Carpenters' Hall Video Lesson

GRADE LEVEL: 6-12
SUGGESTED TIME: 1-2 class periods

The following lesson suggestions are based around a ten-minute video about Carpenters' Hall and The Carpenters' Company. The information provided also fits into a grander scheme of colonial politics, prior to the Revolutionary War, among other events in American history. The video is highly recommended for use as a visual aid in multimedia classrooms.

The lesson suggestions are for middle school and high school classes only. Teachers are advised to accommodate the lessons to the students' grade level, skill level, and achievement ability. All content and activities for these plans are generated strictly from the video.

The video is available to order over the phone at 215-925-0167.

Objectives

The students will be able to...

1. Analyze the significance of Carpenters' Hall and The Carpenters' Company in American history
2. Create a timeline of significant events that took place in Carpenters' Hall
3. Analyze the significance of the First Continental Congress in relationship to the Revolutionary War
4. Compare and contrast the function and roles of The Carpenters' Company and its members of the 18th Century with the function and roles that today's members hold

Content of the Video

I. The Carpenters' Company of the City of Philadelphia and the County of Philadelphia

1. The oldest builders' guild or trade association in the United States
2. Designed after The Carpenters' Company of London
3. Founded in 1724
4. Purposes:
   • further science of architecture
   • help members and families
   • the influence of major city building was kept within the company
5. Members:
   • "Master Builder" (1700s), architect, engineer, and contractor (all one person)
   • "Master Builder" (current), architects, engineers, contractors, all individual professions
6. Buildings in Old Philadelphia built by members of The Carpenters' Company
   • Independence Hall (State House)
   • Christ Church
   • Benjamin Franklin's home
   • Carpenters' Hall

II. Carpenters' Hall

1. Began building in 1770, finished in 1774
2. Built by Robert Smith, Company member
3. Used as a meeting hall for Company members (1774–current)

III. First Continental Congress

1. Delegates met at City Tavern in order to discuss their grievances against the king of England, asking what action should be taken.
2. Delegates were offered the use of the State House (currently called Independence Hall), but many feared that the information would be divulged if they met in a building owned by the British government.
3. Decided to use the neutral and privately-owned site of Carpenters' Hall
4. 55 delegates met for seven weeks in the Fall of 1774 (including George Washington, Patrick Henry, John Adams, Samuel Adams)
5. The second floor of Carpenters' Hall was taken up by The Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Benjamin Franklin. Delegates could use what they needed from the library. The British used the library in 1777, when they occupied Philadelphia.
6. Accomplishments of the First Continental Congress
   • Created a list of grievances to send to King George III
   • Officially supported the actions happening in Massachusetts at the time
   • Formed a Continental Association agreeing not to trade with England until taxes were rescinded
   • Created a "spirit of cooperation" among the American colonies
   • Patrick Henry said, "I am not a Virginian, but an American."
   • Delegates returned to their homes in late October 1774, still hopeful that the dispute with England could be resolved.
7. May 1775 — "Shot Heard 'Round the World"
8. The colonies would need help

IV. "Bonvouloir Conspiracy"

1. France wanted to aid the colonies but was afraid that Britain would declare war on them if their support was made public.
2. Bonvouloir was a French spy who met secretly with Benjamin Franklin and John Jay for three nights on the second floor of Carpenters' Hall in December 1775.
3. France's support made the ultimate success of the American Revolution possible.

V. Pennsylvania Assembly (Pennsylvania Provincial Conference)

1. June 1776 — Pennsylvania declared independence from Britain, forming the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in Carpenters' Hall

VI. Carpenters' Hall during the Revolutionary War.

1. The Carpenters' Company rented Carpenters' Hall as Hospital for American soldiers
2. Hospital for British soldiers during British occupation of Philadelphia

VII. Carpenters' Hall after the Revolutionary War.

1. The Carptenters' Company rented the hall as site of the First Bank of the United States
2. Site of the Bank of Pennsylvania and First great bank robbery in the United States
   • Total of $160,000 missing from the bank vault.
   • Patrick Lyon, blacksmith, was accused and thrown into prison.
   • Isaac Davis, member of Carpenters' Company began to make large deposits into the same bank he robbed.
   • Lyon was freed, and Davis disappeared from Philadelphia, and expelled from The Carpenters' Company.
3. Customs House
4. Franklin Institute
5. Auction Hall (drew harsh criticism)
6. 1857 Carpenters' Company opened the newly restored building, becoming the first historic landmark to be opened free to the public.
7. Carpenters' Hall is still owned and maintained by The Carpenters' Company of Philadelphia. They still have their quarterly meetings there.

