History on the Water

Learn about New York city history from offshore. In this after school series, teachers will hear from historians as they sail or motor up the Hudson River, the East River and into Newtown Creek.

Participants receive books, teaching materials and refreshments.

May 19, 2010 Circle Line/ Water Taxi	1909 Henry Hudson Tercentennial—New York Comes of Age Kate Johnson, curator at Historic Hudson Valley and author of The Hudson-Fulton Celebration: New York’s River Festival of 1909 and the Making of a Metropolis, examines the social history surrounding the 300th anniversary as New York City attempted to promote itself as America’s first world-class city.
May 26, 2010 Circle Line/ Water Taxi	Ship Ablaze! Professor Ed O'Donnell, author of Ship Ablaze: The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum, will tell the story of the the 1904 shipboard fire which resulted in the greatest loss of civilian life in US History until September 11th.
June 2, 2010 19th Century Schooner Pioneer	Becoming American: Ellis Island and Immigration Barry Moreno, a National Park Service librarian at Ellis Island who has published a number of books on the topic and edited the Encyclopedia of Ellis Island, will share the Ellis Island experience.
June 9, 2010 Circle Line/ Water Taxi	Depression Era Opulence: The Normandie and the Queen Mary *Bill Miller, curator of South Street Seaport’s upcoming exhibit on the Normandie, will discuss* ocean liner experience in the 1930’s and explore how these floating palaces remained in business during the worst economic disaster in memory.