History Players

Mrs. Abigail and Col. Josiah Snelling History Players.

The History Player Outreach programs brings history to you! The presenters offer an hour-long program  with props and a costumed interpreter who will use the life of a person who lived at Fort Snelling to make history come to life!

Program Length: Approximately 1 hour
Program Cost: $135 per program (includes mileage)
*Cost may be higher for programs outside of the Twin Cities metro area - call for details.

Mrs. Abigail Snelling Pays a Visit
Join us as we turn the calendar back to 1827 and receive Mrs. Abigail Snelling, wife of Fort Snelling's commanding officer, Josiah Snelling, for a social call. Discover what life was like in the early 1800s at a military post over 700 miles from the closest city, St. Louis, Missouri. Learn about clothing styles, food, etiquette and socializing during the early 19th century.

The Post Surgeon Makes a House Call
Fort Snelling's doctor makes a house call to "physic" you for such ailments as a catarrh and the ague. He'll discuss "modern medicine" of the 1820s and you'll have to decide if the cure sounds worse than the malady. Discover what day to day life was like for a military doctor and learn about his other duties, such as keeping the first weather records in Minnesota.

Col. Josiah Snelling and the 5th Regiment
Colonel Snelling will journey from Fort Snelling to discuss his early military career, including being taken a prisoner during the War of 1812, and later his assignment to establish a fort at the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Peters (later the Minnesota) rivers. Learn about his family and their lives at the fort, and discover the challenges of constructing and commanding a military post.

Charlotte Ouisconsin Clark Van Cleve
Meet Charlotte Ouisconsin Clark Van Cleve, the daughter of an army officer who was with the first group of soldiers sent to establish Fort St. Anthony in 1819, later known as Fort Snelling. She married an army officer who served with the Second Minnesota during the Civil War, and settled in Minneapolis where she became a prominent figure in the community, took up the cause of women's right to vote, and helped to establish the Bethany Home. Her book, Three Score Years and Ten, provides insight into life at Fort Snelling during the early 1800s.

Dred and Harriet Scott & Slavery in Minnesota
Learn about Dred Scott and his family, some of history's most famous Minnesotans. Dred, an enslaved man, was born in Virginia and eventually sold to Dr. John Emerson, a military surgeon. Emerson took Dred to places where slavery was illegal, such as at Fort Snelling, where Dred met and married Harriet Robinson, an enslaved woman, and started a family. In 1846 the Scotts began their eleven year court battle for freedom based on their time living in "free" states. The landmark case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where the Dred Scott Decision pushed the nation closer towards civil war. 
This presentation is given by non-costumed staff.

Please call 612-970-2844 or email nancy.cass@mnhs.org for information about booking a History Player outreach program!