Before Watching the Video

Prior Knowledge: The students should be aware of the causes of the American Revolution, and the events leading up to it, both in Philadelphia and in Massachusetts. They should know who Benjamin Franklin was with regard to his basic contributions to American politics, science, and society.

Suggested Activity Before Viewing, "Predicting" Carpenters' Hall: After briefly reviewing previously learned knowledge about the American Revolution and Benjamin Franklin, place a transparency of Carpenters' Hall on an overhead projector. Tell the students that Carpenters' Hall was in the center of Philadelphia and across the street from Benjamin Franklin's home in the 1700s, around the time of the American Revolution. You may also want to show a map of Old Philadelphia, displaying the geographical relationship Carpenters' Hall has with other historic sites, such as Independence Hall. Brainstorm some of the events that might have happened around and inside the building, who might have visited, why might they have visited, and why the building is an important historic site. Allow the students to brainstorm events and people through association. Ask questions that will lead them to more correct information. (Ex. Who do you think were friends with Ben Franklin? Who are carpenters? What kinds of meetings might have happened during the time of the Revolution?) Write everything on the board and keep it there during the video, so the students will be able to see what was correct and incorrect. Completing this exercise of reviewing and predicting will create a context upon which the students can build.

During the Video

It is up to the teacher to choose which questions he or she would like to use during the showing of the video. It is not advisable to use all of the questions, as the students will not be able to answer all of them during the eleven-minute film. Teachers are advised to choose questions that are relevant to their themes and particular issues of their unit curricula. The questions are in sequence with the movie.

Suggestion for Variation, Expert Groups: The teacher can create three separate worksheets from the suggested questions. Split the class into three groups and give each group a respective worksheet. Show the video, and advise that the students answer the questions as they watch. After the video, have the students of the same group consult each other for the correct answers. Then, create several different groups consisting of three students each, one from each first group. Have each student present his or her group's information to the students from the other groups. Everyone can then be quizzed on all material.

Suggestion for Variation, Carpenters' Hall Jeopardy: The students can also be asked to take detailed notes during the video. After viewing, divide the students into four or five "achievement equal" teams. Create a jeopardy game by allotting value to each of the questions and placing them under separate categories (e.g., Carpenters' Company/Hall, First Continental Congress, The Bonvouloir Conspiracy, etc.). A representative from each team chooses a category and an amount (e.g., "Bonvouloir Affair" for $200). The question for that amount is posed to the whole group and the students are given time to discuss it and refer to their notes for the answer. If they do not answer the question correctly, the question may be passed onto another team, who would receive the points if it answered the question correctly. The students continue in this manner until all questions are answered correctly. Points are tallied, and a winning team is named.

Questions for the Video

Q. What is the difference between a member of The Carpenters' Company in the 1700s and a member now?
A. The members of the Company in the 1700s were called Master Builders who acted as architect, engineer and contractor. One person oversaw the entire construction process. The building industry has changed, and today requires separate, specialized architects, engineers and contractors. All of these people who design and construct today's buildings still make up the members of The Carpenters' Company.

Q. Name three buildings, other than Carpenters' Hall built in Philadelphia by members of The Carpenters' Company.
A. Christ Church, Independence Hall (The State House), Benjamin Franklin's home

Q. Who built Carpenters' Hall?
A. Robert Smith, Company member

Q. When was Carpenters' Hall built?
A. 1770-1774

Q. Why did the delegates to the First Continental Congress want to meet?
A. They wanted to voice their grievances against Britain, particularly the excessive taxes imposed upon the colonists.

Q. Why did they use Carpenters' Hall as opposed to the State House (Independence Hall)?
A. Carpenters' Hall was a neutral site, owned by The Carpenters' Company. The State House was owned by the British government, and the colonial delegates feared exposure to the British government.

Q. When did the First Continental Congress meet?
A. Fall 1774 for seven weeks

Q. Who were three of the delegates?
A. George Washington, Patrick Henry, John Adams, Samuel Adams

Q. What did the First Continental Congress accomplish?
A. Created a list of grievances against Great Britain; promised support to Massachusetts; formed a continental association that decided not to trade with Great Britain until the taxes are lifted; created a "spirit of cooperation."

Q. What was one of the things Patrick Henry said at the First Continental Congress?
A. "I am not a Virginian, but an American."

Q. What were the delegates hoping would happen by the end of the Congress?
A. They were hoping that the conflict would be resolved without war.

Q. What was France's position on the American Revolution before the war started?
A. France wanted to help the colonies but they did not want England to declare war against them as well.

