ACPC at the Jamestown NCSS Conference

AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR POLISH CULTURE
PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL STUDIES
VIRGINIA AFFILIATE CONFERENCE
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA
NOVEMBER 2-3, 2018

ACPC sponsors events during the conference.
Teachers put the Jamestown, VA Polish Craftsmen's Right to Vote back into History Books in the Commonwealth

The Virginia Affiliate of the National Council for Social Studies held its annual conference at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference center on November 2-3, 2018. There were 430 educators present during the conference. The American Council for Polish Culture (ACPC) awarded a special grant to the NCSS Polish Perspectives Project for this meeting in preparation for recognizing Polish Craftsmen being granted the right to vote in the first elected Legislative Body in the colonies in July 21, 1619.
Most of the teachers did not know of the Polish craftsmen's operation of Jamestown industries and their demand for the right to vote. Many educators and independent organizations made commitments to support our effort to explain this historical fact to educators and the public. Teachers who made presentations on early American craftsmen revised their presentations to include the Polish contribution to American history. The Conference Display Screen
The red and white canvas bags with the Jamestown Marker was displayed so prominently on the bags. Four items were included in their bags which were 2 Jamestown posters, a leaflet of the Jamestown Craftsmen and a set of 50 bookmarks.

1. Event Poster
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2. Sweets
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3. Books

The sponsorship of the instrumentalist John McCutcheon was perfect for this event. Mr. McCutcheon was a lyricist who travels on the eastern coat sharing historical events but though lyrics and songs. He told a story of the early settlers from Poland coming to the Jamestown colony. He said there were skilled craftsmen who established industries in the colony and in 11 years, before the House of Burgess convened they held a work stoppage to protest being denied the right to vote. They simply put down their tools. The convening of the House Burgesses was the first representative government in America. It was at that time that only white, English born men could have a right to vote.
On July 21, 1619 they were granted the right to vote. The first civil rights action that set a stage for the past 400 years of the right to vote for all Americans. Mr. McCuthcon travels along the Easter coast speaking to educators and for sure he will include this new piece of history.
In all the history books displayed during the conference, The Poles arriving nor the Right to Vote was not mentioned. Teachers who were presenters on early skilled craftsmen said that they had to amend their presentations to be accurate. History teachers took bookmarks and additional posters.
Many vendors especially Mr. Michael Pace ESQ from the Center for Teaching the Rule of Law spoke so highly of the posters of the House of Burgesses establishing the first form of representative government in the United States and then the Poles were excluded. The Poles set an example for 400 years to come that we all now have a right to vote. (www.ruleoflaw-vba.org) (www.centerforrule of law.org.)
Mr. Michael Pace asked for permission to use our facts on their web site. He also took posters for his workshops with young attorneys in the Commonwealth to site the first rule of law was established and they denied the right to vote to skilled craftsmen. He felt that this is how the rule of law all began in the Jamestown settlement and this fact was the beginning of our judicial system of laws. Everyone had the right to vote. This fact was a realization that this had such an impact upon all our future rules of law for over 400 years.
Vendors from The National History Day, American Evolution, Virginia Humanities and the Virginia Museums and the Virginia Public Radio Station wanted to include our historic corrections to their web sites craftsmen.
The Virginia Humanities Project has a virtual tour on their web site and wanted to have a virtual tour of the glass house in Jamestown which would feature a lesson on their web site. They wanted to high-light the Right to Vote by the skilled craftsmen surrounded by the Glass house.

3. More books
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4. Posters
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5. Bags with logo

The American Evolution Project was willing to place our materials in their project school featuring the first legislative body that was formed, the black people came, and women arrived at the settlement. They hope to include the fact that the Poles received the right to vote.
The Jamestown settlement hosts teacher work-shops and would welcome our sponsorship for these programs.
During the week of July 21, 2019, a huge celebration is planned in Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown all about the celebrations of the House of Burgesses first establishing a representative government, the Blacks and Women coming to the Colonies and now the Poles gained the Right to Vote.
Many supervisors from surrounding counties took enough bookmarks for all the students in the schools and welcomed additional posters and leaflets. Roanoke supervisor of Social Studies has already posted all the important information on their resources for teachers to include in their teaching of Jamestown. County of Fairfax stated whatever we give them they will distribute to their US history teachers as did Suffolk counties. In October of 2019, the local affiliate of NCSS invited us to attend the conference and exhibit.

7. The Booth
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8. Comic Book
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9. Ray and Cecilia Glembocki

We also approached the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library representatives and asked to work with them concerning the 14 points made with Paderewski and President Wilson.
The Embassy of Poland's cultural attache Joanna Stus was so generous in providing a variety of books about Poland. The teachers were thrilled, and the titles of the books are: A Guide to the History of Poland, The Righteous, Christianity in the History of Poland and the Poles 966-2016 and Polish Culinary Paths.
Many of the teachers signed our registry to obtain our CD with notable Poles and the Jamestown Project, posters, bookmarks and leaflets. They will be sent via media mail.
We are thrilled to have had such a positive response from those who attended. We also extend our thanks to ACPC to having this opportunity.