On December 10, 2021, a small group of sophomores in AP U.S. History took a class trip to Fort Lee with history teachers Judy Aronson and Tucker Scheld. It was the first in-person field trip anyone in DMHS has taken in a long time because of Covid-19.

The field trip showed students where Washington’s army stayed and the route they followed through New Jersey after the Battle of Fort Lee. Students also visited the Fort Lee Museum/Fort Lee Historical Society to learn how on November 22, 1776, two days after the Battle of Fort Lee, General Washington and his Continental Army were forced to evacuate from Fort Lee. They were to begin their retreat through New Jersey and while on their evacuation, they were minutes away from being captured by British troops. 

This trip helped students learn from experience rather than books; to better understand the huge struggles and hard life behind being part of Washington’s army.

“I did have a better understanding of the journey Washington’s army took. Not only was this field trip fun and interesting, but it also helped show me the struggles and the life behind being part of Washington’s army,” sophomore Yessenia Serrano said. 

However, the trip was not just a trip to learn about history but a trip to experience the world they know in a new way. This trip allowed students to see the places they usually walk by all the time in a new perspective. It showed them that history was in their backyard. 

“A lot of people in Englewood don’t know about how Washington’s army marched past what is now the Janis E. Dismus Middle School and that’s why it’s called Liberty Road,” Ms. Aronson said.

This field trip demonstrated how United States history is around us and provided students with a firsthand look.