Welcome to the American Civil War Summer Enrichment Program! We are so glad you're here.
THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
ENRICHMENT PROGRAM BLOG
HARD TACK: During the first week of this program, students were able to slowly chew on the topics they want to explore in preparation for their research papers. Students also got to literally chew on brick-hard hardtack, a type of dry biscuit that Civil War soldiers lived off of. Here is a recipe for a not-very-delicious batch of hardtack below. Enjoy! (or not).
HARDTACK INGREDIENTS AND SUPPLIES:
2 cups flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
Salt (5-6 pinches)
Mixing bowl
Rolling pin
Cookie sheet
Fork
RECIPE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add all dry ingredients into the mixing bowl, and then add wet ingredients. Mix all ingredients together. Use extra flour if necessary to make sure the dough is no longer sticky. However, be careful not to make the dough too dry. If you add too much flour, add slightly more water.
3. Knead the dough until it is easy to work with.
4. Spread the dough onto the ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Use the rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangular shape. Hardtack was around a half inch thick, so don’t worry about making the dough thin.
6. Bake the dough for 30 minutes.
7. Take the dough out of the oven and cut it into large squares (around 3 inches by 3 inches). Use a fork to poke 16 to 20 holes into each square.
8. Flip the squares and return to the oven for 30 more minutes.
9. Allow the hardtack to completely cool inside the oven. Be careful when biting into a cracker, as they do get very hard when completely cool.
HARDTACK INGREDIENTS AND SUPPLIES:
2 cups flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
Salt (5-6 pinches)
Mixing bowl
Rolling pin
Cookie sheet
Fork
RECIPE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add all dry ingredients into the mixing bowl, and then add wet ingredients. Mix all ingredients together. Use extra flour if necessary to make sure the dough is no longer sticky. However, be careful not to make the dough too dry. If you add too much flour, add slightly more water.
3. Knead the dough until it is easy to work with.
4. Spread the dough onto the ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Use the rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangular shape. Hardtack was around a half inch thick, so don’t worry about making the dough thin.
6. Bake the dough for 30 minutes.
7. Take the dough out of the oven and cut it into large squares (around 3 inches by 3 inches). Use a fork to poke 16 to 20 holes into each square.
8. Flip the squares and return to the oven for 30 more minutes.
9. Allow the hardtack to completely cool inside the oven. Be careful when biting into a cracker, as they do get very hard when completely cool.
JOHNNY CAKES and HOMEMADE BUTTER
Johnny Cakes were eaten by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. A Johnny Cake is a type of cornmeal flatbread that is usually cooked on a cast iron skillet, but there are many variations in recipes and cooking methods. Some call these breads hoecakes, shawnee cakes or journey cakes depending on where you lived in the south and how they were made. Like hardtack, Johnny Cakes were made easily and cheaply and could be taken on long journeys. We feasted on corn bread and churned our own butter. It was a memorable experience seeing everyone excitedly shake their jars of cream in anticipation of the most delicious melt-in-your-mouth butter. Eating variations of the foods that Civil War soldiers subsisted on provides students with a unique experience of understanding part of the hardship of finding and preparing food during wartime. Although it was great fun eating corn bread or hard tack, we realize that eating this 2-3 times a day for several months at a time might not be as fun as we think.
FIELD TRIP: The Lincoln Memorial Shrine
Redlands, CA
Students traveled to Redlands to visit the Lincoln Memorial Shrine, which is the only Lincoln museum west of the Mississippi. We were able to learn about the amazing artifacts, documents, and paintings in the museum as well as view the bust of Lincoln. The Library and Museum director, Don McCue, who was very knowledgeable about the Civil War, was able to answer the numerous questions our students had about their specific topics. It was such an amazing opportunity to see the team on Civil War medicine view the actual surgical tools and equipment used during the war. The group working on researching Civil War weaponry was able to see the different muskets and rifles that were from the war as well. In fact, one of the first cannon balls fired during the Civil War was on display in the exhibition. Then, students were led to the historical A.K. Smiley Public Library to learn about the importance of sourcing and of primary sources. Students were able to transcribe a letter from a Civil War soldier and put their cursive-reading-skills to the test. Finally, to end the day, we had a fun picnic at the park and enjoyed sandwiches and a refreshing game of soccer as students were still in the frenzy of the FIFA World Cup. There were so many valuable and educational moments throughout this day that we hope students will cherish and remember as they become better researchers and curious historians.
FIELD TRIP: The J. Paul Getty Center
For the final field trip of the program, students visited the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. They were able to explore the paintings and styles that were prominent during the Civil War era. It was such an amazing opportunity for students to open their perspectives and encounter different genres of art from Neo-classical paintings, French Baroque masterpieces, and modern photography. Students enjoyed a picnic lunch by the gardens surrounded by panoramic views of Los Angeles. Right before students left the museum and went down the tram, they enjoyed homemade rice crispy treats and milk, as rice was one of the main cash crops in the southern states (we try to fit in food every chance we get!). We really enjoyed our time at the Getty museum and returned to campus excited and inspired to finish up our research projects.
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