“I consider knowledge to be the
Soul of the Republic…”
                                                          -John Jay

You’re invited!!!
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. 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 a visit or outreach program that compliments and coincides 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 an 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 or outreach program is $2.00 per student. 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 the Friends of John Jay Homestead, Inc. The Margaret Mayo-Smith Fund provides funding for transportation to the site for schools that demonstrate need.

Education Programs

Summer History Camp
Monday, July 21 through Thursday, August 7, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Contact: Bethany White, (914) 232-5651, Ext. 101
Email: bethany.white@oprhp.state.ny.us.

See the Children and Parents section or the link to the flyer for more detailed information about the History Camp.

Download the Camp Flyer
Download 2008 Camp Registration From
Download the Medical Form

Grades K-3
John Jay: A Living Biography
Students take an exciting trip 200 years back in time where they will learn about family, the differences between how the Jays lived and how their servants lived, and the concepts of urban and rural.  This trip of learning and discovery is augmented by quotes taken from actual letters written by the Jay family. 

• Standards:       Social Studies 1, 3
  English Language Arts 1, 3, 4

Grades K-12
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.

• Standards:       Social Studies 1, 3, 4
  English Language Arts 1, 3, 4
  Math, Science, and Technology 4, 5

Grades 4-8
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 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.

• Standards:       Social Studies 1, 2, 5
  English Language Arts 1, 3, 4

Grades 4-12
John Jay and the Constitution
Students explore John Jay’s role in the creation and ratification of the United States Constitution by examining the events leading up to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, the battle for ratification in New York, and the Federalist Papers.

• Standards:       Social Studies 1, 5
  English Language Arts 1, 3, 4

John Jay as Chief Justice
When John Jay was confronted with problems he approached them in a legal minded manner.  At Columbia, when asked which of his classmates had broken some furniture he refused to answer on the basis that the college’s rules did not expressly require him to tell on his peers .  In the matter of the Boston Tea Party, Jay acknowledged that the American colonists had been wrong but when Britain shut down Boston’s port, and thereby punished the entire city without any form of trial or hearing, it was a violation of the colonists’ liberties .  This program teaches students not only about Jay’s time as Chief Justice but also about how he applied legalistic thinking to decisions he made throughout his life.

• Standards:       Social Studies 1, 2, 5
  English Language Arts 1, 3, 4

Grades 8-12
Slavery, Abolition and the Jay Family
What’s the difference between manumission and abolition?  Students will learn about John Jay’s role as a slave owner and manumission advocate as well as his son William’s work as an abolitionist.  The program includes student participation in a variety of activities and discussions dealing with a wide range of issues.

• Standards:       Social Studies 1, 2, 5
  English Language Arts 1, 3, 4