A Diverse History Success

In 2018 Livingston County ANR and Crittenden County 4-H collaborated on an idea for a new 4-H shooting club.  This club would be called the Early American Heritage Project.  This program combines a comprehensive study of American history from the period 1754 to 1815 and consist of major components such as, but not limited to, 4-H Shooting Sports (i.e., Black powder), Leadership Development, Living History (Civics), Foods, Community Engagement and Agriculture & Natural Resources (woodland and wildlife education) along with encompassing many other important life skills.

The time frame of 1754 to 1815 covers the three major conflicts in our early history that shapes the very concepts of basic rights, self-government, manifest destiny, use of our natural resources, (i.e., water ways, timber, basic land usage and ownership) and our place on the world stage as a country. The French and Indian war (1754-1763) was the basics for most of the grievances that caused the American Revolution. The French and Indian war also set the stage on how the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains and the people inhabiting it were to play a role in the future of the county. The American Revolution (1775-1783) is of course the birth of our nation and the implementation of these great founding values and ideas that make us what we are today as a nation. The war of 1812 was our countries first steps into the arena of the family of nations. The newly formed Republic not like any republic the world had ever seen before, a government by the people for the people was put to the test.  Out of this war a national pride and self-identity emerges and proved to the world that our founding principles and people were here to stay. 

In June of 2022 our Early American heritage Project club was invited to participate in fun and unique learning opportunity this included 10 youth and 9 volunteers from Livingston and Crittenden County that attended the event at Fort De Chartress Illinois. Our club was able to attend the event as a French unit the Regiment Guyenne that served in North America from 1755 to 1760. At this event our club learned about the diversity of the region and how the French, English, Spanish, and Native American cultures interacted together to shape this region of the mid-west. We also learned more about how the different cultures used their natural resources and how it still shapes us today. In addition, our club participated in black powder shooting with historically accurate 18^th century muskets, outdoor cooking, axe throwing and camping. 

In all 100% of those in attendance stated that this was a unique one of a kind of learning experience, that they really enjoyed, while gaining a greater appreciation for the different cultures that were represented at this event.