Cool Site: Medieval Technology and American History from Penn State University

From the early 16th century onwards, European settlers arriving in the Americas brought not only ideas about religious and political freedom, but also the skills needed to build communities, the ways of daily life in the Old World. The technologies in particular differed little if at all from those their medieval forebears used to construct European civilization after the fall of Rome. The colonial American environment in which these technologies were applied led to a reorganization of industry and society outside the aristocratic control of Europe and provided the basis for the political developments that made a new nation.

This website explores some of the core medieval technologies that built the American colonies into an industrial powerhouse: milling and iron manufacture. In-depth articles, short essays, photo archives, videos, comparative timelines, and class projects all seek to demonstrate the transfer of these technologies to colonial America. The site, supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities/We the People Initiative, is designed for school teachers, but we hope it will also be found useful to students or any visitor interested in history, technology, art, or literature. 

 

After the title of each article, project, etc, you can find a quick reference symbol corresponding to the subject areas it covers, which may fulfill state standards. Also noted are the presence of lesson plans and original documents.

http://www.engr.psu.edu/mtah/index.htm

Medieval Technology and American History is a project of the Center for Medieval Studies at the Pennsylvania State University, supported by Grant EE-50095-04 from the National Endowment of the Humanities We the People Initiative. With contributions from faculty in Medieval Studies, Education, History, Food Science, Science, Technology, & Society, and local high schools. PSU faculty: Gerald Eggert, Ben Hudson, Bill Pencak, David Saxe, Steven Walton, Greg Ziegler, Vickie Ziegler; Master Teachers: Ned Eisenhuth, Pete Halapatz, Fred Lutkus, Robert Rich; Center for Medieval Studies Research Assistants: Brigitte Weinsteiger, Jessica Banks.