Getting Started
âListen to this, Meg and Peter,â their grandfather read from the newspaper. âOn this day in history, June 16th, the following historic events occurred.â
1673
Governorâs Island, off Manhattan, bought for 2 axes, some beads and nails.
1755
George Washington became the General of the American Army.
1845
Texas Congress agreed to annexation by the USA.
1858
Abraham Lincoln accepted the presidential nomination.
1897
Alaskan gold rush began.
âWhat?â Peter looked up and lifted his headphones from his ears.
âSorry, Gramps, I was listening to something else.â
Gramps sighed, âI was reading about history.â
âOh, you mean ancient times, before television,â Peter replied.
âEven before that,â Meg rolled her eyes.
âI know what history is,â Peter defended himself. âItâs memorizing dates and explorers and stuff.â
âItâs more than that,â Gramps explained. âItâs learning about real people and how they lived â their beliefs, government, and economy. By studying history we can see how our ancestors handled different situations. Understanding history also helps us to think about how we should handle modern day situations.â
âThink about our old house â all the families who lived here before us,â said Meg. âItâs pretty amazing.â
âPretty spooky actually. Didnât a Civil War soldier live here?â Peter asked, putting down his magazine. âI think his ghost still lives in the attic.â
âHe was a Revolutionary War soldier. Remember, we found his grave in the cemetery? I donât know about his ghost,â Meg replied.
âRevolutionary War. Civil War. What difference does it make?â said Peter.
âThereâs a big difference,â Gramps said, a bit exasperated. âEach event in history teaches us when good decisions were made and the prices humankind has paid for past mistakes,â Gramps explained. âAnd it so happens that something arrived recently from an old friend of mine. Iâm hoping that it will inspire you to learn more about history. Itâs rather curious.â
âI love curious things,â exclaimed Meg. âWhat is it?â
âItâs in the hall closet,â Gramps pointed. âThe two of you will have to drag it in here.â
Meg and Peter jumped up, raced into the hall and returned, pushing a large old chest.
âItâs from the Department of History at the University,â Meg read the tag.
âAnd itâs locked,â said Peter.
âAnd I have the key,â grinned Gramps. âAnd a letter that came with it.â
âWell, letâs have it, please!â they chimed eagerly.
Gramps handed over the key, and while Meg and Peter struggled with the old lock, he read the letter aloud:
âWow! Iâd really love to solve these cases and return all the artifacts,â said Meg.
âIt sounds pretty tricky,â said Peter. âLetâs see whatâs in the chest.â
âWhat is all this stuff?â Peter asked as he carefully lifted the old artifacts from the chest.
Can you identify any of these objects?
âHereâs a stack of paper cards with names on them. They must be the children in history.â Meg blew off the dust and read:
âHmmm, interesting names,â murmured Meg.
âBut how do we know which artifact goes with which child?â
âAnd where in the United States does each one belong?â said Peter.
What else might you need to begin solving the cases?
âIs there a map or a list of places to go?â asked Peter.
âHold on, Peter, there are more papers in the trunk.â Meg pulled out seven envelopes. âEach one is labeled with a mystery title and place. These must be Professor Brownâs clues to get us started.â
âAnd look,â said Meg, pulling out a
Maggie Brendan
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