
By Victoria Hughes
The Vermont Historical Society is committed to providing high-quality Vermont history content and resources to K-12 students, teachers, and parents. One of the ways we do this is through our award-winning Vermont History Explorer website (vermonthistoryexplorer.org), geared specifically…
By Louisa Braun, Mario D. and Rose T. Lorenzini Fellow
Vermont is one of the states with the longest-running histories of alcohol prohibition, second only to Maine. In 1853, the state enacted a statewide prohibition, which remained on the books until 1902, when the legislature enacted a local option.…
By Teresa Teixeira Greene
To outsiders, Vermont winters bring forth idyllic images of winter sports—skiing, sledding, and ice skating. To Vermonters, the dark days of winter necessitate outdoor activities, both for enjoyment and in desperate attempts to see some sunlight. So, one might think that a…
By Robert Mills and George Edson
In a 1980s Jeff Danziger cartoon, a man with a hammer sits in front of a bowl full of soup and crackers. That image sums up the foodstuff in question, the humble Common Cracker. No doubt about it, if anything, common crackers are hard.
Danziger’s image is part of a…
