What was Mary Surratt’s everyday life really like? Was it dramatically different than our lives today? How did they survive without electricity, indoor plumbing or a central air? Students will learn about the day-to-day life of the Surratt family and analysis some of the more unique items that were common place during the 1850s and 1860s. Program is presented by a museum educator dressed in period attire and includes the use of reproduction period objects.

Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum:

● Acquire new vocabulary through listening.
● Recall and discuss what they understand.
● Identify and question what did not make sense.
● Describe how the community has changed over time and how people have contributed to its change.
● Examine differences between past and present time.
● Describe people, places and artifacts of today and long ago.

Was Mary Surratt innocent or guilty?
That is the central question at the Surratt House Museum. With guidance from a museum educator dressed in period attire and a power point presentation, students will play the role of the defense, the prosecution and the jury as they hear the chronology of events that led to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the testimony that was used during the trial of Mary Surratt. Students are asked to analyze information, state a clear opinion on the guilt or innocence of Mary Surratt and be able to support that position.

Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum:

● Students will acquire new vocabulary.
● Identify key facts.
● Summarize the main points of an issue explaining different viewpoints.
● Make a decision based on the analysis of issues.
● Identify and formulate a position on a course of action or an issue.

Clothing during the 1850s and 1860s not only identified the fashion of the day, but also projected the social values of the time and the distinct differences between male and female. Students will examine the cultural differences between past and present and share in the experience of wearing clothing of the Civil War era.

Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum:

● Acquire new vocabulary through listening.
● Recall and discuss what they understand.
● Identify and question what did not make sense.
● Examine differences between past and present time.