Q. Who was Bonvouloir?
A. A French spy

Q. Name the three people who met on the second floor of Carpenters' Hall in late December of 1775 to discuss the potential of French aid?
A. Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Bonvouloir

Q. What happened as a result of their meetings?
A. France eventually provided the help needed for the Colonies to win the war.

Q. What happened at the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1776?
A. Pennsylvania declared independence from Britain, creating the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Q. Who committed America's first bank robbery?
A. Isaac Davis, Carpenters' Company member

Q. Why was he caught?
A. He began to deposit large amounts of money into the same bank from which he stole it.

Q. When did Carpenters' Hall open free to the public as an historic landmark?
A. 1857

Q. How is The Carpenters' Company involved with Carpenters' Hall today?
A. The Carpenters' Company's member architects, engineers, and contractors, maintain the building and hold their quarterly meetings there.

Following Up

There are a variety of methods to use to comprehend and analyze the video. Below are some questions that teachers can pose to their students that can be used for in-class assignments, homework, quizzes, or tests. Also provided are other suggested activities and examples of these activities.

Questions

1. At the First Continental Congress Patrick Henry said, "The distinction between Virginians, New Yorkers, Pennsylvanians, and New Englanders is no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American." Explain exactly what he meant by this statement and why it was so significant.
2. Why do you think Carpenters' Hall is referred to as "a Monument to American Independence?"
3. The delegates to the First Continental Congress did not meet in order to declare war against Britain. In fact, they met for the purpose of reconciliation with Britain. Why do you think they didn't want war with Britain? (or list as many reasons why the colonists didn't want war with Britain as you can.)
4. Do you think the Revolutionary War would have been won had the First Continental Congress never met? Why?
5. Do you think the Revolutionary War would have been won had Bonvouloir never met with Benjamin Franklin and John Jay in 1775? Why?
6. Do you think it would have been difficult for the delegates to write one letter that represented the whole Congress? Why or why not?

Suggestion for Activity, Think-Pair-Share: Pose one or more of these questions to your class. Have them think about it and write their answer individually. When they are finished, pair them up with a partner and tell them to discuss their answers with their partner. Next, bring the class together with a full class discussion of the questions. More students will participate in a full group discussion if they are allowed to practice on a partner first.

Write a Letter: Teachers can give the students this fictional scenario. "Carpenters' Hall is about to be torn down to make way for the Megaplex Ten Movie Theater. You are a member of the Philadelphia Historical Commission and believe that Carpenters' Hall is very important to the history of the nation and it should be kept open as a museum to the public." The students will then write letters to the mayor of Philadelphia, Mayor John F. Street, to tell him why Carpenters' Hall should not be torn down. Depending on the grade level, the letters should be detailed (not just a list of events that happened at Carpenters' Hall) with vivid examples from the video and a strong argument. Have student partners revise the letters before a voluntary "public" reading. In other words, students can come up to a podium and share their compositions with the class.

Team Statements: Present one or many of the following "leads" to the students. Have them complete the sentences individually. (Each of the "leads" must be completed in one sentence.) When they are finished, create groups of three or four students each. Tell them they must create one sentence, on which they all agree, to represent the entire group's opinion. Check each group to correct run-on sentences that just attach all of the individual sentences together. Have a representative from each group read his or her team statement.

1. The First Continental Congress was...
2. Carpenters' Hall is...
3. The Bonvouloir Conspiracy was...
4. The First Continental Congress resulted in...
5. The Carpenters' Company is...
6. The Carpenters' Company was...

Graphic Organizers: Graphic Organizers allow students to arrange material visually. Many students who are visually oriented will connect with the material after being able to see a picture of it. Graphic Organizers are very useful with reading disabled students, as well as English as a Second Language students.

1. Web: To complete a Web organizer, split the students into groups, no more than four per group. Tell them to make a Web of the information they found out about Carpenters' Hall. As each group completes the Web, ask one or two people from each group to come up to the board and write it there. Soon you will have five or six Webs on the board. Compare them with each other, and, time permitting, create one for the entire class.
2. Timeline: A timeline can be created individually or in groups. Give the students long pieces of poster paper. Challenge them to make their timelines the most neat and detailed. At the end, everyone secretly votes to decide whose is the best. Post them all on the walls afterwards. Carpenters' Hall Timeline.
3. Ven Diagram: The Ven Diagram can also be completed in groups or individually. Have the students complete a Ven Diagram of Carpenters' Hall individually. On one side write "Carpenters' Company/Hall 1700s," and on the other write "Carpenters' Company/Hall today." Compare and contrast the two, placing contrasting evidence on the sides, and comparisons in the center. As each student finishes, partner them up to compare with each other. Bring the whole class together and create one big Ven Diagram for all to see.