SUNY Potsdam Students Help Local Historians Complete Research in Preparation for 250th Anniversary of American Independence
From left, Logan Lavallee ’25, Ryan Costin ‘25, SharonMarie Bartz ’25, Nicholas Cardenas ‘24 and Teresa Dickson ’24 pose for a photo outside SUNY Potsdam’s Satterlee Hall. During the summer of 2024, the five students completed paid internships with local historians, where they conducted research on American Revolution in preparation for the 250th anniversary of American Independence.
In preparation for the 250th anniversary of American Independence, six SUNY Potsdam students completed hands-on internships this summer around New York State—delving into local history projects to examine the founding of the country, while also helping local historians plan for upcoming semiquincentennial celebrations.
SUNY Potsdam students Sharonmarie Bartz ’26, Nicholas Cardenas ’24, Ryan Costin ’25, Teresa Dickson ’24, Logan Lavallee ’26 and Noah Schwartz ’24 joined a cohort of 50 students from seven SUNY campuses across the state for the historical research projects. As part of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Semiquincentennial Summer Fellowship Program, each student received $4,800 for completing 150 hours of work with town or county historical societies or with local historians as part of a $300,000 grant, with another $150,000 in matching funds from the SUNY schools involved.
The students were spread out around the state, from western New York to the Adirondacks. They each examined the local history of the Revolutionary War, looking at written records from veterans, and supporting historians in preparation for events commemorating the 250th anniversary of American Independence in 2026.
“Before the students started, Dr. Sheila McIntyre and I did a crash course on the American Revolution, particularly in New York State, to prepare them for their experiences,” said Dr. Tom Baker, a SUNY Potsdam history professor who oversaw the applied learning experiences with Dr. McIntyre, also a professor of history at the College. “ For some places, the Revolution was literally occurring down the street. It’s a great opportunity for the students to learn about the Revolution and local history, which is really important, as a lot of them are going to be teachers.”
As students comb through the local archives looking at hand-written letters and pension records, they bring to life the personal accounts of everyday Americans during the founding of the country—learning about the lives of infantrymen, rather than just the stories from well-known, high-ranking officers.
Michael Oberg, a distinguished professor in SUNY Geneseo’s Department of History and the director of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Semiquincentennial Summer Fellowship Program, secured the grant for the project and was busy this summer visiting all 50 students around the state, including Potsdam’s six representatives.
“I was impressed with each of Potsdam's students who we were able to hire as Gardiner Foundation Fellows. Each student was polite, professional, and extremely well-prepared by the faculty in SUNY Potsdam's Department of History for the work that their historians asked them to perform. These historians have been singing the praises of these six Potsdam students since they started work late in May—testifying to the excellence of Potsdam's students and, especially, to the outstanding teacher-scholars in the Department of History,” he said.
When the students arrived back on campus this fall, they gave presentations at the Potsdam Public Library to discuss their applied learning experiences. In Spring 2024, they will share their projects at the College’s Learning and Research Fair.
“Doing work like this is an excellent experience outside of the classroom and is so beneficial in the long run,” Dickson said. “Having field experience like this will not only better prepare me for future schooling, but also for my future career. I can add this to my resume, and going into future semesters in college I will already have such great research experience under my belt that not many other students probably have.”
SUNY Potsdam’s Department of History offers a variety of courses ranging from the ancient world to the present, and from Africa and Asia to Europe and the Americas. The department’s faculty is comprised of inquisitive scholars, whose passion for history enlivens their classrooms. For more information, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/AAS/History.
About SUNY Potsdam:
Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges—and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.