John Jay Homestead State Historic Site
invites you and your class to learn about the life of Founding Father
John Jay and to explore the exciting times in which he lived. After a
lifetime of public service, John Jay and his family retired to his farm
in Bedford in 1801. Jay had been the chief negotiator of the Treaty of
Paris, and had served as Chief Justice, Secretary for Foreign Affairs
and as a two-term Governor of New York. Jay’s wife, Sarah, died shortly
after moving to Bedford and Jay never remarried. Upon John Jay’s death in
1829, the farm and home were inherited by William Jay, John’s second
son. William Jay became a prominent leader of abolitionists, and the
Homestead became a center in the anti-slavery movement.
The House has been restored to look as it did during John Jay’s
lifetime. Students get a first-hand look at the changing nature of
everyday life by comparing today’s lifestyles with those of Jay’s era.
A variety of programs allow teachers to select visits or outreach
programs that complement
and coincide with their own curriculum. All age groups use the house
and furnishings as a resource to develop an enthusiasm for the past,
and an understanding of the founding of the United States.
More reasons to visit …
The John Jay Homestead has developed all education programs to meet
current State curriculum standards for U.S. and New York State History.
These programs encourage students to use the critical thinking skills
of a historian or social scientist by requiring them to read, analyze,
apply, synthesize and evaluate historical information.
The education staff will work with teachers to design programs around
specific curriculum needs such as DBQ's (Document Based Questions).
What about the cost? The fee for an on-site visit is $2.00 or $3.00 per student depending on the program. All of our programs can be done either on-site or in the classroom.
These programs have been made possible in part through contributions
from Friends of John Jay Homestead, Inc. The Margaret Mayo-Smith Bus Fund provides funding for transportation to the site for schools that demonstrate need. Download the Grant Application.
When can we schedule a visit? To make it easier for teachers to schedule a time to come for a group tour of John Jay Homestead, we have created an Availability Calendar. To view our Availability Calendar, Click Here.
Do we offer an Outreach Program? Yes, we do. Our outreach program is a flat fee of $50.00 per class. All of our programs can be done in the classroom. Please call Bethany White, our Education Coordinator, at 914.232.5651 ext 101 or email her for more information on the Outreach Program.
Grades K-4
Then and Now This program allows students to compare and contrast their everyday life with the way the Jay family lived here in the early 1800's. By looking at objects such as chamber pots and open hearth toasters, students become historic detectives using their analytical skills to determine the objects purpose. Students are also asked to look at the items in the home and try to "guess" their modern equivalents, (e.g. the mortar and pestle is the colonial versio of the blender). As well as the tour of the home, students discuss the difference in urban/rural/suburban locations. Finally, students will participate in an artifact detective activity where they handle artifacts and try to "discover" their uses, or play historical games.
John Jay’s Farm
This program utilizes the historic structures on the property as well
as a series of maps to discuss the evolution of agriculture and how
technological advances affected the industry.
John Jay, Revolutionary Spymaster
Why does the CIA have a room at its Liaison Conference Center named
after John Jay? Widely celebrated for his political achievements, it
is often overlooked that John Jay played an important role in creating a
Patriot spy network to help defeat the British during the American
Revolution. Students will move through the Homestead learning about
New York’s defense, the split loyalties of its inhabitants, different
spying techniques and historical anecdotes about important political
figures.
The Constitution in New York, and the
Jays What’s the difference between a President
and a King?What are taxes for?What did
the Constitution say about slavery?What kind of federal
government might New Yorkers want, and was that different from, say, residents
of frontier states, or states in the South?Why was it so
important that New York ratify the Constitution, if there were already enough
supporting states to make it become law?How much power
should states have?
Moving through the historic house and using objects from our collection and documents from the Jay archives, students will explore how states with very
different economies and interests, having just fought a long, expensive and
bloody war against a king, agreed to
come together and adopt a government with
strong powers.
Slavery, Anti- Slavery and the
Jay Family What is the difference between a servant and
a slave? What is the difference between abolition and manumission? Why
did many of the Founding Fathershistoric house museum
and study primary sources, including objects and documents, your
students will come to understand John Jay's conflicting attitudes as slave
owner and manumission advocate and learn about his son William's role in the
abolition movement.
They will also learn about the lives of some of the actual servants and
slaves who lived at the Homestead. continue to own slaves as they
established a new nation where "all men are created equal?" We provide
an immersive, hands-on experience that will help your students answer
these and other probative questions. While they tour the
To schedule an on-site visit or outreach program
please contact Education Coordinator Bethany White at 914.232.5651
ext 101 or e-mail bethany.white@oprhp.state.ny.us
Friends - P.O. Box 148, Katonah, NY 10536 - phone: 914.232.8119 - fax: 914.232.5974 - e-mail: friends@johnjayhomestead.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Site - P.O. Box 832 - 400 Jay Street, Katonah, NY 10536 - phone: 914.232.5651 - fax: 914.232.8085 - www.nysparks.com
