John Adams is talking about April of 1774 when the 1st Continental Congress was held. Its purpose was to unite the colonies and to get ready for war should there be war. The colonists were to start collecting weapons and gunpowder. A message was sent to the King demanding changes. John Adams is talking again! [...]

“Thank you so much for coming—It was an excellent learning and concept reinforcement session for the 5th graders.” Sometimes when the Presidential Troupe presents at a school it is after the students have finished studying the American Revolution, and we are there to reinforce what they have studied. Times like that are fun. The Morning [...]

The Presidential Troupe traveled to North Bend Elementary in North Liberty to present Time Travel to Revolutionary America to 5th graders on Tuesday. The building was built three years ago and is state-of-the-art in every way:  white boards, computers everywhere,  commons areas for students to work together, etc. That’s Ben Franklin talking about the constitution [...]

The Presidential Troupe traveled to North Bend Elementary in North Liberty to present Time Travel to Revolutionary America to 5th graders on Tuesday. The building was built three years ago and is state-of-the-art in every way:  white boards, computers everywhere,  commons areas for students to work together, etc. That’s Ben Franklin talking about the constitution [...]

These 5th graders are enjoying interacting with the Presidential Troupe on St. Patrick’s Day. Are they smiling because Ben Franklin is talking about his days in France? Or…are they listening to John Adams as he defends the British soldiers at trial? Or…are they watching the Loyalist as she recalls the Boston Massacre?  Or… You GUESSED [...]

Waverly-Shell Rock High School AP History students rose early this morning to catch a ride to the Hoover Presidential Library. They left at 7:00 a.m. for the 112 mile drive through Iowa farmland. They were coming for a chance to do primary research, to hold the real deal in their hands — to look at [...]

Seton Catholic School was the destination for the Presidential Troupe on February 28. It was a beautiful sunny day for the hour and a half drive northeast to the small town of Peosta, IA.  Peosta sits a few miles west of Dubuque, one of Iowa’s oldest towns, which was established by Julian Dubuque because of [...]

It’s Presidents Month! Who best to celebrate with than James Madison, 4th President of the United States. Dick McGaughy has portrayed President Madison for the Hoover Presidential Library since the year 1999. In the above photo he is conversing with a local historian before engaging the audience in a discussion about the Constitution. HistoryAnecdote: In [...]

Here we are walking in the hallway of Camanche Middle School. The town of Camanche sits along the western bank of the Mississippi River. The drive north from Le Claire was quite pleasant — spotted one eagle and lots of geese. The Presidential Troupe has performed for Camanche 5th graders several times in the past [...]

Here we are unloading the government van in front of Jefferson Elementary in Clinton, IA. This is the first stop on the Time Travel to Revolutionary America 2011 Tour for the Presidential Troupe. During the months of February, March, and April five docents, who volunteer for the Hoover Presidential Library,  don historical costumes and drive [...]